Nate "Igor" Smith

And Nate "Igor" Smith took both photos. Your move, Fake Das Racist. [Driven By Boredom's Tumblr]

photo by Nate "Igor" Smith

Hannibal Buress walks through a city of lost souls, i.e. the Gathering of the Juggalos' Drug Bridge

On the comedy stage of All Tomorrow's Parties New York this weekend is the recently minted 30 Rock writer Hannibal Buress. The local comic's been all over the festival circuit this summer, from Pitchfork to Wilco's Solid Sound to the Gathering of the Juggalos. The latter is where he told dearly departed Paste that Tina Fey discovered him for his new job.

More >>

photo by Nate "Igor" Smith

Tila Tequila, trying to tame an angry mob with party-store supplies

There was bound to be a problem at the 11th annual Gathering of the Juggalos--and there was. In one corner, we have a Playboy-model-turned-reality TV star who became famous only because she had the most friends on MySpace after Tom. In the other corner, we have a very widely reviled American subculture. On her reality MTV dating-show, Tila Tequila chose from 16 ostensibly attractive partners, both men and women, twice; Juggalos tend to empathize so deeply with the Insane Clown Posse-invented character Super Balls, a superhero whose duty/misfortune is to copulate with all the unsexy women in the world ("Ain't no bitch too fat/Ain't no bitch too wack/Ain't no bitch too ugly"), that many males have the song's SB logo tattooed on their bodies. Last week, Tila Tequila Tweet-bragged about how she's "at a fitting to see what I'm going to wear for my performance at the 11th Anniversary Juggalo's Gathering on Friday!! (yay i can't wait!)"; Juggalos are a group of people who regard show-off "richies" with just a smidgen less contempt than bigots. To wit, when I pulled out my iPhone last Friday at the Gathering, a Juggalo I'd been talking with looked down and said matter-of-factly, "Fuck your iPhone." I put it away for the rest of the trip.

More >>

all photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

Tila Tequila at the Gathering of the Juggalos

People on the internet like conspiracy theories, so there's been some online speculation that one of the injuries Tila Tequila claimed came from her Gathering of the Juggalos debacle--a bite-shaped mark on her right side, sent to TMZ as evidence--was actually there before Saturday. The reason: the photo above, taken during the show, in which she's photographed still semi-clothed, with that wound. But as you can see from the photos our man Nate "Igor" Smith took when she first came out onstage, she isn't lying about this:

More >>

all photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

Blaze, one of Insane Clown Posse's proteges, in the merch tent. Full gallery of 52 facepainted Juggalos is here.

One of the more surprising aspects to the Gathering of the Juggalos was how few people there painted their faces. Clown make-up was sold on site, but one ICP fan told me that only about 20 percent of Juggalos actually paint these days, and that's a fairly accurate reflection of what I saw, though the sweltering 95-degree weather may've been a factor. But even with the heat and humidity, ICP's members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope always appeared in paint (except for the time Shaggy was spotted plain-faced on a golf cart), as was ICP protégé Blaze. My photographer and I spotted Blaze in the merch tent--that photo is above, 24 other human cartoons are below.

More >>

Nate "Igor" Smith. If you steal photos and don't link back, we will come and find you.

Method Man, after getting hit at the Gathering of the Juggalos.

Yes, Method Man did get hit in the face during his set with Redman at the Gathering of the Juggalos on Sunday night. Witnessed this too, though from the crowd, not the stage. It was about a minute and a half into "A-Yo," and all the sudden, a flying object struck him in the head. The music stopped, Method Man winced, looked momentarily like the Incredible Hulk about to transform, and for a second, appeared as if he was going to pounce on the people below him. Immediately, the unnerved crowd booed, and began chanting, "You fucked up! You fucked up!" at the anonymous person who fired the shot. But even though Redman beckoned, "Method Man, your face is cut, go take care of that," Method insisted his DJ turn the music back on, and in less than a minute, they went right back into "A-Yo" and finished the whole show. Afterwards, there were medics at his tour bus.

More >>

all photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

Not sure what good being in the front-row does with a greasy DJ, but here it is

Another Friday, another night of organized debauchery at Webster Hall's club night, Girls & Boys. This time, the man on the decks was MSTRKRFT's Jesse F. Keeler, who goes by JFK solo. According to our camera on the scene, it was a zillion degrees at Webster Hall that night, but otherwise, as far as these things go, this one looks pretty standard: pumped fists, hugging dolled-up ladies, women stripped down to bras. All yours below.

More >>

all photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

NYPD pays a visit to the Street Boners book-release party

Last Thursday, the NYPD shut down our favorite Wu-Tang-endorsed, Superman-marked DIY space, Party Expo, during the release party for Gavin McInnes's Street Boners book. Wyldlife and Das Racist were scheduled to play after McInnes regaled the room with "live Street Boners," but Das Racist never did.

More >>

all photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

Don't care what you say, Thurston still looks bad-ass

The Anthology Film Archives celebrated its 40th anniversary last night at the Hiro Ballroom. The scene was, by all accounts, an intimately swanky affair--reserved tables started at $500; mezzanine tickets cost $99 a piece. The steep entry fee was not only a gesture of support for the New York institution, but payment to witness a bill stocked with formative downtown-art figures. The Virgins opened, Sonic Youth appeared to make guitar-feedback noodle-pie, Philip Seymour Hoffman spoke, Julian Schnabel ascended the stage to yell at people talking. ("That was pretty amazing," our photographer Igor reports.) Avant-garde grandpa Jonas Mekas presented underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger with a lifetime achievement award; for the occasion, Anger pulled his band Technicolor Skull out of mothballs for "a rare performance." Also, there was this guy named Lou who wouldn't let anyone take pictures. We happened upon one anyway. Full Anthology Film Archives 40th Anniversary gallery here; highlights below.

More >>

Dinner With the Band guest and Santos' co-owner Andrew W.K., Food Party creator Thu Tran‎, and Dinner With the Band chef Sam Mason

The second season of the Williamsburg-produced Dinner With the Band, a show that's title conveniently functions as elevator pitch, airs tonight at 10:30 pm on IFC. Hosted by Tailor chef Sam Mason--whose tattooed right-sleeve and messily sculpted faux-hawk get as much attention as his stint as WD-50's pastry magician--Dinner With the Band pairs a NYC restaurant-world blog-celeb whose creations wincingly get compared to "rock-and-roll on a plate" with blog-celeb musicians. As conceived by Finger on the Pulse twins Darin and Greg Bresnitz, Mason and his guests stand around a spotless, sparkling kitchen, banter casually about road-food stories, and prepare personalized dishes (Les Savy Pheasant, Sharon Steaks and the Dap Rings with Red Eye Gravy). Through the magic of post-production, the performers play songs as the meal cooks--and wha la, you have a web-to-television show.

More >>