LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
NIN Sinks Teeth into Doubtful Fans
Matt Jameson
Damn what a show!! I’ve been a NIN fan for years, and ever since first hearing Trent Reznor’s unique genre defying music I have longed to see it live. It was definitely worth my wait, and the ticket price. As I had assumed from the concert footage I had seen before, this show consists of high-energy stage performances combined with stunning visual presentations. The set consisted of tracks from all Trent’s past albums and many from the newest release titled “With Teeth”.
It became immediately apparent from the moment Trent took the stage that this was not going to be the usual predictable concert. Instead of just standing behind the mic as most bands do, Trent and crew utilized every square inch of the stage often running back and forth just in time to reach the microphone to belt out the next lyric.
Another great and amazing thing about Nine Inch Nails as a live band is in the complexity of the music. As any musician will tell you Trent’s unusual music is anything but simple. To re-create this music live, while giving a great physical performance is truly a feat worthy of applause and adoration. Trent consistently delivers his vocal quite true to the studio versions leaving most of us to wonder: How does he do that without losing his voice?
My wife and I were lucky enough to score excellent seats for this show. The first ever seated tickets I had purchased for the Portland Oregon venue known as the Rose Garden turned out to be great. We were positioned just right of the main stage allowing us to see the entire stage and floor section. Anyone who is familiar with this band will agree that half of the fun of a NIN show is checking out the crowd, and this was no different. I experienced a diverse crowd of concertgoers from the baby boomer generation all the way to an actual baby (with cute little infant sized earplugs). Similar to a Halloween parade there were spooky costumes and creatures everywhere. This made watching the floor from above even more enjoyable. Most notable was a 6’ 4” drag queen complete with homemade fairy wings, customized go-go boots (think Tim Burton), bright white contacts, and my personal favorite: a very pissed off and murderous expression on his - hers - it’s face. Ah the ironic humor of our modern day culture.
Opening for NIN were Autolux, and Queens Of the Stone Age. In both cases the performances were quite forgettable, in fact Autolux sounded similar to a guitar on constant feedback accompanied by less than memorable drum tracks. Both bands failed to capture my interest, so I headed back to the beer garden to await the real show.
All in all I was highly impressed with Nine Inch Nails, and instantly transported back to the time many years ago when I first heard this great music. Trent continues to be one of the few remaining musical visionaries of our time, and with his new release continues to prove his musical prowess. If you ever get the chance to witness this display of sheer musical talent and genius - do yourself a favor and make the scene. “Now doesn’t it make you feel better?”
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