The Something Else Tour made its last stop in my Home Town of Cedar Rapids, IA on November 2nd, 2013. Local Openers Big Bang opened up with a high energy performance that fit right in with the always huge stage prescense of a Strange Music show. Big Bang should be on your radar, if you have not heard of them, now might be the time to give them a listen.
Ces Cru, Stevie Stone, and Mayday all had huge crowd participation, from a town that rarely sees shows come through any more it was nice to see the turn out and the huge amount of fellow Technicians that are essentially my neighbors.
Tech N9ne and Kali did the usual combined set and of course there was a ton of the Something Else tracks mixed in to the mix, as well as some new stuff from Krizz. Tech was as always on fire, with a unmatched live performance. I’d say make sure to go hit this show, however I caught it on the last tour stop, so if you missed it when it was in your area, you fucked up!
Highlights: Like at the gathering seeing Straight out the Gate, and Fragile both new tracks off Something Else performed live. Kali, Stevie, and Ces Cru hanging out with the fans after the show.
What’s up juggalos, ~OrEo~ here bringing you a album review of the century. TWIZTID’s First album since they left psychopathic. A NEW NIGHTMARE. First Let me say WHOA!…This cd is full of some deep shit fam. They really put their heart and soul into this album. Almost like they trying to get back to the house of krazee dayz , were they did their own shit…yes they struggled but it was all them. But let’s get back into the cd review shall we.
Gotta start with Track Number 1# (Wake Me Up)…Best intro to let you know whose cd you just fucking bought. To really give summary of this track, PREPARE YOUR SELF FOR SOME DEEP AS SHIT! J.
Track Number 2# (Down With Us) (Feat. Wrekonize of Mayday) I Fucking love this song. Not only does it bring its wickedness. It Really sends out that “Get our backs and we’ll continue to have yours” Vibe To it..
Track Number 3# ( Unjust Love) (Feat. Mickey Avalon & Danny “Boone” of Rehab) . This Song makes me giggle like a lunatic : P WHY? BestFUCKED UP LOVE STORY EVER!…In this song Twiztid open their fucked up mind and heart about Stalking. Another song on this cd that is a personal favorite.
Track Number 4# (The Deep End) (Feat. Dominic & Caskey) A slow but deep song…about just being hurt for not being understood, just wanting to be gone. (That’s what I take from it, music gives more than one message) other than that great for the down days needing something to smoke to.
Track Number #5 ( Sickman) (Feat. Blaze Ya Dead Homie) Now we’ve been brought to some cabin in the woods type shit. Madrox and monoxide along with our homie blaze tell a story of a sickman who has them captive.
Track Number 6# (Screaming Out) (Feat. Dominic & Irv Da Phenom) Another slow deep song , perfect song for days where you feel nobody is listening.
Track Number #7 (Wasted) with HOLD YOUR HATS (Feat. Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Bukshot, Lil Wyte, Johnny Richter, JellyRoll, Jared Gomes, Liquid Assassin, AJAX) Biiigggg get fucked up song, hints the name get wasted :P. AND its 9:45 long!! After 2 mins into this song it makes you want to GET DRINK AND HIGH ! GET WASTED!!! just be safe about it………RESEARCH NEW SHIT BEFORE TRYIN……
Track Number 8 (Falling Down) (Feat. Swollen Members) Very strong song….just let the rain wash it all away… be strong and continue…..survive.
Track Number 9 (Monstrosity) (Feat. R.O.C.) OH SHIT, a House Of Krazee song….Another Badass Bass song by the way ! With Beats that will just make your mind melt cause of its sickness.
Overall I love the cd ,but also a devoted Twiztid fan. But I Hope That we see a bit more of House of Krazee, But who knows….
Dedicated to Blackie, Oreo, WhiteT, Joker, The Foot, Butterflies and Asset – without your content and support this year. I likely would not of even made the gathering, let alone be writing about it. MCL homies. -Hazin
I am going to try and keep this short and on point this year, I do recommend you read it as I will mention a give away of my 2012 press pass and other rare gathering items, somewhere in the mix. Now I know there are some crazy collectors out there (I was at the psychopathic auction). I have heard of artists, etc selling their passes after the gathering for some fundage, but I have never seen anyone give away a pass before. Let alone a older press pass – most guys hang these up in their studios or keep it as a memento. Very rare gathering merch for one lucky ninja. It has no value at future events, but is a laminated Gathering Press Pass from 2012 – zombies on it even, the RV pass is pretty neat as well. There are two huge full quality photo galleries at the bottom of the review, if you use them please link to this review and True Juggalo Family’s facebook. http://fb.com/truejuggalofam
Stale Points I plan on talking about since a lot of our readers dig my honesty on all things stale every year:
Drugs – nuff said
Super High Main Stage – would of been good had they done a live pay per view for the at home viewers, but unless you where 20-30 yards away from the stage and wanted to see what color the souls of their shoes where, this really sucked, they where insanely to high. It just made taking pictures rough.
Contests, with the exception of the Miss Juggalette Contest we went back to leaning heavily on crowd participation. The tattoo contest rules changed between the early contestants and the late contestants, and even though every year is a slight improvement, it was as stale as ever when all was said and done. I am volunteering now to help plan, setup, hell i guess id even judge, etc next years tattoo contest. Good clean detailed and well placed tattoos should be winning. Unfinished and non-detailed tattoos should not be in the top three, and no offense to the winners but tattoos that are placed backwards should not be up there either. Judges in a hurry to leave, and changing the rules half way through the contest then leaning heavily on crowd participation leads to 3 of the last 8 contestants winning… STALE!
I would like to thank every one of our readers, but also everyone who stopped me or one of the TJF Crew/Helpers this year and expressed your deepest gratitude at what the site does for you, or what the facebook community does for you, we interact with our audience as much as possible and with 182k and growing daily on facebook its all because of you guys reppin TJF!
This is my hobby, and you ninjas is what keep me working on it daily. Everyone who stops me personally and compliments or wants to talk about my tattoo work: It’s by David Rich at Vesania Ink in Iowa City. Most importantly to all the Local Staff, the Security, the Hogrock Family, and to Psychopathic Records. Rob and Jason – was great to see you guys all over the grounds this year, at seminar, at events, at shows. Interacting with people. Above and beyond, as always I appreciate the invite and support we get in our attempt to support the label.
I also happen to have some of the best Gathering Neighbors, you might of heard of them. Faygoluvers. Psycho Scott and Scottie D, are just part of the gathering family for me and I really can’t imagine camping there without them. We added some newer neighbors this year and I hope they are back next year. Insane Ericand Hannah Monroe. My Gathering homies – there are way to many of you to list. Hashly, Erica, Gene Hooks, Sedated, Wes, Paul and Mary, Naomi, Burrito Man, Kat, Sharon, Kung Fu Vampire, Whitney Peyton, Boondox, Bukshot, Myzery, and many others who made sure to show TJF and myself some wicked clown love this year just to name a few! Everyone who bought TJF Charms or Decals this year – you ROCK!
The Journey – now many years ago, the gathering was a dream that slowly became a reality of our little local group just throwing some tents together, jamming into a vehicle like it was a clown car and making the trip. It evolved to last year multiple vehicles going down together, including the now tired little RV that thinks it can (its now 4 years of making it there and back) Last year we had a blow out, and this year we had the alternator go out, however we left a day before the other cars, so as it turned out, when the batteries decided to die out on us about 30 miles from Mt. Vernon, Il and the walmart there. We where totally alone, we coasted to a stop on the side of a long dark stretch of highway with no lights and slowly dying electronics.
None of the google’d 24/7 tow places where answering their phones, and eventually after what seemed like forever, local law enforcement stopped and hooked us up with getting a couple of car batteries delivered to us. (Quite a bit more expensive then having pizza delivered to you). DID HE SAY LAW ENFORCEMENT? – had a great long chat with the officer and no problems what so ever. This got us to Walmart where we stocked up on everything we would need for the week, and a battery charger. I bought a fishing pole and what not for the fishing contest I told myself I was not missing this year, as the only contest I will likely have a chance to win since I get the Bone every year at the tattoo contest. Guess what – I slept through the fishing contest! One of my biggest fails this year. More on contests coming soon.
We made it down to hogrock with no other issues. Something we noticed long before the gates where open. The local staff, as well as the Psychopathic staff this year where not only on top of their game, but extremely friendly, open, and great to deal with. Tim (hogdaddy) who in past years has been great to TJF, was the only one who seemed overly stressed, and upset at times. That’s to be expected thought, its his land and has to be nerve wracking. Tim’s neighbor hooked us up with some much needed hot and free pizza on Tuesday and we helped her out with her utility vehicle, neighborly love for the win!
The Parking Lot: The partying seemed to be mellow to me when I was exposed to it, compared to previous years. I did not get to take many pics or video as I would of liked up there this year, also did not get to take any setup pics that have been hugely popular in previous years. There were reports of multiple people leaving the parking lot area in a ambulance due to bad drugs which is extremely stale, and one of the only things I have to say in a negative manner this year. Drugs! if that’s your thing, know what you’re doing please.
So when it came time for the gates to open, we were right up front. (It is really hard to capture the site you have your mind set on, and hold down the whole surrounding area for 4-5 other vehicles coming who are not going to make it through the gates for up to 7 hours later). So yes I do try my hardest to be up front every year, even being what was the first vehicle through the gates this year, I still had to talk people out of trying to hold down the TJF and FLH 2nd stage balla sites that we have been around for multiple years now, as the people who got in on foot or early had tried to confiscate them for themselves. Now I am getting a little ahead of myself, they lined up 4 rows of vehicles at the check in point.
