EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: Girl Talk
Story by Drewski - Photos by Julie Boyle -

August 9th @ Talbot St.

A new crowd packed the old walls of the Talbott Street bar last Thursday. There were no drag queens tonight, only people yearning for a good show on a Thursday night. And that’s exactly what they got. Those Young Lions, We Are Hex, The Peggy Sues, and Girl Talk fed the masses a healthy portion of rock with a great dance kick.

Due to various circumstances (employment obligations and exploding tires), I was unable to make it to the bar in time to see Those Young Lions and We Are Hex, and from what I have heard, I should be ashamed. Rest assured: I am.

Nonetheless, when I got there I immediately sensed people enjoying themselves. Indianapolis natives The Peggy Sues had just begun rocking the crowd, and their excessive energy really spiffed up the unpretentious music style and kept the crowd’s attention from drifting to what drink they should order next. Singer Theresa “Sue” belted out the songs with a big smile during the entire show, and her voice had hints of Karen O. (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Yasuko O. (Melt Banana), and possibly Jackie O. (former first lady of the United States), although I cannot say I have ever heard a presidents’ wife sing. All things considered, I would be happy to bump into these friendly girls again in the future.

The night’s finale came in unassumingly wearing a hooded sweatshirt, armed with his laptop band. Gregg Gillis is Girl Talk, and Girl Talk brought me back to great nights in Bloomington basements. Though Girl Talk calls Pennsylvania home, he had no trouble making friends in Naptown. Seconds after inviting fans on stage, he was surrounded by a hundred or so people who could not help but jump, dance, or just move to the beats. Mixing everything from Mims to Styx to the Jackson Five to Avril Lavigne, Girl Talk was sure to be a crowd pleaser. To keep the atmosphere fun and exciting, Girl Talk became part of the crowd, running around on the dance floor and releasing a few handfuls of confetti into the air from the stage. Though he spent little time talking (probably due to very few actual breaks in the songs) nobody seemed to mind. They were all there to have a good time and dance and see how many songs they could sing along to. For the encore, he brought out some new tricks to show off. Overall, he seemed to enjoy the crowd very much, and the crowd sure seemed to love him. It is no surprise he has 26,734 MySpace friends. Two thumbs up for Girl Talk.

Talbott Street was a great venue for this show, and I know I will definitely be looking out for more to come. Boasting plenty of room, reasonable drink prices, good sound, and a downtown Indianapolis location, Talbott Street has a lot to offer the central Indiana music scene. Let’s hope they agree.

– Drewski —

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