Just two months after wrapping up a successful fall tour, the American rock quartet Filligar has packed up their red van affectionately named "Dee Dee" once again for a winter tour that will continue through the first week of February.
Filligar is comprised of Dartmouth graduates Johnny Mathias '11, Pete Mathias '09 and Teddy Mathias '09. They are joined by their childhood friend Casey Gibson, a graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.
The tour kicked off on Dec. 28 in Fargo, N.D., and the band rung in the new year with two concerts at Minneapolis's Varsity Theater with singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. Filligar will spend a week in Las Vegas before heading off to the South.
Filligar enjoyed much success when it joined the Counting Crows for the Outlaw Roadshow, a music festival spearheaded by Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and music blogger Ryan Spaulding that assembles a showcase of indie-rockers. Filligar headlined at New York City's Gramercy Theater in July and their most recent album, "The Nerve," was nominated for Best Rock Album of 2012 at the Independent Music Awards.
Filligar is often heralded by music critics and fans alike as one of the best live bands in America today. Thankfully, the band loves touring as much as their fans love them.
"We will probably spend one-third of our year on tour," Johnny Mathias said. "The tour is kind of taking up the bulk of our time right now, but this year we're sort of hoping to build upon some of the momentum we've been getting in the past year, and just a lot of reacting at different opportunities."
This year will see the release of a new album, as well as concerts with rock band Taddy Porter.
"The best thing about being on tour is the best thing about going to any new place you've never been to before," Mathias said. "You always have a vision of what it's going to be like, then you get there and it's naturally different, so it's kind of exciting to see different parts of the country."
Though not all Filligar members are Dartmouth graduates, the band has cultivated a large Dartmouth following that can be seen at many of its live shows.
Caitlin Cunningham '09 said that while as a student she was not very involved in the College music scene, she remembered the Dartmouth pride at a Filligar show in Boston she attended just four days after her graduation.
"It was such a comforting experience to know that our Dartmouth connection still remained strong outside of Hanover," Cunningham said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "The concerts are like mini-reunions."
Johnny Mathias explained that Dartmouth has remained an influence on the entire band, including Gibson.
"Honestly, the four years I was at Dartmouth were some of the best years up to this point in my life, so there's always something I'll look back on and you know, remember the good times we had," Mathias said. "It's just like any good memory, it'll kind of be a part of us, it's one of the cool things about being an alum."
Filligar enjoys a growing national popularity that is no doubt encouraged by their strong efforts to engage with their fans. The band recently spearheaded "From the Vault," a video series featuring live, in-studio performances.
"We always try to keep new stuff coming out and keep it fresh," Johnny Mathias said. "[Teddy Mathias]actually studied film at Dartmouth so he's pretty adept with a camera; it's one of those things that always keeps things interesting."
Though the video series certainly can assuage fans' Filligar jones while they eagerly await Dee Dee's arrival in their own city, nothing seems to be a suitable replacement for their electric live performances.
