ROX-TV’s invasion of Tucson Arizona continues with Part 2 of the series: Insane Clown Posse’s “Juggalo Weekend 2022”. The Greatest Show on Earth.

Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we appreciate the returning readers and the first timers. We strive to create a space that is open to anyone or anything, as long as you’re down for the sounds. If you read any of my shit than you know that I hold the music high and celebrate that eternal energy and vibration. Music is a universal language, and it brings humans together. What the fuck is better than that? Nothing. Tonight, we pick up where we left off and that is in Arizona. ROX-TV was on hand to cover the “Greatest Show on Earth” and I’m confident in saying that. Why? Because I was there to watch it all go down.

Our story takes place in the American Southwest and at the end of Part 1, we had just arrived in town. After a funky breakfast buffet, we were ready to catch up with the Juggalos and Juggalettes, who were already in celebration mode and rightly so. People had come from all over the country to experience “Juggalo Weekend 2022” which was going down at the famous Rialto Theatre. It was early in the day and the sun was already blazing overhead. I’m from the Murder Mitten, where the snow and cold were working over the population and wreaking havoc. The day I hit the road, a big ass snowstorm was hitting and a brief reprieve from the white stuff sounded pretty good.

The meat grinder (30-hour car ride) had been brutal, but we pushed as hard and fast as the weather would allow. After a high-speed burn across America, we had arrived. We had received word that the Juggalo Army had taken over the Red Roof Inn, which was a few minutes away. The party was already in full swing, so that became the next spot to stop at. ROX-TV wanted to see what the homies were getting up to and maybe partake in a little fun. There was real work to do on Saturday, but Friday belonged to us and after the death ride, a little R and R was needed to get into the right head space.

Red Roof Inn

Feldman’s District

5:01pm

The Red Roof Inn was located in the Feldman’s Historic District. The neighborhood features one of the oldest houses from the Speedway-Drachman area, built in 1902. In 1989 the neighborhood was entered into the National Registry for historical places. In the 1920’s the area attracted tuberculosis patients because the climate was thought to help the afflicted.

So, we hit the corner of E. Mabel and N. Stone looking for the party and we definitely found it. The neighborhood had been taken over by the Jokers and Jokettes, and the Red Roof Inn had become ground zero for the gang. As we approached, Insane Clown Posse’s music was booming out of every room. Juggalos and Juggalettes were grouped up around the pool, in the parking lots, and standing outside of their rooms. Smiles and good energy were floating in the air. Someone had set up some tables which featured booze, food, and snacks. That my friends is a sense of community that seems to be lacking elsewhere around the country.

I drifted around the spot with Bob, and we spoke to everyone we ran into. Can you imagine that? Going door to door and being greeted as a brother or a sister. That’s what it was like, and it was so refreshing to know that there is a group of people out in the world still rolling like that. We might have the most hated band in the world, along with the fans, but we got more class than any of them. That sense of community is powerful, and people are threatened by that. I fucking love it. It’s not that the Juggalo thing is misunderstood, it’s more along the lines of being envious because most people don’t have it like that. When you hear a snide remark or put down, it’s really just a sign that the sender doesn’t have it like that, nor the courage to live like they would like, and it comes out. Think about that for a second…kind of makes you feel sorry for the squares. Not really.

While I was hanging out at the pool, a couple of cool cats brought a cooler of ICP’s Frosty Whoop Dub Craft Beer to the party and started handing them out to the thirsty Juggalos and Juggalettes. I spoke with them for a bit and checked out the cooler, which had a bunch of different flavors to select from. Within a few minutes, the Lo’s and Lette’s were swarming the cooler for some cold goodness. They also were handing out stickers and some other cool items for free. It was a really solid move and full of class. Top shelf as I like to say. The merry makers spreading the Whoop Dub goodness on us were Ken Williams and Jenn Jones. We talked a bit before I wrote this article and he wanted to give a special shout out to Liquor Dan, who is a real fan of the Whoop Dub and a supporter of the Juggalo Community. I asked my homie Ken about the party at the Inn, and he had the following to say:

“The party at the Inn was dope as fuck, we brought some kegs and got to chill with some homies from the Gathering and LA Weekend again. Since the launch of Whoop Dub, a few new states have updated their home delivery laws and have been added to the delivery area, so for those who couldn’t get it before, they might be able to get it now. Whoop Dub has three new flavors, two all-natural fruit seltzers and a hazy juicy style IPA”.