Will Call stuff was figured out right at gate time which is huge improvement over last year. We were in front of one of the 4 lines, I had the TJF press passes so we could enter the grounds and take pictures for all you ninjas out there. Security entered the RV and searched it for bad stuff, we were told if we were found to have bad stuff later we would be escorted off the grounds. I have never had a problem at the gathering, and have always abided by the rules, nothing was found and we where granted access with no issues. I had to constantly direct people away from stealing spots I was holding for @FLH, The other 2 TJF Vehicles, @Hannah Monroe, and @Insane Eric. There really is no marker of the balla site you are getting physically at the grounds. If this year had not been a very low population I am not sure that I could of accomplished this. I am hoping next year they offer us the chance to buy the spots outright like they did main stage balla passes: rather then just a 2nd stage balla pass, or even slightly early access for media (one can dream).
It was clear at this point that cell phone signal was just not going to happen anymore for me at this point, in years past, it was hit or miss, but it had been quite some time since I could text the rest of our crew back farther in the line, the FLH crew, or the other people we planned on having as our neighbors. I guess Ill mention now that the WiFi Signal that brought you ninjas up to the hour video footage, pictures, and news in previous years, just did not work for me this year. I could see it, but could not connect to it. I later found out the the WiFi company had some type of outage anyway, so very little information came out from TJF during the gathering which was pretty stale to be honest, I know a lot of people where hammering the site, facebook, and twitter expecting some content. I apologize, but was out of my hands.
During this time I mostly – missed what was going on over at 2nd stage. I took a brief moment to go catch Ill Wit It perform some tracks and snap some pictures but mostly I was setting up my stuff and keeping the area clear for my homies. 2nd stage host however was a little on the annoying side, and multiple people complained about him throughout the whole week. I tend to tune stuff like that out – but just going off what others complaints where, maybe someone different next year to talk between sets? I was finally able to relax a little bit once the TJF Crew, Insane Eric, and the FLH RV pulled in and got plugged in, then shortly after Hannah Monroe (Author of upcoming book “Growing Up Wicked”) showed up and they blocked off the remaining area with their truck. I headed out to check out what was different, snap some pics, get some gopro footage, run into old friends, and make some new ones even.
Before long it was time for Main Stage, Dizzy who was unfortunatley the only Funk Volume Artist to perform this year, took the stage and did his tracks – beginning main stage acts do not draw much of a crowd so I was not to shocked to see a very small amount of people for his set, I figured a lot of people where still pitching tents, etc. He was energetic and put on a good show. Before it was over we continued to venture around the grounds when we noticed the line was as far back as you could see, so we went up to the old walk in gate.
The line going both up the hill and down the road where both as far back as you could see. Tons of people yet to make it inside and Zug Izland was taking the stage any minute. Some better planning needs done next year on this, the day early at noon access in years past would of prevented this however I am sure there is a lot of issues on the back end of things we do not see in making that happen.
Zug Izland takes the stage and Violent J joins them which really just kicks off the gathering for me, as a 30+ year old guy who’s seen both on stage many times, you know there is something special in the air when it gives you goosebumps. Syn later said that it was a on the fly decision and Violent J literally just painted up and joined them at the last minute. One of the gathering highlights, not just a Wednesday Highlight. More stuff like this happening would be amazing. I enjoy metal – and love metal acts at the gathering, Zug being back in the mix is great. Epic performance, and got some great pictures.
Lil Wyte put on a great set – typical gatherings he would perform on 2nd stage, so was nice to see him up on main stage, and one of his crew was throwing out baggies of “something” for the audience, most of which landed in the photo pit, and where handed out by Staff/Security/Press to the audience. One even landed in my lens hood and was quickly snatched out by a ninja on the other side of the barricade, got me to smile, but try and be a little more gentle when grabbing at my lens for your gram of goodies please.
Boondox – Bearded up, painted up, and alone on the stage was the start of the gathering for many people the crowd was filling in very well at this point, and Boondox just puts on one hell of a show, musically, lyrically, etc has always been one of my favorite artists as well as live performers. There where some sound issues during his set, and he said something about a busted rib at one point, but it was barely noticeable.
ABK – Typical ABK set – full feather head dress figure walks out shortly before ABK takes the stage and rips into his well known tracks, that garnish massive crowd participation during every song. It was hard to believe main stage was about over at this point, it seemed like we where just outside the gates bored, and then all of a sudden a massive energy explosion that ABK highlighted with his stage presence.
Before the gates opened, I knew my hardest part of the gathering would be making it to everything I wanted to see and do, even though the lineup seemed what some would call weak compared to previous years, there was so much stuff packed into the 12-5am time slots every night, I knew I was going to miss stuff I wanted to do. Friend of mine, Insane Eric was up on 2nd stage next so of course that was a easy choice, go check his site out: insaneserics website. Not only is he a GoTJ performer, he is a artist of the graphic flavor and you most likely have worn something recently he drew up for hatchetgear.com. At this point I was like a pinball machine. Over to see Smakola do his set at the Freakshow Stage. Was hoping to maybe catch some Dirty Worms or Kabosh surprise, but no luck.
Then back to see Freddy Grimes on 2nd stage. I choose Freddy Grimes over Legz Diamond because I just seen Legz Diamond perform recently and have not seen Freddy Grimes since last years GoTJ. Body parts where flying, girls where dancing in the cages, it was a great show. I capped out my night with Wolfpacon the Freakshow stage. I must be getting old because at the end of their set I was just done, I needed some type of place to sit back and pass out and figured I better get back to at least my camp site if not into the RV. I wanted to catch Onyx but the whole setup and everything tired me out I guess. I’ve recently learned I am not invincible and it sucks, bum knee, bum elbow, and I get tired??? WTF!
Thursday: I got up pretty early. I had plans of hitting the auction with the crazy idea maybe I could bid on something and get lucky. I got there a little late after eating and getting dressed for the day. The prices where crazy, and I am really glad that the proceeds were going to a good cause, I was just super shocked at how many wealthy ninjas there are out there…. I shot some random video you can see over on the YOUTUBE CHANNEL
I intended on going to the Faygo Launching contest to enter and do my best – having a hand full of Faygo Armageddon’s under my belt I think I have a pretty good technique going, however with the rain, and people stopping by the camp site to chat me up, I just did not make it over there. One of the TJF crew got some video of it though. I was not going to miss the Psychopathic Seminar – hoping to get the “Biggest Thing we have Ever Announced” on video was my goal – even though that never really happened at the gathering leaving me to wonder what that announcement was, The Psychopathic Seminar was great, Rob, Jason, Kuma, and even Billy Bill took the stage and talked about the inner workings and current happenings at the label. Jason is my main contact with the label and a new addition. His introduction by Rob, and by himself at the seminar made it clear he is the right guy for what he does, and then after seeing him all week all over the place. I am impressed. You can watch the seminars (for some reason my camera split it in 2) here:
I missed the costume contest because of the seminar, but some of my previous gathering charms where on the vest of the Winner! Congrats Will on the win, and props to Oreo and Heather who I thought had epic costumes but did not place (From what I heard to much crowd participation put a store bought custom in top three). On to the Zug Izland Seminar, very laid back and mellow seminar that a lot of ninjas skipped out on, it did run extremely long and I missed Super Smash Bros somehow which sucks, however was good to see Syn, Mike, and the newest member Johnny up there just relaxed and telling stories. You can see the video here:
Ok around this time it became very apparent that something bad and very out of the ordinary had happened. When questioning what was going on I was informed someone had passed away due to a apparent drug over dose, not only where the police on site, the coroner was as well. It does not matter that this person was not a Juggalo, he did not need to die, he came to our music festival for a good time and things took a horrible turn for him. I hope he and his family have found some kind of peace.
The drug bridge was shut down during the time the police where in the grounds, and this in fact only made things worse. The drug bridge is avoidable if you choose not to be there, I have never had a problem in years past, even being a “press” member with multiple cameras on me. However when the Drug Dealers moved 50 feet from the bridge to the hill, they took it upon themselves to threaten physical harm to people who just had cameras on them, not just myself but females. I heard it multiple times and had to stop multiple times. This is uncalled for as the clearly juggalo press has no intention of taking your picture doing your scummy activity and posting it to our site or facebook. If you are at a musical festival, expect there to be cameras. The drug bridge eventually went back to normal after attempts to keep it clear with guard rails and what not.
You will never eliminate drugs at music festivals, its not just the gathering. However, if your there to just make a buck and your going to stand there and sell your drugs all day – have some fucking respect for yourself and others – don’t sell hard drugs to local teens there just to get high, something like the drug bridge will always exist – Pulling in law enforcement though and having the shit that’s making people sick or dead and the people selling it dealt with might be a option of keeping them from collecting in one spot. If we could get back to the weed and minor pysch’s that people use to enjoy there week that would be amazing, but I don’t see that even happening. /rant off/
Main Stage:
Rahzel: Typically its acts like this that I love about the gathering, the acts I would never go see anywhere else. The MC Hammers, the George Clintons, etc. However I just don’t think the crowd connected with Rahzel very much – he is extremely talented and was neat to watch, however I had the feeling that many felt they could of just watched that on youtube or something, and it left me feeling very similar.
Mayday: I have been enjoying maydays music for quite some time. They sound amazing, lyrically are always on fire, and they put on a great live show, Vocally and Lyrically I always connect with what they doing.
