Filter is in the midst of working on their new album! They've been posting studio teaser videos and pics on Facebook, so make sure you "like" them! facebook.com/Filter
Doing a double take? Haha, that's just Filter's rotating drummers, Jeff and Elias!
Filter has some shows coming up, INCLUDING opening for Guns N' Roses THIS weekend!
MENEW toured with Filter earlier this year, and I had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing them perform several times. So everybody please check this out and make a donation! These guys are great! Support real talent and awesome music! There are incentives for your donations and they need to meet their goal by December 31st!
Well, I turned the big 3-0 on August 20th...I think I was expecting it to be a bigger deal to me heh, but I don't think it really has been. It just felt like another birthday really...Of course, it IS a bit strange when filling out any surveys or forms or whatnot online and such, and I have to remember I'm 30 now haha.
I had kind of my own little birthday treat to myself by seeing Filter in West Virginia the following weekend. It was at Shiley Acres, about a 2-hour drive from where I live in Virginia. And it was only about 30 minutes from a friend. So I got to make a weekend out of it, spend a day and night with my friend and her family, then go see Filter the next day.
This was my first time at Shiley Acres and I had to laugh when I pulled up on a farm and had to park in a cow pasture hahaha. I thought it was kind of funny for Filter to be playing there. But there was a huge crowd and an awesome show!
I didn't hear the first opening band, Silvertung, but I heard some of My Darkest Days. I was surprised when they played a cover of "Come Undone" by Duran Duran. That was an unexpected treat, since I also LOVE Duran Duran and it's one of my favorite songs.
Here's a recorded version of their cover.
The weather was iffy that day, it was cloudy and rainy off and on all day. When Filter took the stage it was raining, and it was for their whole set. It made it more fun to me though. Rocking out in the rain in a field to Filter felt pretty wild and uninhibited. It was perfect for my own personal birthday celebration.
Cameras weren't permitted, so I didn't get any pics or videos. Plus, the rain and the insanely loud sound would have made pics and video bad anyway. Before Filter came on, during sound check, I was standing in front of the speakers/amps to the left of the stage, and I could actually feel the air from the bass and drum hits haha. That was a concert first for me! I was thinking, I might be deaf after this show...but surprisingly I was not! I still believe my theory that I have ears of steel for music, due to lots of ear infections as a kid, and lots of fluid production in my ears.
Filter played "Under" again, which made me happy. They haven't played that one as much lately and I missed it! And it was my second time hearing Jeff Friedl play drums for that song. It's one of my favorite drum and bass parts, and the first time I heard Jeff play it in Syracuse back in May, he blew me away. He got my instant approval as Filter's drummer from that song alone. So it was awesome to hear him play it again.
Also, when I said the show felt wild and uninhibited, it wasn't only me haha. At one point, Phil Buckman had 3 bras hanging on his bass guitar. No, none of them were mine. ;^p But I found out one of the reasons the bass was so powerful that day, was from Phil's new Hartke amps. Be careful with those things man, they might blow us away like Marty McFly in the opening scene of Back to the Future!
I have to give mad props to Jonny Radtke too. He amazes me more each time I see him on guitar. I'm going to let out kind of a little biased secret about myself...guitar is usually the LAST thing I pay attention to in music. I love bass and drums, and then of course the vocals and lyrics, and guitar is the last element I notice. But there are a select few guitarists who have a certain style and talent that grab me, and Jonny sir, you are one of them. I've also become a fan of his solo project, which hasn't officially been released yet. But you can listen to some songs on the Polar Moon page. He also did a remix on the deluxe version of Julien-K's new album.
Richard Patrick gave an intense performance, as usual. The stage had a concrete base and was up pretty high so he couldn't get down to the audience easily. It's funny because I can tell now when he's looking for a way to come down to the crowd haha. In front of me, and those crazy speakers, was some kind of scaffolding, that had been shaking like crazy from the powerful sound. He decided to climb onto that scaffolding to make his way to the audience. I was kind of afraid that thing might collapse after the way it was shaking. But he came down and got to crowd surf to "Best Things."
It really was a wild show all around. I forgot to mention, when I went up front for Filter to come on, some girl was unconscious on the ground and got taken out on a stretcher. I don't know if she had just fainted or what. Hopefully it wasn't too serious, but that kind of displays the intensity of this crazy WV show haha.
