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Filter concert in Texas canceled following anti-Trump sentiments

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A concert venue in Texas cancelled a Filter show after the band bashed Trump on Facebook and planned to display the American flag upside down during their performance.
A concert venue in Texas cancelled a Filter show after the band bashed Trump on Facebook and planned to display the American flag upside down during their performance.

Image: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Rock band Filter had their show cancelled on Thursday night after frontman Richard Patrick posted an anti-Trump video on Facebook.

The problems started during the band’s soundcheck at the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso, Texas. Patrick, the lead vocalist, uploaded a video live from the venue to the band’s Facebook page promoting the show later that night.

“A lot of trump bashing!” Patrick promised, along with a request that former U.S. Democratic Congressman and El Paso native Beto O’Rourke come to the performance.

Not long after the video of the band’s soundcheck hit social media, Patrick to share that the show had been cancelled.

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FILTER(ED) IN TEXAS Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso, TX, the Tigua Tribe’s Casino / Resort / Music Venue has cancelled tonight’s FILTER show, due to a humorous Facebook post written by vocalist, Richard Patrick, and the band’s plans to use the American flag turned upside down in their background video on stage. The “offending” post, which included a short video of the band soundchecking at the venue: This is sound check!! We’re Playing El Paso!!! Get here later and it will be packed!! A lot of Trump bashing! Does anyone know Beto?? Bring Beto! The band was told the venue “didn’t like” the post and that they were getting threatening phone calls and bomb threats from Texans who didn’t like it either. The tour manager was in the green room and woke up from a pre-show nap to 30 yellow-shirted security guards and the General Manager shouting expletives and telling the band they were not welcome at the venue. “The First Amendment does not exist in this Casino. Get the f@*k out,” they said. Management also told Patrick that it was illegal to display the flag upside down in their video. The law to which they might refer is Title 4, US Code “(a) The flag should never be displayed with union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” Patrick explains “This is a dire emergency! This country is totally jacked up!! This is my right to artistic expression. If they are going to tell me that I am un-American for saying that about the President, I’d ask them if they have been to Iraq or Afghanistan. I have been over there and love and respect the job that our troops are doing over there – fighting to ensure our rights to say what we like. As a matter of fact – I was asked recently what FILTER stands for and THIS IS IT – our freedom of expression!” In addition to the First Amendment, The Texas Constitution, in Article I, sections 8 and 27 protects the “liberty to speak, write or publish … opinions on any subject.” You have the right to express your views in these ways regardless of how unpopular or controversial they may be. #freespeech #america #GOP #filter2019 #reBus

A post shared by Richard Patrick (@filter_richard_patrick) on

According to Patrick, the venue informed Filter that it “didn’t like” the Facebook comments and said it had received threatening phone calls over the anti-Trump post. The venue also claimed that it was “illegal” to display the American flag upside down, which the band had planned to do during the show.

It should be noted that the U.S. does have a code outlining proper ways in which the American flag should be displayed. However, it isn’t illegal or against the law to not follow the flag code.

Rock Entertainment Center released a statement of its own in a now-removed Facebook post announcing the cancellation:

“Unfortunately due to safety concerns associated with Filter’s performance tonight we will be canceling their show. We want everyone who comes to our venue to experience entertainment with positivity, union, safety, and joy. We all have our own political views and want to respect everyone’s opinion, but our shows will not be a platform for it. We apologize for the cancellation.”

In a further statement to , the venue confirmed what it told Patrick about the threatening phone calls in response to Filter’s Facebook video about President Trump. The venue’s general manager also that his staff was uncomfortable with Filter’s plan to display the American flag upside down and turn the concert into what he called a “political rally.”

Filter’s original members reunited in 2018 and began writing their first album in more than 20 years with that lineup. The band is probably best known for its hit 1999 song “Take a Picture.” 

While the band and the venue have different accounts as to how the events transpired, there is no dispute from either side when it comes down to why the show was cancelled. 

Filter promised, in a social media post shared before the show, to bash Trump. and wanted to incorporate its political stance during the show as well. Patrick also said the band had originally planned to incorporate some manner of political message into the show. The venue pulled the plug because of that.

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