Girl Talk
Marquee Theatre in Tempe
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
You know that moment at a Pixies show when the first wooooo-ewwww of "Where Is My Mind?" kicks in and the old grungers in the crowd go crazy? Or that instant where the tween girls with Miley Cyrus posters on their walls hear that familiar refrain of "Party in the U.S.A." live for the first time and lose their little minds? What about when a drunken piano bar crowd hears their favorite Journey song?
A Girl Talk show is a steady stream of all of those moments and more.
Cynical bastards might say, "Well, no shit! That Gregg Gillis guy just steals the best bits of those songs and plays them at ear-splitting volume while a couple dudes with toilet paper-shooting cannons and balloons cover an audience of totally fucked-up college kids with glitter!"
Those people aren't wrong, of course. They're also nowhere near right, either.
I've written so much in praise and defense of the mash-ups-to-the-next-level Girl Talk phenomenon -- I named Feed The Animals my favorite album of 2008 if that helps put things in perspective -- that I'm loath to rehash all the old arguments.
But anyone who gets the chance to see Gillis' show doesn't need a music critic to explain what's awesome about one of the most unique, fun and uplifting live music experiences you'll ever encounter.
Girl Talk throws the best party concert you can see these days.
This was demonstrated again last night in Tempe.
Period.
Critics Notebook
Last Night: Girl Talk at Marquee Theatre Last Night
Personal Bias: Loved this act since Night Ripper -- enough to not be sick at the sight of so much black and yellow and faux Terrible Towels.
The Crowd: Surprisingly, slightly more men than women. A mix of hipsters and bro-dogs. Everyone was friendly, happily, save one red-bearded douchebag in a satin-backed vest who lead a group of his friends in a big-time cut through the line. Everyone was cool enough to not say anything but if Girl Talk's popularity continues to rise on the current trajectory expect fist fights over this scene in two to three years.
Overheard in the Crowd: "I don't know, I ate this part of the bag of mushrooms!" said a girl holding up a half-empty bag of mushrooms.
Random Notebook Dump: Phone died quickly so not much to dump!
