Duke: LDOC Concert Review: Girl Talk, Gym Class Heroes, Ben Folds

I love music. This blog is a testament to that. What do I love more than a good concert? An Awesome FREE CONCERT!!

My wishes were fufilled with Dukes LDOC festival, which happened to be on Earth Day this year! LDOC stands for Last Day Of Classes. In the past they have had musical talents like Common, Kanye West, The Roots, Guster, and Third Eye Blind. However, this year they finally made it a true festival with the inclusion of Girl Talk, Gym Class Heroes and Ben Folds.


The concert was free and tons of students at Duke and the surrounding college's came to witness some of the free goodness. Now, to be honest I was there for Girl Talk and Ben Folds. I had barely heard of Gym Class Heroes and I had only heard of "that one song they do", we all know it, the one that samples that Supertramp song. Its titled "Cupid's Chokehold", so from my previous experience of Gym Class Heroes I wasn't too stoked to see them.

That all changed in a matter of seconds.
They put on a hell of a show and I was groovin', dancin', and singin' along to some really catchy songs.

Sometimes they sounded like beastie boys, other times they sounded like Atmosphere, and other times they sounded like a pop group. Their eclectic sound was very much needed at LDOC, and great to dance to.

LISTEN To Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes - Peace Sign/Index Down feat. Busta Rhymes


Speaking about great to dance to...
Girl Talk was everything you could expect. A skinny white guy, who sheds his clothes, while spitting instant dance party magic from the magical computer he has. And no dance party can be complete without toilet paper guns, giant balloon heads, and a guy who looks like one of those samuri things in 300. Of course the finale was the best, and I found some really awesome pictures and a clip from J Caldwell's flickr account.


Listen to the Finale!

SAMPLES USED FOR FINALE
Kelly Clarkson - Since You Been Gone
MC Hammer - 2 Legit 2 Quit

***Girl Talk***

U.G.K. f/ OutKast - International Player's Anthem
Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman
DJ Funk - Pump That Shit
Isley Brothers - You Make Me Wanna Shout
Rich Boy - Drop
Birdman & Lil Wayne - Poppin Bottles
Journey - Faithfully

***Girl Talk***

U.G.K. f/ OutKast - International Player's Anthem

LISTEN
Girl Talk - 2 Legit 2 Quit (live at Duke's LDOC 2009)

Ben Folds was a great performance, however, after seeing him already once this year, you can kinda tell that he was out of his element. It must be tough to be the headliner after Girl Talk, and Gym Class Heroes. By this point in time, people in the audience were good and boozed up, and ready to continue the party. Not a lot of people appreciated the A Cappella performance of Duke's A Cappella group before Ben Folds came on. This is obviously a promo for his new cd Ben Folds Presents: University a Capella, coming out late next week. I felt bad for Ben, not a lot of people recognized his new songs and they kept shouting requests for "Rock This Bitch" which in my personal concert experience is very rare to hear. However, Ben still put on a good show. Some highlights include the revitalized "Bitches Ain't Shit (Dr. Dre Cover)" and basically everything from Rockin' the Suburbs, including "Still Fighting It," "Annie Waits", "Not the Same", and" Rockin' The Suburbs". Ben Still Rocked that Bitch at the LDOC, even if "Rock this Bitch" was absent.

Here is Ben Fold's setlist:
Lovesick Diagnostician
Dr. Yang
Hiroshima (B-B-B-Benny Hit His Head)
Bastard
Annie Waits
Still Fighting It
Sentimental Guy
Bitch Went Nutz
Free Coffee
Landed
Zak and Sara
Fair
Brick
Effington
Rockin' the Suburbs
Army
Not the Same
You Don't Know Me
Kate
Bitches Ain't Shit

[Photo by Kevin Norris]

LISTEN to Ben Fold's
Ben Folds - Bitches Ain't Shit (Dr. Dre Cover)

It was awesome to be up on the front row for all of this! I had an amazing time. Lets see Duke top this years LDOC next year!


buy Ben Folds
buy Gym Class Heroes
buy Girl Talk

*More Pictures and possibly Gym Class Heroes setlist later this week*