Chicagoist: Photos: Girl Talk at The Congress

lamgray

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:12:52 -0600

Congress has TERRIBLE sound. And, I still don't get the appeal of paying so much to go see GT there. . .I mean, in all essence it was a rave. If you're going to a rave, hell, pay the same amount to at least dance all night, right?

foz

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:17:56 -0600

i'm on stage...embarrassing myself, but not caring. that's about all i can say :)

HeaveMediaLisa

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:08:34 -0600

Haha, the dj I work with just sent me his first cut of his new mixtape, and he samples Nirvana towards the end as well. Maybe I missed the Nirvana memo?

welsey

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:36 -0600

Awesome pics...I actually really like the Congress just because of its size and seeming lack of pretentiousness but I could see complaints about the sound... I've been hearing a LOT of Nirvana too, lately. I can only listen to the radio in my car and I seem to hear at least two nirvana songs a day (mostly off the unplugged album for some reason). I'm kind of excited.

matty

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:59:36 -0600

*groan*

Tankboy

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:50:29 -0600

recontextualized dance party = A dance party employing disparate familiar elements to build a pastiche of sound re-imagining the source material as an entirely new musical entity.

jenniferexacto

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:46:58 -0600

what is a recontextualized dance party ?

mich

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:44:55 -0600

Maybe its 15 then, bc 5 years ago would have been too soon!

Tower18

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:39:58 -0600

I love Girl Talk, but man, I don't think I'd ever be able to go to a show. I dislike so much of what is shown in these pictures, lol. I guess that might say as much about me as it says about the people in the crowd though.

Tankboy

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:27:21 -0600

foz, where are you? And mich, it's been 15 since Nevermind and 20+ since the band started ... so I think it actually now has attained "classic rock" status.

mich

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:23:24 -0600

Has it been 10 years? I think thats the time limit for artists or songs to ironically (or awesomely) make a comeback.

foz

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:49:51 -0600

haha, i found myself in one of these photos. oh, what a glorious sweat fest of a night.

Thunderbelly

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:32:47 -0600

I find the sound to be okay. Nowhere near as bad as the Aragon, which actually has been better lately (did they put money into the sound?). Do you find the Riv to have much better sound? With so much of the floor below the balcony at the Riv, I think the sound there can be pretty terrible too. Upfront and in the balcony is good (which is where I usually am) but almost half the crowd is subjected to under overhang seats. I thought the show was great, and really the only better venue for a large GT show would have been the House of Blues, which despite its taxed environment is the best sounding room in town. It also is set up so well for crowd flow. And for some reason the under the overhang part there still gets great sound.

Tankboy

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:30:10 -0600

There're a few shots of Trachtabeam in the Flickr set. I thought I had one of her in this one but I guess not...

Jacy Wojcik

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:24:46 -0600

Where's Trachta?! I want crazy dancing on stage Trachta the Code Cracka!

matty

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:22:07 -0600

Hey who won the contest for matt and kim tonight (please be me please be me)

Tankboy

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:20:38 -0600

Thunderbelly, the only venue with worse sound than The Congress is The Aragon, and that is my number one gripe about that room. Unlike The Aragon -- which is simply hopeless acoustically -- if they sunk some real money into a good sound system The Congress would be improved immeasurably.

Thunderbelly

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:16:29 -0600

What are your gripes with the Congress Tankboy? Its old and beat up, and the bathroom situation is pretty bad but I find the sound and sightlines to be great. The sloped floor provides shorties like me a great view. I think its the best venue of its size, blowing the Riv and Aragon out of the water.

Stephen

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:13:22 -0600

This looks like a huge American Apparel ad.

matty

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:09:46 -0600

That last pic is awesome!