2004
Trippy Tales from the Gathering
We had so many funny, touching and wierd things happen to us during our 2 years at the Gathering. Here are just a few. If you can think of something we forgot (or misplaced), drop us a word
El Chupacabra & Sir Lady Liberty
While most parents are hiding their beloved children from the corruption of the Gathering, we grabbed two of Colleen's teenage boys (who are also airbrush artists) and threw them to the lion's den, or the Juggalo's den if it's more appropriate! Kendall (whom we dubbed Sir Lady Liberty because of his fuschia spikes) and Adrian (dubbed El Chupacabra because of his spiked mohawk) were virgins to the Gathering AND it was their first concert. From the first minute they found out they were going, these two Juggalos contracted what we call perma-smile, which they still wear! When asked how they were going to describe this experience to their friends back home, they both drew a blank look and confessed that there is no description. Don't we all feel it?!?
Weavel
Weavel has been part of our family for so long that we can't recall him not being there! That's the deal with the Airbrush Shoppe: We're all family! Weavel (aka Steve) has been down with the Clown for a loooooong time, so he (and his piercings) fit right into those woods! By the end of the weekend, we were discussing that we may need to find a leash for him, but we decided that his voice was gone and his feet were SORE, so he couldn't cause too much trouble and we scratched the idea. This was his first Gathering and he was quoted as saying "I had the time of my life!" We know we'd have to sedate him and throw him in irons to keep him from next year's Gathering! Believe it or not, he's the only one on our staff who did NOT get desperately lost in the forest first time out (or second, or third...)!
- Fire Starters
Thursday night, we couldn't wait to hit the forest! We cleaned our equipment, donned our party hats and went searching for Monkey Nuts (a Juggalo we were anxious to see again). Now, for those of you who spent any time at all in the woods at night, you know how easy it is to get lost. This year, we came prepared with a map and a flashlight, but we still found ourselves occassionally misplaced. We managed to search out Monkey Nuts' campsite, but he was still up at the stage. So, we opted to wait, enjoying the forest all the while. Colleen and Amy decided to find a potty room, leaving the guys waiting for them in the 300 block of the Dark Forest. When they returned from their Kilroy excursion, the guys were gone. So, they went on a hunt for the obvious green crew shirts. They didn't have to look far when they found their crew. The boys were across the way, helping Shelly and Shawn start a fire with REALLY wet wood (no pun intended). It took us (no joke!) 2 and a half hours, all the paper from the local trash cans and a full can of starter fluid to get that fire rolling. We didn't care. We had a total blast starting that fire, and by the time it was fully-fledged, we didn't give a damn about any old fire! We did such a great job that the fire was probably still roaring Monday night! LOL Thanks to Shelly, Shawn and their adorable little Juggalo for the great evening, and thanks to the leprechaun who popped in and entertained us with his wonderful little jig. We did manage to find Monkey Nuts and spent some time chillin' with him and his homies. Thanks, Ninjas!
Morton's List
Jesse, Randy & Tyler are some of our favorite guys from last year. Randy and his lovely lady Cindy are some of our most creative and flavourful face painting regulars. Sunday night, they invited us back to the Chaos District to play a little Morton's List. None of us had ever played before and it sounded like the perfect way to end a kick-ass weekend. We met up with them, tired as hell and with serious cases of draggin'-ass. It didn't take long for the game to spiral into what seemed like impossible tasks! Our first task was to sneak into a high security area, which doesn't sound like much but the task was morphed with truth. So, we had to sneak into some place secure- being honest every step of the way! We decided to try our skills at going into Rude Boy's party. It would've been interesting to get a sky-view of our path from the heart of the forest up to the stage, because it probably looked like a big snow ball rolling through the trees. We picked up about 2 dozen Juggalos along the way, all joining in on our task. By the time we got our group to the stage, the party was over and they were breaking down the stage. Pondering what we should do next, we decided that the area was still secure and it could still apply. The trick was the honesty part. Sneaking and honesty are kind of like military and intelligence. The two words don't exactly flow together gracefully, but we had a whole group of creative and intelligent ninjas who saved the game. Being Psychopathic staff, our airbrushers donned their passes and walked through the gate and right up to one of the security managers. We explained with painful truth that we were playing Morton's List and what our task was. He laughed, wished us a fun night and said that he had our confirmation number on a mission accomplished. Then, we had to make some money. On Sunday night?! That's nuts! But, we were able to sell a square for a $1 Psycho Coin. Mission Accomplished. After much partying, chillin' and creative teamwork, we finally ended up on the beach with a full-out wrestling match. The guys bashed each other around for a long time while a couple of the Airbrush Shoppe ladies drew a big M with an ICP in the sand. It was a fun and most mind-expanding experience that we hope to make a tradition with these Ninjas at Gatherings of the future.
