As trite and clichéd as it may sound, writing a review for Girl Talk’s sold-out show is a pointless undertaking. To sum up a monumental gig such as this one in a few hundred words does not do justice to anyone involved—that includes the performer and the audience. I hate to say it, but you really had to be there. Anyway, here goes nothing.
Openers Datarock took the stage decked out in matching red name-check suits to the sounds of the Flashdance soundtrack, dispelling any doubt of the band’s affinity for the ’80s. Getting off to a rather noisy start with two uncharacteristically guitar-driven songs (“The New Song” and, uh, a new song), the crowd initially seemed a bit taken aback, yet still ready to accept whatever the campy Norsemen threw its way. By the time Datarock turned out “Computer Camp Love,” hips started telling the truth, and the night went uphill from then onward. After the duo left the stage, the ridiculously packed Richard’s was well-primed for the main event.
If you’re not familiar with Girl Talk (a.k.a. Gregg Gillis) by now, you’ll most likely be by the end of the year. While certainly not at the peak of his popularity yet, throwing parties every weekend for the past two years has apparently paid off because he’s mastered his near-perfect show. Seriously, dude knows every trick for getting people sweaty and keeping them that way.
And, in a way, it doesn’t matter what he played. Hundreds of bits from all your favourite songs were thrown together—not bloody ‘mashed up,’ but symbiotically working together and apart, under the spell of their master. The crowd was pretty awesome, too: looking good, sure, but at the same time not really giving a shit, either. But with the bouncers already familiar with the token stage-rush that comes with every Girl Talk show, they made sure not to let anyone have too much fun.
However, it’s hard to gauge how much longer these carefree dance parties will last before the bubble pops. At this rate, Gillis will be performing in much larger venues to much larger crowds, thus disconnecting himself from the audience participation he’s become so known for. Before long, you’ll probably see him opening for Gwen Stefani, or some such person, in some disgustingly huge space. So if you were at this show, consider yourself one of the lucky ones.
