Nine Inch Nails

On March 8th, 1994, two bands released their defining albums. Trent Reznor brought his industrial project to the mainstream (and dancefloors) with a song about fornicating like an animal, while Chris Cornell solidified himself as the voice of the heavier side of alternative rock. Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden both had a following before these albums were released, and some would even say The Downward Spiral and Superunknown were the end of both bands, but when it came to commercial success and exposure, neither band ever flew as high as they did in ’94. I was lucky enough to see both bands perform in the year when “Closer” and “Black Hole Sun” were inescapable, and both shows will always stand out as highlights of my youth, but the success they achieved made me turn away shortly after. This was in the days when radio rotation could make and break a band, and no matter how much I enjoyed those albums, the lack of imagination from radio DJs made me want to vomit every time I heard a single from either album. A few years later The Fragile and Down on the Upside were released and I barely paid attention. So if you would have told me back then that I would be attending two nights of a double bill twenty years later, I would have laughed. But here I am, positively reflecting on back-to-back sets from bands who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their biggest albums. Daniel Lopatin had the unfortunate task of filling in for the newly departed Death Grips both nights. His experimental Oneohtrix Point Never project did nothing but rattle my nose hairs with abusive bass while I mourned one of the most intense live acts I had ever seen. But if I’m being honest, I doubt the majority of the audience were any less confused than they would have been if MC Ride was spewing anarchist threats from the stage. Lopatin’s thirty minute set was enough for me the first night, so we didn’t bother getting in early the second night. Soundgarden were the first on the dual-headlining bill each night. If I hadn’t seen seen them perform at Red Rocks in 2011, I would have probably been blown away by how good they were, especially when Chris Cornell announced that he had just turned 50 the night before. But that show three years ago prepared me for a band that sounds better than they did two decades ago. What could have easily been a 401K tour for a band who broke up in ’97, Cornell and crew came out with something to prove. It would have also been just as easy to perform a play-by-numbers rendition of Superunknown, but they dug deep instead. In addition to their most popular singles, the old school fans were treated to five tracks from Badmotorfinger, as well as “I Awake” from Louder Than Love and “Flower” from Ultramega OK. We were 4th row for the first night and it was amazing to see how young and excited the band looked up close and personal. I heard some complaints about the sound from those in the upper rows, but my experience from row 32 the second night was just as amazing. It was a perfect, warm, still night on the Rocks and Soundgarden proved they are still as relevant as they’ve ever been. The single song from King Animal, “A Thousand Days Before”, didn’t make me want to run out and buy the new album, but it also didn’t send me in search of the nearest bathroom. And that’s about the highest compliment I can give to a band I haven’t really listened to since Cornell was pushing 30. Nine Inch Nails have been a much bigger influence on my life than Soundgarden, so I was happy to see Reznor would be headlining both nights. I would be lying if I said most of his recorded material since Spiral hasn’t been disappointing, but his stage presence is just as intense (very different, but still intense) as it was in ’94. So to see him perform two nights at my favorite venue was something beyond words. Like Soundgarden before him, Reznor would never be content playing an album in its entirely, so the crowd was exposed to a career-spanning setlist both nights. There are two versions of Trent Reznor’s NIN project that exist in my mind — the one that came before Lost Highway, and the one that came after. I’m not sure why Reznor’s work with David Lynch is my demarcation line