Concert Review: Girl Talk Brings the Catharsis, and the Party to Toronto

By: Curtis Sindrey –
Follow @Aesthetic_Mag

Mashup king Girl Talk brought his first tour in nine years to a sold-out Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto last night (April 5th). As is standard with all Girl Talk performances, there was also plenty of balloons, confetti, and good vibes. 

With Ontario mask mandates getting the axe, and with COVID-19 still looming, some concertgoers are still wary about going back into sweaty clubs and being shoulder to shoulder with fellow fans. Last night felt like a weight being lifted off of our collective shoulders as confetti rained through the venue, and the speakers were blasting everything from ’90s hip-hop jams (think Biggie, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, etc), to modern bops (think Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Saweetie, Gayle, Dua Lipa, etc). At least for the moment, fans forgot about the problems in the real world, and could collectively let out all of their anxieties and frustrations the past two years have caused and transform it into a ridiculously fun dance party. 

Whether he was in front of his laptop, shooting off a toilet paper cannon into the crowd, or dancing on a stage that featured light up inflatable palm trees, and swaths of fans dancing around him, Girl Talk seemed to have an endless supply of energy as he bounced around on stage and hyped the crowd up. 

Often imitated, but never duplicated, Girl Talk’s unique approach to sampling has landed him in hot water in the past, but no one can deny his ability to pick the perfect song at the perfect time. It hits different when a blizzard of confetti falls all around you while the last verse of Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” blasts away. The best part is that he doesn’t phone it in. While he could easily just sit back and press play, he mixes his songs live, and what you get on stage is Girl Talk crafting the perfect sample mixed with the perfect bass line or instrumental or vocals, etc, and from that comes the magic.

The best part? The show wrapped at 11:30pm. The best news for any older millennial who wants to have a good time but not sacrifice their bedtime. 

The music? Timeless. The vibes? Immaculate. If Girl Talk comes to your town, go and have a dance party and welcome life back. 

Check out Girl Talk’s upcoming tour dates below, and buy tickets here.

Girl Talk 2022 Tour Dates
Tue. Apr. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Metro^ *SOLD OUT*
Wed. Apr. 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave^ *SOLD OUT*
Fri. Apr. 8 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant^
Sat. Apr. 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman^
Mon. Apr. 11 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre^ *SOLD OUT*
Tue. Apr. 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot^
Thu. Apr. 14 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom^
Fri. Apr. 15 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom^
Sat. Apr. 16 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox^ *SOLD OUT*
Mon. Apr. 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent^ *SOLD OUT*
Tue. Apr. 19 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues^ *SOLD OUT*
Wed. Apr. 20 – Phoenix AZ @ The Van Buren^
Fri. Apr. 22 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater^ *SOLD OUT*
Sat. Apr. 23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Ballroom^ *SOLD OUT*
Mon. Apr. 25 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel^ *SOLD OUT*
Tue. Apr. 26 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club^ *SOLD OUT*
Thu. Apr. 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel^
Fri. Apri. 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer^
Sat. Apr. 30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE^ *SOLD OUT*

^ w/ Hugh Augustine