Here's a crowd shot that Richard Patrick took. You can't see me, but I was further over to the right side in the front.
I have to be honest, I bailed before Buckcherry finished their set. I'm not really into them, so I left to beat the crowd so I could get home at a decent time on a Sunday night. But Shiley Acres was pretty cool, I'll have to keep an eye on their summer jams for anymore cool bands coming up.
I'm going to see Garbage at The National in a few days too. I've never seen them so I'm excited about that! Their latest album is great too, so check it out. And I'm thinking about catching Cat Power at 9:30 Club and Alanis Morissette at the Fillmore in October...But those depend on money, so they're iffy ones for now.
I also got the latest Silversun Pickups CD for my bday. Check that out too if you haven't heard it! I love them. I saw them once at The Norva and they were awesome.
I haven't officially announced it, but I am now...I'm going on ShipRocked again! I'm excited about that. I've been working a second job since May to help with that, as well as help me financially overall because I need the money! So I'll get to see Filter on the high seas again. :) The second band I'm the most excited about is Dead Sara. I really like them and was thrilled to hear they would be on the cruise too. I'd probably be more excited about Godsmack too, if I hadn't seen them before. But I'm looking forward to them too. And we'll see if I get turned onto any new bands too!
If you haven't heard Dead Sara, here is their most popular song.
Filter played two shows within a 2- to 3-hour drive from me in one week! Since I rag on them so much to play more in this area, I HAD to go out and support them on both Tuesday and Saturday.
I took the day off on Tuesday and planned to drive up and arrive around noonish to avoid the morning and evening rush hour traffic. Ram's Head Live is right by Inner Harbor, which has plenty of things to do. I like Baltimore and hadn't been to the National Aquarium in years, so I decided to spend most of the day there. I was also planning to have an early dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, because I have a weird thing that if I go anywhere that has a Hard Rock Cafe, I have to go there...haha. Sometimes it's just to get a souvenir though. It didn't work out this time because the timing of the dolphin show at the aquarium interfered. So I ate something at the aquarium's cafeteria, saw the dolphin show, and had time to make it to the show before doors opened. I HAD been to that Hard Rock Cafe before too, so I let myself off the hook this time...
This was the first time I'd been to Ram's Head Live, it's a cool venue. And there's a parking garage right there that you can park in all day, so that was convenient. Oh and I stole a flyer off the wall hehehe. They did not allow cameras though, so I didn't bother taking mine in. Some people got some shots with cell phones, but my battery was actually low and I wanted to save it for the drive home.
Show Flyer and a used drumstick from Jeff Friedl
I had only overheard a little of Menew's set at the last show in NY, but I listened to some of their stuff online prior to this show and wanted to see them this time. I saw them and the first opening band, who were locals I believe. I'm sorry I don't remember their name. They were pretty good. But I became a fan of Menew that night after catching their performance this time. To me, music without dynamics is like chocolate without cocoa beans...it's not even considered chocolate, or music haha. So Menew made me an instant fan because they are extremely dynamic. I can hear the slight comparison to Muse that some claim, but I think they have a style that's very much their own.
The vocals, partially due to one of the effects used in a few songs, reminds me of The The. If you're not familiar with that band, here is their most well known song, which I love:
Filter put on a very powerful set after Fuel. There was one chic near me who was screaming so incessantly, the security guys almost kicked her out hahaha. And some guy was wearing makeup like The Crow, which was interesting. He happened to be friends with the screaming girl too...Always a mix of people at concerts! After the show Filter signed autographs at the merch table, which by the way, check out all their cool stuff! I have two of the newer girl's tshirts, the travel coffee mug, keychain, bracelet....It's all cool.
The rest of the night I spent hanging out, and ended up not heading home until about 2:30 a.m. haha. That was NOT planned well on my part since I did not take off work the following day! So I got to bed around 4:30 and then got up around 7:30 to go to work haha. That was a long day...But it was worth it!