between NIN 1.0 and NIN 2.0, but after he produced that soundtrack I stopped paying attention. Maybe it was to protect myself — Pretty Hate Machine, Broken and The Downward Spiral were so crucial to my adolescence that maybe I just had a fear that this clean-cut producer would shatter all my preconceived notions of the man who made those albums. I didn’t want to know him as a person. I just wanted him to continue to be the spitting, screaming, spewing hate machine that I had always known him to be. But we can’t stay young and angry forever. I went on to other bands and Reznor took NIN to other places — less industrial, less angry places. And I respect us both for that. Angst just isn’t attractive in middle-aged men. But the lack of angst doesn’t have to mean the lack of intensity. Reznor proved that fact when I saw him at 1stBank Center last year. And he proved it again at Red Rocks last week. We were so close when Nine Inch Nails took the stage that it was all a little disorienting at first. The performance opened with the glitchy, repetitive “Copy of A” from the new album, before pushing the decibels up a bit with “Santified″. There were a couple more new tracks and then there we were, twenty minutes into the set, and I could feel the weight of Red Rocks building at my back as Reznor spewed a little of that hate machine he still has left in him. The crowd was plugged right into it — mainlining the energy like a junkie in need of just one fix. But it wasn’t until the next song that everything changed in a blink of an eye… “step! right! up! march! push!” The crowd of people behind me instantly became a gang of fist-pumping vandals. My natural instincts turned my hands into fists of my own as I joined the masses in their blind pursuit of ‘closer’. By the time the song ended I had tripped over the seat behind me, only to get up and take a quick breath as “March of the Pigs” bled into “Piggy”. The fresh Colorado air was polluted with sweat, spilt beer and wasted youth. The adrenaline pumping through my veins made me feel alive. A quick glance around the venue confirmed that I wasn’t alone. The 1stBank set started out similiar, but the next forty minutes in Broomfield were something different. As if catching himself in an act of childish behavior, Reznor brought things down a level or two. As we were carried through a good portion of Hesitation Marks, I couldn’t help but be more impressed with the (absolutely mind-blowing) technology being employed on (and around and above and underneath) the stage than I was with the music itself. It’s not that it was bad, but after having my head split open with songs that meant so much to me, it was hard to groove to downtempo selections — even with the impressive band and backup singers that were surrounding the man himself. Red Rocks was a different experience. The set was mixed up to add diversity to those who attended both nights, and both nights were extremely well balanced. The new songs fit like jigsaw pieces with the old. The slow songs came and left right on time, instead of bogging down large portions of the night. The technology employed was the same, yet it was visually superior when offset by the natural beauty of the monoliths.
“Head Like a Hole” ended up closing out the main set both nights. The song is over twenty years old and it still seemed as fresh and groundbreaking as it did the day it came out. It would have been a fitting close, proving my theory of NIN 1.0 and 2.0 wrong — or at least adding weight to a theory of a hybrid 3.0 — but we were still in for an encore. Reznor decided to say farewell with “Hurt”. And as the serpent’s eyes from the original video looked out at the crowd, they saw pure satisfaction reflected back at them. It proved that although Reznor might be a different person than he was when he started NIN, he is still a true believer in producing a show that people will continue to replay in their minds for days, weeks, even years to come. I will never forget that show in ’94 (I will never forget that band), but these performances (along with the one last year) will all find warm safe places in my mind as well. http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2014/07/27/nin-soundgarden-red-rocks-07-21-14-07-22-14/