Rydas: Seeing them on main stage was kind of weird, they put on what you expect to see out of the rydas, there was extreme speculation during and after their set and even at the Twiztid Show I went to this past week, about dropping masks during the Rydas set. ABK said something in his seminar about being hot is why he dropped his down a little ways, I did not get a chance to ask Jamie or Paul at their concert in Des Moines, but I am sure people are just taking things a lil to far with speculation.
Big Hoodoo: I missed the photo pit part of his set due to having to go change camera batteries, I expected Sevendust to be next and know it takes a bit of time to setup for a metal band. So was pretty upset when I heard Hoodoo going and I was missing it. Oreo did get some pictures though, and I got some of him during the Deadly Medly. Now before he took the stage, the merch booth guys where having trouble getting people to take the CD seriously, however that night after main stage they sold out of his CD. That says something about his live performance right there. I hope he is out on tour with the clowns on these upcoming tour dates so all those opposed to giving him a shot, can see his live performance.
Sevendust: METAL at the gathering, not nearly enough of it this year, made me miss acts like Mushroomhead who should be there every year. SevenDust put on a great show and you could tell the crowd was wanting more and more. Hopefully we get them back with some more metal flavor next year.
Tech N9ne: Always a highlight at the gathering, stage presence is crazy, he puts one one of the best live shows in the industry – the lighting is always epic (as a photographer, you never say that) He took what looked like a muddy boot to the the face at one point (Its the gathering) and didn’t let it phase him. He played a few tracks off his new release “Something Else” including Straight out the Gate and Fragile which are songs I listen to daily.
After Tech-N9ne my original plan was to catch Drive By, however had to refuel myself, and by the time I had my shit together Whitney Peyton was taking the stage. She put on a great performance and Crowd Walked… no not crowd surfed, she walked on the crowd – it was pretty awesome as she kept the show going while they held her up. I then headed over to the RV and 2nd stage to catch Jelly Roll and Krizz Kaliko with a quick trip over to see Kaiju Wrestling – Now this is the first time I had been excited to see wresting at the GoTJ, really just not been into wrestling since I was a kid and it was all about the Ultimate Warrior back then. After catching just the tail end of Kaiju Wrestling, I was super impressed, hope they bring it back again next year. Funny, fun, and entertaining.
Dark Lotus: Photo Pit was closed to the press on this: got because it was “Dark Lotus” by security – im pretty sure most of us with press credentials has been in the same room with every member at some point so I’m not sure what the true story was, however as they came out in Black and Red, and there was virtually no stage lighting, and the crowd was packed, getting pictures for this scrub just did not happen. To top all that staleness off – the sound seemed bad their whole set and a huge handmade monster was dead center of the crowd so lots of people couldn’t see the stage, this thing is hard to explain but it had poles holding it up by hand. The one nice part was all the guys hugged it out at the end, leaving a feeling that this would not be the last time we will see Lotus on stage together.
This is the night I went over and caught part of Juggalo Night Court – the case I seen was slow going and a little boring and the yawning had started, although I heard many tales of Juggalo Night court being epic like the old days, I however did not catch it at any other night. I ventured back to the camp site before the case ended to hang out with my locals and whoever decided to swing by, as the sun came up – I crawled into the camper and took a nap till the sounds of the gathering woke me up in the morning.
Friday: I woke up early and hit up the tattoo contest alone as most my friends where still sleeping. I got signed up and was told I was number 10, figuring there was going to be 20 contestants like usual I thought this was a good setup. Starting to look at some of the other entries in the contest. There were quite a few high detailed pieces that could of easily been winners. I had a top 5 in my head from the start not including mine which most people tell me should win every year… Anyway. None of the high detailed pieces that I felt like should win even placed. Judges were Sugar Slam, Vamp, and AnthrAxx Lette. Vamp and AnthrAxx Lette both seemed impressed with my Ink’s extreme color detail in a small area, I have two amazing color detail upper arm pieces, Sugar Slam though said right off the bat they would only look at one arm, said it had great lines and shading was done with me. Vamp and AnthrAxx kept looking, and touching and going more into detail about it being set on a stage with curtains, etc. I was thinking maybe this was going to go ok. At this point the crowd was still relatively small. When done they put you behind the tent and you could not see what was going on inside or hear much of anything. I thought the following tattoo should of won:
It had crazy detail and shading, and is the only ink of the Jeckel Brother faces that I have seen that compares to mine. He was also a early contestant who got praised for detail. So out back when they started getting to contestant 30, and you could hear much more people in the tent, it started to concern me, less was coming from the judges as it seemed people where just getting pushed through. One Tattoo I seen was a stick figure. 3rd Place winner was a unfinished ankle piece if I remember right. The winners tattoos was a chaotic 2 arm piece I pictured up at the top, all placed backwards. It’s a cool tattoo and he seemed like a great dude, however they looked at both arms, and didn’t focus on detail, line work, shading, or what seemed like anything other then crowd participation. All 3 winners where in the last 8 contestants and had the most homies in the crowd.
I think the tattoo contest should be given a little more time, it should be broken down into 4 categories. Best Hatchetman, Best Jokers Cards, Best Portrait, Best Non-Categorey (twiztid, abk, blaze, etc themed tats) – then Best Overall. NO Non-Related Ink Allowed. Have contestants sign up early and pay 10 bucks a entry (This weeds out more junk). Someone familiar with tattoos to check them in and collect, can make sure its good and not stick figures and garbage that is going to waste time. Do 15-20 contestants in each of the 4 categories. Fuck the crowd participation, get 3 judges who want to be there, and are interested in other peoples tattoos and checking out the detail, shading, line work, design, etc. (Tattoo Artists would be a good choice if available). Rather then spend a ton of time introducing who the contestants are, where they are from, who did their ink, and letting a the crowd try and see their tattoo from positions they cant see any detail anyway. Narrow it down with judges to top 3 in each of the 4 categories. Call them up, introduce them, look at them again and judge the winner who will win a small plaque for best in that category. A small merch or food certificate to the runner ups. Once all 4 categories are complete, get all 4 winners on stage and select a Best Overall for the big plaque and bigger prize. Yes this will increase the time, but those interested would get up 2 hours earlier for this, pay to enter each category they think they can win in, etc. The entry fee could go to cover having additional plaques made and the merch/food winnings.
After getting the Bone at the Tattoo Contest – I Listened to 2nd stage acts till it was time for me to go catch the ABK Seminar – cooked up some Blue Waffles for people hanging out with me, and enjoyed the fresh air. Eventually I headed up to the seminar tent for the ABK Seminar: See the whole thing Here:
This is far enough to mention the Burrito Man – it is not the gathering unless you eat a Burrito from these ninjas, and I had 2 of them before the Main Stage this day. 5 bucks puts it cheaper then the vendor food, and they are there holding it down every year. Jesus was not there this year due to some health issues, but still the same good burritos – they sold me a 12 pack of Dr. Faygo which is impossible to find around here. DO NOT MISS BURRITO MAN!
I really did nothing else this afternoon but try and find a way to connect to the world with no success, and chat with people.
Brotha Lynch Hung and Trizz took the stage first and they always put on a show – both command attention as they move opposite across the stage from each other. Just seen them out on tour recently and this was a similar set, but still good to see them up in front of the GoTJ Crowd.
Soulfly: Should be a every year band, good hard hitting metal bands that come to the GoTJ multiple times are few and far between. The field split open and a group of muddy ninjas mosh’d it out while Soulfly performed their face thrashing tracks.
Blaze: Performed his hits, less flair then last years set, I don’t really remember anything special about it this year. He always has a mellow laid back approach and is always a crowd favorite.
Vanilla Ice – is a show, mix of genre’s and a huge stage presenee as well as inviting up tons of females to dance. This is always one of the premier live shows at the GoTJ when he performs. I don’t care who you are.
Twiztid: Huge Pot Leaf and 2 Bongs on the stage, as they bounced all over the stage feeding the crowd as much energy as the crowd was pumping it right back at them. The Abominationz heavy lined set was mixed with their juggalo classics that everyone gets down to. The Abominationz Tour is already back out and about again and this is not a performance to miss. Check them out locally ninjas.
Claas and Underground Avengers where the highlights of the late night fun at the gathering. Claas is so lively and animated on stage, its not something to miss. Then add in Bukshot and Boondox for the first ever UGA live performance. If you missed this. YOU FUCKED UP!
Saturday: Was a big Seminar Day, the ICP Seminar they announced the return of AMB and Boondox to Psychopathic Records, a Canada and a Australia tour, and Juggalo Day would be the Great Milenko Show! You can watch it and the Mystery Seminar which was Boondox and AMB answering questions below.
So this year, it was widely known that Miss Juggalette Contest was going to be different this year, it was being taken back by the Lettes Respect Movement, and it was a great show to watch – if you’ve ever been disgusted in past years by seeing the girls insert things (For me that kinda ruins any thoughts of having fun with that girl later… like that would ever happen). This year was the way it should be, and will continue to be. You can see the full length video (sorry for the off to the side view) and many pics in the gallery down below. (Yes there was still some Tits and Ass) The contest ran way over, I stayed to record and get pics, and missed the photo pit for Rehab over at mainstage.
Mainstage started out with returning gathering performers Rehab, and Rittz who had last year just performed at the bombhouse. It was good to see them both back, but Rittz is one of those artists you don’t want to miss as his potent lyricism comes across so strong. Mad Child is back in the US finally and Swollen Members are performing at the Gathering!!!?!?! This is that one act this year that had that wow factor, and is not something you’d ever expect to see, and it was a epic performance.
