The Giraffes Rock Bowery Ballroom 12/13/05
First note this entry is "posted by Stereogum." That's 'cause it takes all three Stereogumboys to convey the awesomeness of the Giraffes' set at Bowery last night. (You'll remember from Jed's CMJ wrap-up: "Holy shit, did they rock.")
The Giraffes are pure metal joy. They are Soundgarden before haircuts, Guns N Roses before MTV, Metallica before orchestras. Singer Aaron Lazar strutted, moaned, and wailed his way around the stage at the Bowery Ballroom like a cross between a ringmaster and Southern Baptist preacher. Seeing him on stage, dressed all in black, it's easy to see that the two are indistinguishable in Hell.
Damien Paris plays riffs so heavy they create their own gravity, which means it took 20 minutes of staring to see that he plays his left-handed guitar strung upside-down, like a heavy metal Paul McCartney. Drummer Andrew Totolos was felt as much as heard, as he spewed water (?) and beer at the crowd. Who, to their collective credit, did not back up. And why should they, when Lazar was throwing his trademark bottle of Jim Beam out for the crowd to share. At one point, someone asked for it, and upon getting it back, Aaron mouthed to the guy, "Why did you put the lid back on?"
John Rosenthal bears mention as the Charlie Watts of the group- he wore a three-piece suit (well, not really, but compared to the leather clad Paris, it might as well have been) and plays bass with a fingerstyle more befitting jazz or funk. But you can tell that he's got a freezer full of bodies in his apartment just the same.
Pre-show, Damien and Andrew posed for Stereogum readers...
Damien and Andrew strike a pose
But ultimately we had no problem getting wild stage shots. They even gave us the setlist.
"Dog Sex" livens up any Valentine's Day Mix.
Here's what you missed if you showed up only for headliners Diamond Nights.
Damien rocks the upside-down guitar.
Aaron offers up a toast to Jim.
Damien falls into the arms of a friend.
Damien shred the encore from the audience pit. Andrew was down there too, but we think he fell.
More pictures "after the jump."
Damien rocks out mid-sneeze.
"Is the next verse about drinking or fucking? I forget."
"Dude, smell my finger."
Aaron is so drunk he can no longer stand under his own power.
Buy their CD here.
Posted at 1:57 PM in Concert
Wasn't the singer from Presidents Of The United States of America in a band called The Giraffes? I'm assuming this isn't them.
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nope, that's him. it took this long to grow that stache.
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Awesome writeup awesome photos. Thanks guys. Giraffes are SO MUCH BETTER than Diamond Nights.
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On a totally unrelated note, did y'all hear that Showtime may end up rescuing Arrested Development?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051214/en_nm/arrested_dc
I'll end up getting myself a cable feed if ever this comes to pass.
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The Giraffes are wicked. Their last Rothko show rocked. Sorry I missed this one. Can't believe Aaron was so close to death just months ago.
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awesome pictures. i'm in love with stereogum.
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It took nearly 30 years - but mustaches are cool again!
Or are they?
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It's true, Drewo - moustaches are back in a big way. But were they ever gone?
According to my dad...no.
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now that mustaches are back, key wallets are going to be HUGE
http://www.shop.com/op/aprod-p15964036-k12-g-~key+wallet-nover
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They look far too clean to be metal.
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How prescient Jim...
http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/532/out_there/personal_stache.xml
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The Giraffes were terrible last night (as they always are). Diamond Nights however, were in top form.
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Did they mean to misspell "tourniquet" on the setlist? Is that what's cool these days?
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if they're always so bad, why do you keep showing up in time to see them? the show rocked last night... was better at sin'e in a smaller space, but great just the same. they kicked the shit out of diamond nights. oh yeah and damien is hot.
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I'd seen the Giraffes numerous times before but had never heard (barely heard OF) Diamond Nights and Living Things. Despite my advanced age ("Dude, where's my AARP card?"), I hung in for all three bands at Bowery Ballroom and listened with an open mind. This particular set was not the Giraffes at their very best. Nonetheless, they were the best band of the night in every respect save, perhaps, personal hygiene. That includes the technical skill and inventiveness of the instrumentalists (if that matters to you); Aaron Lazar's vocals (Lilian of Living Things is an attractive presence but can't really sing); and the savage wit and originality of their whole concept. Music isn't a competition, but the Giraffes made those other bands sound limited and one-dimensional by comparison.
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Is that guitarist Vince Guaraldi reincarnated?
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Listen to their recorded material, Giraffes-haters, and you shall be swayed...
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the giraffes ruled the bowery. the bouncers squashed all of their antics they stopped the crowd from throwing things and they tried to stop aaron from feeding whiskey to the hungry. and the stage is too high. but they destroyed i will eat their sperm
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"if they're always so bad, why do you keep showing up in time to see them? the show rocked last night... was better at sin'e in a smaller space, but great just the same. they kicked the shit out of diamond nights. oh yeah and damien is hot.
Posted by: l at December 14, 2005 10:56 PM"
i showed up in time to see the first band, and figured id give the giraffes another chance and was again shocked by how terrible they were. the singer has something, but the band is a joke.
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Man, this makes me want to grow the mustache.
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I met a Giraffe a few weeks ago, before divulging that he was in a "rock concert band" he was talking to me about his Roth IRA and the great equity he's built up since finishing college.
Verdict...art schoolers, I doubt Dan Lilker even has a bank account. Not metal, not funny, not easy on the eyes.
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Okay, First, The band called the Giraffes fronted by Chris Ballew of P.U.S.A. is not the same band as The Giraffes from Brooklyn Chris Ballew's band consists of him, Mike Musbutger and Jason Staczek. A simple google search on this topic would give you this information, Knowledge is Power Dipshits!
B. If you don't have anything good to say about The Giraffes then get the fuck off of this page and go suck a dog's dick or whack off to a pic of your grandma or whatever sick shit you get your kicks from, Asshole.
#3. Mustaches are infinatley cool and sexy. If The Giraffes look and sound make you wanna grow one then DO IT! Personally their music makes me wanna ride one, not grow one.
Lastly, The Giraffes are the greatest band ever. Go to their shows, buy their shirts, buy their cds, go to thier website and talk to them on the message board! Do It! You will be a better person, I promise. DO IT!!!
lOVE IN AN ELEVATOR,
BETH
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blackjack ballroom blackjack ballroom
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