Music these days seems to be set up for categorization. Many bands are simply formulaic, gears to succeed as metal, or country, or soft-rock. Alternative music is even becoming a generic label rather than a classification encompassing unique or original styles. Truly original music tends rapidly to become absorbed into the mainstream.

Into this trend jump the Cherry Poppin' Daddies -- their name itself seemingly an attempt to avoid cloning. After taking some heat in their native Eugene, Oregon, the band briefly changed its name to the Daddies; they switched back, feeling they had given into the forces of censorship they strongly oppose. A sticker on their album, Ferociously Stoned, notes, "The language and concepts contained herein are guaranteed not to cause eternal torment."

What they will cause is a wide range of responses, from frenetic dancing to the contemplation of subtle nuances. Citing influences from Cab Calloway to Prince, the band is a fascinating cross of big band and grunge, or maybe a fusion of jazz and metal. They have managed to combine these disparate elements into a sound that is totally original and incredibly fluid. A potent horn section blasts like the Tower of Power, while the guitars are able to range from R&B sounds to driving rock. At the center of it all is Steve Perry, a songwriter with a subtle sense of humor and a singer with trmendous range and talent.

The band unselfconsciously picks whatever elements work for them. Where big band songs were inevitably upbeat, the eight man Daddies swing while delivering potent messages about societal issues such as child abuse and violence. They deliver rock with more complexity than three-chord guitar riffs and social critique without heavy-handed cynicism.

Perry is definitely the center of attention, changing personas more often than the band changes keys. It can be a bit discomfiting to see a singer gyrating lasciviously to music evocative of Glenn Miller; it is nevertheless fascinating and tremendous entertainment.

Recently the Cherry Poppin' Daddies were chosen in listener balloting as one of the three best unsigned bands in the Bay Area, along with Alphabet Soup and the ska band Skankin' Pickle. All three joined together for the SoCo Rocks show at the Great American Music Hall. The Daddies, playing between the other two bands, were rousingly received by the diverse crowd of ska, jazz, and rock fans. Called back to the stage for an encore, they again did the unlikely, delivering a cover of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s "Call Me Irresponsible." Despite the minor handicap of his European descent, Perry bore an uncanny resemblance both in voice and manner to Davis, leading a crowd of people to cheer wildly the work of an entertainer, Davis, they might have previously scorned.

From dedicating their album to the memory of Sammy Davis, Jr., to adding a little grunge to the sound of Cab Calloway to song titles like "Teenage Brain Surgeon" and "Drunk Daddy," the Cherry Poppin' Daddies never seem to step back from shaking things up a bit. This irreverence has made them controversial. It has also perhaps freed them enough as artists to create something original and most definitely worth seeing.

The Cherry Poppin' Daddies will be playing with Black Happy at the DNA Lounge, 11th and Harrison, on Friday, March 11. Doors open at 9 p.m. This is a band worth checking out, whatever your musical preferences are.