KMK Took the stage without Daddy X, and although not a huge fan of a large chunk of KMK’s music, they did play their epic tracks and the crowd ate it up, but you could hear all kinds of questions and concern with the absence of Daddy X from the set.
ICP! Still to this day one of my favorite live performing group ever, whether you like their music, like their lyrics, or hate both – you can not deny the over all atmosphere during a ICP performance, its like doing drugs… only legally. Seeing the faces light up of everyone, the goosebumps as the first song starts, the elation when that first spray of faygo hits everyone. The mud vanishes, the worries of the world disappear and somehow the first 2 songs fly by. You can see how chaotic the photo pit is during the first 2 songs here:
So for everyone who publicly posts one of the pics from the galleries below to their facebook wall, with the link to this review (http://truejuggalofamily.com/6943) in the description and emails staff@truejuggalofamily.com a link to their facebook page (or in a group) so I can confirm. You will be entered to win Rare Gathering Items to include: 2013 Gathering Charm, 2012 Gathering PRESS PASS, 2012 RV Pass, 2011 RV Pass, 2013 Big Balla Pass, 2010 Gathering Charm, and possibly some other stuff.
The stage is way high as i mentioned before and was one of the stalest parts of the gathering as a photographer, it was like shooting at 2nd stage the whole time… Multiple times during the week press was removed from the mix after 2 songs. Sometimes you get zero good shots during three songs at a great venue in great conditions. So 2 songs with a super high stage, brutal beam lighting that where red for way to long during most sets, then during ICP all of a sudden every press person at the grounds whether taking pictures or not shoved into the photo pit, leaving movement limited made it rough, yet at the time none of that seems to matter because its the Clowns!
So in years past and during tours, press is typically given some access to Faygo Armageddon. Some of my best pictures have come from on the stage during Faygo Armageddon. When asking previously in the week was given a “I am not sure”. So myself, some other press, and the Wrestlers who always get pulled up watched the show from the sidelines. ICP had a very long set covering multiple songs including Burning Up which started off with a Man on Fire walking across the stage a few times. I wish i had been in the photo pit for this as it was truly amazing to see.
When they started putting the wrestlers up, security indicated that press would not be going up at all, however Staff was going to go check one last time – but never came back. At the point that faygo started flying, I just tried to get in a position to take the best pictures possible from the ground. Some turned out pretty good, multiple Juggalos piled over me and then the Barricade past security and got pulled up on stage by those already up there, utter chaos as every Faygo Armageddon is, and then the fireworks started to go off. This used to be the end of the gathering, but for two years now its just the end of Main Stage for the night. Covered in Feathers, Faygo, and who knows what else, I had to hit the shower, make sure the cameras didn’t take any damage and try and get ready to come down from the excitement of the clowns to catch the rest of the night.
Blowfly – overly vulgar in a funny way. Not someone I am familiar with but he got the crowds attention with his lyrics.
Kung Fu Vampire – one of the best performances of the gathering – Dynamically Fresh and looking sharp – Drums and Bass guitar on the back of the stage while KFV rocked out his tracks – eventually he peeled the shirt and even hit Poncho’s big ass bong. Hitting the stage to grab pictures of Drummer Paxton and Bassist…. Security asked me to leave the stage before I got much even though I had been asked to be there. Mr. Grey was on stage with him at one point. Ran into Mars and Koshir back stage. Koshir hopes to play next year, and I am looking forward to it. If your not familiar with Koshir – get on it! Returning to the photo pit, to get a few more shots. Mars then took the stage and joined KFV.
I caught a brief bit of AMB‘s set before heading back to capture Potluck tear it up on the freak show stage, then hung out with KFV at his merch booth for awhile before giving him a tour of the grounds a bit, stopping at Bluntmans One Stop Shop for a little party they had going on there. Suddenly the sun was up and KFV was like “Ohh Shit, the Sun, take me back to my van” after which I hit the RV for some much needed sleep.
Sunday: I woke up to find everyone of the TJF crew besides the ones who rode with me had split, and the Hogrock Grounds that had seemed more empty all week then I had ever seen them during had gotten even emptier. Many people split early Sunday morning or late Saturday night. They must not of known thatIzzy Dunfore, Sedated, and The Deadly Medly where going to be 3 of the top shows at the gathering. Other then these three shows I spent a lot of the day making sure our area was super clean, getting our stuff packed and ready for the trip home. I did catch part of the Beach Boys BBQ Blowout Bash Blast – the Guns N Roses tribute band that was up when I was there sucked pretty hard, but the bash looked like everyone was having a great time.
Izzy Dunfore – Dressed up and performed a mix of old and new tracks, the crowd that was there enjoyed it, and Izzy hung out with them after his set, sold some merch, signed some autographs and he was still there when
Sedated – took the stage, after getting a advance copy of his new album “Hit Record” not to mention watching his videos for the past year, it was good to see him hit a stage and do it all live. A powerful performance – I seen him connect with multiple members of the audience on a personal level and never missed a beat. Tossing out free music autographed CD’s from the stage, performing for fallen Lo AseOne, and captivating everyone at 2nd stage.
Deadly Medly – consisted of ICP, ABK, Boondox, Vanilla Ice, Big Hoodoo, Legz Diamond, AMB, and Jumpsteady – doing a round robin of their popular tracks, and with the exception of the Legz Diamond tracks it flowed really well. I enjoy Legz Diamond and the Purple Gangs live performance, but it was a bit out of place in the Deadly Medly, in concert they build on you and its good shit, but a song tossed in the mix of the other artists randomly just seemed completely out of place. Everyone at the GoTJ was in the audience and with the exception of one asshole in the crowd, everyone was chill and having a great time. Great way to end the gatheirng – not the big flair like years back when it ended with ICP on main stage. Last years deadly medly seemed to last longer and have a more family meaning to the ending, but now its all over which is always sad. Lot of cars started to leave the grounds.
We hung out a few hours, typically I like to stay till daylight and help clean up a bit more, but our RV crew had stuff to get back for, so we took off around 4am and headed home. A very quiet and uneventful ride home, and the return to work – Already missing the gathering and even though Hallowicked and Juggalo Day are on the horizon for this ninja I hope – nothing compares to being home amongst the Juggalos and Juggalettes at Hogrock.
Leg 3 of the Tour kicked off right after the Gathering. It stopped in Omaha and then Des Moines. The pictures below are from Des Moines, while Checkersattended Omaha. Here is what she had to say:
Twiztid Abominationz Leg 3 Review: August 15, 2013 Omaha, NE
It’s not often I get to go see my favorite groups in my hometown of Omaha, NE. Most shows stop everywhere around this city, just not in it. I heard about this show prior to the annual Gathering of the Juggalos and was ecstatic to have it to look forward to on my return. It’s always difficult getting back to “normal” life after the gathering.
August 15, the day of the show was full of anticipation. I was busy at work most of the day so at least time went by quickly. I arrived home with just enough time to get ready and head out to the Waiting Room. My sister and I always go over and beyond with our outfits and this night was no exception. Dressed in hair falls, corsets, and bright colors and looking FABULOUS, we were on our way. As we approached the venue, I must say, I was slightly disheartened at the comments I could overhear coming from a few Juggalettes smoking cigs in front of the Waiting Room. They made reference to us being over the top and “they dressed to impress” with very sarcastic tones as they watched us approaching. I could not hear everything they said but as we walked past them, giggling and downward turned eyes made it blatantly obvious they did not approve. The whistles from down the street and “that’s sexy” comments we could now hear from others made these three Lettes stop pretty quickly with their laughter. Thankfully, my sister and I are too awesome to give two seconds of attention to their reaction. We walked past with our heads held high and entered the venue. Gotta love the haters.
The venue was busy with people standing idly throughout the space. Many were dressed up with clown makeup on, others were in suits which was new to me, and then there was others dressed in costumes like us. We got our wrist bands, grabbed a beer, and headed to the Merch booth. It was very basic for Twiztid. However, their merch guy was very nice. He got me my small concert shirt and we headed up to the front of the stage. There were maybe 30 or so people up at the front of the stage area. In particular, there were a bunch of young, teenage Juggalettes. I immediately ran into a friend of mine from junior high so we became consumed in catching up with her. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see these younger Lettes looking at us. After my friend went off with her boyfriend, a few girls started talking with us about our costumes. One in particular, one chicky decided to say to me that my hatchet man tattoo on my chest looks like shit. She literally said to me I needed to get it redone and fill it in. I looked at her and had to refrain from going off on her. I told her it is filled in, it’s just the red lighting making it appear so and it’s aged because I’ve had it 10 years. I then made it my mission to remove this chicky from the front of the stage. I succeeded.
To interrupt the chaos that could have ensued with her, the first group started rather abruptly. AquaLeo was up first. These two gentlemen were very well dressed and the music was deep. They stayed “in character” the entire set, their performance reminiscent of pantomiming while totally in sync, interacting with the crowd intermittently, and did well with engaging the crowd. For this being my first time seeing them and hearing about them, I found myself bouncing around to the music after only the first song. It was very nice to see the rhythm the two had with each other. It was like watching a play unfold while listening to their music. Now getting a picture that was not blurry of the two of them was a whole other story. They are very animated and moved around frequently during the set. It was one of the most captivating new artists I have seen and I look forward to watching them again.
