I must say, Insane Clown Posses with Coolio, Kittie, and Necro, was one of the most interesting line-ups I had seen in a while. Due to the Juggalo counter-culture, I had very mixed feelings about attending this show, but pulled through for Necro and Kitty. The Juggalos were out in full force, but must have been disappointed when they arrived, the ticket read, “No face paint. No Exceptions.”
Tried as we might, left work early, made it to the show 20 minutes late and still missed Necro. We weren’t even aware he had been on-stage until after we asked his merch booth. Needless to say, the fact that he was only onstage for 15 minutes and we missed it was pretty weak. For a minute, my guest considered driving to Tempe the next night to see Necro.
Kittie came on-stage and melted faces with their grinding heavy metal. Screaming vocals, a hair swinging bassist, trashing guitars, and heavy double bass rattled the walls. Kittie really tore it up, got me head-banging in no time. Unfortunately, Kittie didn’t receive the praise they deserved. The audience started chanting “I.C.P.” near the end of their set. Before they played their last song, they thanked I.C.P, and she screamed “We love Juggalos.” I was so rocked out, I could have gone home happy after their performance.
Coolio also put on a great high energy performance. Similar to a M.C. Hammer show, Coolio had several musicians, a saxophone player, and some family members with him on stage. Coolio brought the house down, tearing his shirt off and closing with
Fantastic Voyage and
Ganstar’s Paradise. Coolio exclaimed “I’m 56 years old, from California, but my home is in Las Vegas. I’m a fucking Juggalo!”
By now, the fans were exploding with energy, chants of “Faygo” echoed through the crowd every few minutes. Everyone had noticed the sheets of plastic covering the sound equipment and crammed themselves on the floor, awaiting the shower of Faygo that was soon to come. As @horrorcore_girl informed me, “heck yea faygo is like baptism for us!! whoop whoop”
The curtains opened to an elaborately decorated stage, large ICP flashing letters, two large Juggalo logos, shiny streamers, and five tables fully stocked with Faygo 2 liters. There were even Faygo guns set-up, ready to douse to audience at long range. An ICP version of the circus theme Entry Of The Gladiators was playing, and an ornately dressed ringleader came out and properly introduced Insane Clown Posse.
Insane Clown Posse did not disappoint their sea of fans. Shaggy was shaking up, spraying the crowd, and throwing a bottle of Faygo nearly every minute. There was a clown whose sole job was re-filling the tables with Faygo; it was an endless supply. During the chorus of many of their songs, streamers would pour down from the ceilings, and about eight clowns would come from backstage either spraying Faygo or throwing confetti . It was a total mess and the fans loved it every minute of it, singing, bouncing up and down, and having the time of their lives. I have never seen so many people fill the House of Blues , sing, chant, and unite as one massive fan.
The visuals were bold, watching the audience get doused near GWAR levels was entertaining, ICP sounded good and really put on an over the top show. ICP played
Hocus Pocus, My Axe, The Show Must Go On, Murder Rap, Terrible, I Do This, Chicken Pluckin Huntin, Get Ya Wicked On, Guts On The Ceiling, Truly Alone, Fuck The World, Let’s Go All The Way, Assassins, and we made our exit during
Miracles. “Fucking magnets, how do they work,” is where we draw the line.
Although we missed Necro, each artist put on a fantastic performance. Kittie, Coolio, and Insane Clown Posse was like going to three different shows, crammed into one evening. I would highly recommend checking out Kittie, Coolio, and Insane Clown Posse, whether you are a fan or not. Insane Clown Posse’s show is one of a kind and I am glad I got the chance to see it.
We arrived just after She Wants Revenge played Red Flags & Long Nights, These Things, and True Romance. They sounded a great as I remember, this time with a drummer, a guitarist, Adam and Justin, with his deep lingering vocals. They played three great new songs, Suck It Up, Maybe She’s Right, and Kiss Me. Justin addressed the audience, “You may remember these two,” and SWR finished strong with Out of Control and Tear You Apart. I was once again so pleased to see She Wants Revenge, only wishing they could have played longer.
After a short break, The Psychedelic Furs opened with Love My Way. I was impressed how many members make up The Psychedelic Furs and how equally voluminous their sound is. The Butler brothers matched the band's lively energy by engaging the audience, dancing about the stage, and singing along. 
The Psychedelic Furs transitioned between old and new songs without missing a beat. Songs included Believe, Heartbeat, The Ghost in You, Like a Stranger, So Run Down, President Gas, In My Head, Sister Europe, She Is Mine, Heaven, All of This and Nothing, and wrapped up with their infectious Pretty in Pink. After a few minutes of cheering and clapping, the Furs returned for an encore, playing two new songs which I did not recognize.
Both SWR and The Psychedelic Furs played downbeat new-wave grooves that kept the audience dancing and singing all night. Although the crowd was small, there was much applause between tracks and by the looks of all the smiling faces, you could tell everyone was a fan. Neither one of us knew what to expect from The Psychedelic Furs and were completely taken aback by how great they were. If you are into new-wave, both She Wants Revenge and The Psychedelic Furs are a must see!
