Detroit Michiganders Insane Clown Posse have been very busy in 2015, and the excitement began back in April when they released their first album in three years, The Marvelous Missing Link: Lost. A darker conceptional piece, the record had many fans pumped up, and then, as planned, in July the second record dropped, The Marvelous Missing Link: Found. Compelling to dedicated followers, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope brought their traveling twisted carnival to the masses with the the Marvelous Missing Link tour that kicked off on October 3rd at Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare. Originally scheduled to conclude on Halloween, new shows were added for November with the tour starting to wind down as Insane Clown Posse and their Horrorcore crew found themselves back in Worcester, Massachusetts on Friday the 13th.
Excited and agitated, the sidewalk alongside the Palladium was filled with Jugglos and Juggalettes of all ages who were waiting to get into the building to see Insane Clown Posse, along with P.O.D., DJ Paul, Young Wicked, Myzery, and local favorite Outland Camp. The bill was initially supposed to include Stitches too, but sadly, due to family health issues, he was forced to drop out of the tour. Wishing Stitches well, the tour has marched on and as the corpse-painted masses waited outside in the cold, the members of P.O.D hopped out of their tour bus and started feeding the chilly Family donuts to the sound of the crowd chanting their name. Shortly after that, the staff of the Palladium gave everyone the go ahead to get in line and head in to the venue. Amped up and ready to go, fans got ready for another trip into the dark world of the demented clowns.
First up on stage was Plymouth, Massachusetts band Outland Camp, who came out with tons of energy. These popular, local boys jumped right into their first song, “Oyster Crackers,” telling fans they could find the video on their YouTube channel. They fed off the energy from the crowd, getting as much from the lovers as they did from the haters. From the get-go, Krill, Jenkins, Jimi Carter, and Waldo gave a solid performance and set the tone of the night with some amazing music. As they finished up their set, they were joined by a few friends to help hype the crowd and film a video that would show up later on their Facebook page. OTC finished up their time on stage in true Juggalo fashion as the crowd began to chant their name. To hear more from Outland Camp, visit their website to take a listen to their latest mixtape, The Legend of Gringo Loco.
There was not much time in between sets, so shortly after Outland Camp left the stage, the house music turned down and the beats turned up. Thereafter appearing was Fuego Flames, shouting out to the crowd, followed by Myzery, drink in hand and ready to go. Hailing from the Bronx, this Spanish Horrorcore artist has been on the scene since the late ’90s and was one of the first artists to sign with Psychopathic Records. This night at the Palladium, Myzery sang songs from his extensive musical resume, including “Rebirth,” “Light It Up,” and set closer “Don’t Make Me Angry.” All in all, he had a solid set with the Fam chanting to him even after stepping off stage. Look for the upcoming album Demon/Angel, set to drop anytime now, after five years in the making.
Halfway through the opening acts, strobe lights flickered and skeletons in black robes walked out onto the stage to prepare the audience for Young Wicked. Starting his career as Otis of Axe Murder Boyz, Young Wicked joined the Marvelous Missing Link tour as his first ever solo run after releasing his second album, Slaughter, on September 4th, a record that was written, produced, performed, and engineered by Young Wicked himself. When he hit the main stage at the Palladium, he was accompanied by a doctor who brought him out masked and wrapped in a straight jacket. When he ripped the mask away, though, he jumped right into his set with spastic energy. Young Wicked sang songs from his debut solo album, Young Wicked The Mixtape Vol. 1 (2013), along with a few from his most recent release, most notably “Drinkin’ On My Fiff,” a track about his own struggles with sobriety. He captured the whole audience with his talents in singing, rapping, writing, and performing. Although the Marvelous Missing Link tour is coming to an end, look for Young Wicked to join back up with Insane Clown Posse in December for JCW’s Rasslerap Charity Tour, a six show run throughout the Midwest where all proceeds go to children’s hospital charities.
Next up was Memphis rapper DJ Paul, founding member of the Hip Hop group Three 6 Mafia, the originators of Crunk, with Juicy J and his late half-brother, Lord Infamous. The group’s 200o release, When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1, debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 charts and has since been certified platinum. In 2006, DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Crunchy Black won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” from the 2005 film Hustle & Flow. The in between albums with Three 6 Mafia, DJ Paul has released several solo albums, starting with Underground Volume 16: For Da Summer in 2002. Coming out with a ton of energy, the night’s set included some of his classics like “Spinners” and “Sippin’ On Some Sizzurp,” and once he got the crowd going on the Palladium floor, they joined in on the chorus of the songs. Filling in for Stitches spot nicely, it came at a perfect time for DJ Paul as he had his new LP, Master of Evil, that was set to release during the tour. Since always being a group member, it was great to see DJ Paul working the stage solo.
