Haute and Freddy Charmed the Realm at Music Box with The Rubin Brothers
Last Tuesday night, June 16th, Haute and Freddy brought their Our Big Disgrace Tour to the Music Box in San Diego, turning it into their own circus of artistry and self-expression. Big Disgrace is the theatrical pop duo’s first album, from the minds of Michelle Buzz (vocals) and Lance Shipp (drums and percussion). The two have years history songwriting together for big names in the industry, and only released their own first single in 2024, Scantily Clad. They went on their first small tour last year and have continued into this year with festivals and bigger cities, bringing their 80s inspired pop synth sound and runaway circus act aesthetic to the stage.
The opening act for the night were the Rubin Brothers, real life siblings who put on a show combining jazz, comedy, improv, and musical acrobatics. Colescott Rubin, on upright bass and vocals, and AJ Rubin on trumpet and vocals, they brought humor and levity to the stage, singing about cheese and killer whales. They had a lot of tricks up their sleeve, making up songs on the spot, playing flamenco style music on the whim of a crowd suggestion, playing bass while standing on it and blindfolded, playing trumpet on a unicycle, (also blindfolded), not to mention the juggling and upside down kazoo. They were energetic and fun, interacting and joking with the crowd, livening up the audience in preparation for Haute and Freddy to blow us away.
Haute and Freddy’s show began with a short visual piece welcoming us into their world as circus freak runaways. The stage was complete with red curtains and their names in red and gold lettering above ornate golden archways. The opened up the set with the song Anti-Superstar. Lead vocalist “Haute” (Michelle Buzz) has magnetizing stage presence and a transformative power in the movement of her body and face that creates an immersive experience into the highly theatrical world they’ve created. She was wearing an embroidered crown, lace gloves, and a red and plaid poofy ensemble, fit with a prize ribbon titled “Royal Fool.” The forceful and dazzling energy coming from Haute paired beautifully with the pure radiant joy that came from Freddy on the drums. Every glimpse at him revealed a wide smile across his whole face, like it’s where he’s always belonged.
The spirit of the circus act stayed alive as they invited multiple fans to be on stage during the song Scantily Clad. These fan did not mess around when it came to fashion, many of whom were dressed exactly for the role and were plucked from the crowd to take part. There was a Queen, a King, two knights, a Pope and a jester. It brought the room together in a beautiful way as fans were part of the performance and part of the lively and jumping audience. The fun wasn’t over as they moved on into an improv moment, asking lucky crowd members their astrological sign and any other extra tidbits about them, and turning it into a song. The crowd erupted in laughter and so did Haute herself after some of the lines she came up with.
The crowd came alive during the songs Freaks and I Like My People Weird, songs that serve as love letters to those who feel like outsiders in the world. The audience erupted in joy and self-expression as the whole room sang together, “All the pretty girls and all the pretty boys are freaks!”
Haute and Freddy and their circus act made the room feel like the safest haven for all the freaks and weirdos of the realm. They put on an incredible show at Music Box and are continuing their tour at multiple festival dates throughout the summer and heading to the East Coast in September!
