Filter

FILTER

AT THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

FRIDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2000

By Lina Reyes

Patrick and company never cease to amaze in a live performance, and this evening Filter truly took the stage at the Hollywood Palladium. This is the second time I've seen this band live; the first was at the family Values Tour last fall, where they went beyond any expectations I may have had for them. This night was certainly no exception. Richard Patrick, Geno Lenardo, Steven Gillis and Frank Cavanagh gave a dynamic, energetic and powerful performance.

Filter just rocks!

Although not as heavy as the new breed of rock that is currently on the rise, you will find a Filter set filled with crunchy guitar riffs, pleasingly heavy bass, and they can write a hook. And when Richard opens up and releases that signature scream on you, eardrums beware!. The band interacted with the audience quite a bit. Geno walking off onto the shoulders of the stage to be closer to the audience.

The band played just under 15 songs, including "Welcome to the Fold," "It's Gonna Kill Me," "Skinny," The Best Things," "Hey Man Nice Shot," and "Take a Picture." Richard Patrick even took a stage dive (a big surprise), returning to the stage with his shirt torn off, looking to have been nearly devoured by the hungry crowd.

Patrick worked the stage, sang with all he had and, yes ladies, looked damn pretty! This man can sing with passion, scream a super-sonic yell, and looks good doing it. Richard has the charisma of a "true" rock star. We already knew he had talent from his past incarnation as axe man to the great Trent Reznor, but his solo career is adding a whole new dimension to the Patrick persona. Filter once again exceeded my expectations - the sound was great, the band was tight, and every song surpassed the quality of the recorded version.