In a perfect world every band would be as interesting and engaging as Brooklyn's The Giraffes. Sure you can call them punk metal, but live this band ceases to fit into any genre: a brew of vintage Soundgarden grunge, hints of System of a Down folk flare, and classic Blue Cheer blues metal. Guitarist Damien Paris pulls more licks out of his guitar than all three guitarists in the current incarnation of Guns N' Roses. On some songs it would be fair to say he attacks his guitar but ably pulls together the lead and rhythm. Bassist Jens Carstensen and drummer Andrew Totolos don't' so much as look at each other over the entire hour long set. Rarely, if ever, do the two miss a beat. Totolos probably matches the intensity of Paris, but Carstensen sways and grooves through each song that gallop along with sudden breakdowns. Bringing it together with constant beer in hand and a devilish grin is thew towering Aaron Lazar. All the charisma of TSOL's Jack Grisham with a vocal style that quickly brings to mind Alice In Chains' Layne Staley. For a lead singer that barely moves around the stage, one thing is abundantly clear: he owns the crowd. That beer in hand not only is for him but also most of the crowd eagerly leaning into the stage. Quickly sucking down half the beer between verses, he showered the rest on the crowd and quickly re-filled.

Most of The Giraffes' Saturday night after-hours set was filled with songs from 2008's Prime Motivator and 2005's The Giraffe, including "Prime Motivator," "Sickness," "Million Dollar Man" and the scary "Louis Guthrie Wants Me Dead." There might have been a new song or two and with props given to Bea Arthur, a brief detour into Carole King's "Thank You For Being A Friend." Notably absent was the fantastic "Man U" and Lazar's slightly creepy mustache, but the Giraffes could not be accused of leaving the audience short changed. The show itself becomes a mild frenzy: an economical "pit" formed from time to time and the band didn't waste the good stuff (a bottle of whiskey) on a shower, they passed the bottle around. The crowd endured, but the band took as good as it gave. At the end of the night you didn't see a "show". A "metal band" didn't go through the motions. This was not just another band from Brooklyn. The crowd at the Mercury Lounge got to see The Giraffes turn it up to eleven. Here's an approximation of The Giraffe's live show, minus their patented beer shower.