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Thanks to the poor play of Santonio Holmes, my fantasy football team (The Dillon Panthers, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose”) was defeated in a head-to-head match against a team managed by Mercury freelancer, Hannah Carlen. The punishment for my inept fantasy football skills? A night with the Juggalos.

Actually, it wasn’t so bad. The music was horrific, but that night made for some of the greatest/scariest people watching I have ever experienced. But while I pat myself on the back for my faux Juggaloness, Matt O’Brien is the true hero here. The local photographer went deep into the clown’s mouth and risked death by Faygo—or stabbing—by setting up a photobooth outside of the Roseland during the Insane Clown Posse set. The results are both hilarious and oddly hypnotic, photo after glorious photo of Portland’s thriving Juggalo scene.

End Hits: We’re down with the clown.

Ezra Ace Caraeff is the former Music Editor for the Mercury, and spent nearly a third of his life working at the paper. More importantly, he is the owner of Olive, the Mercury’s unofficial office dog....

26 replies on “Into the Clown’s Mouth: Portraits of Portland Juggalos”

  1. At first I sincerely hoped that this clown thing was done with a large amount of humor….but now I’m not so sure these gangster clowns are joking. I guess its like going to a midnight screening of Rock Horror Picture Show in drag, only you get to wear a mask to hide your identity.

  9. no, she’s probably pregnant. If you watch the video link that was posted above, you’ll see a girl proudly exclaim she’s 6 month pregnant before taking a drag. It’s this kind of behavior that pretty much guarantees a future (de)generation of juggalos. Starting em off on the right foot.

  10. I am the photographer of this series of ICP photos. That woman is in fact 8 months pregnant. The lighting on this photo is not how I envisioned it, but I felt it had to be posted despite that fact.

  14. Not Cheetos per say, but tons of candy and Faygo (a generic soda from what I can tell). There are a lot of people in these photos with rotten, black teeth. One of the earlier logos for the ICP was a clown with a lot of teeth missing. I am hoping that they are not motivated to personally re-create this mouth, but I fear it is so.

  20. oh, fucking duh. west coast. i was trying to make it into some ICP-centric thing. i knew a couple juggalos a few years ago who were really nice kids. they were constantly trying to get me to “just listen to this fuckin’ song” all the time. ugh, such shit! Alf’s comment up there sums up the way i always viewed their future, kind of a bummer. i don’t get the white trash, suburban pride that scene embraces (consciously or not, or maybe sometimes both)…

  24. Hey in this pic is me my mama and my girl jade. were juggaletts and the W & C is not for west coast. its WICKED CLOWN and You may think that the lives of a juggalo would be pumping your gas but you cant judge all by one or two peoples life decisions. Yes Faygo is a generic soda but oh sooo good with natural flavoring, Being a juggalo or juggalette is all about the out casts finding a place to fit in and have a family.
    JUGGALO FAMILY WHOOP WHOOP!
    MUCH CLOWN LOVE!!!!

  25. Hey guys….it’s the cheetos girl 😀 can’t say that was my proudest moment, or the best picture taken that night…that part came later. 😉 But, I just wanted to say thank you to Matt for braving our insanity for the night and posting these awesome mementos of my friends. I know it’s something not many people can understand, but for those keeping an open mind, I thank you. 🙂 I can assure you that for every crazy ass weirdo in our crowd, there are 3 really cool,suprisingly normal people…Well, maybe not normal, they probably all want to sell you drugs…Or buy your drugs….do you have drugs? XD I my self work at a large department store selling cosmetics. Not that you could tell from my crappy face paint, right? I’m also a single, working, nursing mother. I’m a vegetarian,sober since BEFORE I was pregnant and I support my daughter and myself independently; as organic and safely as possible. Before you judge, explore. You never know how much fun you could have until you party with the juggalos… : D Party on Portland , MMFCL!!!!

    P.S. Cheetos are only a thing for fat kids 🙂 FAT KID LOVE!

  26. BTW,Matt if I remember correctly you took a few other pictures of me that night too…so why only one with the fat kid pose?!?! hehe

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