Review: Girl Talk at the IMU
GIRL TALK BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE AT EASTERN IOWA 10K CONCERT
Mash-up DJ enthralls volunteers in the intimate setting of the IMU Ballroom
By Josh Messer (KRUI)
IOWA CITY- Hundreds of eager University of Iowa students, the vast majority of whom completed ten or more volunteer hours, packed the 2nd floor IMU Ballroom to see the ever-popular, ever-controversial mash-up artist Girl Talk (the pseudonym of Gregg Gillis).
Gillis, who hails from Pittsburgh, rose to fame through remixing snippets and samples from popular songs and “mashing” them together to create a new musical work. This is a practice that has earned him much legal criticism, criticism that Gillis calls the news media “trying to create a controversy where it doesn’t exist.*”
The crowd didn’t mind much, as Girl Talk cranked out samples from Kid Cudi, Daft Punk, Lil’ Wayne, and Roy Orbison. Roadies with toilet paper-blowing machines and Gillis’ open invitation to the crowd to join him on stage added to the atomic party atmosphere. By the time Gillis cranked out his signature mash-up “Play Your Part” for the show’s finale, there was little doubt in anyone’s mind that the volunteers in attendance were left with out sufficient reward.
Click for more + pictures from the show!
Ames, Iowa indie rockers Poison Control Center opened for Gillis, priming the crowd with a solid and upbeat set. Lead singer Patrick Tape also showed his prowess for crowd interaction, letting fans play his guitar solo in their final song of the night.
For more information on the 10,000 Hours Show, see http://10000hoursei.org/.
*McLendon, Ryan (2008-11-14). “Interview: Girl Talk a.k.a. Gregg Gillis”. Village Voice.
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