A lot of you out there have probably heard about the sweaty, dayglo, incessantly referential shows put on by the apocalypse-anticipating laptop-slinger who goes by the stage name Girl Talk. You might be wondering, “Are these shows for me? Would I have a good time? Where would I keep my wallet and keys during the parts of the show where everyone in the audience takes their clothes off?” We sent Molly McAleer to two Girl Talk shows in Los Angeles this weekend in hopes of bringing our readers a field guide of sorts to their shows. After the jump, the fruits of her labor.
Girl Talk In Los Angles [YouTube]
@Weezy F Baby: to be fair to lucas, “hipster” has started to take on a lot of meanings on the internet, to the point where it’s started to mean something akin to “white people whose tastes are sorta similar to mine but who seem like utter douchebags.” i mean, i’ve heard people calling those who can afford condos at BLUE and the sculpture for living “hipsters,” and it’s like… no.
@Weezy F Baby: @Maura Johnston: Those are both great definitions.
I really respect that this is two years late. That’s hard to do on the internet!
good reporting, i can’t wait for the report about how people who go to shows in new york city don’t like to dance
@MayhemintheHood: “It’s just a dude standing behind a laptop.”
Well, not really. Gillis is far more conceptual than most are giving him credit for here. He’s made it pretty clear that the point of his gigs is for the audience to be the ’show.’ When you set the stage for people to be the center of attraction and then start throwing every song they’ve ever even remotely liked at them even faster than their ADD-addled minds can keep up with-voila the results.
I was at the Sat night show, and laughed my ass off. It was like being a ‘rave’ back in the day.
@T’Challa: Also, hot hipster chicks.
@T’Challa: Are you trying to make me NOT like Girl Talk? That’s such a blowhard-ish “concept”…not to mention I really don’t see it different than what most club DJ’s try to do on a weekly basis.
@MayhemintheHood: Ha! I certainly hope so, as you sound like the most humorless person of the day today and not a lot of fun at parties.
There’s a HUGE difference between GT and a club DJ. When have you seen a club DJ open the stage up to the crowd? And let people hang all over them while they play? Ah, you’re probably just chuffed that you didn’t think of it first.
Then again, GT is also a major Merzbow fan with a TigerBeat6 mindset, which is all about what I’m sure you would also term ‘blow-hardish.’
In short, it’s not that deep and Greg was able to quit his day job and make a living with his blow-hard-ish concept. What’s to be mad at? Other than his audience, who I’m sure you despise. Good times.
PS: Happy Halloween!
@Audif Jackson Winters III: And yes, LOTS of hot hipster chicks!
@T’Challa: “There’s a HUGE difference between GT and a club DJ. When have you seen a club DJ open the stage up to the crowd? And let people hang all over them while they play? Ah, you’re probably just chuffed that you didn’t think of it first.” I haven’t seen that often, no, but it’s usually because crazy people on stage means turntables getting bumped which means records skip. The laptop set-up pretty much eliminates that, though.
How am I the most humorless person on here? I have already admitted to being a fan of the guy…plus read some of the above posts. People be hatin’. I only made the blowhard remark because all he is doing is mash-ups(rad ones), not reinventing the wheel. There’s nothing really conceptual about that to me…but you already said it’s not that deep, so maybe you agree with me.
I am part of his audience. I don’t despise myself. I am extremely fun at parties, too. Where do you live? We can have a Party-Off if you want.
@T’Challa: “a major Merzbow fan with a TigerBeat6 mindset”
I think we should all use variations on this construction to describe ourselves.
