When I was in college, my friend Paul told me that his best friend growing up was the guitar player for Nine Inch Nails (this was back in the ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ days). It seemed like every time Paul’s friend came to visit him at Ohio State, I was out of town and I never did have the chance to meet Rich Patrick. A few years later, another friend’s brother married Rich’s twin sister and, once again, I missed out on a chance to meet Rich. By this point Rich had left Nine Inch Nails and started Filter and become a big rock star. (I did have the opportunity to finally meet Rich when he was touring for ‘Title of Record’ but it was a quick handshake after a show).
Recently I’ve been craving some Filter music and loaded up all 3 CDs on my iPod along with the overlooked project Rich did with the DeLeo brothers of Stone Temple Pilots, Army of Anyone. And, not so surprisingly, the music sounds as good to me today as it did when it came out over ten years ago (Filter’s debut, ‘Short Bus’, was released in 1995).
I was listening to Tim Young’s Contrast Podcast, episode #95, (“My Brush With Fame”) today and heard one of the guest commentators Sid from Too Much Rock talk about how he had the opportunity to audition for Filter back when Rich started the band but didn’t pursue the gig because he didn’t want to move to Cleveland (oh the horror!).
For those who haven’t heard the news, Rich is putting the finishing touches on Filter’s fourth album, ‘Anthems for the Damned’, which is scheduled to be released in May.
It was just announced that Filter will be on the Rock on the Range bill in mid-May in Columbus, Ohio, a two-day festival featuring some huge names in modern rock (Kid Rock, Disturbed, Staind, Papa Roach, etc.) including the first reunion show for … Stone Temple Pilots. That might be kinda weird for Rich and the DeLeo brothers, don’t ya think?
Filter – “Welcome to the Fold”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYmMj-tEL10[/youtube]
Army of Anyone – “Goodbye”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k1VpTR4lJc[/youtube]