Girl Talk Palladium Ballroom October 21, 2008
Better than: The time you were 15 years old and your best friend’s parents went out of town and left a 12-pack of Molson Canadian in the fridge.
It’s the Tuesday night of midterm week, but that didn't stop revelry-craving college students from coming out and getting crunk to mashup master Girl Talk at the Palladium Ballroom last night. Not at all: The place was slammed with an assorted mixture of young folks, all with one thing in mind:
Dance. Party.
So, of course, the venue floor was packed, the bars were busy, and everyone seemed primed to let loose and have a good time. And, not surprisingly, immediately after the music started to open Girl Talk's set, the stage was bombarded with kids dying to cut a rug next to Gregg Gillis.
It's kind of tradition by now, actually: Gillis notorious for his inclusion of the crowd during his performances, packing the stage full of his eager fans. (At his last performance in town, at The Loft, the stage collapsed because of the weight of the crowd.) For those interested, getting next to Girl Talk isn't unfeasible; still, for those who didn't attempt to stand by their man, there were other distractions: confetti, beach balls, over-sized plastic bags, and toilet paper rolls, all being shot nearly two stories high. All of this occurred as Gillis jammed out, shirtless, to his favorite creations while hundreds of kids danced.
Seeing as each song Gillis produces is meticulously sculpted out of other artists’ material, there is not much, if any, room for live improvising. However, most people in attendance were likely already aware of this, and, as such, Gillis’ lack of music spontaneity didn't damper the mood. Instead, he provided the crowd with a satisfying amount of material from all four of his albums, focusing most heavily on this year’s Feed The Animals.
And the crowd responded to it: The entire place was full of energy, bearing resemblance to your average Saturday night out at an area dance club--except, y'know, with more people, excessive visual effects, and a much better DJ. --Catherine Downes