- Getting "Shagged" at the Gathering
To anyone who has been to a Gathering at the Crystal Forest, you know to move when you hear him coming. Sometimes he has a light and sometimes he doesn't...! He'll catch you in the worst possible spots and in the most compromising of positions! We're talking about none other than Shaggy, and we're here to admit that we got Shagged while we were out in the woods. We know we are not alone. We heard stories. On one occassion, we had to take a tree, but he still nailed us hard with about 50 gallons of rooster-tailed mud. We learned fast to find a distant corner when we heard the buzzzzz of his golf cart approaching through the night. On Sunday night, we met a Juggalo who had REALLY been Shagged! He decided, after much self-debate, that he would brave the nasty port-a-potties to take a dump. He said he was sitting, not much enjoying the atmosphere, when he heard the growing buzzz of a golf cart. The golf cart hit the port-a-potty he was sitting in, then raced away into the night, leaving familiar evil laughter ringing through the air. We heard a couple of rumors we can't confirm, such as the poor security guard who was Shagged and took tire marks on his shirt away as a souvenier, or the poor golf cart that met its sorry demise via being Shagged. We at The Airbrush Shoppe think that we should all pool together and get a bunch of bells, whistles and bright flashing lights to put on his cart next year!
Party At The Face Painting Tent
We know that there were a lot of really awesome things going on at the Gathering this year, but we can't imagine having more fun than we had at the face painting tent. We sang, we laughed, we enjoyed some phenomenal company and we generally partied our rosie asses off! Personally, I took the day off on Friday but found myself back at the tent anyways! Here's to you, Juggalos! You make it all shine!
- Saturday Night In The Dark Forest
Saturday night was an extra cool thing. Colleen & Amy took Nancy (a Forest Virgin) on an all-out tour of the Crystal Forest while everyone else was at the concert. We three girls braved the dark paths and lake-sized puddles with no lights or maps and had a truly groovy time. We found our way to places we have no idea how we found, AND we found our way back, too! I think we even saw some real faeries while we were walking. They were very fast moving, solidly brilliant white lights that zipped through the tree canapy over head. Along this adventure, we ran into some Juggalos who were terribly lost. We tried to give them direction, but THAT'S not easy to do, and we went on our way. On our way back from getting good and lost in a place we have no idea how to get back to, we met up with the same two Juggalos we tried to direct before. In the darkness, with only a torch light, one of those Juggalos recognized us. Turns out, it was Shaun of the KC Juggalos and we knew each other from our hometown of KC. Wierd! We walked with them for quite a while and found out that Shaun is getting ready to go to Florida to attend Film School. GO SHAUN!!! YEAH!!!! We girls went back to the beach and tried to see the burning man, but we're too short and Juggalos are hard to see through. We met up with the rest of our crew and Nancy's hubby there on that beach and we went out together for the rest of the night. On our way, we chanted lots of woop-woops, side-stepped Shaggy's speeding cart (got splattered with mud), visited Club Chaos, checked out a Dance competion over by Monkey Nuts' campsite and went to a backstage party. That doesn't include the very entertaining conversations we picked up along the way! (Next year, we're bringing a tape recorder!) This is where we want to say many kidred thanks to Nancy and Rob. You guys are the absolute SHIZZ-NITT and we can't wait to try out our Sunday night idea with you next year!
A Methodist welcome To The Juggalos
Shangri La resides in everything and everyone. Sadly, that doesn't always mean that everything and everyone knows or will acknowlede it. We heard the rumors about the church and could hardly believe it was true. So, Lance BIG-ICP1 (our homie over at the Club Chaos) told us that he drove right past that church and would get a pic, which he kindly emailed to us. So, the rumors are true and aren't we touched? Shangri La truly shines for us in this one, simple photo. Congratulations, Family! Someone really did glimpse you for what you are!!
The Bikini Contest
For those of you who wanted to know what happened at the bikini contest. She took second and would've taken first, but the Juggalette who took first is a magician and won by a kielbasa!
- The Hydro-Dudes
Situated right next door to our tent was the water tent. Hence, we dubbed them the "Hydro Dudes". Their tent was most popular, both with our crew (great appreciators of hydro!) and with the parched and sticky Juggalos. These guys educated us on the park, as many of them had spent a lot of time in the Crystal Forest from the time they were kids. We discovered by talking with these guys, that the forest is an enchanted place and the magic of the Juggalos only makes it more. Cool, huh?
Juggalo John Woodhead, his Mom & Slim Albert (Yes, they are from Salt Lake!)
We met John and his family last year. Precious people! John's mom made us the neatest crocheted dish towels last year, which we all hold dear. This year, she wasn't able to be at the Gathering, but she sent a beautiful, hand-crocheted blanket to us. Check it out! It's a composite of all 6 joker cards! We almost cried. The love and the work that went into that blanket has got to be good karma for everyone involved. John brought a friend with him this year, whom we came to affectionately call Slim Albert. He's just the only Albert we've ever known, besides Fat Albert and he certainly isn't fat. So, Slim Albert it came to be. These two guys travelled 36 hours on a bus to be at the Gathering. John hung out with us for most of the weekend and we SO enjoyed his companionship. Special thanks to John's mom for such a touching gift and thanks to John for hauling it all of that way on a bus for us. We are looking forward to seeing you next year!