-Ken Williams

As for me, well…I seem to have a knack for locating the magic gas wherever I roam. I won’t go into the details, but I followed my intuition and eventually found what I was looking for. Whips are ok, but for me, nothing beats that old school proper tank status. It was how we got down in the 1990’s and that is how I prefer the balloons for my birthday. After a few minutes I caught that old feeling again and suddenly the party all around me became fully interactive. It was before, but with NOS for the head, everything was better. After I went fishing for a bit, it was time to pack up and move on. If I had stayed in the lot much longer, I probably would have stayed all night. But that wasn’t possible because we had more pressing matters. It was almost 6pm and it was time to eat one more time before the long night ahead.

LaCo and Tallboys

Historic District of Presidio

6:03pm

We tried a Mexican Restuarant three blocks away, but the wait was about an hour and that was too much time to burn doing nothing. The nitrous had worn off by then and I was ready for a bite to eat. We abandoned the first spot and started looking for a more suitable joint to burn down. Luckily for us, we found a spot two blocks away in the Historic District of Presidio.  The place was called “LaCo and Tallboys” on the sign near the door, although on the outside wall it read “Old Town Artisans, LaCo shopping and dining”. Whatever the name was, it was the place to be. It was located at 201 North Court Avenue. We didn’t see any Juggalos there, so we decided to class up the spot. We ordered three plates of hot wings and two plates of nachos. Tall cans were also procured, and a proper feast was thrown down.

Just like the Red Roof Inn, LaCo and Tallboys was the kind of place that I could have wasted the night away in, but we were on a mission. The Clowns were coming, and time was running short. Although the doors opened at the Rialto Theatre at 7pm, the show wasn’t scheduled to get rocking until 8pm. We cleared the area and made our way over to Congress Street. Right on time…or at least “right on Juggalo time”.

Rialto Theatre

Downtown Tucson

7:35pm

We headed over to the venue and got caught up in a little traffic bullshit, but after busting a few “U” turns, we got tucked in safely at the parking deck. The structure was packed with cars and Juggalos. We found a spot on the third floor of the deck, but the fucking elevator was broke, so we had to take the blasted stairs. When we got to the ground level again, I could feel the excitement in the air. The family was all there, with the line going around the block to get in. It was the first night of the two-day event, and the Insane Clown Posse was performing the “Big Hair Hard Rock Heavy Metal Head Bang” show with “The Bitchin Wild Bucks” band backing the play.

I also noticed a pretty heavy presence by the Tucson Police Department. Maybe they had heard the myths and legends of ICP shows and decided to turn out for the event in numbers. It very well could have been a courtesy for the Juggalos, or just standard operating procedure. The cops were cool though and didn’t hassle the Juggalos or Juggalettes at all. I think they just figured with that many wild cats on scene, a few extra cars couldn’t hurt. They would bop into the venue towards closing time, but that is a little further into the story, so hang tough. Anyways…the line was long, and it was a beautiful sight to see. It reminded me of the lines that I used to see back in the day for Detroit shows. Everyone was repping the Hatchet and Heavy Metal.

It was fucking crazy, and if you squinted your eyes a little bit, it might have well been 1986 for a heavy metal hair band. Everybody had tall hair, leather, tight pants, and glam rock sensibilities. Yes, I had stumbled into a time machine and ended up at a Detroit version of Motley Crue x Guns-N-Roses x Insane Clown Posse, set in Arizona. Oh, how it boggled my mind and I loved it.

