Nine Inch Nails - Key Arena, Seattle, WA - 7.26.08

Posted by Michael O on 07.30.2008

48 hours later and I'm still sore...

I must confess, Nine Inch Nails have been my favorite musical act for half of my lifetime now and I won't hesitate to indulge in gushing fanboydom when it comes to them. As a dyed-in-the-wool NINphomaniac, naturally my attending this show was not something I needed to give much thought to when Trent Reznor announced that he and his band were set to attack North America this summer with the aptly named 'Lights In The Sky' tour.

Indeed, there were lights, perhaps more than there were stars dotting the Seattle skyline that night, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Over the course of the last several tours, NIN have gradually been SLIPping toward a more visual experience, with an emphasis on mind-bending optics, and edging away ever so slightly from the chaotic, downright violent shows the band became infamous for throughout the 1990s.

If this show, the second of a months long tour that kicked off in British Columbia the night before, is any indicator, Nine Inch Nails have struck the perfect balance between visceral aggression and visual transcendence.

Think Pink Floyd on steroids. Lots of them.

The Undercard:
The night kicked off with a short set from Crystal Castles, a house-y/ noisecore-y act that seemed well out of their element doing their thing, which would be best suited for a club, in front of a largely indifferent crowd and based on the reaction they received I'd say they failed to garner many new fans.

I certainly didn't hate them but their show was more like one long song and to be honest, I'd forgotten I'd even seen them until I set about writing this. That kind of says it all right there.

The Main Event:
Whether you thought 'The Slip', NIN's surprise freebie from a couple months back, was hot shit or, uh, just shit, the songs played from it made for great arena stompers and their longest and most career comprehensive set to date kicked off with a cluster of them, before working the sold out arena into a frenzy with perennial crowd pleaser (and perennial bruise causer) 'March of the Pigs'. It's generally my custom to steer clear of the "danger zone" on the floor but I decided to do it differently tonight and I assure you that I am still very much paying the price for it, not that I have any regrets.

Beginning with 'Closer', the light show began to take on a life of it's own and I'm not even sure exactly how to describe them as the wall of lights behind the band moved in such a way as to give the appearance of breathing. If you've ever taken LSD, just think back to what your bedroom wall looked like when you were coming down for an idea of what I'm talking about. I assure you I was 100% sober throughout the night, with only the occasional thick cloud of marijuana (I think that's what it's called) passing me by courtesy of all the greasy stoners in the pit.

The band eventually transitioned to a handful of selections from last year's phenonemenal 'Year Zero' disc and this year's instrumental monolith 'Ghosts', with backdrops (and front drops) of screens and lights that have to be seen live to be truly appreciated, giving me a chance to catch some of my breath while catching the most awe-inspiring stage set up I've ever seen as the band rotated through a multitude of instruments in order to bring the ghostly material to life. There are just some things better seen than described and my descriptions, or even photos available on the web, wouldn't do this justice anyhow.

I've always been impressed at the way Reznor manages to weave all the disparate aspects of his musical canon seamlessly into the live experience and this ability was on full display as they ripped from the menacing trip hop of 'The Greater Good' into a blistering rendition of the always brutal 'Wish' and I was right back to fighting for breathing room, and fighting off epilepsy thanks to the retina punishing light display.

I was ready to pass out, and ready for a chiropractor after thrashing about to 'The Big Comedown', by the time the band came back for an encore, which was a bit of surprise considering NIN tend to forego that formality, and after a few more they closed the show with what would be the highlight of the night for me, an incredible performance of the never-before-played 'In This Twillight', one of my my favorite 'Year Zero' cuts.

The set was punctuated with one or two technical malfunctions that Trent alluded at some point, but I'd be a big fat liar if I said I noticed them or they detracted from the overall show in any way.

Reznor has always had great instincts when it comes to selecting his line ups and this current iteration is the most well-rounded to date, with Justin Meldal-Johnson, (afro'd bassist best known for his work with Beck), and Robin Finck, (best known for his past work with NIN and being the guy who played guitar for G'N'R who didn't wear a bucket or a top hat on his head) joining up with keyboardist extrodinaire Allesandro Cortini and (best) drummer (in the world) Josh Freese.

Trent himself, who at times appeared awkward in the face of his newfound sobriety during the With Teeth tours, has never seemed more at home, having full command of himself and the stage and never once looking tired or worn out for the over 2 hours that they played.

Based on the fact that I have yet to be disappointed by Nine Inch Nails in a live setting, I fully expected this to be an amazing night. My expectations were surpassed, punched in the face, and nearly given a seizure.
If you're a fan, you already know what to do. For everybody else, in particular anybody who may be under the impression that NIN is a '90's holdover whose best live days have passed, all I have to say is Trent and his gang have never been better and this one is not to be missed.



(For tourdates visit nin.com)


Set list:

999,999/ 1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March Of The Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Closer
Gave Up
The Warning
The Great Destroyer
Ghosts 1
Ghosts 25
Ghosts 19
Piggy
The Greater Good
Pinion/ Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
The Big Comedown
Ghosts 31
Only
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like A Hole

Echoplex
The Beginning Of The End
The Good Soldier
Hurt
In This Twilight

The 411: I've been to a lot of concerts in my life, and I've been to at least one NIN show on every North American tour they've had since 1995, so I can safely state, without hyperbole, that this was the best show I've ever seen. There are good ones, and there are great ones (and shitty ones, of course), but this really was the kind of concert that makes one glad to have been alive during the era in which it took place. I'd give it an 11 if I could, but I think I might have to save that for the rumoured Spinal Tap tour next year anyway.

Final Score:  10.0   [ Virtually Perfect ]