ROX-TV revisits 2022’s epic Halloween shows in Michigan. Tonight we take you back in time to the 2022 Palcast Paloween Show at the Token Lounge. Walk with us…
Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we appreciate the returning readers and would like to greet any new heads. Our mission is simple and that is to provide a space to enjoy music and the culture that surrounds it. If you follow our circus, then you know that we dig the underground in particular. The Michigan/Midwest scene is obviously our home base due to the geographical location, but we follow the tribes and factions around the country as well. Whether it’s the Chapter 17 mob out in Cali, that strong Juggalo scene in O-H-I-O or the LSP Family in Denver…we keep an eye on the field of play while highlighting our favorite artists. Anyone that doesn’t enjoy that can start a website and talk about shit that is important to them. Best of luck. For the people that read along and enjoy the ride…get ready because tonight we will be taking you on a high-speed run through the very best Halloween shows of 2022. I figured with the heat index pushing 85 today and that miserable humidity never far away, a trip back to a chilly time is probably a good idea.
So, the idea of the Halloween coverage is simple. In the context of the Insane Clown Posse experience, one of the most beloved shows that a Juggalo can attend is the annual “Hallowicked” event. It’s been running since the 1990’s and has really captured the essence of the season, while simultaneously showcasing the very best of Psychopathic Records artists. Obviously, Insane Clown Posse is there every year and that makes sense because this is the world that they created. But as the years have rolled on, the cultural significance of these shows grows with each passing Fall. It seems like every year things get better as well. The stories are told around fires, in dive bars, and between puffs of grass. Tales of old recounted by the veterans, while the wide eyed green horns listen and dream about what it will be like for them. This passing of information to the younger generation helps ensure that the underground culture will endure. I know, it’s some technical talk, but the subject matter deserves it.
By the time October rolled around in 2022, I was admittedly tired and probably burned out. I had been pushing hard since the end of 2020 with this writing set up. I was working on books and writing for the website. In 2021 I finished “Forever in the Jects” which featured Project Born’s story. Later on after the summer burnt off, I punched out another book with the Rude Boy called “My Life the Funhouse” which dropped in November of that year. The speed was increasing, and I was doing some very cool things. But it was coming at a cost, in the form of a crash and burn type of operation. There wasn’t really a crash, and I didn’t really burn, but the saying seemed to fit the idea. The year ended on a great note and 2022 started to seep into the cargo area. I was doing so much shit, that it’s actually kind of difficult to keep the memories separate. Everything kind of bleeds in together like a red and black rainbow. Hatchets everywhere. I was busy.
In February, I travelled with Bob Roxxx to Arizona to film the Rialto Theatre dust up. It was a marvelous experience that I will take to the grave. Just a really cool time, out on the road, far away from the things I know and love. Arizona was pretty nice except for the meth zombies that inhabited most of the corners and dumpsters. I’ve seen junkies everywhere and across time. No big thing. But the presentation of that many drug crazed people in such a picturesque town was slightly unnerving. You literally tripped over these half hallucinating, half dead people at every intersection. You could buy glass smoking pipes at the gas station. It was fucking disgusting. Meth. I understand if you’re a speeder and the yay is too expensive. Ok, that makes sense but on the other end of that is the known fact that fucking with Meth will make you beg for death before it’s over (end of my public service announcement).
The Juggalo Weekend experience was top notch, the articles were still coming but with less speed and efficiency. I was tired. Sometime in there I finished working on “Echos for the Machine” which featured the very best interviews of the previous year or so. I was working full time at a Cannabis company in Hazel Park during the Gathering of the Juggalos 22, so I painfully had to miss the party. I had been looking forward to meeting so many of the people I had wrote about and corresponded with during my ROX-TV website adventure. But I don’t have a trust fund and that means when you need money, you must work. And if you are going to work, find the best possible job you can, with the best chance for long term employment. Fuck hustle culture man, you want a retirement or a 401K, not a side gig that offers no benefits or long-term investment. You don’t see successful people with college degrees hustling around do you? Fuck no. They are on the lake by 5pm every Friday, hoping that people will notice them. There is no hustle culture there. Take what you want from that, leave the rest.
