The future is fucked. At least, that’s what Terry Crews says after returning from the year 2524 in Mike Judge‘s 2006 Austin-filmed satire, Idiocracy.
Yesterday on Rainey Street, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden became home base for the actor’s Kick Ass Rally, a South by Southwest block party masquerading as a 2024 campaign event for Crews’ Idiocracy character Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho, President Camacho for short. Back from the future, Crews-as-Camacho declared he’d returned to “fix shit now,” employing the help of musical acts Armani White, Toasters ‘N’ Moose, and Thundercat.
Halfway through Toasters ‘N’ Moose’s 2010 “Taste the Biscuit,” which earned an unexpected TikTok resurgence last year, the actor began making numerous attention-averting appearances on a balcony while donning star-spangled bandanas, a shoulder-length wig, and a tank top with the seal of the President of the United States on the chest. Equally patriotic was the 79 Rainey Street patio, decorated with American suburbia string lights, bald eagles, and an endless supply of Brawndo – a yellow-canned, supposedly thirst-mutilating sports drink reminiscent of Gatorade and watered-down Mountain Dew.
Follow-up to a mock press conference held Saturday on Sixth Street, the free and open to the public concert offered few clues as to Crews’ intent behind reviving the character, with no announcements made regarding an Idiocracy sequel, energy drink sales, or upcoming projects for the actor.
In short, Crews’ rally was downright dystopian – in a funny, futuristic way, of course. Jumpsuit-clad and shutter-shaded event workers wandered the grounds watering plants with the aforementioned (and abundant) sports drink, while others handed out crucial campaign materials: a Camacho campaign bumper sticker and flier on the president’s policies. Not to mention the flowing beer supply and tiny bites for $12. Uhmerica. Or at least, that’s what the obnoxious banners and other promo materials referred to this great, semi-fictional nation as.
“Mike Judge was right. He’s always been right.” – Thundercat
Opener Armani White kicked things off with a reading of house rules (“Introduce yourself!”) and a showering of Welch’s Fruit Snacks. The rapper cycled through hits like “GOATED.,” “Onederful,” and “BILLIE EILISH.” with the help of a soulful backup singer and sizzling saxophonist.
Exactly 10 minutes later, Seventies pop duo Toasters ‘n’ Moose took the stage. Immediately sensing the audience’s confusion, the singers calmly explained who they were: the stars of the 2010 mockumentary Chickens in the Shadows. Explainer aside, Tom Shaw and Estelle Piper performed with ease and undeniable pep, even covering “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc. before initiating the President Camacho anthem, during which Crews naturally appeared, flipping the bird at everyone while dancing in place.
Toasters ‘n’ Moose served as a seamless segue into President Camacho’s campaign speech. Crews helmed the podium 20 minutes later, ditching a blue cape and flipping off the crowd once again. “Goddamn, y’all a bunch of weirdos,” Crews mused. “Y’all remind me of the future.” A collective laughter erupted before the actor groaned, “You dumbasses put the FU in future.”
Camacho rattled on about everything wrong with his 2524 present day: a collective forgetting of the recipe for cheese, the merging of Waffle House and Walmart, and even a DMV acquisition of HBO Max. But after all these stressors, he still reassured the crowd. “Camacho’s got ya! … Elect me, and I’ll worry about the rest.” This confidence could only be backed by one thing: a conclusive call to action presented by “Camacho’s great, great, great, great, great uncle, Thundercat.”
The Gucci hair clip-wearing, six-stringed bassist took the stage with nothing but a synth player and drummer. Thundercat toed the line of mystical and futuristic, all rumbles and gurgling bass lines. Providing the evening’s only direct reflection on Idiocracy’s continued relevance, the artist said, “Mike Judge was right. He’s always been right.”
During “Overseas,” the singer even showcased his airy falsetto, while the audience yelled back, “I wish I had nine lives” during “A Fan’s Mail.” The set veered from thump-and-jump to 8-bit reality before Thundercat closed with his most popular track, “Them Changes.” The band even played an extra song in response to a faltering encore. Ultimately, Thundercat saved the day.
Catch up with all of The Austin Chronicle‘s SXSW 2023 coverage.
This article appears in March 10 • 2023.