Concert review: Filter, Finger Eleven, & Local H | 03.14.26, The Family Arena (with photo gallery)

Photo of Filter live at the Family Arena by Laura Jerele

Let’s just say that the ’90s were in full effect at the Family Arena with a near packed crowd that showed up ready for their night of big nostalgia, and with three bands that clearly still love doing this. With Filter headlining and support from Finger Eleven and alt-rock duo Local H, it felt like someone dusted off a well-preserved slice of ’90s rock and dropped it right into St. Louis (well, St. Charles) for the night. 

Local H got things rolling and once again proved that two people can make an absolutely ridiculous amount of noise. The band, led by Scott Lucas on guitar and vocals with Ryan Harding on drums, is a shockingly loud and fabulous duo. I covered them before and really enjoyed their last stop here, so I knew this was going to be a treat the moment I saw them on the bill. Their sound has that gritty, hardcore edge and sometimes leans straight into punk rock, but it never loses the rhythm. Even with just guitar and drums, there is nothing missing. Somehow they managed to fill the entire arena with a huge wall of sound that felt way bigger than two people should be able to produce.

Next up was Finger Eleven, who didn’t just have ’90s alt rock energy, they had serious energy! Watching their guitarist Rick Jackett bounce around, leap in the air, bash around the stage, and throw his guitars around, you would honestly think they were a young band just breaking through and trying to get your attention instead of a group that has been doing this for decades. Jackett was a constant burst of motion, headbanging and whipping his guitar around so much it seemed like it spent as much time off his body as it did on it. Frontman Scott Anderson kept things a little more subdued, which oddly made the whole thing even better with his chill stance as chaos was happening around him. The crowd certainly lit up for their hits like “Paralyzer” and “One Thing.” 

Then things got darker in the best possible way when Filter took over. Thick fog draped the stage and the lighting dropped into deep, saturated colors that left the band partially hidden in shadow, giving the whole thing a broody and mysterious feel that fits their sound perfectly. Even with that dark, heavy vibe, frontman Richard Patrick had a really fun moment when he came out filming the crowd with his phone, taking photos and soaking in the scene before getting down to business. Filter reminded everyone quickly that they are way more than the radio hits that dominated ’90s airwaves before streaming existed and before plenty of us were downloading music in… let’s just say less than official ways. Their mix of hard rock and industrial edge still hits hard, Patrick’s voice sounded rich and powerful, and the band was loud. Really loud. At one point I watched a staff member walking through the crowd handing out free earplugs to anyone who wanted them. I honestly cannot remember ever seeing that at a show before.

The crowd seemed to be loving every bit of the show, with three bands giving them a lot of bang for their buck. Merch lines stayed very long the entire night with people grabbing fistfuls of shirts and gear. One of the cooler moments happened after Local H finished when Scott Lucas spent several hours at the merch table signing autographs, taking photos, and talking with fans. It was one of those small things that means a lot, especially for the younger fans who were clearly thrilled to meet the band.

Between the huge sound, the ’90s nostalgia, and the crowd having a kick ass time, I thought this was a really fabulous show. Despite the world being chaotic, rock shows are still so much fun and provide an escape from real life complete with loud guitars, great bands, and a crowd that did not want the night to end. | Laura Jerele