After their set, more booze was consumed to make up for all the movement of the previous set. We then waited for Lil Wyte and Jelly Roll to start. The crowd was continuing to grow in size. My sister and I took the opportunity to take some self-portraits of us during the wait. My friend, Peaches, then showed up and hung out with us. Soon Lil Wyte and Jelly Roll came out. Their set was entertaining, just as seeing them at the gathering was the week prior. They consumed a few drinks while on stage and upset security when they lit a joint and started smoking it on stage. This was then passed out into the crowd. About 4-5 people were able to get a hold of it before security confiscated it and threw it away. Thankfully, they did not see the need to throw anyone out over it. Very nice of the Waiting Room security if you ask me. The best part of their set was when they asked if anyone in the crowd had been to the gathering. My sister, a few others in the crowd, and myself were the only ones who screamed. We got daps for it! Lil Wyte and Jelly Roll then took a pic with the crowd and posted it to Instagram. I am in the bottom right corner. I was clear they were pretty far gone during their set, but the music was still great. Jelly Roll even jumped out into the mosh pit at one point to join the crowd for the rest of the song.
We then waited with anticipation for Twiztid to come out. The stage crews cleared the stage of all unnecessary items. My sister and I joked around about the two small “X” on the stage for them to know where they need to stand. The stage is very small so it seemed to not be needed. Soon the lights went out, the crowd roared with WHOOP WHOOPs and “magic magic ninja’s what” chants. We were directly in front on the left side of the stage when it started. Twiztid began the set with “Bad Side” and it completely set the tone for the night. Song after song, they bounce around the stage, staying in character and trying avoid all the grabbing and arms reaching toward them from the front of the stage. Unlike most shows where there is a barricade between the stage and the crowd, we were able to be right up against the stage. At any time, we were able to reach out and touch them if they were close enough. My friend, Peaches, took advantage of this to the fullest. She has one of the largest crushes on Jamie Madrox, second to none. He knelt down directly in front of her during one of the songs and she was able to grab onto him. I was able to snap a picture of this moment. For her, it was a magical moment and the closest she has ever come to him. She’s never even gotten the chance to meet him. I am happy I was able to capture this moment for her with a picture. The funny part is in the pic, you can see Paulie on the other side of the stage just laughing his ass off over it. The set continued with a fair balance of old music, new music, slow and fast music. A few of the newer songs, post psychopathic label, seemed a little slow and almost too poppy for me. I can’t say I was a big fan of the change in style. It seems to have more of a mainstream feel to it. The only disappointments of the set was they were not as interactive with the crowd as they have been in the past. They only stopped twice to joke around and it was very short lived. However, it was funny when Jamie made mention of a fan grabbing his ass. A girl who had come up to me begged me to let her get close enough to touch them. So I pulled her up in front of me and she straight grabbed and pretty much dug her fingers into Jamie’s ass. It was hilarious to watch his eyes almost bug out of his head and even joked about it post show with a giggling “One of ya’ll grabbed my ass!!” I was able to be sitting on the stage next to them as they completed their set. Security saw me sitting up on the stage and didn’t even move to ask me to get down. Twiztid was done and off of the stage by 10:30pm. It seemed to be a very early night for them.
After their set, they did not come back on for any encores or make any appearances with the crowd for autographs or pictures. It was a disappointment they were not doing the VIP for this leg of the tour. My sister and I were hoping on it so we could sit and chat with them for a little bit. They went out to their bus and remained there until close to midnight. My sister and I continued to hang out with the family until 12:30am. Jelly Roll and Lil Wyte hung out with the crowd for the rest of the night and continued to drink with everyone. Outside Lil Wyte approached me and asked if he could kiss my boobs. Before I was able to respond he face planted into my boobs, now I know what it feels like to be my sister! My friend, Peaches, was able to capture this moment. He was then escorted by his security guys to his bus. He was beyond messed up at this point.
The entire night was a lot of fun with the family. The show lived up to the performances of the 2nd leg of the tour I saw in Des Moines back in April…in most ways. It would have been nice to have a little bit larger of a crowd and to have a little more interaction from Twiztid, but all in all, I have no major complaints. I look forward to seeing them again hopefully in the near future. Keep it wicked fam! As always Whoop Whoop!!!! ~~Checkers
I was invited to go take some pictures at the second to last stop on the Independent Powerhouse Tour for Strange Music. I usually like to catch a tour early on so you can all see the review and pictures and get amp’d up for when it comes to your area, or if it’s bad, steer clear of it. However there is a upcoming Summer of Strange tour this summer, and if it is a fraction of the quality of the Independent Powerhouse Tour, it is something you will not want to miss. I did not get to take pics during the VIP time period, but from what I heard in the crowd it was a good experience. Got to see some of the merch which Strange has always set the bar high on when it comes to VIP.
Usually the root of my complaints with shows has more to do with getting in properly and given the proper access as a photographer. This was the smoothest and easiest show I have ever attended as a photographer. Got right in when doors opened, without waiting in the long line, my name was on the list, and a photo pass was already waiting for me. This is unheard of for underground shows. I’ve missed opening acts at shows, I’ve had to buy tickets and leave the camera in the car after driving hours. So I would like to thank Strange Music and the local staff and security for a very well planned and executed event.
From start to finish, this was such a smooth and flawless event. You may never see a photographer say this. The lighting was epic, it wasn’t just a over blaring of lights to highlight the artists, it was a show in itself, there was no pointless lighting and it was all pretty predictable but in a good way for me. Great spots, strobes, flashes, and all that jazz.
Ok enough with the boring stuff. The local opener I was not familiar with him or his music. P-Nut I believe. However was not overly impressed and the crowd did not seem to be either. However once Ces Cru took the stage, you could tell it was a full blown show. To say they opened the show is a understatement. They got the place live, the crowd was up on the barricade and the Val Air Ballroom had a large number of people out on the floor, with very few sitting in the lounge/bar area, it stayed that way for the whole night. I was able to capture some good shots of Ces Cru and enjoy the music at the same time. They did not have anything on my playlists that I tend to stick to on a daily basis, however I would not be surprised if a few tracks get dropped in there now.
Seemed like no time at all between Ces Cru and Rittz. I seen Rittz perform at the gathering, actually stood on the stage taking pictures during his full set there. Having been a fan for some time, it was amazing at the gathering seeing him perform live. However on this night, it was like a whole new Rittz, confidence maybe, the tail end of a fun filled tour maybe, I am not sure but he performed amazingly. Mixed in some acapella of some of his more known tracks, yet rocked out all his hits and some new stuff. TJF’s Blackie is working up a review of the new album that we purchased day it came out. Only issue I had with the whole show was the CD pushers, not sure they understood some people bought CD’s before the tour came to town, really the merch pushers where the only stale part of the show, we all know Merch is the main income for labels/groups/artists, however this was a bit much and it could be because the tour was coming to a end, but take a hint guys, be friendly at least and you’ll get much further in sales.
The photo pit was huge, I could of laid down arms stretched out and probably not been able to touch the stage and the barricade at the same time. Not a ton of security slammed up there with me and the other photographer either so tons of room which lead to some good shots of artists and crowd. Very little intermission between all the artists so it seemed like I was heading back into the photo pit for Kutt Calhoun really quick. The MC kept the show flowing quite nicely, and Kutt came out in shades and a jacket, huge chain of course. Jumped right into his arsenal of tracks that lifted the energy up a notch and you could see even the non-fans getting into it. At the end of the photo time period he broke out into a bit of a funky dance, and its moments like that I love to capture.
Brotha Lynch Hung was out on this tour – which is rare in itself, the theatrics of unchaining him was fun, heard new and old tracks alike and even though some of the younger in the crowd didn’t seem to know his stuff, many more did then did not. Trizz was on stage with Brotha Lynch for his entire set and he had the balls to stage dive across that massive photo pit, and succeeded, wish it would of been during the photo set though. BLH and Trizz both played to the camera while I was up front which is always nice. Seemed to have a longer set then those before him, but that might of just been the overall feel of it. I enjoyed BLH out of all the acts probably the most on the night, just for the freshness of it, I have seen Tech and Krizz live quite a bit.
Tech N9ne and Kirzz are pretty much a duo on this tour, whether doing tracks together or alternating their own tracks. Of course with much more known tracks to the crowd. The whole place got wild when they both lit into their popular tracks. Tech and Krizz both have a huge stage presence and like me are getting old – yet seem to move like artists half their age. All over the stage and just feeding off the energy of the whole venue. Jumping, spinning towels, crazy moves, etc. Of course its not a Tech set without some nice boobies in the crowd – something Ill always appreciate, lol. Tech fed off the crowd, we had him doing Slacker Acapella at the end, which was fun. Krizz tossed out some Monsters into the crowd and at least one of them was opened Juggalo style!! With a large juggalo crowd in des moines it was a great show and a fun time. There were no security problems until the last 4-5 tracks of the night when suddenly security had to escort probably 4-5 people out for various things. No one was injured.
Most of the artists found time to go do some autographs back in the merch area after their set for the fans buying their merch. Nice way to get your 30 seconds in if you couldn’t swing the VIP.
Des Moines is pretty much the main tour attraction in Iowa, and for some reason all the easy food places close down right when the shows close down, someone needs to set up a food truck outside shows, I guarantee you’d make bank… Driving halfway back across the state before finding some gas/food for the car pool for the loss.
So the Summer of Strange tour will be starting up in the near future, with Krizz, Stevie Stone, and Mayday, and probably more. Like i said you need to be getting anxious for this, if it’s even a fraction of the quality of this tour it’s more than worth checking out.
