March 19, 2024
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2016 Gathering of the Juggalos

Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground in Thornville, Ohio

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This year I had the wonderful chance to make it to the 17th annual Gathering of the Juggalos! This marks my very first time being able to attend a Gathering! I’ve had an open ticket waiting for the past couple years, but something always seemed to prevent me from going. Thankfully, that was not the case this year!

My trip started around 9:30pm on Monday, July 18th. At first I had to head to Cohoes, NY to pick up my homie CJ who was riding with my wife and me. I got to his house around 10:15ish, and after dealing with some drama with his neighbor, we packed his stuff in my van and hit the road.

Within 10 minutes, CJ realized he forgot his ticket. Fuck! We quickly turned around, grabbed his ticket and headed off to Albany, NY to pick up my wife from work. We ended up picking her up around 11:30pm. From there we quickly stopped by my house in Schenectady, NY so my wife could give our kids hugs and kisses.

A little after midnight we were finally on the road to Ohio for the Gathering! The trip there was smooth! CJ and I traded off driving for a couple hours here and there. Around 10am we reached the Wal-Mart in Heath, which is where we planned on buying food and any last-minute needs for our week.

I must admit, it wasn’t until we went inside the Wal-Mart that it finally hit me that I was about to attend my first Gathering of the Juggalos.

It all starts here.

It all starts here.

Within a few minutes of leaving Wal-Mart, we arrived at Legend Valley, the home of the 17th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. I was pointed to a spot to park my car. I got out of my van, stretched and hit up Scottie D to let him know I had arrived. Scottie told us were he was parked, so my wife and I headed out there to introduce ourselves. I finally had the chance to meet Scottie D, PsykoScott, and I also met their friend Brice and fellow FLH contributors Hashly and Hanka . It was nice to finally meet people that I had been talking to and working with for years.

Scottie felt it would be best if we went to the ticket booth to get our bracelets, charms, and booklet so it was taking care of and out of the way. Before this Scottie handed me a PRESS PASS! I’m still speechless with receiving both a ticket and a press pass from Scottie. Shortly, after getting my ticket handled, I met Scruffy and some of the other forums members as we all picked up our fresh forum meet up shirts.

Once again it was nice to meet people that I’ve been speaking with online in person. This would become normal for the week.

A short time later I was introduced to both Amanda D and Chad Carsten. We all spoke for a few minutes and then Amanda and Scottie quickly got to work and started to head into the parking lot to see what was happening.

At this time one of our NY homies was almost getting there, so we (my wife and I) headed over to our van to set up a canopy to have some relief from the sun. Now, Scottie offered us to chill at his trailer, but I didn’t wanna crowd him and his camp, so I decide just to use my canopy over by my van. My wife, Mason (NY homie), his friend Rhi, and I just chilled and relaxed for a few hours. I was originally going to go around and snap photos, but I was kind of nervous and didn’t want to bug people.

At around 9 or so I started hearing rumors of them letting people with car passes into the gates…I quickly hit up Scottie and he informed me that every year this rumor is spread and it’s never true. He told me I should have just come in with him when he was let in early as a Big Balla. I didn’t go in early for two reasons… one, I didn’t want to crowd anyone’s space and two, I had purchased a car pass and had full van of stuff I didn’t want to have to carry in. This would be a decision I’m thankful I made. Although, the early access/ camping in a ballas site would have been dope.

I was starting to get tired so I began to take down my canopy so I’d be ready to head into the gates the next morning, when the people next to us announced, “They are letting people with car passes in early.” This made me super excited so we moved our car toward the gate and was let into the first gate. We were motioned to start parking in lines right across from the seminar tent. The excitement was quickly over as I realized they were just having us park outside the actual gate to the Gathering grounds. When we realized this, we rolled down our windows and decided to pass out.

Early morning WednesdayJuly 20th I was awaken with a bunch of commotion and horns. I realized quickly the gates were opened and people were flooding the grounds. I had CJ drive my car while I was checking out the entrance line. Within 30 minutes we were inside the grounds. After about another 15 minutes the event staff motioned us to park. He was packing everyone in tight. Thankfully, I was able to just toss my tent and canopy out so we were left with some kind of camp site. The event staff directing the car and pointing where to park were so LOST and overwhelmed.