Finally it was time for the diverse hybrid Rock band P.O.D. Also known as Payable On Death, P.O.D formed in San Diego in 1992 and has since released eight studio records, with their most recent, The Awakening, coming out in August. Having previously conducted a full headlining tour back in July in support of the new material, New England was not on the itinerary that time around. This visit with Insane Clown Posse would be their first to the area since they came around with Shinedown and Three Days Grace back in February of 2013. Always known for their ability to mix genres ranging from Hip Hop, to Rock, to Metal, and everything in between, P.O.D has been one of the most popular bands in the world over the past twenty years. Having been nominated for three Grammy awards over the course of their career, P.O.D has shown no signs of complacence as they continue to push their creativity, and that was never more felt than with the concept of The Awakening. Consisting of Sonny Sandoval (vocals), Marcos Curiel (guitar), Traa Daniels (bass), and Wuv Bernardo (drums), the band was ready to show the Palladium a good time.
Opening the set with “Boom,” there was an energy surrounding from the get-go. Going into new single “This Goes Out to You,” along with other favorites like “Youth of the Nation,” Sandoval was all over the place, whipping his mic cord and feeling the music. Having the crowd in the palm of their hands, the heavy “Southtown” had bodies moving, and as the set came to a close, they offered the uplifting “Alive” from the album Satellite. During the chorus, the crowd sang along to each word, and by the time it was complete, they were screaming for more. Enthralled in P.O.D’s performance, the crowd gave a loud “Whoop Whoop!” in approval as the band walked off the stage. For those who missed P.O.D during 2015, they have one more scheduled date for December 5th out in Riverside, CA with Pop Evil, but hopes are they will be back on the road in 2016.
Last but not least, the Hip Hop duo Insane Clown Posse hit the stage. Worcester, Massachusetts has always been a staple stop on tours for “The Most Hated Band in the World” over their long career. Formed by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, Insane Clown Posse has been on the scene for almost three decades now, starting off their careers as Inner City Posse back in the late ’80s. Not only did they bring corpse paint and Juggalos to the Horrorcore Pop culture, they also founded the record label Psychopathic Records where many a Hip Hop artist has gotten his or her start. Since their inception, Insane Clown Posse has had over thirty records released, including studio albums, compilations, exclusives, and much more. With all that said, Insane Clown Posse will not be ignored, and judging by the massive crowd inside the Palladium, they prove to be as vital as ever.
As the lights went down, the drapes fell, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J headed onto the stage and they got right into “Explosions” with support from Young Wicked. They then went back in time a little and started up “Chicken Huntin’.” Shortly after that was the first Faygo shower break, mostly root beer for this show. Some fun was had on stage, especially during “Nedden Game” when Violent J got Shaggy right in the face with a full bottle of Faygo. Moving along, the show’s set consisted of Juggalo favorites, old and new, including “Halls of Illusions,” “Fuck the World,” and “Homies,” just to name a few tracks from their extensive set list.
As the crowd stood there covered in soda and confetti, the artists who played and all of the VIPs joined Violent J and Shaggy on stage to unleash Faygo Madness. As “Homies” finished up, J came out and said, “We’re not done yet! We are going out with a BANG!” With that, the music for “Bang Pow Boom” came on with Young Wicked on guitar. Once the insanity was over, the chant of “Family! Family!” rolled over the crowd as the house lights came up and had a sense of unity shimmering through the air.
All in all, it was a night filled with fun. Insane Clown Posse did a fantastic job picking their tourmates, and the proof was in the crowd’s reaction to each and everyone who took the stage. Although the Marvelous Missing Link tour is now over, be sure to check out Juggalo Championship Wrestling Rasslerap Charity Tour kicking off on December 10th, featuring Young Wicked and to be hosted by Insane Clown Posse, a soda covered charity event if there ever was one. Love them or hate them, these wicked clowns are a force which will not be stopped.
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