Wow, this may turn out to be a long one. So let me start off with this. If the tour is coming anywhere near you – go buy your tickets now, buy the VIP. Then prepare to have a great time. You will be surprised, even if like myself, you have been to many shows.
Highlights:
Moonshine Bandits – Beef Jerky – The perfect snack at a show, and on the way home. I gave out samples from my bag and everyone enjoyed it. Perfect texture and spice!
Legz Diamond and the Purple Gang – not only do their first live performance. The music translated to a live show perfectly – costumes that where spot on.
Kung Fu Vampire’s over all stage prescense – Playing to the camera is always nice on us photographers
Insane M’F’n Clowns…. Changing up the set list made this a whole new show. Songs that have been some of my favorite songs for years now not only played but with costumes and theatrics to go along with them!
After Show Comments:
TJF’s Hazin – “Mighty death pop tour a wild and wicked success. Go get your tickets now. Faygo Armageddon for VIP’s is intense fun. Don’t miss out ninjas. I was overly impressed from start to finish.”
TJF’s Blackie – “Had a blast at the ICP show. All performers kicked ass. Met some cool ninjas. Soaked in faygo. Today was a good day.”
Jessyka – “I had SUCH an amazing time tonight!!”
Rusty Lee – “Man I had the freshest night in a long time”
Chey – “my first pshycopathic show… BLOWN AWAY. i have a whole new outlook on fam.. never felt soo much fuckin love from one crowd of people.”
Missy – “Being on stage for the Armageddon was incredible!!!!!”
Don Cronic – “Whoop whoop legs diamond and the purple gang were dope”
So since the tour was announced some of our readers have been very critical about the choice of acts on the tour. I actually read the facebook comments, tweets, and interact with our community and I will say this. It was easy to see at the show very quickly how peoples attitudes changed, some of my close friends even when Legz Diamond and the Purple Gang performed their tracks, when Kung Fu Vampire made the place erupt with energy, and when Moonshine Bandits put on a live show that had even the harshest critics moving in the crowd! Not to mention the new songs in the ICP set list!
I am a bit of a plan in advance guy, and have been burned in the past when going to shows as far as access or organization goes – I always have to drive a ways to hit a show, however everything fell into place for this show. Psychopathic and Subnoize both contacted me day of show letting me know I was invited. Not a fan of “Day Of” Policies but it all worked out and Psychopathic hooked me up with a photo pass, and let me do pics on stage during faygo armageddon. I did not have to wait for the list to be turned in, the photo pass was there waiting for me. Made it in the venue before the first act, and was warmly welcomed by Psychopathic, Subnoize, KFV, and AMB. Huge Shout out to everyone involved with all of them as well as the local staff and security. Great night!! Everyone had a blast! “Do you have anything nice to say” a quote from Kodi with psychopathic when bumped into her, and my response, is… All nice things!!
Val Air Ballroom once again had a Grand Canyon between the stage and the barricade which is nice when your trying to dodge crowd surfers and trying to find that one epic shot of the performers. AMB took the stage and had a super short set it seemed, but all good tracks. They looked good, and sounded good. There was no local opener, which is when I usually get the camera dialed in, so not as many pics of AMB as I would like as I spent most of their set getting used to the Brutal, Extreme, and unpredictable stage lighting.
Before long, they where announcing the next act, so I hit the photo pit fully expecting it to be Kung Fu Vampire, but the announcer was talking about Legz Diamond, Jump Steady, and Sugar Slam… wait, what? They came out to the stage dressed amazingly to fit the part of the Legz Diamond recent release. They performed a stunning set for their first live performance, if they had not said that I would of thought they had been doing this the whole tour if not longer. The songs they played translated perfectly to a live performance, I and many others where surprised at the announcement, and then greatful to see this go down. At on point they threw money with guitar pics into the crowd. Since the area between stage and barricade was massive, multiple bills fell on the floor, and rather then saving one to check it out later, I picked up what didn’t make it into the crowd and handed it out. One of the comments on our facebook that night was that he instantly went over and bought the CD from the merch booth after hearing them perform.
AMB ventured out through the crowd shaking hands and talking to people which is always nice to see at a show. Then they started to announce Kung Fu Vampire, as I got to the photo pit KFV took the stage and was joined by Jeremy Pollett on bass and Chris Paxton on drums, which is something new for shows I have seen of him. It brought so much more to the table. Not only did we get the high energy KFV performance, but with live music which takes any show up about 10 notches in my opinion. KFV plays for the crowd, he doesn’t just go through the motions like some performers, you can see it in his eyes and movements, he is having a great time and isn’t afraid to drop in a couple poses for the camera! Half way through his set he was commenting that the security looked bored and everyone should crowd surf. The rest of his set, the local security got a work out for sure. Great work Russ and the rest of the guys up there on a job well done. Unlike most shows I only seen one person kicked out, Juggalo Shows are always less violent then the main stream media would like you to believe.
After KFV’s set he went back to his merch table and cut deals, autographed items, and hung out with his fans! Moonshine Bandits hit the stage with a long intro of amazing mixes by DJ Chopstiqs, followed by a fast paced and wildly fun time. There was even a white shiny moon! A totally different genre of music, but such a great live show. I am a fan of most music flavors, however some of the local nay sayers and critical personalities quickly got into this fast paced and good feeling musical hybrid of styles. I am looking forward to seeing them live again – this was my first time, but certainly not the last! A perfect blend of country and rap mixed in a way that is enjoyable for fans who tend to stick to either genre. On stage theatrics involved…. well nothing but a pair of socks and some whitey tighties, jumping up and down! Crowd response was wild, for what is now burned into the inside of my eyelids.
So before ICP took the stage, I had to get the camera protected in what I am calling the Camera Condom. Unlike most photographers I dont cover myself in a huge sheet of plastic, the camera gets protected for obvious reasons, was the first time with this new case so took some adjustments to get it all straight. Right from the start the clowns came out super strong – a mini tribute to the FBI to take the stage, and then right into tracks off of the Mighty Death Pop! We are all used to the wicked clowns joining J and Shaggy on the stage, as well as the zombies. What got my goosebumps out was when Burning Up started playing, Devils came out in great costumes and pitch forks. Prom Queen was also done in epic fashion. For some odd reason if you have read this far into my review and you have not seen ICP live, do yourself a favor and make sure it happens on this tour. Forget the lyrics if thats why you are skeptical, forget the FBI bull shit. The crowd and fans are a blast. and honestly its like a big family reunion at every show.
So no VIP pass on this show, and no media allowed during the VIP portion on this tour – however those who attended got a nice lil package of merchandise, got to meet Violent J, and Shaggy, get some autographs, snap some pics with them, however all that stuff is just a bonus when you buy the VIP package. Without a pass I was allowed into: FAYGO ARMAGEDDON – How the long track Bang Pow Boom can go so fast I will never understand. This wasn’t my first Faygo Armageddon, however having the camera was a blast, also tried to capture it on video for you ninjas, see below. So much soda to spray and rocket into the crowd in so little time, there is always a speech now given to the VIP’s to take it slow so the faygo lasts till the end of the song (I got the same speech at hallowicked, 2011, 2012, and multiple cities on the past couple tours). However this is the first show where they staggered letting the VIP’s on to the stage that I have seen, rather then just letting them go out single file to join in the fun, 4 or 5 where let onto the stage roughly every 30 seconds to a minute. At the back of the pack, the video is pretty short and for that I apologize, however this is by far the most fun you can have at ANY concert ever. This ending to your night will stay in your head for years.
I still remember faygo dripping faces flashing in my mind from each time I have had the pleasure of doing this. I always, I mean Always forget to bring extra shoes. Outside I stripped naked in the parking lot and changed into dry clothes, packed up the camera equipment, and drove back home across the state in socks. I can not even begin to explain the pure primal excitement that faygo armageddon is, if you are a seasoned show goer who loves being up front in the crowd, that is nothing even remotely comparable to the feeling of being up on the stage. Go get your VIP passes.
A huge thank you to Psychopathic Records, Suburban Noize Records, Kung Fu Vampire, but most importantly the entire TJF Community – as we creep up to the 175k mark on facebook, I cant express enough how much fun it is having all you out there glancing at my pics, reading what I have to say and showing endless support and love for the site! This is probably the first review in a long time where I don’t rant about some type of staleness, so for those of you who like the critical onslaught I have published before, I really don’t have anything to drop like that. Stage lighting was brutal which is a photographers worst night mare, but that’s typical at most shows, Strange Music is the only ones who do lighting perfectly in recent years. Other then that the only stale part is that Local Juggalo Fatal Frankie attended his last show here, as he is moving. I failed to snap a pic of him at this show which makes it all that much more stale. You’ll be missed! -Hazin
Mon, 05/20/13
Lawrence, KS
Granada Theater
Wed, 05/22/13
Salt Lake City, UT
Rockwell @ The Complex
Fri, 05/24/13
Seattle, WA
El Corazon
Sat, 05/25/13
Seattle, WA
El Corazon
Sun, 05/26/13
Bend, OR
Midtown Ballroom
Tue, 05/28/13
Anaheim, CA
City National Grove of Anaheim
Wed, 05/29/13
Oakland, CA
Oakland Metro Opera House
Thu, 05/30/13
Oakland, CA
Oakland Metro Opera House
Sat, 06/01/13
Tucson, AZ
Rialto Theatre
Sun, 06/02/13
Flagstaff, AZ
Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park
Wed, 08/07/13
Cave-In-Rock, IL
Hatchet Landings
Dates will be added to the tour at a later date, currently the plan is to pick up the tour after the gathering and it should go through Hallowicked. Stay tuned to insaneclownposse.com for details Tickets and VIP can also be found on their website.
