1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIE ROCK BAND FILLIGAR TOURS RUSSIA,
THE LATEST IN THEIR GLOBAL STINT AS U.S. ARTS AMBASSADORS
(Previous Tours: Kuwait, Guyana, & Azerbaijan)
“One of Music’s ‘Next Big Things’” – SPIN
Several years ago, amidst the bustling SXSW music festival, the indie rock band Filligar
hurriedly packed up their gear as the next band took the stage. Little did they know, one
festivalgoer who had just caught their performance worked in the U.S. government’s cultural
outreach program. Inspired by that set, she later contacted the band and steered them onto a
course which has since taken them on a series of unlikely journeys across the globe.
For the past few years, the indie rock band Filligar —which includes Casey Gibson and brothers
Johnny, Teddy, and Pete Mathias—has served as U.S. Arts Ambassadors at the appointment of
the State Department. They’ve performed in the mountains of Azerbaijan, the deserts of
Kuwait, the Amazonian basin of Guyana, and last week returned from the heartland of
Russia in the sub-zero dead of winter. Each of these tours aimed to showcase American
arts, bringing America closer with the world through a glimpse of American life beyond the TV or
desktop screen.
In Azerbaijan, a country that means “The Land of Fire,” the band hurriedly plugged in before
stepping on-air in front of millions of viewers of “Salam Azerbaijan!,” which was later explained
to be the “Azeri equivalent to ‘Good Morning America.’” Just a few days later, in the largest
outdoor amphitheater in Baku, they were joined onstage by local musicians to perform a cover
of “Xezerin Sahilinde,” a fan-favorite by the legendary Azeri rock band “Xuhu.” In a
mountainside town near the Iranian border, they held an outdoor concert in the square, an event
that was staged in part by the local Harley Davidson biker chapter.
In Kuwait, the band took part in the al-Qurain Cultural Festival, performing in front of foreign
dignitaries from across the Middle East in the same museum that Saddam Hussein raided
during the Persian Gulf War. Yet, while the band travelled in a bulletproof van, the
overwhelming spirit of the trip was one of friendliness, laughter, and a shared passion for
music. The band jammed with local punk bands, heard original songs written by students at a
high school music class, and sang with Iraqi rockstars.
In Guyana, Filligar travelled deep into the jungle interior to perform at the Rupununi Music
Festival. Amidst Ukrainian folk artists, Brazilian capoeira, a West-Indian vocal group, and
an ensemble comprised of the resident Macushi tribe, Filligar performed songs that were borne
out of their teenage beginnings in a basement in Chicago. When their set was done, they
sat down at a picnic table with the Prime Minister, local farmers, and musicians. Traversing via

2. Jeep across a jagged road that carved its way through the tropical canopy, the band returned to
Georgetown to perform at the Ambassador’s residence, a local elementary school, and a
rehabilitation center for the physically and mentally disabled.
A few days ago, the band returned from a trip to Russia. There they headlined at the Old New
Rock Festival in Yekaterinburg and were given a glimpse into Russian life. One morning,
they performed live on a radio program that broadcast to millions from a local bar, as part of a
celebration of the life of David Bowie. The next, they traveled by Embassy motor vehicle
through the snowy Russian forests to the town of Alapevysk, where they were greeted with
cakes at the entrance by candidates for a beauty contest. That night, in a Stalin-era theater
on the outskirts of Siberia, they gave a workshop talking about American music, put on a
concert at the local Palace of Culture, and joined in at an after party at a local hotel, where they
jammed until the early morning with local rock bands—toasting to new friendship with
Russian hockey players, bikers, and community leaders alike. A few days later, they would
return to the city to visit the children of Alim orphanage—and would close the night and the trip
with a concert at one of the premier nightclubs in the Urals region.
And there were many more moments such as these in their travels across the globe.
In a time of heightened tension between the United States and Russia, the West and the Middle
East, and old societies and new, a rock band from Chicago has traversed the globe and
encountered commonality that rarely receives attention. Through music, barriers broke down
and gave way to cross-cultural understanding in an unusual rock n’ roll narrative that has yet to
be told.
Filligar headlines Troubadour in Los Angeles on March 15.
“Keepsakes of the Interior” Tracklisting:
1. Motor Shine
2. Mood Ring
3. White Light Rose
4. Photos of Madrid
5. Truth & Anger
6. Hurricane Entertainment
7. Never Better
8. Riverblind
9. Established in Baltimore
10. What Can You Do?
11. The Vandals & The Godsend
To keep up with Filligar please visit:
Official|Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|YouTube|Soundcloud
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For more information, please contact:
PROMO@DECADERECORDS.COM

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6. 1. In WWII Soviet uniforms that were handed down through generations in the village of
Alapayevsk, Russia
2. Looking out at the Persian gulf wearing traditional Middle Eastern attire at the
insistence of the emir’s granddaughter
3. Donning gifts from the Macushi tribe in Guyana.
4. Performing “Swingin’” by Tom Petty with Guyanese flautist Keith Waithe
5. Onstage with Azeri rock musicians at a venue overlooking the Caspian sea
6. Filligar drummer, Pete Mathias, performing alongside local drummer at an open mic
in Kuwait City, Kuwait
7. Drum lessons in Georgetown, Guyana
8. With local drummer Silas at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Center in Georgetown.
Silas began drumming at age 8—and lost his sight at age 9. Now, 19 years later, he
has performed for two different Presidents of Guyana and drums like a pro with two
different steel pan orchestras. "People form an impression when they first see you,"
he said, "and that's why I always dress well“
9. Young bassist-in-training at the Alim orphanage in Yekaterinberg, Russia