Insane Clown Posse at Firestone Live (photo by Devin Jacoviello)
Immediately after paying my tab at the St. Vincent show, I head up the street to see Insane Clown Posse (Oct. 7, Firestone Live). This may or may not surprise you. To be honest, the thought to go – a last-minute whim – kind of surprised me. Maybe I never got my shitshow fix from the recently aborted Stitches concert, at least not the shitshow that was billed. No, I definitely wanted to go, but not in the way that involves desire as much as curiosity.
Outside their rabid following, this horrorcore duo has been consistently sprayed with a tsunami of derision that micrifies even their own famous Faygo showers. Though I have pretty well-calcified opinions on ICP’s artistic merit, I’ve never actually seen one of their notorious shows. So if I was gonna hate like everything on paper suggests I might, I wasn’t gonna do it from afar. I would decide after sharing the same air as them.
Insane Clown Posse at Firestone Live (photo by Devin Jacoviello)
For all the critical enmity thrown their way, what is undeniable about them is their sensational sense of show. Colliding the Halloween of KISS with the liquid mess of GWAR, their theatrical performances are, if nothing, a sheer visual orgy. And the actual rapping? I’ve seen much, much worse on stage.
Insane Clown Posse at Firestone Live (photo by Devin Jacoviello)
But for all the garish, tangible pageantry on display, the real power of the ICP experience is actually more of a social phenomenon than a visual one. I saw a guy who was probably in his 60s crowd-surf up to the stage, bask in the glory for a few seconds and then take a glorious dive. You are one sonofabitch misanthrope if you can hate on that.
Insane Clown Posse at Firestone Live (photo by Devin Jacoviello)
From the Juggalos’ reputation, you’d think the stain of their followers would nullify any possible ICP virtue in a way that perhaps only Jesus could relate to. Of course, there was lots of stupid-getting, but nothing out of the ordinary for a wild show. I’ve seen twice the assholery and half the show at tastemaking concerts. Frankly, the cultural experience of being on the floor among the Juggalos at what is in effect one of their church services was far deeper and more interesting than what was happening up on stage. But my OW colleague Thaddeus McCollum will delve into that on next week’s cover story.
As for me, I’ll take this over shit like Blood on the Dance Floor every goddamned time.
Insane Clown Posse at Firestone Live (photo by Devin Jacoviello)
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