06 May An Unfiltered Preview

It has been many, many years since I have heard the songs of Cleveland’s industrial rock act Filter, but I remember a great deal. The band’s rise to fame occurred when my ears were just starting to consume music differently– I was listening for more. If I close my eyes right now, I can very vividly see lead singer Richard Patrick suspended in water– reaching for fish. There was burned plane wreckage and a beautiful girl searching for something. That video played over and over again on MTV– my malleable mind soaked it up.

In the late 90s, Filter was everywhere with their aggressive, metallic sound. Their hits, “Hey Man Nice Shot,” “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do,” “Take A Picture,” and “Where Do We Go From Here” are all staples for us millennials (and then some). Each of those songs seems to contain a different longing.

Today, Filter may bring some closure to those twisty tracks. Patrick and his cast of musicians will take the Tire Kingdom Stage at 8:00 p.m. We can assume we will hear the hits, and be able to rock along, but what else should you know?

Here are some fun facts to make you feel nostalgic:

• Patrick was originally a touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails during their promotion of Pretty Hate Machine.
• He split from Trent Reznor to create music with guitarist Brian Liesegang. They called themselves Filter.
• Their first album, Short Bus, was released in 1995 and was successful– selling more than 1M copies in the U.S.
• Liesegang left in 1997, and Patrick kept the name. Also in 1997? The Crystal Method’s rework, “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do,” was released.
• Arguably their biggest hit, “Take A Picture,” was released in 1999, off Filter’s album Title of Record. (The song is about a dispute on an airplane.)
• And in 2002, we were gifted “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Patrick and his most recent lineup continue to make music and albums. In 2016, Patrick released Filter’s seventh studio album, Crazy Eyes. His passion for creating music, and remaining honest, is unrelenting.

“Being yourself is the most important thing,” Patrick said, in a press release. “I authentically went places I’d never gone before. That was from my heart. I’m trying to be as genuine as possible to what Filter is. It’s about sounding different, forward, and original.”