The summer had come to a close and there was a feeling, at least for me, that I was winding down for the long winter ahead. By October 2022, I was pretty much ready to hibernate until Spring. BUT…October was a magical season that offered the very best in underground Halloween experiences. Insane Clown Posse are the kings of the scene when it comes to Halloween or most of the other factors surrounding influence or contributions. Don’t like that? Want me to say cool shit about you? Start a fucking festival that runs for thirty years, maybe your own record label that actually sells millions of records, knock down four GOLD Albums, a couple of Platinum joints for good measure, oh yeah…manage to do seasonal annual shows with great production value…and yes, then I will cover you like you think you deserve. If you haven’t done shit, don’t complain about the lack of coverage. If you don’t have any videos on YouTube, go film some. If you don’t have physical copies or website, no team or agent, then it’s not time.
I’m sick of fucking artists complaining about fair coverage. What the fuck is fair? Is life fair? Is love fair? Is war fair? NO. And that includes coverage. If you haven’t done anything and your music doesn’t generate interest, we probably won’t have much to write about. This is a labor of love mostly though G. We cover shit we like. Now, it doesn’t have to sell a billion albums or have been produced by Za Za Baby from New Zealand. But it still has to be fresh. I won’t pretend to get into your shit if I really can’t. This particular vein of thoughts were born out of an interview I was watching about an artist, who thought people needed to follow his shit. The artist demanded that outlets cover his shit and because no one was, then it must have been UN-FAIR. Fucking laughable. No one owes anyone shit. If I don’t like your music, I’m not obliged to pretend to like it. I won’t like it just to keep your baby feelings from getting hurt. The saddest part is the artist that was moaning, probably wouldn’t read this and learn a lesson…because he or she didn’t see his or her name in the title. Vanity Smurf, you must be more careful. Moving on…
So tonight, we are talking about the contributions that Shaggy 2 Dope of I.C.P. kicked in. The “Paloween Show” was also an interesting and dope format. Like the Harpos gig, The Token lounge offered a multi-faceted event. Both shows were amazing for their own reasons and tonight we are gonna break up a brick and get down like the old days. Who’s with me? Let’s go…
The Halloween Episode
“It’s almost time kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your tv sets for the horror-thon, followed by the big giveaway. Don’t miss it. And don’t forget to wear your masks. The clock is ticking, it’s almost time”.
-Silver Shamrock Commercial
1982
“Halloween is my kind of holiday. It’s not like those other stupid holidays. I don’t get pine needles in my paws. There’s no dumb bunny, no fireworks, no relatives. Just candy. Boom. You go out, you get candy. It’s as simple as that”.
-Garfield
1985
Palcast Paloween Show
Token Lounge, Westland
October 28th, 6:45pm
Ticket Price: $25.00 at the door
So, I was headed to the Token Lounge for the first show of what was basically an I.C.P. takeover of Halloween in and around Detroit. The wicked clowns sucked all the oxygen out of the air in Wayne County and I felt bad for anyone else who was trying to be heard amongst the noise and commotion that weekend. I.C.P.’s coolest or at least one of their neat weapons is the ability to carpet bomb an area in preparation of drowning out any other messaging. You know the deal by now. If you end up on the opposing team, get ready to work very hard. Because you’re going up against a well-oiled machine. Perhaps the clown thing throws people, they might make you laugh, but these clowns are no dummies. Underestimating opponents because of disliking them, won’t do you any favors on the battlefield. Reality is the best medicine. Ticket sales, albums sales, actual followers… are all things that can’t be faked or ignored. Statistics matter always. If they didn’t, no one would keep track.
So, I typed in the address to the Token Lounge and got moving. It wasn’t going to be a bad ride, although I hadn’t been to Westland much in many years (I was once a window washer and some of the properties were there. But that’s going back to the late 1990’s. As of late, Wasteland isn’t a place I go often. It’s the land of strip malls and endless grey commercial buildings. People live there too, but I just don’t have tons to say about the area. I’m from the north. The traffic sucked like it always did. The Michigan Department of Transportation have become experts in setting up construction sites, although they don’t ever seem to re-visit them once started. Just another “Orange Barrel Garden” brought to you by MDOT. It was annoying at first. Then it became kind of funny, akin to a long running joke in Michigan. Then it got old and stuffy. And now, the horse is fucking dead. It’s not cute anymore. They don’t play that shit in O-H-I-O. Great roads down there. MDOT gets paid enough…shit.