Like I said earlier, the hate machine will always pump out bullshit but who wants to be like that? Juggalos and Juggalettes like to have a good fucking time, piss on all that other bullshit. America seems to like to be sad, angry, divisive, and upset all the time. Fuck that, take me home to the good times and good company. That’s what Insane Clown Posse has to offer: a chance to be free, happy, community, and a sense of belonging. Fuck the unhappy people, let them worry about it. Juggalos and Juggalettes aren’t paying attention to all the noise anyway, everyone is too busy having fun like the old gods from the 70’s and 80’s and 90’s. Count me in every time.

The Show Begins

Main floor

Time Unknown???

Hey man, like I said…I was having a good time, so the exact time of the following events is a little hazy if you catch my drift. The place was packed with heavy metal rockers and rockettes, all living it up and celebrating the music. If there was an opener, I couldn’t tell you really. I got so engulfed in the overall scene that I floated like a ghost and haunted the main floor and balcony. If you ever want to find me at an ICP gig, just head for the edge of the room and you will probably locate me. I don’t make a lot of noise, but I will always be there unless I’m working on a project for ROX-TV. I do remember before the show got moving, there was some really great 80’s Hair/Heavy Metal jams bumping out of the speakers.

Ouija Macc

As a general rule, I try to steer clear of the liquid gold, but shit man…a few tall cans were just what I needed to get into the right vibe. I was rolling easy because ROX-TV had a special project the following night, but I dipped my toes in. I ran into a lot of the tribe from Detroit City and it was really good to see everyone again. I also bumped into some Instagram faces, and a few people that had brought “Forever in the Jects” and “My Life The Funhouse”. There was good people, good conversations, and everything else that went with that. It was a beautiful thing my friends.

I was semi-aware of the time and decided to head to the main floor when the stage started beckoning me. Ouija was set to come on and I wasn’t missing his set for shit. The first time I seen Ouija live was in Detroit (El Club for the Christmas Show in 2020). I caught him again in Denver (Roxy Theatre for the Death by Denver show) and also in Indiana (Prom Night Massacre Show at Piere’s). Oh yeah, Ohio as well (GOTJ).

I can’t say enough about the guy if you catch my drift. He is an absolute energy bomb with a stage presence to match. He brings the fucking fire every time he takes the stage and to see him in the tattooed flesh is always a treat. If you’ve never caught him on stage, stop fucking up and get to a show. There are people that I consider the next generation of the Dark Carnival. The flag bearers that will take us into the future and Ouija is one of them. I also have high hopes for my West Coast Wicked Shit homeboy HEXXX, peep his shit out as well. The vibe is on point.

These are the cats that came up on the Juggalo shit and they are the future. The good news is that the future is here, right now and the next generation of warriors are heeding the call to arms. The Insane Clown Posse will forever be the OG Kings, and this is the world that they created many years ago, that goes without saying. But to see the younger generations of Juggalos coming into their own makes me smile. This is a Family thing, and it will endure for decades to come. The first thirty years in the Juggalo Universe were amazing and the next thirty years are just getting started. The Wicked Clowns will never die!

Ouija hit the stage with crazy heavy metal hair and the intro music that was playing, literally blew my mind. For the last few months, I had been on a constant AC/DC trip. My father had introduced me to the “High Voltage” vinyl album when I was just a little guy. He’d jam “It’s a long way to the top” on the basement stereo (the kind with a turntable on top and two giant speakers, a typical 80’s situation). Having dug the boys from Australia, when I got older, I got my hands on the “Razor’s Edge” cassette and my favorite song was “Thunderstruck“.

Well, low and behold, the madman from Vegas came out jamming “Thunderstruck” and it was like I was hit with the lighting. I couldn’t believe it and my ears swallowed the sounds. As always, my head went white with fuzz and the hair on my arms stood up (always a sign of the spectacular music). Even as I watched the footage on my phone, while typing these exact words, the footage did it to me again. Pure Magic. Ouija killed the set and the Lo’s and Lette’s thanked him with a thunderous roar of applause.

