Filter concert in Texas canceled after band shares anti-Trump Facebook post

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 posted on Instagram to share that the show had been cancelled.

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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 Billboard, 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 noted 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.