I honestly don’t know why I keep going to shows like the one on Thursday night other than the fact that the entire Juggalo scene absolutely fascinates me. From the undeniable sense of family to the outlandish outfits and the state fair level of people watching, there’s just something about Insane Clown Posse and their cult following that has always intrigued me. I’ve seen Shaggy 2 Dope (one of the two members of the iconic group) before on a solo tour but I’ve honestly never seen Insane Clown Posse as a full group. Curiosity finally got the best of me and as soon as they announced a show at The Cabooze outdoor plaza, I just knew it was my chance.

Full disclosure- I am not a fan of this scene– again, it just fascinates me. That being said, if you are here to just read and then yell at me about how I didn’t have to go to the show last night, please go ahead and find a different blog to read.

I got to the show early as if I didn’t want to miss a single moment of the people watching but instantly regretted it. Opening act Minus Love has some potential but the way he was clearly just mouthing over pre-recorded tracks instantly had me turned off and wishing I would have actually had a dinner instead of just grabbing a handful of carrots during my brief stop at home after work. Again, there’s potential when it comes to his music but I wish I had actually heard him perform rather than just seen him lip sync over his own music.

Ouija Macc was up next and having just seen him a couple of months ago, I already knew what I was going to get. I’m not a fan of this guy, this guy’s music, or his misogynistic attitude that is heard loud and clear through his lyrics but I am a fan of his energy. He clearly has a way of getting people amped up and although it was hotter than hell outside on the blacktop, he had the quickly growing crowd jumping and moving along with the beat.

Up next was a brilliant Slipknot cover band called Mushroomhead (I kid, I kid). It’s not news that there was a rivalry in the past between fans of the two bands due to the similarities between Slipknot and Mushroomhead. Being from Iowa, I was definitely a Slipknot kid and kind of grew up thinking that listening to Mushroomhead was just about the worst thing you could do. Last night was my first time actually giving the music a chance and although it wasn’t for me and definitely did come off as a poor man’s Slipknot, their live show was exactly what I wanted. From the waterdrums (yes, giant toms that were topped off with water to create a very cool visual) to the moment when one of the two singers made his way into a recycling bin, literally got in the bin, and finished off a song from there… there was something super fun about these guys that I truly did love. I definitely see the similarities and get why there was a feud but, let’s be honest, Slipknot is on a different playing field. I give credit where credit is due and Mushroomhead definitely deserves some credit for their performance on Thursday night.

One of the best parts of last night’s show was the way that the genre being performed on stage was constantly changing. After the hard rock (not metal) performance from Mushroomhead, the audience was treated to the MC stylings of Rittz. I loved that regardless of what type of music was being performed, the audience was clearly into and supportive of it. Every song was followed with applause and to have that in such a tight knit cult like the fans of ICP says everything. I was thoroughly impressed by Rittz. His lines were smooth and typically easy to understand but they also flew by quickly. Clearly a master of his craft, Rittz was easily the most talented guy to take the stage yesterday. I may not agree with some of his raps or the name of his new label (CNT Entertainment– CNT clearly standing for “clientele”) but I am a fan of his talent and wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

Before I knew it, it was time for the main attraction- the infamous Insane Clown Posse. Think what you want, love them or hate them, ICP has made a name for themselves and is clearly a popular group depending on what scene you’re in. I’m not a fan of their music and have definitely cracked my share of jokes about their ridiculous face paint, terrible lyrics (does anyone know if they ever figured out how magnets work?), and obsession with Faygo (the pop they notoriously spray all over their audiences) but something has to be said about their legendary live shows and, being a live show junkie like I am, I just had to see it for myself.

The show started off calm enough. I mean, it was still weird watching two men with clown-like face paint on, rap about lord knows what while being surrounded by buckets of 2 liters of Faygo (diet root beer Faygo to be exact) but there was something almost too chill about the first couple of songs. The photographers were ecstatic because they were able to have a couple of songs without the fear of getting sticky pop all over their thousands of dollars of equipment. Honestly, I was getting pretty comfortable in my spot off to the side of the side just a couple of feet in front of the stage until it happened. Like a freak thunderstorm during a bright and sunny day, all of a sudden I saw the pop spraying and the photographers scurrying. It was happening… it was all happening… I was getting the full ICP experience and I would be lying if I said I didn’t love it.

From the creepy clowns on stage that were apparently just there to spray the audience with Faygo, throw streamers and confetti, or aggressively wave flags in the air to the strange goblin like creature that was literally just there to make sure there was no shortage of 2 liters of Faygo on stage– I was captivated. Honestly, I think I spent more time watching the shenanigans happening than watching the duo that is ICP. Sure, getting soaked in pop definitely wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for the night but it also added to the experience. No matter where you went, you were stuck in a Faygo shower. The performers have clearly been practicing this for years and had a way of just turning one of the bottles over, shaking it a bit, and then letting it go causing it to speed through the air with an impressive sense of force. Between the constant stream coming from the stage to the non-stop grenade like force of the bottles flying through the air to the way as soon as an audience member got their hands on a semi-full bottle they would proceed to shake it all around them– it was a hot mess and nobody was safe.

Annoyed by the music and the constant threat of being knocked out by a two liter of pop, I didn’t last all night and found myself leaving before it was done. That being said, I definitely stayed longer than I ever imagined I would have. People warned me not to go and I think deep down I knew it was not going to be my favorite show of all time but I was honestly surprised by just how much fun I did have with ICP. Definitely still not my thing and I’m still not quite sure I understand it all, at least I had a damn good time and was able to cross yet another group off of my bucketlist.

Line Up (there were more acts inside but I only saw the ones outside):

Insane Clown Posse
RITTZ
MUSHROOMHEAD OFFICIAL
Ouija Macc
Minus Love

Venue: The Cabooze Outdoor Plaza

Sausage Fest Meter- 11 out of 10

Average Age of the Crowd- 35

Crowd Surfers- 2 spotted but I’m sure there were more

Mosh-Ability- 0 out of 10 if you ask me but apparently, according to the crowd’s response, 4 out of 10

Stage Divers- 0

Broken Bones- 0

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Faygo, streamers, Faygo, clothes, Faygo, confetti, Faygo, did I mention Faygo?

Fights- 0

Pukers- 0

Drunkards Taken Out By Security- 2- But I’m sure there were more

Celebrity Sightings- None

Overall Score- 1 out of 10 when it comes to talent; 9.6 out of 10 when it comes to entertainment value

Show on Deck- L.A. Salami/ The Specials

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