Saturday actually seemed to roll around fast after that. It felt kinda funny that it was already time to go to another show. And like a crazy woman, I agreed to pick up a shift on Sunday at my second job because they needed someone to cover. Again, not the best decision haha. But hey, I need the money to keep up this traveling/concert lifestyle. ;)
Phase 2 in Lynchburg is a relatively new venue. It used to be a different place and got revamped into this concert venue. I liked it, and it's kind of off to itself in the middle of the trees and mountains of good ole Virginny (that's Virginia for you non-state natives haha). I was happy that Filter finally played a show in my actual state. Before this, the closest they came to Virginia was DC. I saw them twice in DC, once last year and back in 2008 when I finally got to see Filter for the first time.
I was able to get videos at this show. I took some pics but didn't really get any good ones. Since I was staying with a friend and didn't have to drive that night, I actually had some alcoholic beverages for once....and had quite a few hehe. So I blame my lack of photography skills on that. ;^p It probably looked in focus to me at the time...haha.
There was another local opening band first, then Menew. I bought one of their CDs at the merch table beforehand and was going to ask them to sign it after they played. Well, during the last song of their set, I realized I no longer had the CD in my hand....and recalled setting it down in the bathroom earlier. So I went back in there to look for it, but sadly it was gone...So yes, I went back to the merch table and bought the CD AGAIN haha, because I am hardcore like that. I just want to put out there that whoever took my first CD from the bathroom, karma is watching you! You better be blasting that CD everywhere and telling all of your friends about Menew! I am a firm believer in buying music and supporting the artists, so consider that a gift from me to a stranger to help spread the music.
The SECOND one I bought haha, that the guys signed.
THIS is why I still buy physical CDs instead of downloading mp3s. I think the liner notes and album artwork add to an artist's album experience. And I LOVE this original idea. Each CD has a copy of handwritten lyrics to one of the songs on the CD. I got track 10. I wonder which song was in the FIRST copy of the CD I bought haha.
I was able to get front and center for their set and got two videos. "Wide Awake" is the title track and "Don't Give Up On Us Now" is my favorite song on the album so far. These guys are also very sweet and dare I say cute, and I think I have a crush on the entire band...hahaha. So DEFINITELY check out Menew!
I did catch Fuel's set. They put on a great performance, I'm just not a hardcore fan of Fuel so I don't get into them as much. I do like some of their songs and I'm not trying to knock them at all. I still enjoyed their set.
But of course, Filter was the big deal for me haha. I was surprised, but I actually got front and center again! By the way, thanks to the nice guy who let me up there both times, for Menew AND Filter. I didn't get your name, but I appreciated your courtesy. :)
I was totally in the zone for this performance. Sometimes it's great at concerts, sometimes it's mediocre (not talking about Filter though), and sometimes it's just dead on. This night it was magical for me. I don't know if the alcohol had any influence on me haha, but I was feeling completely surreal during their set. Just totally connected, singing all the words, and almost oblivious to my surroundings. It was just the music and the band and that was it, I was all caught up in it. That's what I love about concerts, when those awesome experiences happen. I got some videos and they're kinda dizzy, but it's because I was trying to get more shots of the crowd per request. And I wasn't turning around, I was just pointing the camera behind me and moving my arm back and forth haha. So hey, I don't think they came out too bad considering!
After the show and hanging out and all, I ended up going to bed again around 5 a.m. Then I got up around 7:30 to pack, shower and drive about 3 hours home, changed clothes and went straight to work haha. When I got home that evening, I was whooped. But I survived and I had a blast and I look forward to the next show!
NOW, in other wonderful news...I put a plug in my blog before for people to back an indie film project on kickstarter.com that would debut Richard Patrick in an acting role...and on the way home from the concert, I found out they met their goal! And it was even met a day early! So that news made me very happy. I'm also a movie buff, and if you don't know, Richard's brother, Robert Patrick, is an actor whose most notable role was the T-1000 in Terminator 2. So I know there is talent in Richard's blood! And I've been pushing for him to be in a movie ever since I first heard him mention the idea about 2 years ago. Go back in my blog archives to August/September 2010 haha. Listen to that Suicide Girls Radio Show link when I called in and you will hear me ask Richard about getting into acting! So needless to say, I am very excited and also happy and proud for Richard. I hope the movie is awesome and gets lots of attention.
THIS has really gotten under my skin. Some blogger, who has a free blog on wordpress, just like I have a free blog right here on blogger, has accused one of my favorite bands, Filter, of being associated with the Aurora shooter.
The only thing I regret about posting this, is giving this ignoramus more views on his blog. But he's practicing his freedom of speech, so right back at ya! The inaccurate blog posting by this dummy.