I have seen Nine Inch Nails five times before yesterday's concert. This was an unusual concert because there was a major band, Soundgarden, opening for them. I did not see Nails in any of their Lollapalooza appearances nor when they toured with Jane's Addiction (even though I did see the Chicago stop of that tour, Jane's Addiction did not play as they were playing Lollapalooza that upcoming August and NIN was not) or Queens of the Stone Age. This was my first time seeing Soundgarden live and apparently by the number of people milling about the drink and concert gear area during the beginning of their set, many others' first time as well. I have been a pretty solid fan of Soundgarden since Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. I admit to falling off following them since Chris Cornell left the group and formed Audioslave and worked on solo stuff. Like many other lead singers, his success seems contingent upon being a part of Soundgarden even though Audioslave did have some success with their first album.
That being said, I was impressed to hear Cornell sing live. First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre is a twenty some year old venue that has never really been improved upon since I first started attending concerts there in the early 1990's. The acoustics and overall sound are typically terrible as a consensus opinion amongst concert goers. The band started promptly at seven and Cornell basically blew out the speakers on a good mix of material from their newest album as well as some of their more classic material such as "Outshined" from Badmotorfinger as well as Jesus Christ Pose, Rusty Cage. My Wave and Black Holed Sun were some of the highlights from Superunknown, by far their most popular album. Cornell has to be pushing fifty years old but he still displays impressive singing power and range. His pitch and strength of his high notes sound like he has all of the power he did in the 1990s. The band was loud and tight. I think that the end of the grunge scene as well as Cornell pursuing his solo work took Soundgarden out of relevance for a long period of time when they are a talented band with a unique sound that deserves a place in the pantheon of great bands with solidly original material. If they can release more material in the vein of their classic work, I feel that they will re-find their original fan base and attract some new fans as well. Soundgarden left at 9 on the dot and after about 25 minutes of reconfiguring the stage, Nine Inch Nails began promptly at 9:30pm. Trent Reznor appeared first with only his microphone, then each band member and their instrument appeared one at a time followed by the projection screens which formed the stripped down elegant stage framework. The set list began with Copy of A off of their newest release. The band sounded tight and all of the musical elements came together flawlessly. Trent Reznor's voice sounded as strong as ever as the band moved from one solid Nails choice to another with barely a breath in between. Versions of classic songs with an updated sound such as Sanctified from Pretty Hate Machine were refreshing in that I did not instantly recognize the track as recorded and was pleasantly surprised to figure out that a modified old favorite was playing.
My girlfriend was with me and three friends. It was her first time seeing either Soundgarden or Nine Inch Nails live. As someone who has listened to Nails and Soundgarden since the 90's, with the obvious emphasis and continual listening focus on Nails, I was curious to see what she thought of the concert from a fresh perspective. My first concert for NIN was in 1994 in Champaign, IL during the Downward Spiral tour. I then saw them again at FMBA (known then as the World Music Theatre) in 1995 during NIN's tour with David Bowie in support of Downward Spiral. It was not until the Lights in the Sky tour of 2008 that I saw NIN again for the first time in 13 years in Fort Wayne, IN at the Allen County Coliseum. I then saw NIN solo in 2009 at Northerly Island at the Charter One Pavilion and again at the Aragon for their Wave Goodbye tour in 2009 as well.
The girlfriend was amazed at the range of sound and depth that is NIN to folks who are familiar with more of the catalog than just the radio play songs. The selections from Ghosts and The Fragile were totally new to her and as usual Trent Reznor was the obvious coordinator of the set/music/light/imagery interplay. What is now fairly common amongst bands with better designed set pieces was originated or perfected at least with NIN and maybe to a lesser extent, Tool. The moving panels that formed the background of the stage were a novel and interesting set piece which kept the presentation simple but basically did what I think Reznor tries to accomplish with his set pieces and promotional materials: make the music an atmosphere, a feeling a place where it just comes at you and merges with your own feelings and helps shape and elucidate those darker thoughts for or with you. She and I both loved the imagery from the subtle blues and purples to the sweeping landscapes as an electronic, guitar and percussion wave of music rolled over each listener. Our only complaint and we are blaming this solely on the design of the FMBA and its management is the absolute lack of good acoustics and loudness. It seemed like the sound engineers were doing what they could at the show to punch up each track appropriately but without the relative uniformity of sound that Soundgarden has, the intricacies of NIN's highs and lows were sometimes lost because not enough power brought the sound to the back of the lawn where this old man was seated. Especially when reviewed in the light of my last show with NIN n 2009 at the Aragon where up front in GA in such a relatively small venue blew me away in terms of the raw power. Overall, it was a solid performance by Soundgarden and a very professional and well run NIN show. NIN played from 9:30-11:30pm, which I am assuming is because of local ordinance or by Reznor's design. In either instance, this musical offering was very satisfying for both acts. Soundgarden inspired a new listen to older material and a try out of their new stuff. NIN brought an excellent mix of music from across 25 years of music and while anyone can complain that their favorite track was not played live, I think every album had its fan base spoken to sufficiently. I look forward to my next NIN show, especially in a venue much more well suited to something more than just straight guitar rock.