Insane Clown Posse

I knew that the Clowns would be going all out for the show, but I had no idea how far that really was for this occasion. They had it going on man, decked out in some serious head banger attire, guitars, long hair, the whole nine yards and nine more. It was fabulous and exceeded my vision for how the night was going to go. The crowd was amped up and together with everyone’s favorite band in the world, the night was rocked out in proper rock and roll fashion.

Everyone and I mean everyone was having a great time. There was no trouble or fights, just a large group of good time people and I was happy to be in the ranks. I’ve been running with a meat clever for decades and after thirty years or so, I’m still just as excited about the scene as I was when I first got hip to their music in the early 1990’s. I’m at a loss for words because how many times can you describe a really cool thing and make people understand what exactly ICP and their fans are getting up to? I’m sure I will eventually develop some more ways to say the same thing, but on this morning, well…I’m still thunderstruck.

I drifted to the back of the room for some air at one point and tried to sear the imagery of the night into my brain. I would obviously be writing about it later, but there was also some deeper meaning in there, I think. I’m not as young as I used to be, and my life is different than when I first got down with the clowns. I’m still relatively healthy, perhaps a little loose with nitrous from time to time, and I might jump off my little red wagon when the mood strikes me, but I’m not a spring chicken anymore.

I’ve started to feel my age lately and I know that nothing stays the same forever. I wanted to remember this night for the rest of my life, the freedom and the good times, the people I was surrounded by, and the visual imagery of it all. One day we will all get old and die, that much I am certain of and that’s ok. If we didn’t die, we wouldn’t be human, and that would be a travesty. I’m not a robot or a zombie, so I know that my time in this existence is somewhat limited.

When I go out, I will know that I lived a full life with experience, joy, pain, and all the other things that life threw at me. That’s ok too. When I was younger, I was hyper focused on the destination, but I’ve come to understand that the ride is more important than the finish line. We all are born and we all die, but what really matters is how we spent our time on earth and the way we treated our fellow humans. That is the real legacy. Dying doesn’t shake me up anymore, but I am aware of the limits on this life in regard to time.

So, with that being said, I wanted to remember this glorious night for all time. I will kick stories down to my grandkids someday and talk about the things that were important to me growing up. I will tell the stories about the Insane Clown Posse and the world that I was lucky enough to bop around in, the best concerts I attended, and the enduring love and community of the Juggalos and Juggalettes. I will do so proudly and with a smile on my face. Sometimes a concert just isn’t a concert, a band just isn’t a band, and an identity just isn’t an identity. There’s more to it and that’s what makes it great. The Insane Clown Posse have been the soundtrack to my life, and it’s been a great ride.

The show eventually drew to a close and we slowly made our way to the front door. The city streets of Tucson were flooded with heavy metal Juggalos and Juggalettes, while the men and women of the Tucson Police Department watched on with a respectful presence. We respected each other and took up in the same place for a while. There was no trouble, just good times and good will.

After Party

191 Toole Street

The plan was to hit the after party on Toole Street and close the night down. The only problem was the blasted parking deck was filled to the brim with cars trying to leave. We lost about an hour in the fucking deck before we were set free. Toole was literally a few blocks away and we were trying to get there to catch the Whitney Peyton set. She was already rocking the set when we got there, but we were able to hear a few songs and that was great. She’s a talented lady and I’m sure we will be seeing some big things from her very soon.

I ran into my homie Mosh Pit Mike and fellow Los Drifter DJ Carlito. We shared a few laughs, took in the scene, and all that goes with that. The placed was graced by Violent J, who was posted up in the background. Ouija Macc also stopped in for the event. It was a great end to a perfect night. I was beat by then and my rented bed was calling me back to the hotel. Energy had to be conserved because Old School Heat was fast approaching, and ROX-TV would be covering the event proper. As we tipped into the night, everything was alright…

Part 3 is coming soon, so stay tuned for the grand finale…

(Author’s Note: Originally this was going to be a two-part series, but as Ray (Trailer Park Boys) often says, “that’s the way she goes buddy”)

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV Head Writer

kidvicious810

shepard2909@hotmail.com