The traffic for the time of day still wasn’t bad and the mood was jovial. I had never been to the Token Lounge before and was looking forward to it. The Paloween Show was centered around the Palcast that Shaggy 2 Dope and Keegan the Creep had launched. At the time it was fairly popular and lots of Juggalos tuned in to see what was happening around the culture. I had caught a few of the podcasts and they were cool. I don’t think I’d watch them all day or anything (in general) but a few here and there are nice. To be honest, as far as Juggalo Culture podcasts go, I’ve been tuning into the Humble Among show with Emily on YouTube. They are consistently getting new content out for the Juggalos, and it’s a dope show. Check it out when you get a chance. I wouldn’t waste your time. Shout out to Humble and Emily. Moving on…
I arrived pretty early or at least I think I did. The parking lot was filling up and I wanted to get in and see what was happening. HEXXX was going to be performing that night, and I was there to support him as well. I first met HEXXX when he was doing an interview in Detroit. We kept in touch, and he started making big moves. He dropped “Demon Season” after getting signed to Chapter 17‘s label. The viewership on YouTube is up there, with something like a combined total of almost 300,000 views on all the D.S. videos and uploads. Yeah, HEXXX is doing something right. As long as we are talking about HEXXX, I would like to add that he has another release coming out soon. The album is called “Tales of a Cursed G” and is set to hit in August (I think). Check out his website link below for that up-to-date scratch.
Getting inside the venue had been no problem and from there I drifted over to the merch area. There were several artist camps selling their wares. I scanned the room before seeing HEXXX’s merch table. The sign said they’d be back in a few minutes. So, I took a picture of the sign and posted up. I waited a few minutes before the fabulous Macey appeared and said hello. We exchanged small talk while we caught up. She said HEXXX was pretty excited to be performing at event and rightly so. This guy was just like me, we both grew up listening to I.C.P. and then we both eventually made our way into the world that I.C.P. built. I know for HEXXX to be opening for one half of the Insane Clown Posse was like a dream come true. I feel the same way every time I write about them for a public platform. These types of situations are like dream jobs to the Juggalo kids of yesterday. I bet for most fans out there, doing something in any capacity that brings them closer to their heroes makes sense. You go where you’re drawn. If this culture is your thing, or making the music, perhaps it’s doing the lighting at the shows, or recording a video. Brother or Sister, if this is where you want to be, then make it happen. There are more ways into a house than the front door. There are different styles to skinning a cat. Get in where you fit in. Something will work out and if not, at least you tried once. Even if you don’t hit, at least you shot your load. Better to know, than die uncertain.
8:30 pm
Palcast Paloween Show
Live episode from Token Lounge
The place was filling up and people were everywhere. I ran into TJaks from Ohio and a few other homies from around the country, who had come into Michigan for the festivities. Lots of Juggalos were in costume and the Halloween vibes were blasting through the vents. I felt at home, like I was among people with similar interests, values, you name it. A lot of us had been on this trip for a long time. There was wisdom and a decent age spectrum in the crowd. It wasn’t a bunch of teeny boppers or just a room full of senior citizens. The place was well proportioned as far as crowds go, which is a good thing. Too many old or young people, without the middle ground can spell disaster for a movement if not managed right. You need the kids in the trenches, the older cats putting plans together, and a well-functioning middle ground. The Token Lounge had a nice thing playing out.
9:02pm
Special events and costume contest
For some reason around this time, I wasn’t paying as close attention to the stage as I should have. I think that I was chilling with HEXXX, catching up on old times, and what not. I remember looking at the stage sometimes and I must have because I have a lot of pictures of the stage. For some hazy reason, I feel like a couple either got married or re-swore their vows. I think? Maybe that didn’t happen but I’m at least 45% sure that something like that happened. I do remember the costume contest in more depth so I guess that is what I will talk about. There was some very healthy and well thought out ideas, with Shaggy 2 Dope leading the show with some hilarious quick wit. The crowd was very rowdy and ultimately picked the winner with a wall of cheer. It was a fun time, with a cool atmosphere. I had no complaints. DJ Clay was in the house as well and also helping on stage with the show. At some point I drifted backstage to chill with HEXXX and Macey.
Time Unknown
Performances
The live performances were great. With Shaggy, HEXXX, and DJ Clay in the building, good music will never be far away. The crowd was amped up and the sets were solid. Sometimes a solid set can be left at that. There is nothing more to add. The Halloween Season was in full swing, and I was there to soak it all up like a sponge. By midnight I was chilling in the crowd with DJ Carlito, Bob Roxxx, HEXXX, and a few other down ass homies. The night ended on a great note, and I still had the big show at Harpos to look forward to. I was glad that I had left the safety of my couch to attend. There is no way to experience real life other than living it. Grow or shrink, it’s up to you.
Signing Off,
Mike Shepard
ROX-TV
