Hiatus

I’m going camping. Be back early September. Sorry to disappoint all my nonexistent readers

Nine Inch Nails: Unforgettable

After taking in the auditory assault that was Judas Priest and Testament the previous night and waking up feeling like crap, I was unsure of the shape I’d be in for the Nine Inch Nails (NIN) concert. Thankfully, I persevered, otherwise I would have missed out on the best concert of my life.

From the first few notes of 1,000,000; an excellent track from NIN’s new album, The Slip, I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. The multi-talented Trent Reznor and his touring band started the show off hard and heavy, delving into new numbers like Discipline and fan-favorite March of the Pigs in front of a wall of rotating lights. The energy these guys brought to the stage was amazing, and they had the whole floor rocking out and singing along.

The first light show was good enough, but Nine Inch Nails surpassed anything I’ve seen during the rest of the show. As screens of LED lights descended from the rafters, guitars and drums were replaced with synths as NIN dove into some of their more electronic material in front of columns of green light. It was a eerie effect, and it set the mood perfectly.

I was even more surprised when the synths gave way to xylophones, cellos, and oboes (or was it a clarinet?) as NIN performed some of the tracks from their ambient album, Ghosts, finishing off with a new rendition of a classic, Piggy. If this was any other band, this would have been a low point in the show. However, NIN’s brilliant display of layered, semi-transparent LED screens with awe-inspiring lighting compositions provided the perfect backdrop for the laid-back, atmospheric music. From a desert scene complete with layers of clouds to a thick wall of static that eventually gave way to the band performing behind it, the concert was a treat for the eyes as much as the ears.

After the ambient interlude, Trent got right back to business, launching into classics like Wish and Terrible Lie before finishing the main set with an energetic rendition of Head Like a Hole. The show finished with a strong four-song encore, including fan-favorite Hurt and ending with the atmospheric In This Twilight.

Reznor’s voice was flawless the entire night, and his band’s multi-instrument work was a thing of beauty. I was apprehensive about how the material from more electronic efforts like Year Zero would translate from album to arena, but they sounded excellent. In less capable hands, this show could have been a mess, but Reznor proved again why he’s one of the best things going in the music business today.

Crystal Castles opened, but I could only stand two songs of their 8-bit-noise/house beats and painful vocals. 30 seconds into Nine Inch Nails’ performance and I had forgotten about them. Apparently their albums are better than their live show, so I won’t write them off entirely just yet.

Between the visual aspect and the musical intensity, NIN’s performance was unforgettable. Best show of the year? Try best of my life.

Rating: 5 out of 5.