Nine Inch Nails @ House of Blues

Let me start off by saying that the show itself was amazing. I have never seen Trent Reznor happier and more into his performance. Trent was drenched in sweat only minutes after walking out to “Pinion,” and he did not let up for one second over the next two hours.  The setlist was amazing, and the band played a good mix of new and old.  In sharp contrast to their complex light show and set design of the current arena tour, this stripped down “instrument only” gig was just as impressive.

The first time I saw Trent and company was in support of The Downward Spiral, and I have yet to miss a tour since.  NIN’s performance at the Wachovia Center earlier this year set the new standard for stadium shows.  Trent has also set the standard for opening acts (his choices are close to being unreal). Over the past few years Trent has given the slot to so many great artists including, QOTSA, TV On The Radio, Dresden Dolls, Autolux, Crystal Castles, and Bauhaus.  For this current leg of the tour alone, he chose HEALTH, Deerhunter, Boris and The Bug.   HEALTH was the band for this night. After picking up their remix record “Disco,” which featured the superb Crystal Castles remix of “Crimewave,”  I was led to their self-titled debut album (think The Dillenger Escape Plan meets Battles).   The few YouTube vids showed an intense show that really got me fired up for their opening set.

If someone were to tell me that I would see NIN in an intimate club show (where they will play a 2 hour non-stop set), and I would walk away with an ounce of disappointment, I would refuse to believe it.  One of the most anticipated shows of the year was somewhat of a disappointment because of the obnoxious crowd. Opening band HEALTH provided an awe-inspiring set of noise-rock, highlighted by a crystal clear mix. This left me thinking: “how can Trent top this?”  My mood was instantly turned to anger as several members of the audience began heckling and booing the band. I walked over to one heckler and exclaimed that if he thought he could do better than he should go up on stage.   Unfortunately, silencing one could not quiet the others. I had much higher expectations for an intimate show of this kind.  I had hoped for a hardcore audience of fans, but instead got a crowd filled with testosterone and bad taste.  (Luckily, I had tickets for Deerhunter in Brooklyn for the following night which renewed my hope that there are still young people out there with an open mind and good taste).

After “Survivalism” Trent told the audience that “We have a special surprise for you.”  What was to follow was indeed the highlight of the evening.   Peter Murphy walked on stage to a rousing applause.   After a short wave to the audience, the band went into “Reptile.”  Trent played guitar while lingering in the shadows at the back of the stage, giving Murphy the spotlight. Murphy’s deep voice fit the song perfectly and energized the crowd.  Trent returned to the front for the chorus of the song.  With Trent’s playing guitar, Murphy even held the mic for Trent, as he added his “beautiful liar” and ”precious whore” mantras.

After a crowd pleasing rendition of “Closer,” Trent mentioned that the “super fans” had been giving him shit for “fucking up the words” for closer.  He then confidently tossed the mic to a group of fans in the front row. who finished the speaking part of the song, “Through every forest, above the trees…”  In true Reznor form, he then went into “Discipline,” where he sang the entire part as part of that song mixed in with the usual lyrics.

About an an hour and fifteen minutes through the show I was ready for Trent and co. to leave the stage for a much solicited encore.  Instead, Trent told the audience that they had a “shitload of songs left to play” for us.   By that point, I had already left the tough-guy pit and wandered to the back of the venue to watch the show.  From there I caught great performances of “The Line Begins To Blur” and “Starfuckers, Inc.” They closed the 2+ hour set with the usual closer, “Head Like A Hole,” without any need for an encore. I started the evening with disappointment in the fans, but NIN’s performance erased most ill feelings and only underscored what is always the most important part: respect for music.  This was one of the greatest shows of the year and the worst crowd I have ever witnessed.

Setlist:

For the record the lyrics for the speaking part of Closer are:

“Through every forest, above the trees, within my stomach, scraped off my knees, I drink the honey inside your hive, You are the reason I stay alive”