Either way, my wife and I proceeded to set up our camp and start to unpack a few things. After we were done, we decided to go check out the grounds and see where everything was and to hit up the Psychopathic Merch tent to score our copies of Into The EchoSide and the audio book version of Behind the Paint.

We were able to purchase what we wanted to, I snapped a few photos, and we went to meet our friends Mason and Rih at our camp. We all ventured over to the Funhouse Tent, which is where Psychopathic Radio Live from the Gathering was going to take place. Before the Girls of Wolfpac came out to entertain, I ran into Kelleyanne and Tracy from TJF. We talked for a few minutes and we all had to do something so we said our “see ya later”s and went on with our business. The Girls of Wolfpac hit the stage and performed for a good 45 minutes before Wolfpac would take the air waves on Psychopathic Radio.

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They were only on air for a few minutes before they took a break. At this time I decided to head off and see what else was going on. During this time we ran into Scruffy and some of the other forum members (sorry I’m terrible with remembering names) at a smoothie trailer. Scruffy offered me a drink, I declined the offer, so he offered my wife a smoothie, she accepted. Thanks Scruffy that was so dope!

Somewhere during this time I also met Rachel Paul. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again — it was awesome being able to meet all of the people I’ve been talking to online for months or years.

As I was standing in the photo pit waiting, Amanda gave me some sound advice that I used all week long. Stay out of the way of the paid photographers (LOL), get comfortable, and just enjoy yourself. The musical part of the Gathering of the Juggalos kicks off with a group known as Underground Propaganda Squad.

Are you ready?

Are you ready?

UPS is a group made up of Redneck Souljers, Lo Key, AXE, H8trid, Sorry not Sorry, and DurtE. Each subgroup or artists took turns performing. The crowd and I were getting into it more and more as each song was performed. There was koozies, bracelets, and beer flying everywhere. It was a great way to kick off the event!

Next up was one of the few artists I wanted to make sure to catch, Scare Don’t Fear. I first heard of SDF when their co-headlining tour with Kissing Candice was announced. I checked out some of their music and was stoked to see them on the bill for the Gathering.

After UPS was done with their set, at least 2/3’s of the crowd had left. This did not stop SDF. They took the stage with a ton of energy and willing to perform no matter how big the crowd was. SDF is a two lead singer/rapper group that knows how to blend all the parts together. As the song went on the crowd was getting bigger and bigger. It seems SDF noticed this as the energy of their set kept rising and rising. Towards the end of the set, both singers jumped into the crowd and jammed out performing in the middle of the crowd. SDF did a great job.

During their set, fellow FLH contributor Chad and I had the chance to meet up with the lead singer for Kissing Candice, Joey Simpson. Joey seemed like a very down-to-earth dude. A short time later it was Kung Fu Vampire‘s turn to take the stage. I haven’t seen him perform live since he was on ICP’s “The Mighty Death Pop” tour in 2013.

the madness continues..

The madness continues..

KFV was all over the place, spitting out crowd favorite after favorite, climbing speakers, going out to the barriers, and constantly moving. If you have never seen him live, you might want to change that. KFV knows how to put on a show. After Kung Fu Vampire, it was time to head over to the Big Top Stage for the first night’s main performers.

First up was Strange Music’s Ces Cru. The highlight of their performance was the crowd and CES engaging in a faygo/beer can/ water bottle fight. Ces Cru ended up getting yelled at by someone on the side of the stage. They seemed like they were enjoying themselves. The performance was really good overall.

Next up was everyone’s favorite scarecrow, BOONDOX! Boondox took the stage with a blaze of glory. He proceeded to murder the stage performing his most well-known tracks. When his performance was over, it left me wanting more. Boondox did a great job!

Rock band Suicide Silence was next to take the stage. Personally, I loved the fact that Psychopathic Records used a bunch of rock bands this year. I must admit, I wasn’t sure how well the crowd would take to Suicide Silence, but within a few songs all my questions were answered. The Juggalos and Juggalettes really seemed to be enjoying what they were hearing, I know I was. I’ll admit before the Gathering, I really hadn’t listen to much from Suicide Silence, but there performance made me want to check them out more.

