MylesBecker.com

Concert Review: Nine Inch Nails at the Fillmore Auditorium

I'm worn out...and I wasn't even on the floor in the melee. But you don't see a band like Nine Inch Nails in a venue like the Fillmore Auditorium and not come away feeling amped up and worn out.

It was amazing.

I've seen NIN about 6 times...well, 7 now. All of them have been in stadiums, arenas, and other large-ish venues. The Fillmore holds roughly 3600 people. You want to talk about getting intimate with a band? Everyone in that room did it.

So that sets the stage, but here's "the rest of the story."

The support band for NIN on this small venue part of the tour is a band from Boston called Dresden Dolls. They call themselves Cabaret Punk, but my friend Sliger and I decided they were more Carnivalé Goth. There are two members to this wonderfully strange band: Amanda Palmer who plays the piano and sings, and Brian Viglione, the percussionist and performance artist.

Not able to have picked up any of their CDs, and only having listened to one or two tracks, I went in mostly blind, and I was pleasantly surprised. The two-piece band is hard to pull off, but I think these two really enjoy being together and it works. The highlight for me was a stunning version of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." Absolutely brilliant, but probably lost on the younger members of the crowd. Their loss. Amanda's voice was so perfect for that song, and it sounded great. Other notable songs included "Coin Operated Boy" and "Missed Me." I really need to grab their CDs.

I really don't mean this next statement as a dig at The Dresden Dolls, but having them as the opening act really did emphasize how small the venue was. Not saying that they couldn't carry themselves in a large venue, but this was the perfect size for them. Bravo, Dresden Dolls...you did well! I hope you felt like you were well received.

A scant 15 minutes later, the familiar chords from "Beside You In Time" off the new [WITH_TEETH] album slowly faded into existence, and the lights went off while the band filtered onto the stage. The anticipation was immense, and nobody was disappointed.

They opened with "Love is not Enough" and then quickly moved into "March of the Pigs," then "Reptile," and followed up "March" with "Piggy." A true fan favorite, "Terrible Lie" followed, and certainly by this point, the band had found it's groove and would not relinquish the stage for another hour and a half.

Here's the set list, and although it's probably not in order, it's very close: Love is Not Enough, March of the Pigs, Reptile, Piggy, Terrible Lie, With Teeth (A-With-a Teeth-a), Closer, Home, The Collector, Burn, Even Deeper, The Line Begins to Blur, Suck, No You Don't, Wish, Hurt (you should have heard the crowd singing on this - outstanding), The Hand That Feeds, Starf*ckers, Inc., Head Like A Hole. No encore, which I thought was a bit odd.

There were a few new songs missing that I would have loved to hear live, mainly "All the Love in the World," "Every Day is Exactly the Same," and "Only," which to me is a great throwback song that reminds me a lot of "Down In It" from Pretty Hate Machine. Since it was a tour to showcase the new album, those three would have fit in well, but alas, it was not to be this night.

Not only did they sound great, but Trent looked so incredibly ripped. I'd heard rumors that he's been really working out a lot lately, and I've seen a few pictures, but seeing him stand not 60 feet from our vantage point, it was amazing. The new band has definitely found their path, and you can tell they are a tight knit group.

The visuals for the show were much different than shows in the past, due to the space issue, but Trent found a way to make full use of the small area. Behind the band, there were vertical bands of fluorescent lights and LED strips. The LEDs were used brilliantly throughout the show, almost like a mini version of the mega screens he used during the Fragility tour. I am always curious to see what kind of a stage setup any band has, so this was a nice surprise.

The other great thing about the concert was that it just happened to coincide with the release of the album. I think that definitely helped the band find that extra energy and strength to create a wonderful evening for their fans.

All in all, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with a band that I've been listening to ever since it was created back in the late 80s. Who knows...maybe Trent will decide that this is a good formula for tours. Do a small venue tour first, then go back and hit the much larger concert halls, stadiums, arenas, etc. I've asked him this via www.NIN.com, and we'll see if my question gets chosen for a response.

If you're a fan, I truly hope you had the opportunity to check this out. If not, don't worry...they'll be back in the Fall in the larger venues.

Thanks for listening!
-Myles-

They did play this one Wednesday night....

Every Day is Exactly the Same

I got to see the set list for Wednesday and now wish that I had gotten tickets to both nights...sounds like seeing both of them would have made me happy since the mix of songs was so great between the two.

Plus, I also heard that they played "Something I Can Never Have," another personal favorite of mine.

Thanks for posting!
-Myles-

Nice.. I am going to see Trent May 30th at the Soma in San Diego. It's a pretty small place as well, holds about 2,500 people. So I was really glad to hear your review about the Fillmore.. A little intro on what seeing NIN is like "up close and personal"....not a million miles away like the last Nails concert I went to.. (a damn hockey arena, where you could only see him from a huge screen overhead..) Thanks for the play lists, I was worried that Trent wouldn't sing "hurt"... Some stupid rumor I heard goin around the net, in respect to Johnny Cash or something... Can't wait to see him again.. 6 more days to go.. *holds my breath* thanks again.. =)

Serena - thanks for posting! Yes, this was, by far, the best concert I've seen from NIN. Most likely, it was because of the venue. The current band lineup is good, but I think the folks he had with him during The Fragile tour were a little bit better. However, because of the new sound and direction, and the venue, it just fit like a glove.

You will not be disappointed at the Soma show(s), as it looks like a great venue - and if you can secure a ticket to the second show, I would highly recommend it. The two set lists in Denver had very little overlap, which would have made going the second night a no-brainer, especially because they ended up playing a few of the songs that I was hoping they would.

Enjoy it, as we may never get to experience a show like this again! And if you think about it, drop back by and post a follow-up with your review.

Cheers!
-Myles-

p.s. check out this article: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNzAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2ODM3MDgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky when you get a chance. It talks a lot about "Hurt" and his feelings about that song now...

I found your page by chance, again.. :P Well, I went to the Soma show in my home town.. I was close enough to touch him, and that was all I needed to get reconnected with live music.. Live expression... blood sweat and tears... Still lovin the rush after so many years.. (good thing I'm only 23.. ) and alive to the sound of live music. Doesn't matter who I am listening to, but the pleasure of the experience doubles watching someone like Trent Reznor's expression, watching him smash his guitar, jump into the crowd, pour his water on me.. hmm.. ya, i remember it all.. thank god for a photographic memory.. :P

So, with that said. Thanks for you page and your perspective.. keep it as real as ya can,....

peace... :)

(i just noticed that its been exactly one month since i left my first comment.. :P funny..