Nine Inch Nails AND Soundgarden, Ahhh....what a combination!

When I first heard rumors that they would be touring together as the 20th celebration of both bands best selling albums (The Downward Spiral and Superunknown), I was beside myself.

Even though their music is different, they are my two favorite bands. I bought my tickets the first day they became available at the pre-sale, and settled down for the looong 5months it would take to actually see the bands play at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA.

The Dillinger Escape Plan opened up and they were alright, but they and everyone else knew we were waiting for the big guns.

The main singer came all the way to our section of the theatre, so that was entertaining and the best part of their show.

Now to Soundgarden! One of my biggest regrets in my concert history was never seeing SG back in the the 90's when they were in their element.

Well, as they say, it is better late than never, so this was my first time seeing SG, but not NIN. They put on a really good show and played most of their hits, but I was slightly disappointed that they only played 13 songs.

I have been keeping up with their setlist and they were playing 14-15 songs per concert. I REALLY wanted to hear Slaves and Bulldozers, but Cornell has only played that once this tour and it was his 50th birthday, so I guess he only pulls out the big guns/vocals on special occasions!

They best part of the concert was the run of songs that included The Day I Tried to Live, My Wave, Outshined, and Black Hole Sun. Their lights and the sound weren't perfect, but you could definitely understand the song lyrics if you were a fan. I've never been to an outdoor concert, so this influenced my opinion on the quality of the sound.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I now welcome you to the main event...NIN!

That opening was more dramatic than the actual opening of NIN. The lights were on (part of the outdoor theatre has a roof) and everyone was patiently waiting NIN's arrival when we heard a cheer go up from the fans by the stage and looked up to see Reznor casually standing there by a synthesizer! He started playing the opening chords of Copy of A with the band slowly showing up to play their instruments. It wasn't until half way through the song that the lights were turned off and they really let loose then!

If you are a fan of NIN, you know Reznor is notorious for being a perfectionist and really cares how things are synced and how the lights go with the beat of the music.

Well, his attention to detail really shows. The sound and lights blew SG's show away. I love the use of the moving screens and lights. They really add to the throbbing beats of the drums and the electronics that make NIN's music unique. I've already mentioned that I was paying attention to the setlist of SG and this was true for NIN as well. I was excited that he was consistently playing Closer. I have seen NIN 2x before (Downward Spiral '95 & Hesitation Marks '13) and he didn't play this song.

Closer was played during the meat of the concert which started with March of the Pigs. During this song was the best 'original' moment of the concert. He was halfway through the song when he dilberately paused so the crowd was caught singing the lyrics and then he sang the part after the crowd enjoyed their moment. After Pigs came Piggy, the Frail/Wretched, Closer, and Gave Up. I LOVED this part of the setlist!

I knew from my Oct. '13 concert that the Frail/Wretched combo was well done but he had only done it 1x before on this tour, so it was great that I could experience this awesomeness again. It was icing on the cake that he also played Gave Up, which I had also never heard in concert.
The ending was full of well chosen songs as well. It was Eraser (so violent/intense!), Wish, The Hand that Feeds, Head Like a Hole and the closer was Hurt. He played all my favorites except Burn (played previously 3x) ). The only song I wish he would take out is the Great Destroyer. He has played this at every venue on this tour and I thought it was the weakest part of the concert. I think he should play The Warning instead if he wanted a song from Year Zero.

Overall, this was a great concert that was worth the hassle of driving 3+ hours and dealing with Friday rush hour traffic (and a flooding rain) in Atlanta. I read one review where someone thought it was ridiculous that NIN was the lead band. I don't understand this criticism. I have over 240 NIN songs in my library and I know I don't have the complete list. He has so many songs to choose from and a great concert history that this critique baffled me. The intensity of NIN's live show is something all fans should experience at least once in their lifetime!

Nine Inch Nails were kicking ass as a band when I was 2 years old. They're STILL blowing out my eardrums and making my eyes bleed from all the awesome that is their concerts.

Trent Reznor is a god, period. His goal, other than making you have all of these feels (whether that's rage, or tears, or joy that comes out in headbanging or shaking your booty or just screaming the lyrics uncontrollably at the top of your lungs, is to make sure that no one is doing anything else other than being present at the show. The light show, of various degrees, over the various tours I've seen (Lights in the Sky,NIN JA, Wave Goodbye, Tension) is the BEST I've ever witnessed, hands down, by anyone.

Even if you're not a NIN fan, get a cheap ticket in the back somewhen, and go for the lights show. It's the most beautiful legal high, and the way that Trent has orchestrated the music to flow with the lights and the screens and all of the pretty, is mindblowing. I still really don't have a clue how it's done, but it doesn't matter, it's just beautiful.

NIN gigs are about 25 songs each, 2 and half hours or so of complete going crazy rocking out. Wear comfy shoes, it's a stadium tour, if you're on the floor, you're going to be standing for a long time in a mosh pit that is usually pretty insane (just dance harder than the people who are moshing, and you won't get pushed around;)

What can I say about NIN's music? I don't have enough adjectives to describe how varied, and just how freaking cool the songs are. Going to a show, you're taken on this whole epic journey of sound and light, and every musician in NIN as a touring band is so unbelievably talented. Most of NIN's biggest hits are considered "angry" music, but the songs I love best live are the ones where it's just such a performance of control.

