Filter: Dry Land

Filter
El Corazon, Seattle, WA
07.17.14

A packed house at El Corazon on Thursday night became witness to a man that had lost himself, found himself, tied down anchor, and was gut-wrenchingly honest about it. Filter came to Seattle with not just their trademarked brand of alternative sound, but with a clean slate and an eye for the future.

Singer Richard Patrick, humbled at 46 years old, still looks and sounds just as good as, say, twelve years ago. But he is a different man, with a different outlook, who has figured out a positive way to shift the weight on his shoulders. His performance tonight belies the tidal waves he’s been navigating over recent years. As the tides roll in and out, it appears he has docked himself, for now, in the harbor, safe and sound.

Filter took the stage twenty minutes late due to technical difficulties. Apologizing profusely, Patrick made it up to the crowd with a longer set. Opinionated and adamant, he lamented on what ‘alternative rock’ means today, where singing and playing a banjo has somehow made its way into the genre. They disregard the notion of playing for money, cars, and women, but rather for their fans, and to keep the flame of alternative rock alive.

Patrick spoke highly of his wife, whom he says kept him grounded without holding him back creatively. He said Surprise was written in praise of women, and that everybody needs to learn some form of love for each other. Skinny, in the same hand, was written for the kids that don’t fit into society’s notion of ‘normal.’ Standing through plenty of shows, I always appreciate the bands that give their fans a little backstory to their work, and Filter didn’t disappoint on conversation. Before playing Soldiers of Misfortune, Patrick reminisced on a friend from Portland, who had died in Iraq, at 21 years of age.

The entire floor moshed as El Corazon shook to life. The air inside was the only thing stifled, and the crowd stayed respectful throughout the set. A sweaty, happy, honest mess.

Set List:
No Love
Captain Bligh
American Cliché
Jurassitol
(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do
We Hate It When You Get What You Want
What Do You Say
Take a Picture
Surprise
Self Inflicted
Skinny
Soldiers of Misfortune
It’s My Time
The Best Things
Hey Man, Nice Shot
Dose
Welcome to the Fold