The Brown & White

After months of speculation, it's official: popular mash-up maestro Girl Talk will perform at the Lehigh-Lafayette Bonfire on Goodman Campus next Thursday, Nov. 19.

The shaggy-haired Pittsburgh DJ, whose real name is Gregg Gillis, is best known for fusing together hundreds of song samples to make entirely new tracks and for his notoriously raucous, confetti-laden dance parties.

In other words, the perfect performer for Lehigh-Lafayette week.

"He'll definitely get the energy flowing," said Blair Sullivan, '11, who helped book Gillis for the Bonfire as music director for University Productions. "We wanted to get him because he's a guy who everyone knows. He will get people to come together for Lehigh-Laf week."

Sullivan said UP was unsuccessful in bringing Gillis to Lehigh last spring, which is when rumors of the concert first began to circulate on campus. Instead, the DJ performed at Lafayette College in April.

Increasing student buzz prompted UP president Megan McLoughlin, '10, to make sure Lehigh locked up Gillis for the Bonfire.

"He appeals to a wide range of the Lehigh population," McLoughlin said. "I really think he'll be the spark that opens the [Lehigh-Lafayette weekend] up."

Though Gillis will headline the Bonfire, Association of Student Alumni president Nick Anderson, '10, was quick to stress that there are plenty of other attractions at the event.

Among the performers are the Marching 97, step team and dance team, Anderson said. Class officers and members of the football team, including Head Coach Andy Coen, will address the crowd while the fire ignites.

"I'm so excited," Anderson said. "In my four years at Lehigh, this will be the best Lehigh-Lafayette event. It's really going to be a collaborative effort from all of campus."

Gillis, who worked as a biomedical engineer after graduating from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, burst on the scene in 2006 with his third album, "Night Ripper," which earned raves for its wildly inventive mix of samples from popular hits and obscure songs.

Last year, Gillis released the follow-up, "Feed the Animals," on his Web site, allowing fans to pay whatever they wanted for the album, including nothing.

The album's success, coupled with a frenetic live show that quickly grew by word of mouth, has earned Gillis a devoted following.

The Bonfire starts at 8 p.m. It is free to all students and the community.