Girl Talk

Red Bulletin Stage: 7:15 p.m.

The band: Pittsburgh-based mashup artist Greg Gillis spent yearsworking as a tissue engineer before leaving to focus on his careeras a crowd-pleasing music engineer instead. Often called “a lawsuitwaiting to happen,” Girl Talk’s music mashes up disparate genresspanning decades into something beautifully danceable. By releasingtwo popular albums – 2008’s “Feed the Animals” and 2010’s “All Day”- for free online, he became a legend for the masses ofneon-bedecked revelers who frequent his shows. A personal highlightof his high-energy September 2008 performance at the House of Blueswas an unlikely, epic mashup of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” with LilWayne’s “A Milli.”

What to expect: Though he insists that he isn’t a DJ, youwouldn’t be able to tell from his shows. Gillis hunches shirtlessover a laptop before bouncing wildly to the beat while hisentourage sprays toilet paper onto the crowd. Audience members areoften invited up on stage to participate in the madness, so be sureto squeeze up front to be a part of the action. Gillis has alsobeen known to crowd surf on an inflatable raft … so there’s that,too.

-Zach Yanowitz

Who: Soul Rebels Brass Band with Cyril Neville

Where: Bud Light Stage at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday

The Band: The Soul Rebels were born when brass band membersDerrick Moss and Lumar LeBlanc began experimenting withnon-traditional brass band music. They wanted to play music thatsounded like what they listened to on the radio and boomed out ofspeakers on the weekends. The Soul Rebels continue in the footstepsof break-out brass band Dirty Dozen. They put their own spin on tophits and also writing their own pieces. Their 2011 release “UnlockYour Mind” and impressive international touring schedule shouldprovide epic new material for their Voodoo performance.

What to expect: The Soul Rebels’ weekly venue, Les Bons Temps,pulses with their huge sound when they take the stage. They havethe power of a top-notch brass band and immense creativity. Expectguest appearances and a giant New Orleans-style dance party.

-Sophie Unterman

WHO: Blink-182

WHERE/WHEN: 9 p.m., Oct. 29, Le Ritual Tent

THE BAND: Since its formation in 1992, the band has sold morethan 27 million albums worldwide. The group was simply known asBlink when it recorded its first demo in 1993. Shortly after therelease of its first album “Cheshire Cat,” an Irish pop band of thesame name threatened to sue the fledgling band, forcing the band totweak its name. The newly dubbed Blink-182 recorded “Dude Ranch” in1997, which sold more than 1.5 million copies. The band’s thirdalbum, “Enema of State,” marked Blink-182’s breakthrough into themainstream music scene. Singles such as “All the Small Things,””What’s My Age Again” and “Adam’s Song” propelled the band tostardom and gathered a devoted tween following. Since then,Blink-182 has had movie cameos, sold out world tours, gone onhiatus, survived a plane crash and reunited to record more music.The band’s sound can be described as pop or punk rock. The musictargets the three things teens respond to most – angst, love andtoilet humor.

WHAT TO EXPECT: In live performances, Blink-182 amps up theenergy by performing songs at a faster pace and by replacing somelyrics with crude jokes and gags. Drummer Travis Barker even playshis rapid drum solos on a mobile platform. Though the band has beenrocking for nearly twenty years, Blink-182 still plays with thevitality and locker-room banter of a couple of 20-somethings.

-Lucy Stratton

WHO: Kreayshawn

WHERE/WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 29, Le Plur Stage

THE BAND: Kreayshawn, born Natassia Gail Zolot, has made a namefor herself as a cinematographer, film editor and rapper. She grewup in Oakland and started living on her own at 15 when her mother -Elka Zolot of the garage punk band The Trashwomen – moved toCanada. The raptress, who claims to have swag “pumpin’ out [her]ovaries,” blew up this year with the video for her single, “GucciGucci,” which received more than 3 million Youtube hits in threeweeks. The song went so viral that it got her signed to ColumbiaRecords, and her track garnered significant airtime on major radiostations across the United States.

Unfortunately, the consensus among critics seems to be that herlive shows leave something to be desired. But fans can hope that inthe Voodoo Experience atmosphere, the budding star will bring her Agame and leave a piece of her soul on stage.

-Benton Oliver

WHO: X

WHERE/WHEN: 7:00 P.M. on Oct. 29, Le Carnival Stage

THE BAND: Los Angeles-based punk band X, founded in 1977 bybassist and vocalist John Doe and guitarist Billy Zoom, formedduring the first wave of American punk; the movement had its heydayin the late 1970s and early 1980s, with bands such as The Ramonesand Black Flag. Soon after its formation, the band incorporatedDoe’s girlfriend, poet Exene Cervenka, as co-lead vocalist toharmonize alongside Doe himself. This addition gave the band anunusual but more refined sound than other punk bands of the era.The searingly quick guitar riffs, rapid-fire drums andtongue-in-cheek, controversial subject matter, however, put themback in line with its peers. Though the band did not receive widecommercial success or recognition, it released seven albums between1980 and 1993 and is revered as one of the best punk bands of alltime.

WHAT TO EXPECT: With rave reviews of its live performances fromsources such as Punknews.org, The LA Times and Reverb, the punkquartet is sure to leave fans’ hearts pounding and kneesshaking.

-Benton Oliver

Who: Social Distortion

Where: Le Ritual, 5:45 pm, Saturday

The Band: For more than 30 years, Social Distortion has definedrockabilly punk. Critics and fans alike have yet to tire offrontman Mike Ness’s two-packs-of-Marlboro-Reds-a-day husky voiceand the churning melodies that define Social D. Its latest album,”Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes,” may be the best album yet. Thegroup has perfected its mix of punk, blues, country, andstraight-up rock ‘n’ roll, paying homage to its musical influencesand showing undeniable versatility.

What to expect: You may think you’re watching a punk rock show,but you’re actually being schooled in rock ‘n’ roll. You’ll findmore history and stories in one set than any history book. Don’t besurprised if you wake up the next morning with a jar of pomade inthe back pocket of your cuffed jeans and a strong desire to buy aGibson Les Paul.

-Amy Garner