As , an early entrant into the field of “mashupology,” Gregg Gillis has become the king of the pop mix-and-matchers. The Pittsburgh native brought samples from his most recent release, “All Day,” to the on Friday and Saturday. Gillis’ confidence in his work is paying off, as evidenced by this weekend’s tour dates, which both sold out “really fast,” as he put it.
The live show is really how Gillis makes his living, so itap gotta be big. Custom video screens, frenetic lights and a lifetime’s supply of confetti kept the dance party vibe at full tilt. The stage was filled with audience members who danced their hearts out, but were still upstaged by Gillis’ unrelenting energy. He played “All Day” nearly in its entirety, but there were still plenty of surprises. A generous encore wore out the remaining crowd that wasn’t already utterly exhausted.
The outfits of young concertgoers were a visual feast at the beginning of the show, but hairspray and anything more than one scant layer of clothing completely disappeared by the end. Girl Talk works because the mash-ups prey on our vulnerable pop sensibilities. I was wrapped up in everyone chanting Biggie lyrics, singing Arcade Fire bridges and belting out Kelly Clarkson choruses. My favorite actual mix was between Rihanna and Fugazi, but I think the winner of the night (no shame on any of us, we were having an experience…) was when “Living On A Prayer” came over the speakers and was almost drowned out by the audience. Gillis has succeeded in forcing fans of American pop music to share all of their insecurities and true loves by introducing the most bizarre musical punch lines and marriages into the mash-up world.
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Marc Hobelman makes websites at The Denver Post, , and is a regular contributor to Reverb.
Joe McCabe is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb. Check out his .
