Fun Fun Fun Live Shot: Girl Talk

Is Gregg Gillis finally getting bored of all this? The mash-up pioneer’s Girl Talk served as gatekeeper for the hyperactive, genre-compressing movement that’s become a way of life in 2014, but he hasn’t put out a proper full-length since 2010.

His albums have always been served up free to skirt copyright issues. Maybe it’s understandable he’s focusing on the live show, but it still seems like an odd business decision for an authority on making sure pop mosaics get taken seriously.

Those feelings were put to rest quickly and efficiently in the first few moments of Girl Talk’s headlining Blue stage set on Saturday. Gillis might not be releasing albums anymore, but he’s still got his ear to the ground. The very 2014 likes of Iggy Azalea, iLoveMakonnen, and Chance the Rapper all got thrown through the laptop.

Girl Talk’s just as meticulous and specific as ever, but now the spoils are reserved for the live show. And why not? With the recording industry still in free fall, defining yourself as a physical experience with toilet paper guns, balloon launches, confetti, and a whole bunch of community-sourced backup dancers isn’t the worst branding.

There was a moment towards the end when Gillis introduced Freeway to the stage. The two became familiars when the former produced beats for the Philly MC on this year’s collaborative EP Broken Ankles. The latter screamed through a couple tracks and the crowd scarcely missed the tempo.

Usually this sort of cross-promotional diversion pulls the momentum to a screeching halt, but not in Girl Talk’s realm. His audiences are so accustomed to having a good time that anything – literally anything – gets taken in stride. That’s the best reputation you could have.

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