I posted a comment on his blog to correct his inaccurate assumptions in an attempt to develop a conspiracy theory, but he deleted my comment. So let me post my ACCURATE report on the internet to counteract your BS sir.
Here is what my comment said: I don’t know what that DVD is but it is NOT related to the music video of the Filter song “Soldiers of Misfortune.” Filter wrote that song and that entire album “Anthems for the Damned” in 2008 as a remembrance of one of their fans/friends who died in the war. They are anti-war/pro-troops. The video’s symbolism is obviously referencing the war being based on oil. It has NOTHING to do with this psycho who killed people in a movie theater. You just turned something that was a eulogy to a friend into something horrible and you’re totally wrong. Check your facts before you throw this crap out on the internet. I just saw Filter LAST NIGHT and right before they performed this song live, they said just what I have said here, that it was for a friend/fan who was killed in the war and they were against war but for the troops. Does anyone LIKE soldiers being killed in war? You need to take this down.
Hey look, here's that stupid paintball movie that the shooter had--NOTHING to do with Filter. Derder Soldiers of Misfortune Paintball Movie And here's a description of the movie: "Soldiers of Misfortune takes you into the life of Hybrid Technologies "Contract Killers." Hybrid has taken considerable time and effort to assemble a group of paintballers notorious for their unique style and personas."
Look I'm a big fancy pants legitimate reporter now because I can google stuff on the internet and pretend that everything with the same phrase in it is uber connected and a big conspiracy. Whoopdee DOO! You don't know nuthin fool!
Now, why don't you intelligent people out there go buy this Filter album that has nothing to do with this crap, and check out some meaningful, emotional music: Filter "Anthems for the Damned"
Might I add that Filter went to the middle east personally to perform for the troops 3 times during the war. If this guy had looked into ANYthing, he would have realized how ridiculous this is.
I have not found any proof anywhere else that the shooter listened to Filter's song or watched their music video. It is completely unrelated.
But this isn't the first time Filter has faced false controversy. Their first hit single in 1995 "Hey Man, Nice Shot" was met with rumors about it being written about Kurt Cobain. These rumors were also incredibly untrue. Richard Patrick wrote the song prior to Kurt Cobain's death. It was coincidence that it was released afterwards and people jumped to conclusions.
Only positive thing is, I hope this draws more attention to Filter in a GOOD way. They're touring and working on a new album right now. Check them out, they're awesome. officialfilter.com
And don't even get me started on the subject of movies or music causing killings like this...War, murder, violence, weapons and psychos were ALL going on way before movies were being made or music was protesting government.
Well I got to see Filter in NYC at Irving Plaza last week. We took the train from VA and had quite the adventure in the big apple. Got to see some Filter friends and meet some new ones and see the Filter guys of course!
Richard Patrick
Jonny Radtke
Jeff Friedl
Fuel played before Filter and they put on a good show too. They're doing several shows together the next few months.
We also got to meet Matt Pinfield haha! I remember him from MTV.
Matt Pinfield
Filter played a short set but brought it. I was in no attire to deal with moshers, so after a few encounters toward the front, I moved further back this time. One disadvantage of getting girlied up for NY. The other disadvantage was my feet hated me from the shoes I was wearing.
I didn't get good shots of the show itself because the lighting was awful. So I won't post anymore pics in here, but you can see the album here.
This is the only video I got this time. Security made my friend stop recording it, but meanwhile other people got plenty of videos. If you're going to say no video, you need to be consistent Irving Plaza!
Let me backtrack about the train trip. This was my first time taking a real train trip anywhere. The way up was pretty smooth. It was funny though waiting at the train station in the morning with other people who were mainly going to work. We were in our night clothes and we got some interesting looks. We also had no clue what we were doing, so a few businessmen gave us some guidelines haha.
When we got to Penn Station it was a HUGE contrast to the Fredericksburg station. We have like two tracks...Penn Station was like an airport. We wandered around a little bit and found an Irish Pub to eat at called Pig N Whistle. I got some yummy shepherd's pie there. And then I didn't get a chance to do my makeup before we left, so I brought it with me. I ended up doing my makeup in the bathroom at this place haha. So thanks Pig N Whistle! It was very dimly lit in there though. And I also put in my earrings in there, which will come up again in just a moment...