The Juggalo Psypher Live was next. This stood as a tribute for Cannibal, who sadly passed away helping a women and her baby. They all did a good job outside of one dude who forgot his lines. Gypsy tried her hardest to help him out, but ultimately it was not successful.

Once that was over it was time for White Jesus to hit the stage. I was stoked to finally being able to catch Rittz live. He was supposed to be on the Tech N9ne tour stop that hit my area, but was not there for some album promotional reasons. Rittz was pretty good. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it, as did I.

It was the mystery artist LUNIZ’s turn to hit the stage. I wasn’t expecting Luniz. Ultimately, it was a short and decent performance.

TECH N9NE

TECH N9NE

The big top stage was headlined by TECH N9NE with Krizz Kaliko. Honestly, what can I say...Tech N9ne is one of the best underground performers there is. I’ve never left a Tech show disappointed. My only problem with his set was…it just seemed like a normal everyday tour set. Overall, Tech N9ne put on a good show.

At this point, exhaustion had set in so my wife and I headed to our camp to relax for a bit. Shortly afterwards, we headed over to the carousel stage to watch The Dayton Family perform a little bit. We both wanted to catch a few more shows, but exhaustion got the best of us and we headed to our camp to pass out for the night.

Much Clown Love

Much Clown Love

On Thursday, July 21st, when I woke up (which was late and caused us to miss the faygo launching contest) I realized the bottom part of my legs were red. I didn’t pay it too much attention and after getting a quick bite to eat, my wife and I headed over to catch the Killer Clown Academy. The winner(s) of the academy won the rights to be stage clowns for ICP’s performance at the Gathering and the chance to be hired as an extra clown for touring. This event featured dancing, Faygo, and a lot of clowning around. Overall the contest was enjoyable and everyone, contestants included, seemed to enjoy it.

everyone gets wet

everyone gets wet

After a short break, it was time for the wet t-shirt contest, which was hosted by Mike Busey and his crew. The ladies taking part in the contest were put into a pool two at a time (so four per round overall) and drenched with Faygo. The crowd would decide who they felt was the winners of each pool. This went on for a few rounds and included Big LA “jumping” into the pool to be soaked.

Titties were being exposed as the crowd chanted for more. The winner ended up winning around $75. It was enjoyable for everyone watching and taking part in the contest. With the wet t-shirt contest over, it was time for the Big Top Stage to start up.

On this night, the main event of the evening would be a once-in-a-lifetime performance of a Juggalo classic album! Before we get to that, here is how the rest of the Big Top Stage went down. The night was kicked off by Bukshot.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen Bukshot gain more and more of a following. The crowd seemed to really enjoy the performance, as did I. Unfortunately, either Bukshot started late or went on too long… so time would start to become an issue during the rest of the Big Top Stage performances.

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Joey of KC

Next to take the stage was a group I’ve was really looking forward to finally getting a chance to see live, KISSING CANDICE. Their set kicked off with Faygoluvers’ contributor Chad Carsten introducing the band. They quickly took the stage and began spitting furious lyrics and heavy pounding sounds. As they were going from song to song, the crowd seemed to be getting bigger and bigger and really enjoying what Kissing Candice was doing. During their set, they included a bubble machine and like 50 cans of silly string… most of which Chad handed to the crowd.

Yes, I grabbed one and proceeded to spray the shit out of everyone and everything. I was snapping photos and videos during their entire set. Joey, the lead singer, announced they had two songs left to perform… but it only ended up being one because of the earlier stated reason. Overall, I was very pleased with Kissing Candice‘s performance. I look forward to seeing them live again.

It was Kottonmouth Kings’ turn to hit the stage. They made their entrance via golf cart and came out performing hit after hit after hit. The crowd seemed to be enjoying watching them perform and, well, getting high during the set! Overall, even with the changing members, KMK did a good job of putting on a fun show.

The Native Warrior, Anybody Killa, was up next.  He proceeded to set the Gathering of the Juggalos on fire! Literally, holy shit, the flames he was using on stage were super fucking hot while I was in the photo pit.

BURN!!

BURN!!

ABK was all over the place and had the crowd eating out of his hand. His set featured an outfit change and a dude dressed up like an Indian chief. ABK was definitely a highlight of the Gathering.