Tent Boy Revistited
Last year, he was just a legend. This year, we managed to locate the famous Tent Boy! He looked like he was having a most excellent time, and we again heard stories about how he used his tent to sneak up and freak people out. Props to you, Tent Boy! We appreciate your sense of style!
- A Grandmother's Permission
On Thursday, we ran into a Juggalo who just wanted to thank us. He told us that his Grandmother wasn't really too hip to him attending the Gathering. So, he sat her down and had her read our Trippy Tales of 2003. When she finished reading, she told him that if this is the way it really is at the Gathering, then he should go with her blessing. Wow! We're a little over-whelmed and very grateful that our experience at 2003 helped to spread a little love.
- Crazy Doug
We ran into Crazy Doug several times over the weekend and every time we asked him for some good trippy tales from this year. He always responded with "Catch me with a beer in my hand later and I'll tell you all kinds." The truth is, we never saw him with a beer in his hand and it's probably because he was never off the clock! So, we're hoping he'll post them on his website. Maybe he'll be able to catch a beer by next year...!
Spike AKA T-Deck
Gotta get some special props to T-Deck. After a hard day's work, his gorgeous smile was a sight for sore eyes and he was always there when it was quitin' time. We just want you to know how much your company was appreciated. You're the one who kicked off every excellent night we had out there!
Liz The Watchdog
For those of you who don't know who the WatchDogs are, you need to find out. We had no clue until we met Liz in the woods one night. Liz is a Watchdog and she explained to us that it is their job to scrape up messes. They are the ninjas who rehydrate the parched, mediate the peace, tuck in the drunk, and share a sandwich with a hungry juggalo. They do everything they can to be helpful and make your experience at the Gathering a memorable one. So, be sure and recognize them for all of their hard and heart-felt work. They certainly have our respect.
Pam, The Travel Lodge, Skittles and Her Bouncing Baby Basketball
Skittles was quite a character we met up in the cafeteria tent. She was hanging with Pam and they were all staying at the Travel Lodge on 422. They were having a really bad time with this motel, and we wanted to share the experience with you all. It seems that this place was a little run down. The swimming pool was apparantly needing to be mowed (inside, not outside), as was the mold growing in the carpet in their rooms. Pam told us that the motel raised their rates when they got there, despite the fact that they had a confirmation number. They said their bed was broken, the air conditioner in one room didn't work, the shower was broken, the advertised ammenities were non-existant and the management wasn't as friendly or helpful as they should have been. Pam assured them that they would rue the day she checked into their establishment. Pam works in a government office full of lawyers and is a Juggalo mom who has attended all 5 Gatherings. If we go back, here's hoping they clean up their act for next year!
- Our Police Escort to the ICP Concert
On the last night, we packed our equipment, took it back to our hotel, washed up and shot back out to the park. We were all pretty wound about seeing ICP. The driver we had in our Crew Shuttle must have been new to the route, as he missed our turn off of the highway. Being 2nd year veterans, we knew there was another route on down the road, which the driver took. Not even quite a mile down the dark road, we ran into a huge nest of every type of cop you can imagine. We weren't surprised, with it being the last day of the concerts, but then a cop whips out in front of our van and one falls in behind. They paced us down to about 15MPH for a couple of miles and escorted us to the front gate. At the time, it was very frustrating and kind of scarey. We were squeaky clean, but none of us had ever had that happen before and it was a little unnerving! Now that we think back on it, maybe they weren't messing with us. Maybe they were doing us a favor by escorting us through a blockade. Who knows? We were just glad to make it to the concert on time!!
- To Our Soldiers
We met so many of you Ninjas at the Gathering who are going to Iraq and Afghanistan. We want you to know how much we appreciate you and what you are doing for us. Our hearts are with you. One of you put it most effectively: "I can't believe they're giving a Juggalo a tank!"
- Taking Mom to the Forest
The family core of The Airbrush Shoppe consists of Colleen, Amy and Jason. For those of you who have had experience with us, you know that we are a very different kind of human (and proud of it!). We get our interesting traits from our wonderful parents, both of whom are nothing more than vintage hippies. Last November, we unexpectedly lost our beloved Mother. She died peacefully in her sleep, leaving us all pretty empty and sad. We never got the chance to bring her this year to the Gathering, which was the plan before she passed. She would've had a blast and she could have imparted some of her wickedness on to you guys. Since she couldn't make it, we brought a little bit of her with us and left it deep in the Crystal Forest. So, now we have family up there in many senses of the word. Thanks to the enchanted forest for receiving her. We miss you, Mom.
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