We caught the 3 a.m. train to come home, because the whole point of the train was to avoid driving in NYC, the cost of gas for the trip, and the cost of a hotel room. So we were pulling a 24-hour trip here basically. The train ride home was quite different and the weird thing is, the train was packed. It was mostly empty on the trip up there in the morning. Strange...
My friend slept most of the way home, I have trouble sleeping in situations like that for some reason. I remember staying awake on 14-hour bus trips for band in high school. But I did manage to doze off at one point. So when I woke up again, I touched my hair and noticed a matted section. I was wondering what I had gotten in my hair. Then I look down and there's blood on my chest. Turns out in the dim lighting in that bathroom, apparently putting in one of my earrings, I somehow made a new hole or something. I really don't know how I did that. But I had taken my earrings out on the train because they get irritated very easily. So then I guess it bled a lot. So when we made it home I know we were looking rough at that point hahaha. Still in our night clothes, half worn off makeup, and me with blood in my hair. What a hot mess. But it was fun!
And now for some other Filter stuffs!
Richard Patrick is supposed to be in an indie film, but the project needs your support to get completed! Please pledge even just $1 and spread the word! I really want to see him get into some acting!
Go to kickstarter.com to help out! They only have 13 more days to reach their goal!
Filter also has a lot of new merchandise for sale online as well as goodies only available at shows. So be sure to check it all out! I got two shirts and a coffee mug and I think I'll be grabbing some other things at the next show that aren't online.Filter Store
Be sure to keep an eye on officialfilter.com and their Facebook events page for tour dates! New ones are being added here and there so don't miss 'em! And don't forget the VIP and Roadie packages!
7/20 River Rockhouse St. Charles, IL
7/21 The Orbit Room Grand Rapids, MI
7/24 Ram's Head Live Baltimore, MD
7/26 Sammy T's Huntsville, AL
7/28 Phase 2 Lynchburg, VA
7/29 Altar Pittsburgh, PA
7/31 Fillmore Charlotte, NC
8/1 Cherry Civic Center Paducah, KY
8/2 Mojoe's Joliet, IL
8/4 Sioux Empire Fair Sioux Falls, SD
8/7 The Garage Kearney, NE
8/11 Hard Rock Hotel poolside Las Vegas, NV
8/14 Roxy Theatre West Hollywood, CA
8/16 4th and B San Diego, CA
8/25 Famously Hot Music Festival Columbia, SC
8/26 Shiley Acres Inwood, WV
9/16 XFest Dayton, OH
11/27-12/1 ShipRocked
And here are some links and videos: Look, listen, love!
May was a bit of a concert adventure month for me...I saw Filter at Krock's DFB in Syracuse, NY, The Cranberries at the 9:30 Club in DC, and several bands at the DC101 Chili Cookoff.
DC101 CHILI COOKOFF
The first event was the Chili Cookoff...which my first impression was actually disappointment at the news that Angels and Airwaves were not going to be there. They were the top band I wanted to see. I WILL see them one of these days! But I was also eager to see Awolnation and Cake for the first time, and having seen Neon Trees and Incubus before, they were also welcome to the bill for me.
It's been a few years since I've gone to a big festival style concert...and that crowd was ROUGH. I got worn out pretty quickly, the thought that I might be getting old actually crossed my mind haha! It was on asphalt for one thing, which made it feel even hotter with the sun beating down. And being short just makes you feel even MORE smushed inbetween all the sweaty people, almost stifling. The crowd surfers were even annoying just because they were so constant. I couldn't focus on the bands and the music much, which kind of defeated the purpose for me...Maybe if I'd been drunk like 99% of the attendees, then I would have been happy haha. But instead, I was mostly annoyed.
Neon Trees gave a great performance though, I really like them, ever since I saw them open for Duran Duran last year. The singer is full of energy and at the end he announced that their drummer was currently 6 months pregnant, and she was still performing! That was pretty amazing.
Awolnation was good, but I didn't think the vocals were loud enough. And it may have been the crowd that made it less enjoyable for me, but I was kind of hoping for more from them...I really like their album. Live didn't do it for me as much. But that's the only band I got a picture of because it was just too hard to try and snap pictures in that audience.