Once his set was over, it was time for the night’s mystery guest to hit the stage. That guest was Warren G. During his set, he was hit with something… I think a bottle and after that, he pretty much checked out of his mini performance and just mailed his set home.

With that being over, they let us stay in the photo pit and left the curtain open as the crew set up for the next act: GWAR. I feel like if everything was on time they would have closed the curtain for their set up. Either way, within like 15 or 20 minutes, the set up was finished and it was time to get bloody!

Their set started with a person speaking on a screen….and then a figure dressed as President Obama having his head removed and spraying blood everywhere. GWAR included wrestling, monsters, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton. Needless to say, most of the crowd near the stage was covered in blood. Overall, it was a good show. They seemed to be more worried about the theatrics than the performance which was not necessarily a bad thing.

take your ass down the yellow brick alley way

take your ass down the yellow brick alley way

After a long delay….it was time for the main event, the much-hyped and long-anticipated live performance on Violent J‘s classic album “Wizard of the Hood!!” The curtain went up and out came Violent J in a car being driven by Rude Boy! After a dap and a hug, Rudy left the stage in the car and the performance had begun. During “Homies to Smoke With” the entire photo pit was singing word for word and even a couple were smoking. haha. That was just a surreal moment that took place.

With set changes, props which were bought out by ninjas, Legz Diamond and Young Wicked providing backing vocals, everything and everyone was on top of their game. Violent J, Mono, Madrox, Blaze, ABK, and Shaggy 2 Dope all came together to put on a performance of a lifetime. I doubt I will ever see anything that will ever top this.

Best! Show! Ever!

Best! Show! Ever!

After Wizard of the Hood was over, Violent J quickly informed us since ICP, Twiztid and Blaze were on stage, they might as well perform some bonus tracks. They performed 85 Bucks an Hour, Spin The Bottle, Homies, and for the first time ever (according to them) Hound Dogs! They left me and the crowd wanting more!

Throughout the night my legs/ankles/feet were starting to hurt really badly. The redness was getting worse. So, my wife and I decide to head back to camp and relax for a couple minutes and grab some drinks. Unfortunately, this short break turned out to be a couple hours. By the time I was able to walk again, Young Wicked had already took the stage. So, we decide just to watch his set. After that,  it was time for the 5 petals of the lotus to unite.

I ran into Scottie D in the photo pit. He informed me that he would be relying on me to snap pictures for FLH of Dark Lotus. I was both scared, excited, and grateful for this chance. Most of everything I had shot up to this point Amanda had been shooting the same thing, so the pressure was not there because I know she captures dope photos.

Lotus

Lotus

It was finally time! Dark Lotus took the stage one at a time. Their set seemed a little bit lackluster and this was my first time seeing Lotus live in person. I don’t know if it was the stage or them just being exhausted from the Wizard of the Hood performance.  It just seemed off. Overall, it was a good set. I’m hoping I get the chance to check them out again.

I wish they would have figured out a different day for Lotus to perform so maybe they would have been rested up. Either way, I’m willing to look past this performance because I was able to see Wizard of the Hood live! My lower body parts were continuing to cause me discomfort so we headed back to camp and went to bed.

On Friday, July 22nd, it was really hard to get out of bed. The redness was gotten worse and my legs had started swelling up. After a couple hours, I managed to get motivated and dressed and headed off to The Neden Game. I made it there towards the end. The song is way better than the actual game. It just seemed too slow paced to really enjoy.

Chuck Bareass

Chuck Bareass

Next up was the Juggalo Gong Show, which was hosted by Chuck Bareass aka J-Webb. The contest featured everything from rapping, guitars, fire, hula hooping, comedy, poetry, butt holes and penis puppetry. The gong show was very enjoyable outside of the penis and butt holes.

Shortly, after the gong show ended, it was time for the costume contest. This was another fun and enjoyable contest. Some of the contestants really came prepared. The winner was someone dressed up as Mr. Rotten Treats! This costume was down right amazing!

Are your treats rotten?

Are your treats rotten?

After the costume contest, it was time for me to head off to the Big Top Stage. By the time I reached the stage One-Eyed Doll was already playing… so I decided to just catch their set from the crowd without photo pit access.