I’m usually my harshest critic, Photos below are all taken with a Canon EOS 5D MII or a Nikon S8200, I’m not overly impressed with them, but hope you all like some of them. I had a abnormally high amount of exposure problems, and then working the camera and attempting to not only adjust it but see how it was doing after getting it all protected proved harder then I would of imagined, quite a few epic moments couldn’t be processed. Live and learn though. Enjoy!
“I care most about my friends and family. Especially my Juggalo family…”
It’s that time of the month again. Pun indented. Meet our new Juggalette of The Month Jeanna. After a long search, we hooked up with Jeanna on the set of the new Underground Hustlin commercial and immediately knew she was the one we had been looking for all this time. Although she was half naked at the time, she was one of those types of girls that are normally comfortable in t-shirts and wife beaters, jeans and Chuck Taylors or some simply a nice pair of Vans. She was super funny, and up for many of the shots we suggested for the article and loved to goof around, smiling and laughing and made sure we got the shots we needed to make this article a success. She agreed to stay a little bit longer to shoot for Juggalo News. We snuck around train yards defaced with tons of graffiti and murals, until the staff walked up and wondered out loud why I was taking pictures of her in her underwear on his property. We laughed and kept it moving to another location. When the sun hit in just the right moment we started getting a ton of great shots and wrapped up the shoot. On the ride back we chatted and she brought up the fact that she made music as well as modeling. I asked her what kind of music she made. She replied with a smile and said that she raps about cartoons, my little pony, and blow jobs! Hilarious. Her rap name is Cupcake and to best describe her sound I would have to say is a blend of sex, candy, and hip-hop. How can you not love that?
Time and time again, we don’t just find sexy Juggalettes to feature on the site, we find some of the coolest lettes out there that can hang and also be just one of the guys. To me, that makes a girl even sexier. I think in our world there are way more of those types than in any other walk of life. Because most lettes wear big band t-shirts, and paint there faces at the shows like the rest of us, ever so often we don’t know exactly whats hiding underneath We are proud to be the first website to show the true beauty of both the inside and outside of the women of the wicked shit.
Name: Jeanna aka Cupcake
Age: 25
City and State: Oakland, CA
How did you first hear about the wicked shit?
I found out about Tech N9ne first. I loved his music right off the bat. He is an amazing artist. I had no idea he had such a big following. His songs are dope and his beats are off the hook. Once I starting listening more, I found out his label Strange Music. Then I came across Insane Clown Posse and their label Pyschopathic Records. I found out about Twiztid, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and also the Gathering Of The Juggalos and I totally fell in love with it! I think horrorcore is an awesomgenre of music. I love all different kinds of music, and rap is definetly one of the genres that is my top favorite. Who are your favorite artists to listen at home or in the car?
Well I definetly have a wide variety of music I listen to on a daily basis. I am always listening to music whether it’s Hip-Hop, Classic Rock, R&B, Funk, Punk Rock, Pop, Industrial, Metal, and of course the wicked shit. Some of the artists I listen to all the time are Atmosphere, Tech N9ne, Del the Funky Homosapien, Andre Nickatina, Primus, RU36, Mars, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, The Offspring, Blink 182, Sublime, Steve Miller Band, No Doubt, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Iron Maiden, Parliament Funkadelic, Soul 4 Real, Mac Dre, Kottonmouth Kings, ICP. Outkast, just depending on my mood I will turn on whatever, music is definetly therapeutic and relaxing. It lets my mind forget any negative thoughts I might have. I am a big fan of driving around and just listening to music. If I like the song or artist it doesn’t matter what genre it is, I just love everything!
What is your most memorable show and why?
It was my first time seeing Tech N9ne perform at the Avalon in Santa Clara. It was off the hook! He was amazing, there were so many lazers and light designs on the ceilings. Tech N9ne has a very different sound than most rappers. He raps so damn fast! His beats are what gets me going and want to break dance. Every single person in the crowd was dancing and moving to the beat. One of my favorite songs he performed was the 816 Boyz’s song “Areloa” and they did an awesome job! It was one of the most memorableshows I have ever been too and I will never forget that night.
“I’m usually into guys who look creepy…”
What kind of guys are you into?
I kinda have a thing for musicians and especially bass players, somehow I am just attracted to them. I am 5’3 and I love tall guys. I like guys who can joke around with my immature, funny, crude, humor and who likes to eat food because I love eating. Also a guy who likes to go to shows and concerts cause on my nights off that’s what I love doing. I am usually attracted to guys who look creepy. I always date older guys, never anyone my age, 30 year olds are pretty hott. Any guy who likes to do spur of the moment things is great!! I love mountain bike riding and hiking so any guy down who is down with nature that’s awesome! I’m a pretty laid back chick I just always want to have a good time.
If you were to go on a date for the first time, what would be the most ideal place to go to?
I love first dates cause they are so awkward. I love being outside an in nature. Some cool places to go for a first date would be to go on a nice hike and explore, or a late night drive to the beach. I am not the romantic type really, I just like finding new places to hang out at and have some fun. I am still a kid at heart so I also love going to amusement parks, carnivals, eating cotton candy and corn dogs. Or even just staying in an watching funny movies and eating pizza. Also going to a concert would be awesome too! I am pretty laid back and it doesn’t take a lot to amuse me. – All photos by Global Gold Graphix
I know what you’re thinking…. What do you have for me today cookie
…..What do I have…..
THE FUCKING SECERT >.<
Is what I’m fucking talking about….Still lost?…STARDUST….Really?…No!…..^_^. But I have something close, A product that everybody is sure to need . Even Comes with its own Wicked handbag (you can even get it custom). I’m sure a lot of you are thinking THE FUCK IS IT ???… Well… I’m talking about THE DARK CARNIVAL TAROT cards mutha fucku. Created by Rach A.K.A Rachel Paul A.K.A Lil Rachel A.K.A You’re that girl with the paintings ! With the help from our homie from FLH Scottie D and his wife, Along with fam from all around. So….. Now your thinking whats its purpose and what makes this different from another deck of card.
Well the book is written from a present perspective , which makes It a form of meditation and looking at you own Current situations than telling your future.( Actual Quote from her. She said it better then I could…..) These cards are the shit thought. I use them myself and I can actually say there is some wicked voodoo magic in those cards llal. I mean if you actual relax, put your mind into the deck then your reading will be dead on……but only you can judge that…
Now these card have Bad Ass, Wicked , Mind Blowing , Sickness in them . But what makes them soo bad ass , that the shit turn wicked , then made it mind blowing , with the power of sickness ?…. Cause there fucking huge…and I mean bigger then your avenge card deck. So if you have big hands no worries , you wont crush this shit ( not saying try ). It even includes a instruction book that holds the true meaning of each card , The history , and 3 different ways to read yo shit. J. I’m still learning how to use my card . But from all that I have done ,I truly love these cards…. there just a nice head up in life ^_^
Headed over to Des Moines for the Abominationz Tour’s 2nd Leg. Snagged up some locals and headed directly to Zombie Burger to eat some epic zombie themed food before the show. I keep trying to get artist in there, with no luck! Hoodie it up and check it out.
Walked over to the Venue with a full belly (add a fried egg to my burger please, #fatkid) – Wooly’s is a new one for me, not sure I have ever dealt with that promoter either. As always a hassle getting in the door with a camera. A text to Twiztid’s Team and a text to Potluck’s Team, and a couple of conversations with Potluck’s crew and I was in… In, but no access to photo pit… I missed 90% of the only non-tour act “Corpse” while 1Ton from Potluck and the Promoter had some choice words about things. Was then allowed photo access for Potluck’s set only… This is a typical start of a show when it comes to taking pictures. Finally everything is worked out (Thank you George and James). The usual first 3 songs of each set I am allowed to shoot. This happened just in time for Liquid Assassin’s Set to start.
Now on to the good stuff. Every act on the tour really leads right into the next, there was no stale performances that left you thinking, why in the fuck did that group get to perform. This makes for a much better show. This tour is by far the best I have seen in YEARS! If you missed this tour when it came through your area. YOU FUCKED UP! YOU FUCKED UP! YOU FUCKED UP!
LA’s set was similar to last time I seen him, however he has a fast flow and very clean sound, a pleasure to listen to and a live performance that builds you up, and gets you excited. Songs with meaning mixed with tracks to get the crowd involved.
Lighting in most small venues is a pain to get used to – however a full gallery of photos is at the bottom of this review, including all artists, as well as crowd, merch, and much more.
Potluck is another act I have caught probably 4-5 times in the last year or so just due to their tour schedule as well as mine and who they had been touring with and the gathering… I have to say though Either Des Moines lit a fire under the artists asses this night, or something magic about this tour. No joke, this tour is getting amazing reviews. They put on the best live performance I have ever seen from them. Much more energy behind both Underrated and 1 Ton. The crowd felt it and got hype during all the fan favorites as well as when Underrated ripped into the Choppers beat. Although I didn’t get much in the way of artist access, I was able to ask Underrated about their Gathering of the Juggalos Status. They have not heard anything – however are down as always. Welcome to the movement!
Pictures of all the Merchandise can be seen down in the gallery – I got a chance to check out the new Twiztid Merch that you can get over at http://www.twiztid-shop.com/ High Quality stuff, if I wasn’t a broke as scrub I would of snagged up that Green Hockey Jersey for me, and a skate deck to give away on the site. Everything looked great, well put together.