Awolnation
Cake sounded great, even though the singer complained about his voice giving out. I still really liked their performance, despite not being able to see absolutely any parts of the band, due to the crowd and my lack of height....
Incubus was great as usual, I've seen them three times previously, but it's been a few years. I stayed for about half of their set, then I had enough. The crowd surfers got to a ridiculous point of frequency. I saved one girl's life I think...and she may not even realize it. But she was almost dropped directly on her head on the pavement. She fell onto my shoulder and somehow I got her in like a headlock with my arm and held her up until more people got her back to surfing. Some other people had her feet still, but if I hadn't caught her she would have cracked her skull open I'm sure. So shortly after that incident, I decided to leave and beat the traffic of everyone else leaving when it was over. Sorry Incubus...
THE CRANBERRIES
Now, a few days later, I had the pleasure of catching one of my favorite bands for the second time in my life. I've loved The Cranberries since I first heard their hit "Linger," and did get to see them once back in 1999. This show was sold out at the 9:30 Club, and after the cookoff experience, I didn't feel like trying to get to the front of the audience that night. So I just stayed toward the back and saw some of it from inbetween people's shoulders, and enjoyed the music. They sounded awesome and it was an amazing, positive vibe circulating in the air. It was one of my favorite kinds of concerts, when you feel that extra something special, like the music is connecting to you.
I got some pictures, nothing great. And I didn't know I could record video that night, so I missed out on that opportunity. But it was a great concert and I would love to see them again in the future.
It was a road trip to see Filter again, but I think that's kind of becoming a habit for me now haha. I go on little adventures for Filter. :) This time was no exception. It was about a 7 hour drive to Syracuse, New York. But it was very pretty through the mountains and trees and wasn't a bad trip at all. Due to Memorial Day weekend, I got a free hot dog at a rest stop, and a ladybug landed on my hand, which I consider good luck.
I bunked up at the Best Western which was right down the street from the New York State Fairgrounds where the show was being held. They were the closest and cheapest hotel, therefore the most convenient, and it was a very nice hotel. I even got awesome room service food there, as well as an impressive free breakfast.
I missed the first handful of bands at Krock's Dysfunctional Family BBQ, since I was traveling. But I arrived in time to see Hurt, who went on before Filter. I also caught Flogging Molly after Filter and they were great too. I had heard of both of those bands before, but wasn't that familiar with their music. I left wanting to look up their songs. So needless to say, I liked their performances.
I managed to get up front for Filter, since I planned on trying to get some videos, which I did. That crowd wasn't quite as jam packed as the DC101 Chili Cookoff, but they were rougher. At least I didn't have the annoying crowd surfers there though. There was an intense mosh pit, that luckily stayed far enough away from me most of the time. But one girl next to me was rather annoying, intoxicated, and kept bumping into me and stuff. So my camera work came out shaky. The security guys also blocked my view a few times, as you can see in some of the videos too haha. But I still had fun and Filter killed it!
Jonny Radtke
Phil Buckman
One part of the show that was disappointing was when they were about to play "Best Things," when Richard Patrick typically crowd surfs. They were cut off and informed of a time constraint, so they didn't get to play the song. So they jumped right into "Hey Man, Nice Shot" to finish up their set. That was kind of a bummer and some of the audience was even yelling their objections, especially the ones who were ready for Richard to jump in the crowd.
Richard Patrick
So it was a bit chaotic, but still a blast of a performance. It was also my first time seeing Filter with their new drummer, Jeff Friedl. I was very impressed, especially when he tore it up on one of my fave drum parts in "Under." So Jeff has my approval as the new Filter drummer haha.
Jeff Friedl
That was about it...we'll see when and where my next concert adventure will be...
In the mean time, enjoy my pics and videos and such. As always, look, listen and love!
Filter News! And a few upcoming concert adventures of mine...The Cranberries at 9:30 Club and DC101 Chili Cookoff. Unfortunately, neither of those events allows video recording, so pictures might be my only documentation to share in my blog afterwards. I also tacked on some other random songs at the end that have recently caught my ear...So per usual, look, listen, and love!
And now for some fun pics from the dudes of Filter. These guys are such goofs, I love 'em hehe! ;)
Jonny Radtke and Jeff!
Richie wakey wakey...
Jeff's kit (which I am strangely fascinated by b/c it's a left-handed setup).
