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Music

Can’t Stop Filter

snowjam with mighty mighty bosstones, filter and swollen members at Exhibition Place (CNE Grounds), September 13 and 14, Friday 4 to 11 pm, Saturday noon to 10 pm. $19.99-$29.99. 416-870-8000.

Rating: NNNNN


Snowjam likes to call itself an Extremely Canadian Experience. That’s supposed to make you think of sponsor Molson, who brought you the I Am Canadian ad and Joe, the plaid-shirted proud Canadian. But to Richard Patrick of electro-charged Filter, who will be journeying to our True North Strong And Free to play the event, the Extremely Canadian Experience means having a really hard time at the border.

“Canada?” He says incredulously, “I have been to Australia, Japan, London, Italy, Germany…. Canada’s border is by far the worst.

“I have been strip-searched, rubber gloved. OK, not quite — but they have me taking my shoes off, siccing the dogs on me. And they do this pretty much every time. They’re, like, “Well, you’ve been arrested.’ That was, like, 10 years ago!”

What for?

“Um, it was a DUI.”

Bad boy.

“But Canada is without a doubt the hardest country to get into. No question about it.”

He does like the people once he gets here.

“We love Canada. It’s beautiful up there. It’s so gorgeous, the kids are great, the people are amazing. Don’t think for one second I’m baggin’ on Canada. The border cops are the only thing.”

Filter have recently released their third album, The Amalgamut, a melodic electronic industrial rock mishmash, that kinda creeps up on you. Patrick says the record is less narcissistic than the previous Title Of Record.

“On the last record I was just obsessed with this girl. And me. I was, like, “Oh god, me me me me me.’ And this one doesn’t come from that. It’s like I fixed myself on the last record and I don’t want to talk about me all the time any more.”

And so Filter is more of a band now, whereas previously everyone else was Patrick’s posse of hired guns — much like Patrick himself was for the early touring version of Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails.

As for the extreme sporty aspect of SnowJam, Patrick rides BMX and mountain bikes and wants to get into motocross. Bassist Geno Lenardo skateboards. But don’t think of Filter as a sporty band.

“I was the kid in high school with the mohawk running away from all the jocks.”

Oh, yeah. That kid.

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