Concert: Girl Talk, 8/28/12

Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk

Gregg Gillis, popularly known as Girl Talk, is mash-up royalty. Somehow he can mix music by artists from different genres and eras, and make it sound like they logically belong together. One of my favorite games (self-created, and in no way is a real game) is to name as many of the original artists as possible:  Ace of Base, M.I.A., Nelly, Avril Lavigne, Journey, Metallica, Eminem, The Police, Daft Punk, Radiohead, the full list (covering the Four albums I own:  All Day, Feed the Animals,  Night Ripper, and Unstoppable) would take pages.

I first saw Girl Talk live in 2008. I remember how tightly packed the floor was, how drenched we became in sweat (gross, I know), and the overall feel-good party vibe. Since I had already seen him live, I strongly considered passing on this concert—a girl’s gotta save some money, right? But then a friend decided that’s what she wanted to do for her birthday. How am I to refuse that? Not a tough sale at all. And after a potentially shady Craigslist deal, we had our tickets to the sold out show.

Tuesday’s show at First Avenue was just as high-energy and sticky as I remember from 2008. Gillis worked away at his computer while jumping around and occasionally shouting through the microphone. Behind him, some lucky concert-goers enjoyed their time dancing on stage. And, of course, no Girl Talk performance would be complete without falling balloons, confetti cannons, or toilet paper streamers. What was the result of this performance?

Pictured:  The result. Not pictured:  The ridiculous amount of confetti that I'm still finding, 3 days later

Want to see more? Check out this slideshow from CityPages.

Both Girl Talk performances were amazing. If you have the opportunity to see him live, and enjoy high-energy concerts, I encourage you to go.

Find Girl Talk online:  Website, which includes all of his albums as 'pay what you want,' and a free download of his newest album, All Day.

What has been your favorite concert? Did you look like us when you left the venue? Tell me in the comments below.

Book Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Title:  Ready Player One

Author:  Ernest Cline

Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: Science fiction, dystopia

Synopsis:

Orphaned Wade Watts lives with his uncaring aunt in the Stacks, apartment complexes created from piled up trailer homes. Living in poverty and fear of his aunt’s current boyfriend isn’t too great, but there is one place he excels, the Oasis. Originally created as an online virtual reality game, OASIS has become everything—school, shopping, dating, work. And it could be Wade’s way out of poverty. Before dying, the creator of OASIS left a series of 80s themed puzzles hidden in the virtual world. Whoever solves these puzzles earns his estate. Will Wade make it to the Easter egg first? Or will he be outdone by his competitors or the creator’s rival tech company?

My thoughts:

I was hooked within the first three pages when I read references to Heathers, John Hughes, Space Invaders, and Oingo Boingo’s "Dead Man’s Party." While I may not have grown up in the 80s, I did begin my 80s love affair during early high school. I absolutely loved all of the pop culture drops—even the ones that weren’t familiar to me. That’s just more I get to discover. But what about those who don’t fawn over the 80s? Don’t worry! All of the references essential to the plot are explained. Those that don’t impact the plot are easily skimmed over, or if you’re curious, easy to find in a quick internet search.




While the nerdy references are what brought me in, the great story telling is what kept me reading. Cline creates a wonderfully vivid virtual reality. Different planets serve different purposes. One planet is filled with schools. Another is a cyberpunk cityscape populated with roughnecks and dance clubs. The real world setting feels like a plausible future. Within this world, the ramifications of technology and social issues are explored: anonymity, personas and identity, obesity, fraud, ownership, online friendships, and tons more.

Ready Player One has become one of my favorite reads this year. I will definitely be rereading this one in the future and discussing it with friends. Talking about this book has been almost as fun as reading it. I attended a local public book club, Books and Bars, where we discussed Ready Player One, and played Robotron. The group’s reaction was positive, with most rating high stars. As one participant put it, Ready Player One is a “nostalgic glitterbomb.” I fully agree with this description.

Photo by Dan Winters

Find Ernest Cline online:  Website  IMDB

What pop culture reference would immediately pull you into a book? Tell me in the comments below.

In Which I Enter the Blogosphere

I seem to have found myself diving into the vast Blogosphere. Until now, I have mostly stayed to reading posts and commenting on occasions when I felt strongly. Once I even contributed a guest post to a friend’s blog. But my status as blog viewer needs to change to blog creator.

Since I graduated college, reasons to fully submerge myself in the Blogosphere have been seeping up. As I search for my first career in communications, many require previous blogging experience (more than just one post for a friend). While that may have been the tipping point to get me here, I have considered starting a blog for the past two years. I enjoy writing and want to continue improving. The only way to do that is to keep writing often.

So now that you know why I’m here, you’re probably wondering who I am and what craziness will happen in my posts. I am a mid-twenties media junkie that recently graduated with degrees in Marketing Communications and English.

You can expect:

• Reviews of books, movies, and music


• Event talk


• Nerdiness


• Fun blog memes


• And, Hey! This sure is neat-o!

See those books up there? Yep, expect some reviews from those unwieldy shelves (and many other teetering stacks). In fact, expect a review of  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline in the very near future.

What brought you to the Blogosphere? Was it an insatiable urge to write? Your career? Curiosity? Or something else entirely? Tell me in the comments section below.