They seemed to really have the crowd enjoying what they were hearing.  One-Eyed Doll did a good job. The end of their set came when the lead singer said something along the lines of “Our set is over now -follow me.” She proceeded to jump off stage run through the crowd and had a bunch of Juggalos follow her too… I believe their merchandise booth.

Lil Wyte was the next to take the stage, although, judging by his set I doubt he knew it. For the first 4 or 5 songs he kept starting and stopping, changing tracks and just seemed lost. He may have partied a little too hard before his set. After about 15 minutes or so, he started performing full songs… honestly, I had already stopped paying attention to his set at this point. There is video of this and I’d post it, but I just don’t want to give this anymore of my time.

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Everyone’s favorite dead homie, Blaze, came out next and pumped life into the crowd. Blaze was joined at times by The R.O.C.. Anybody Killa, Lex The Hex Master, and a painted up Kung Fu Vampire to perform different songs that they had collaborated on. Blaze Ya Dead Homie was aiming to be one of the best performers of the night and ended up as one of the best performers of the whole Gathering. It’s always fun to see Blaze live.

Attila was next up to take the stage. I’ve heard bits and pieces of their music before the Gathering. They did a great job. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it. I’m going to attend another one of their shows when they come to my area.

A long wait and confusion happened after Attila was done. The schedule said a mystery performer was next, but after 15 or so minutes Asking Alexandria‘s crew took the stage and started setting up for them. After about another 15 or 20 minutes… Asking Alexandria took the stage.

Asking Alexandria, which is another group that I’ve heard some of their music, but not a lot really seemed to get the crowd moving. They did a good job of bringing the crowd back into it after the long break. I enjoy their performance.

Next up was Psychopathic Records announcing the new artist… BLAHZAY ROZE. This announcement was followed by the debut of her music video.

This announcement had been predicted because of a shirt and a playing card inside the new game Into the Echoside. Where I was standing, the crowd seem divided. Some liked her song, some hated it, and others (myself include) wanted to hear more before we passed judgment.

After this, the mystery performer – yeah, better late than never – Onyx, took the stage and the crowd went nuts. They busted out a couple of tracks and then left.

Twiztid

I’m walking on the bad side

The Big Top Stage wound be wrapped up with a performance by The Demented Duo, Madrox and Mono, who as we all know are collectively known as TWIZTID. From the minute they came out on stage, they brought the FIRE.  Twiztid played a mixture of their catalog including Juggalo favorite LDLHA-IBCSYWA to close their set out.

Sadly, this would serve as the conclusion for my night as well. My legs and feet were preventing me from continuing… which SUCKED because I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to check out but just physically could not.

Saturday, July 23rd, served as the last day of the Gathering. I woke up with my legs feeling a little bit better, but they were still super red and swollen. So, my wife and I decide to take it easy. Since we knew Scottie was going to be super busy, we headed over to the seminar tent to make sure FLH had a spot for the much anticipated Insane Clown Posse seminar.

When we got there shortly after 12, the tent was overflowing. The tattoo contest was taking place. The highlight of this was meeting up with another online homie, Mike. Once the contest was over the crowd began a massive object fight.

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With chants of “FUCK the front!” and “FUCK the Back!” ringing out from the tent, the crowd just kept getting bigger and bigger. While waiting, I was able to meet and speak with a few people I’ve known online or just happen to see photos of. The seminar started a little late. I was live streaming it on the Faygoluvers Facebook page.

ICP discussed Blahzay Roze, Juggalo Weekend 2017, the Gathering moving to Colorado, second leg of the Riddle Box tour, and a planned march on Washington DC. The giveaway was a limited edition of Blahzay Roze‘s debut EP “Broken.” I had already purchased a copy on the way to the seminar so this would make a second copy I now own. I was able to meet Julie after the seminar was over.

My wife and I, sticking with our plan to relax, just wandered around the grounds and headed toward the Miss Juggalette Contest. I ran into another online homie, OCJ_Brendan, on our way over. It was nice to say hello. Wish I could have hung out more, but that was not in the cards.