Rich in the studio working on the new album! I think the wacky mind behind Filter is truly revealed in this pic hahaha.
Sound check with Filter's new drummer Jeff Friedl! And yes ladies and gentlemen, Phil Buckman stuck around.
http://www.loveforluca.org/Love for Luca is an organization developed in honor of Lucca Assante, a remarkable four year old Annapolis, Maryland native who has battled and is currently in remission against rare form of cancer, called rabdomysarcoma. The purpose and mission of Love for Luca is to raise money for The Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Musculoskeletal Tumor Research Program.
Enjoy some nice vids from the Florida Music Festival:
I like when Rich says, "Put your ovaries into it!" bahahahaha
Some new merch at the Filter store! I would like the shirt AND the coffee mug please...
Besides our first show in years, our recent trip to California also included a very special recording session for the new record. Hours before we played in Hollywood, we had the pleasure of tracking Richard Patrick (Filter ) for the new album. The session went better than planned and will see the Filter frontman duet with Joshua on two new Stayte tracks.
Richie on Dance Party USA with Nine Inch Nails back in the day haha.
Here's an oldie but goodie...lesser known video.
Keep an eye on officialfilter.com/tour for tour dates! They just played in Florida and have a few shows coming up in Texas too.
Filter is going to be on ShipRocked again this year! I'm doubtful I can go again because I'm not able to afford it right now, but take it from me, it's worth the trip! So if you can go, don't pass it up! Jump aboard here!
I'm excited about seeing The Cranberries for my second time! I saw them the first time in 1999 at Nissan Pavilion and it was an awesome show. This is going to be a club show so it will be much more intimate, which makes me even more pumped! Dolores O'Riordan is my fave female singer and a huge influence on my own attempts at making music. It would be awesome to meet her, so maybe I'll get lucky.
One of my fave songs off their new album.
I'm ALSO excited to go to the DC101 Chili Cookoff this year! There are FIVE bands I want to see. I've never seen AWOLNATION, Angels & Airwaves or Cake, and I like all three of them. I saw Neon Trees once when they opened for Duran Duran last October and they're good. And I've actually seen Incubus three times haha because they always seem to be at festivals I go to. I saw them at HFStival, Moby's Area One Festival and Lollapalooza. They always put on a good show too. So it should be a blast! And it's been quite awhile since I've gone to an all-day concert event too, so that will be nice for me too. I'll probably have to skip the chili though b/c I don't wanna spend the whole day in the port-a-potty...
Here are songs from each of the bands I want to see there!
And here's a song I heard on the show "Being Human," which I recently got into...I really like this song by Absofacto.
Another song I liked from that show, by LP.
New Silversun Pickups song, love them too! Their new album "Neck of the Woods" comes out May 8th!
This song reminds of me Sting and The Police, but I like it, Gotye.
This was my 8th Filter show and as always they rocked the house. No matter the crowd size or venue size, Filter always brings it onstage 100%. This particular concert was at the Backstage Bar of the House of Blues, which is within The Showboat hotel and casino. It was my first time to Atlantic City and I'm not much of a gambler, so I just came for the music. Here are some pics and vids I got. Look, listen, love!
The mohawk! This might be my favorite Richard Patrick hairstyle haha.
Sorry the camera drops at one point, he was giving me a hug haha.
Jonny and Richie
Phil
Only decent shot I got of Mika. It was his last show with Filter. :(
Action shot! hehe
This is one of my faves and I really felt the emotion in this performance too.
My favorite! *heart*
He took my camera this time hehe and right before that Phil was throwing his pic up and trying to catch it with the lyric, "like a pin drop," but he kept missing and we both started laughing.
Richie's legs! haha
Phil catching the mic stand with his foot haha. It is unsure right now if Phil will be staying with Filter or not...
Now, the following weekend on St. Patrick's Day, I went to see some old friends of mine. Jojo and Geoff used to be in Elephant Boy and now they're doing a radio show and Jojo started his own band. So they played some songs and Geoff stepped in on a few too. It was a fun time and I always have a good time on St. Patty's Day. I say it must be Irish luck from the bit of Irish in my blood.
And I will close with my favorite Irish Prayer:
May God give you,
for every storm, a rainbow,
for every tear, a smile,
for every care, a promise,
and a blessing in each trial;
for every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share,
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