Jesus fucking Christ, please tell me she wasn’t actually PAID for that shitheap. Molls can be entertaining as a blogger (I’m not gonna front like I don’t follow her stuff.) but she sucks profoundly on this kind of thing. I’m glad that Denton was smart enough to get rid of her and hire Alex from TR to cover culture on Gawker a few weeks later. Also, I was at that same Friday show and there were at least 15 people who were funnier than “Ashley.” Some of them were even old enough to know better! Yeah, Molls, way to trot out a weaksauce version of a takedown Hipster Runoff nailed effortlessly 10 weeks ago. As for the actual set, Girl Talk was brilliant. He hit the high marks that everyone talks about. The Weezy vs. Weezer bit was incredibly well played, anyone who doubts that he’s got a good head for songwriting is going to have to contend with that chunk if he drops it on the next record. The noise ostinato at the end was also a great surprise. Showmanship-wise, the crowd-as-yard metaphor (echoes of the cover of “Feed The Animals”) was both weird and a blast in equal measure. He had giant lawn bags tumbling across the crowd, leaf blowers to keep the kids up front cool, and people shooting toilet paper from these weird homemade guns bookending the stage like some lost Jodorowsky moment rendered as a prank. Whatevs, I guess it’s easier just to snark about kids who just learned how to drive than it is to actually talk about the show.
These shows are probably a lot of fun if you’re a poser and can convince yourself you’re seeing something other than some asshole who belongs in a metahead psuedo-club screwing around with his laptop.
How are there no lasers at these shows?
molls,
you are terrible. and annoying. worst. review. ever.
do you really talk like that, or is it shtick?
@ortholomeux: agreed. even if it is schtick, it’s still annoying.
An annoying LA hipster making fun of annoying LA hipsters. Groundbreaking stuff.
Yeah this video made me want to never look at idolator again.
Awwww, y’all so negative that you hate the video the hates on Girl Talk?
I like Girl Talk, I like people who make fun of Girl Talk, but i guess I don’t like people making fun of people who make fun of Girl Talk. Ah Girl Talk, Ah Humanity!
@drinkypuss: it’s a vicious cycle!
i like girl talk. in terms of sample based music, not as good as the avalanches or dj shadow, but his use re-contextualization of the samples is a lot of fun. its something to listen to a lot for a while and then not listen to ever again. the shows are ridiculous, but i wouldnt recommend them unless you like getting the shit kicked out of you. which i, in fact, do.
@drinkypuss: ***tear***
(It may have been left over from the crushing triumph of the godless philly hellspawns)
The video reduces my desire to read this site significantly. The crowd sucks, except for you of course. Welcome to the new mindset of indie music.
This was a poor attempt at satire right???
Just checking.
>If you’re not familiar with her work.
Try this here link:
@Mike Barthel: …er, you might try this link, I meant to say:
@noz: Wow. Really? That seems extreme.
@Weezy F Baby: Can we define hipster? I’m not sure what it even means anymore.
can we just declare an epic fail and move on?
@Lucas Jensen: Define a hipster? A mousy girl in an Americal Apparel hoodie and Secretly Canadian shirt with messy bangs?
Also, Anna Faris called.. she wants her persona and voice back.
These comments make me want to visit Idolator more than I already do. Funny stuff, although I feel bad for this Molly chick…actually, not really. She’s a sketch comedienne so I’m sure these reactions are just fine by her.
Girl Talk is really fun music to put on at a party, but I don’t get the mania for these shows. It’s a dude standing behind a laptop.
Also, have any of those kids at the show never heard Dj Ztip and DJ P’s “Uneasy Listening Vol. 1″? I’m sure they’d like it…I mean, it’s like Girl Talk, but with turntables and these things called records.
@Maura Johnston: “white people whose tastes are sorta similar to mine but who seem like utter douchebags.” –This will be my new definition going forward.
God, Girl Talk is so shitty. This is like arguing that Lucky Charms are gourmet. That is all.
@Weezy F Baby: I love that I get called an asshole for the accurateley recounting a show part but not for ripping into someone part.
What is it about Girl Talk that makes all his fans sound like total assholes? Re-read this passage:
Showmanship-wise, the crowd-as-yard metaphor (echoes of the cover of “Feed The Animals”) was both weird and a blast in equal measure. He had giant lawn bags tumbling across the crowd, leaf blowers to keep the kids up front cool, and people shooting toilet paper from these weird homemade guns bookending the stage like some lost Jodorowsky moment rendered as a prank.
REALLY, GUY?