I was able to see and photograph the first round and partial second round of the Miss Juggalette Pageant. This year’s pageant had become a topic of online conversation when Faygoluvers (I posted it) ran a post about a transgender contestant being in the running for the crown. From what I had seen, the crowd (and I) enjoyed the pageant and was supportive of everyone taking part in it.

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Since it was running late, Scottie asked me to head over to the Big Top Stage and cover (Hed) PE. I told my wife where I was headed and proceeded to head toward the stage.

As I got closer, I could hear that (HED) PE had already started their set. I was able to capture some images from the crowd since the crowd was not as big as it had been in past nights. Overall, from what I’d seen (HED) PE didn’t let the CLUE hecklers get to them. They did keep their heads up as objects were steadily flying towards and on stage.

The night continued with Emmure hitting the stage next. The year before, Emmure had agreed to and had to back out of performing at the Gathering due to injury to their lead singer and band turmoil (the full band ended up quitting). Emmure seemed to hit the stage with a fury! The crowd seemed really amped to see Emmure. Song after song, Emmure injected the crowd with energy. I haven’t heard much from them before, but they did a good job.

Jelly Roll was up next and knocked it out of the park. Jelly Roll took the opportunity to perform on the main stage and conquered. The crowd (me included) was really enjoying his set. He brought out Lil Wyte to perform some of “No Filter” and their upcoming collaboration album “No Filter 2.” Lil Wyte did a much better job during this performance. He was noticeably more clear-headed. I look forward to seeing Jelly Roll again.

It was Hopsin‘s turn to take the stage. Hopsin always seems to bring his best when performing at the Gathering. For my first time seeing him, I thought he did a great job. The best part was towards the end when he was handed his Faygoluvers award on stage and proceeded to thank us (FLH) and the Juggalos.

The final mystery guest of the Gathering was set to take the stage, but first DJ Clay wanted everyone to get hyped… he started to play the song “FUCK IT.” At this point, EAMON, who sings “FUCK IT” came out and performed his one hit song.

It was quickly time for Bone Thugs -N- Harmony. Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of Bone Thugs -N- Harmony, in reality I’ve never cared for much of their music outside of their “E. 1999 Eternal.” That’s only because my brother owned the album and played it nonstop. Overall, they did a good job of keeping the crowd involved and enjoying themselves. I took the time to rest at FLH‘s RV during most of their set. I could still hear it and partially see it.

I returned to the Big Top Stage towards the end of Bone Thugs -n- Harmony. As it was almost time for the grand finale of the Gathering. After a short break, it was time for the Insane Clown Posse to take the stage

The Duke

The Duke

The intro started and you could feel the energy and excitement build. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope slowly crept out on stage from opposite sides. Within seconds, the place erupted as they started their set. Within a half of a song, the Faygo started flying! After the second song, we had to leave the photo area. Scottie, PsykoScott, Amanda, and I quickly headed over to the info tent to drop off our cameras.

Since we were going up on stage during the end of ICP’s set, we had to instantly line up towards the back where the performers were camping. In order for us to be a part of the Faygo Armageddon, we had to miss ICP’s performance. We could still hear it, but we could not see it. As we made it past one gated area, I hit a massive rock with my shins near a second gate… and finally we were brought to the side of the stage by a third gate.

They really need to light that area up better. As we were listening and singing along on the side of the stage, my excitement level was rising and rising… finally Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope started to perform “Thy Unveiling” and we knew it was time! Once the chorus hit, they let us on stage and the madness began!

There were Juggalos everywhere all enjoying the moment on stage at the 17th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. During the Faygo Armageddon, Scottie D got my attention and proceeded to spray me in the face with a full bottle of Faygo. My only reaction was to smile and enjoy! After 10 or 15 minutes with all the Faygo gone, I decided to go find my wife who was watching the show from the crowd.

The FLH crew went and grabbed our cameras from the information tent. We snapped a few group photos and headed towards the FLH HQ RV. I picked up my bag that I left at the RV earlier and my wife and I made our way to our camp. We had intentions of packing most of our stuff up… but my legs were hurting too much, so we decided to just head off to bed.

I woke up early on Sunday, July 24th, and somehow dealt with the pain enough to quickly pack everything up and start to head out. On our way out, we ended up having to wake some Juggalette up so she could move her car because some dude with a trailer got stuck in front of us. Thank you for waking up and moving your car and tent!