Hed PE has been one of my favorite acts to see live for years – Punx Not Dead! As long as they tour I will keep catching them perform – never miss a set at the gathering (was that 4am in 2011?). They bring everything to every performance, with a huge message the can not be repeated enough, and hard ripping chords. They took the stage and Jahred led the crowd through the punk and funk infused tracks to share some Higher Education! I have never seen a crowd not amped up during a Hed PE set! Going from Potluck to Hed PE was a smooth transition most would not grasp due to the differing music styles, the night just kept building up, and it all mixed perfectly.
Psychopathic Records sent me a copy of Abominationz – After the first listen, it was clear. Something had changed. Easily my favorite work they have ever done. Twiztid had evolved, into something much better. Not only lyrically and vocals, but the whole project was awesome. I was so looking forward to seeing some videos, as this was the best thing to come out on the label in quite some time in my opinion. Then all kinds of things where up in the air, speculation, etc etc. I wasn’t sure how their set was gonna go, what to expect. I didn’t pump anyone for information, had not read anything about the 1st leg of the tour. They had just missed the past two nights on the tour due to illness, plus its hard to forget that gathering performance a few years back right??
Not only was Abominationz their best work, this tour is their best tour – and by far the best live performance I have ever seen them do. If I could pull a Fatal Frankie – (Damn Jamie with the shout out during the show, now this…) and hit this tour in 3-4 towns. I would be all over it. I’d like to catch it without trying to capture moments, or wonder how the hell can I explain how fucking amazing it was. 3rd Leg, with a swing through Iowa again! Lets make it happen!!
#notfatkid Jamie – with a huge show. A healthy Madrox is a good thing, I am not sure that he could of moved around more if he was actually on fire! Actually fucked up quite a few of my shots with how fast he was moving! Loved it. The sweat, drive, and animation was electric! Keep it up brother!
Monoxide ripping into his Abominationz versus. Epic. Coming off being sick the past couple days – It sounded spot on.
The set list was a perfect mix with the tracks we all love from the past, and the beastly new tracks from Amobinationz. They clearly enjoyed themselves in Des Moines, and you are gravely missing out if you miss any upcoming show in your area. I was not part of the VIP package, nor did I get to shoot during it like on some Psychopathic Tours – however from those I talked to it was well worth it. I did not have access to the guys at all.
Would of loved to talked to them about that Close to April Fools day Mix Tape Cover Twitter Pic – and then get into the actual upcoming Mix Tape a little bit. Specially getting into who would be producing it. If we could expect to see Abominationz Producer: Michael “Seven” Summers since he killed it on that project. As well as what the Juggalos can expect at this years gathering. BACON SUIT!?!?! Or if there have been any changes as far as gathering plans go. Who can forget – Movie Details… spill them!!
In closing, huge thanks to everyone in the Potluck/Subnoize Crew. To George and the entire Twiztid Team, to Hed PE, to all the cool ass Des Moines locals, and to all of the Juggalo News Readers!
Got invited to hit up the Clinton, Iowa tour stop. If you have never seen Twisted Insane live – you are missing out! Would like to put a big thank you out to Arch Angel Photography for inviting us out to this one. Doors where listed at Six. I try to make it for doors in case any of the artists want to get at me about the site, or to toss a CD/Merch my way for one of the staff to review and for us to give out to the community (Usually for facebook likes/shares). Arrived at 6 to a empty venue – turned out the Tour was staying quite some distance away and where running late, also some of the openers had canceled. So got off to a slow start.
However a bus load of people from the QC showed up and replacement acts started hitting the stage, it went from dead to energized pretty quickly. Demon King was the first act to take the stage. He was painted up and ready to throw down for the mixed crowd. He put on a good set, you can see pics below – the only painted up set of the evening. Tapewerm put on a set that got my attention – another artist I had never heard of that brought some energy to the stage, was crisp and clear in his delivery. Another stand out local was Kraig Zilla – anytime you can get the girls hype at a show, it raises the energy level a ton!
Kush Mafia, Bing Bop Boys? and a few other sets had trouble keeping the audience in front of the stage due to Iowas no smoking inside laws or hitting up the bar. However Kush stuck out over the rest that I apologize for not even naming as they did honestly just did not stick out as much. Not trying to be a dick at all, but put on a good show, and the crowd will come, don’t bitch about the crowd being at the bar. The show had started late with little time between sets, so people where heading out to smoke about this time. Leaders of the Lost of course lit it up again and put on a good show. Followed by Local artist B-Kryptik andSkarekrow Got the crowd live, the girls dancing. The Fog Machine Flowing, the Lights Flashing, and the crowd moving to songs like Scumbag Anthem:
At this point I was expecting GrewSum to take the stage, however something about the Bus back to the QC was going to be heading back soon, so Twisted Insane took the stage instead. Everyone knows TI is insanely fast, yet delivers an amazing lyrical flow, however his live show just ups the game. Not only is he spot on with the fast spitting style, he brings a energy, and even stage props that intensify the experience. Masks, Shaking Corpses, a giant spider, and a meaningful act of shooting up that goes perfect with the track – belt and all. I can not stress enough that you should hit this show in your area – support your local music scene, find some new flavor of music from some acts you surely are not used to, as well as catch one of the fastest rappers to ever grace the game.
After TI’s set a lot of people had left, the venue was not closed down yet, and GrewSum hit the stage with Kombine. These guys are out of my hometown where we never seem to get shows going, however he has a huge following – more so nationally then locally. I highly suggest checking them out. It’s a shame the bus took off and so many of the QC scene missed out. Here is last years Funk Volume Contest Entry:
Once his new Album drops, we will have a Review for all you ninjas, and possibly a interview to go along with it! Below you can see the gallery of Photos I was able to capture that turned out – Fog and Lighting in a small bar are hell to play with. In closing though – this was a fun show, and if they found them selves back in my area – id be sure to hit it up. Check out the Tour Page and hit up the show closest to you: http://ninjalonation.wix.com/twistedinsane
When first contacted about this event – it got my attention right away. I have never played paintball. However I have done dozens of those VIP/Meet and Greet things where your typically rushed through get a autograph, shake a hand, snap a picture, get handed a hodge podge of merchandise you’ll throw in a closet and then back out to the regular crowd. The Idea of shooting at some artists, and then chilling with them is not something I had ever imagined.
I purchased a hand full of tickets for local friends as well as got some friends to purchase their own. Who would miss out on this right?!? So the plan was to head up early – eat, get checked into hotel rooms, then go hit the venue to put some welts on people! The Night before there was a concerning Twitter Post by Boondox:
No response after that and with Plenty of time till the show, I figured all was good. (Still Love that Boondox’s Twitter pic is something I snapped). Pretty early on in our Trip I was notified of some details that made it pretty clear Boondox was not going to be at the venue that night, which was a huge disappointment as we where traveling roughly 4 hours there. However he was not the only reason we where going so we kept at it. (Side note: Boondox is ok – however no response from him or comment on him missing the show.) Really him no-showing was the only staleness of this event, when most events have multiple issues. This thing went amazingly well, and I hope they do another one at some point!
Once at the venue got a crash course in Paintball – having only shot live rounds with a real gun – this whole air powered marker thing was new. I had a couple seasoned players with me, and we hit the course. 1st round in, I nailed one and got nailed. Learned pretty quick that shooting a marker is nothing like the real thing – for starters… the sights on my rental where worthless which took a bit to get used to. Next two rounds I nailed some and lived. Later in the evening in back to back rounds, right out of the gate I got tagged in the same bicep less then a inch a way from each other – the odds of that are crazy. Check out this pic – clearly my tattoo is very unhappy at this!! lol
So what I have been asked a lot since the event – is “Does getting hit with paintball hurt?” The actual getting hit part – even on bare skin after i peeled the hoodie stings a little at time of impact but I would not say hurt. My legs on the other hand hurt for a day or so after the event, lot of running, sliding, crouching, etc, etc. Not in shape as I once was… On to the important part – Did I have fun, yes! I had a blast – I nailed a couple of my friends, I nailed Cousin Cleetus, I got one hell of a work out, then I got to see a kick ass show with openers I was not familiar with. They put on a good show, as well as Dark Half with a good show! Cousin Cleetus became the headliner and he schooled it. Met some new Juggalo’s and non-Juggalo’s who are now hopefully checking out TJF.
TJF’s Asset gave out Cousin Cleetus and Boondox Merch that TJF had on hand to people who where singing along to Cleetus and who stuck around for the show, as there where some people who where not interested in staying once they found out Boondox left – in my opinion – you people fucked up. Missed some good clean fun, how often you get to shoot your friends?? plus one hell of a live show.
Huge shout out to Llibza Entertainment and all the performers for taking what was a rough situation out of your control and turning it into a fun night. Actually due to Boondox’s no show it gave us a hour of extra paintball. Below you can see the pictures I was able to capture during the concert portion of the show, all shot with a Canon 5d MII camera with a 50mm 1.8 lens and no flash. All artists, or pictured people, as well as the venue, promoters, etc are free to use the pictures on sites, promotional ad’s, or social media – just point credit back to TJF please.
There where two other photographers there taking pictures of both Paintball and Concert, which I hope to see sometime soon, as well as this guy capturing some video during paintball (He was a beast on the course, and had a kick ass paintball mask). THESKELETOR262
If I was not a broke ass scrub, I could see myself picking up paintball as a hobby quickly.
just be safe about it………RESEARCH NEW SHIT BEFORE TRYIN……
