The Insane Clown Posse (ICP) came to Ottawa for the first time ever to play a show at the Bourbon Room on Aug 29. As soon as I heard, I knew I wanted to go.
The group started in Detroit in 1989, with two members: Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. They describe their musical style as “horrorcore”—horror-inspired rap.
Loyal ICP fans identify themselves as “Juggalos,” and are known for having ICP tattoos and wearing clown makeup resembling what the duo usually wears on stage. In 2011, the FBI labelled Juggalos as a loosely-organized “gang.”
The duo rarely plays shows in Canada, because they have had issues crossing the border from the U.S. That’s why their 2016 Canadian tour had been their first in over a decade. That tour went all over Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, but the closest they came to Ottawa was the Montebello Rockfest.
That brings to the date of their first-ever show in Ottawa. Within the hour before doors opened, several fans had lined up at the Bourbon Room entrance. Many were in full Juggalo makeup, which got the attention of pedestrians and drivers.
The first person at the door was a 22-year-old Juggalo who wore makeup and identified himself as “Campbells the Clown.” Campbells said that he became a fan when he was 14, after being introduced to ICP by a friend. He said his first listen was like magic.
“I got bullied a lot growing up, and I was always scared about what people thought about me,” Campbells said. “I met this group of people who were like, ‘Hey, be who you want to be—don’t give a fuck about what anybody thinks you about [sic], and just do you,’ and I really took that to heart.”
Campbells said that he was mostly looking forward to “being dunked in Faygo, going ham, and not being able to walk tomorrow.”
One of ICP’s performance trademarks is shaking large bottles of Faygo diet root beer and spraying them on fans. Called a “Faygo shower,” the origin of this tradition dates back to references in their music, as well as a time they threw a bottle of Faygo at a heckler at one of their shows.
One of the other fans in the line was Danielle Lauzon, who drove from Petawawa, Ont. to celebrate her anniversary with her husband. At 30 years old, Lauzon said she has been a fan of ICP since she was nine.
“The music definitely gets you through a lot. I grew up listening to them—it got me through all the bullshit, abuse, and everything, it’s amazing,” she said.
After a nearly one-hour delay, ICP finally took to the stage, and the crowd went crazy. One by one, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope popped open hundreds of bottles of Faygo, tossing them, spraying them and even launching them like rockets over the crowd. No one was safe from the Faygo. I was on the balcony, and I even got drenched.
Crew members in clown masks occasionally joined the duo to assist with the showers. There were a few moments when some of them came out with massive buckets of Faygo to dunk on fans, and a few others when they came out with confetti, which easily stuck on people’s wet and sticky bodies.
The aftermath was a pond of Faygo and confetti on the main floor. It was one of the worst messes I’ve ever seen at a concert, but the soaked fans were all smiles.
“I can die happy now that I’ve seen ICP live,” Lauzon said after the concert.
For a group and its fans I had mostly heard negative things about, they were some of the friendliest and most spirited diehard fans I’ve met. They all told me the same thing: “Never judge a book by its cover.”
They were right. I had an amazing time at this show, but the best part was that my perspective was completely changed. I’m glad I know who these people are, and that they showed me what gives them meaning and acceptance. That’s what music should be about.
Video screenshot by Jeff Pelletier
