Girl Talk, who will perform at Spring Fling this year, is known for creating popular mashups.
Credit: Courtesy of Creative Commons
What do you think of Girl Talk for Fling headliner?
DJ Girl Talk will be coming to Franklin Field on April 12 as this year’s Spring Fling headliner.
Girl Talk is the third and final artist to be announced, behind openers, Tyga and Janelle Monae.
The announcement comes at a later time than usual. Last year’s Fling headliner was announced on March 15.
Wharton senior and Social Planning and Events Committee Concerts Director Ronnie DiSimone said of the delay in the announcement, “People are aware that we’ve had some difficulties with the contracting, and it hasn’t been a very easy year for us. At the least, it’ll definitely be a fun concert.”
Girl Talk, born Gregg Gillis, is known for creating popular mashups of wildly varying pop songs. His only listed instrument on Wikipedia is “laptop.”
One of his most popular songs, “Play Your Part (Pt. 1),” features samples from Outkast, Radiohead and Avril Lavigne. His 2008 album “Feed the Animals,” where the song is featured, was named the second best album of the year by Blender magazine.
Rolling Stone described Girl Talk as “a DJ guardian angel of the pop spheres, beaming his remixes from some cloud where Fat Joe and Spacehog are partying down together for all eternity.”
Girl Talk’s live shows are well known for being a party. SPEC Concerts Director and College senior Sam Gorski said in a press statement, “I think anyone who’s seen a Girl Talk show will agree with me in saying there aren’t too many parties like the one he puts on.”
Girl Talk is also notable for his thoughts and experiments with copyright law. All of his records can be downloaded online for free on his website through his independent record label, Illegal Art. The New York Times calls his songs “a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
SPEC Concerts announced the artist in a stunt in front of the Phi Gamma Delta chapter house on Sunday evening. Blasting Girl Talk’s music out of the windows, the SPEC Concerts directors dropped a banner revealing Girl Talk’s name to the crowd assembled.
Few seemed happy about SPEC’s announcement.
Nursing junior Molly Blais said of the choice, “[I’m] probably not going to pay for it. I like them, but I know that other schools get them for cheaper, and I was definitely hoping for something different.”
Engineering freshman Shanna Luedtke said, “I’m just happy we have a headliner. I’m definitely going and want floor passes.”
Others had a more positive reaction to the choice of Girl Talk.
“I’ve seen Girl Talk a couple of times, and he’s great live. I think people should give him a chance,” Wharton freshman Kalan Porter said. “Maybe people aren’t familiar with him, but it’s a really fun live show.”
Tickets for section seats in Franklin Field will go on sale online and on Locust Walk starting Tuesday morning.
Floor passes will be sold through flash sales online at four different times in the day on Tuesday. SPEC will send out a link to a form where students can register for a place in line to buy floor passes.
Those who sign up in time for floor pass purchasing times will be able to purchase the ticket on Locust during the normal operating times. Floor passes are cash only.
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