One of my favorite concert moments ever, of any artist, is from one of the NINJA dates in Europe, where, for all of the lights and silhouettes, shadows and imagery of the blistering sound for most of the set, it was complete blackness, with Trent just stalking around the stage with a flashlight on himself, hissing "In This Twilight" into the mic. Spare, and lovely. Seeing NIN from the front row at London's O2, when Gary Numan came out and did Metal and Cars was pretty kickass.

And the latest Tension tour, the new songs from Hesitation Marks, like "All Time Low", which I can only describe as "funky", with female backup singers, and a range of instruments, and all of the dancing ever. So. Much. Awesome. Hours feel like minutes when you're having that much fun.

One of the few artists I can consistently say that whenever I go see them, I never want it to end. Go see a NIN gig. GO!

The new live format that Trent Reznor and Rob Sheridan have put together is very unique, and entertaining. It is a very different format from any of the other times I've seen Nine Inch Nails perform live.

In the past there has always been a lot of movement on stage, with multiple layers/rows of instruments, performers and props. This time it was just 4 guys on the stage (starting with just Trent and a sampler, followed shortly by the others).

Throughout the performance, all of the artists swapped instruments countless times, taking turns on guitar, bass, keys, samplers, percussion and various other instruments.

They've also traded in the typical extreme lighting and visuals for very minimal reactive visuals that move along with the performers. One of the highlights of the evening was the beginning of 'Closer' when Trent had a camera on his microphone, and a red distorted display of his face appeared across the screens.

I highly recommend checking out this tour for a rare opportunity to see a stripped down, raw performance by Trent and Co.

However, if you want to see one of NIN's more charismatic performances, check out the 'Beside You in Time' DVD.

Nine Inch Nails was always one of those bands in the background of my life. I knew the songs that kroq would play on the air, and my mom was actually much crazier about the band than I was.

As I got older, and specifically in the last few years, I've revisited some of the old music that didn't quite have as big of an impact on my life as others did. I figured if I had the opportunity to see legends like NIN and Soundgarden I should probably take it. And oh my god am I glad I did!

NIN moved my body in a way that I've never felt from a band that didn't have some sort of influence or memory tied to my life. It was pure musicality and performance that made the show so memorable.

I got to shake my booty and get some head banging in! It's the perfect combination! Being so far away from the stage didn't inhibit the experience at all because the music and the energy was just so good!

Trent said the band is taking an indefinite break after this tour. If you can catch them on this tour, I would 100 percent reccomend it!

I was looking forward to this concert for over 6 months. I had heard Chris Cornells voice was just a wretched scream these days but he was the COMPLETE opposite! He hit EVERY note and did songs we are all familiar with and I sang at the top of my lungs eight along with him. He sounded fantastic and still looks good too! But it was Trent Reznor that I was really there for. His light show did not disappoint but his song list wasn't that great and I hate to say that because they are my favorite band. He opened with a Copy which was killer, but I hate to say, it went a little downhill from there. He sang "Closer" "Piggy" and "Disappointed" which are my favorite songs but spent too much time on a non vocal instrumental noise which went on forever. I almost wanted to leave. The very end song was "Hurt" So I was glad I stayed. I would go again to see them!!!

NIN put on an amazing show as always with some really cool and innovative effects thrown in. I would complain about the storm that rolled in but if it hadn't then we wouldn't have gotten the awesome lightning bolt that punctuated the climax of "Hurt".
Soundgarden also put on a really solid show, they're a really tight band live. And Oneohtrix Point Never opening it all was the icing on the cake since I wasn't aware he was touring with them at all. So glad I weathered the weather and went to this concert!

Oh, NIN, you are so dear to my heart, and you never let me down! I have to say it was one of the most fantastic visual shows I have ever seen, and Trent's voice/energy is just as captivating as it ever was. I never miss a NIN show, they are just too good!
Sound garden sounded pretty good, but acted like jerks at the end of their set, kicking monitors and pouring beer on lights, like they were intentionally messing up the set up for NIN after them. It made me lose respect for them.

I really enjoyed NIN. It was more chill than I expected, but that didn't detract from my experience. Trent still performed passionately. The visual component felt almost minimalist and artsy, with band members constantly changing positions and with wildly varying lighting effects. The sound was excellent and it was interesting how some songs were altered to sound good live. It wasn't the all-out assalt on the senses like NIN of yesteryear, but it was still excellent.