After this short delay, we were able to leave the grounds of Legend Valley. We stopped to fill our gas tank and grabbed a couple drinks and we were on our way home! Even with my legs hurting and swollen, I decided to drive the first half of the trip home. I ended up driving for around 5 hours with one break to stretch and rest my feet.

We changed drivers when we had to stop and get gas. Thankfully, I packed my van knowing I’d need to prop my legs up. So, I was able to stretch out and relax. After about another 5 hours we reached Cohoes, NY. We dropped CJ off, gave my homie Stalks his copy of the new Twiztid EP, and I started driving again. It took about 35 minutes for my wife and I make it home.

At this point I already knew I was going to the hospital. So, I dropped off my camera equipment, picked up my kids and head to the ER. I was able to get checked out within 20 minutes. I ended up somehow getting a bacterial infection in BOTH my legs… that’s why they were red and swelling so badly. The doctor informed me that I should have gone straight to the hospital the minute my legs started turning red and swelling. He also mentioned that I was lucky he was not being admitted me into the hospital for an extended stay. They wrapped up my legs, gave me some medication, and sent me home.

As I sit here exactly one week later (at the time of writing this review) to the time I arrived home, I sit back and reflect on one of the best, but yet painful times in my life. I regret nothing! I would do it all over again, the exact same way. I look forward to Gathering again! With this experience I know next time I will be better prepared physically.

With that being said… I would like to thank my wife Linzie, without you this trip and most things in life, we would not be possible. I want to thank Scottie D for the hook up on the ticket and the press pass and generally just being a super cool and dope human being! I am still speechless that you helped me live a dream… no matter what happens in life, I will always grateful to you for allowing me to be a part of the FLH team and helping me experience my first Gathering.

Hopefully, if I’m able to make it next year I earn the chance to have a press pass again. I have unfinished business as a photographer and just an attendee!

Amanda, PsykoScott, Brice… thank you for being so friendly and making me feel welcome. Amanda, if it wasn’t for you telling me to relax and enjoy…I’m not sure how my photography would have turned out. PsykoScott, it was my pleasure to meet you (and Girlie) and hang out during the week.

It was a pleasure to meet a bunch of the FLH forum members. I’m terrible with names so I won’t name anyone, but thanks for being friendly.

Scruffy, once again thanks for buying my wife a drink… that was really dope of you! We appreciated it. I owe you one. Thanks Chad for everything you did and tried to do to help me during the week. It was nice to meet up and chill for a little bit.

To our newest FLH contributor Rosco, you schooled the website this year while the crew was Gathering – Thank you and Great Job.  Thanks Heather for watching my kids so I could attend and fulfill a dream I’ve had for years.

Shout outs go to Jason Shaltz, Tracy, AJ, Kenyon, Monica, Hazin, Phuzzy, Jet, Jason, Vikki Arruda, Rachelette, Josh Ulrich, Jordan Kinnear, Nik (Monkeys on Crack), the crews of Juggalo News, True Juggalo Family, Face Painted Press, Red Fox Indy, Faygoluvers and anyone else I shared the photo pit with. It was my pleasure to share the pit with, meet, and hang out with you all! I look forward to sharing a pit with you all again!

Finally, I want to thank ICP, Jumpsteady, Psychopathic Records, Kissing Candice, Kevin Gill and every artist that performed this year. You all helped me live a dream. Your 1st can only happen once and even with my health issue it was one of the greatest times in my life.

Oh shit, I almost forgot shout out to Matt, the security person by the photo pit gate…..you are a dope human being. Hanging out with you every night during the Big Top Stage was a blast.

Until next time Juggalos, see you at next year’s Gathering (hopefully) or in Florida for Juggalo Weekend 2017 (possible). Thank You for reading this!

Check out my FLH photo gallery from the Gathering by CLICKING HERE. More photos will be posted on Faygoluvers social media pages, Fallin Starr Photography (Facebook), and shotbyshifty.smugmug.com

Location:

  • Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground
  • Ohio
  • United States

Websites:

Reviewer:

Review Date:

  • 07/19/2016 - 07/24/2016

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