Commercially Viable, Pre-Packaged Rebellion: Nine Inch Nails - US Bank Arena 2/25/06
I did not have the highest expectations going into Saturday's show at Cincinnati's US Bank Arena. I've never been a big fan of Nine Inch Nails, but -- as with any music nerd my age -- I am familiar with the majority of their catalog. However, I did enjoy the only albums I've owned by Reznor's troupe, Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral.
With the disclaimers out of the way, I'll share a few brief observations regarding Saturday's show here in Cincinnati.
The crowd:
Comprised almost exclusively of an interesting mix of 30ish nine-to-fivers a little to eager to disclose they saw NIN on the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in '91, "goth" teenagers with dyed hair (usually black, occasionally a more daring blue or green), dark clothing, eyeliner, and, most importantly, a decidedly "dark" persona cultivated by a painstakingly detailed MySpace profile, and finally, the generic 20-something mainstream rock radio dudes (if you listen to WEBN, i'm talking to you) with a distinct Kentucky redneck accent and an embarrassing $50 [NIN] tattoo prominently displayed via rolling up the sleeve of a Nine Inch Nails concert tee from a recent tour or, better yet, via taking the shirt off completely.
The music:
A pleasant mix of fan favorites and the hits, spanning the bands entire catalog. Clearly pros, Trent's band was pretty much amazing (esp. the drummer), with an abundance of on-stage energy. The sound and light show were top-notch and the midset video vignette featuring a parade of disturbing visuals was genuinely affecting. This was the first show I've seen in a venue this size since maybe the Pumkins on the Mellon Collie tour, but aside from the inevitable lack of intimacy, I cannot find fault with anything concerning the actual production. Well done.
Overall impressions:
I'm a people watcher and have to admit the characters present at this show supplied the most lasting impression. Fact: I actually did see "that guy" with his shirt off sporting the above-described, nearly jailhouse quality tattoo. At $40 and up, it was a little too pricey for all but the devoted. On a personal note, the show was an enjoyable send-off to my friends Tom & Andrea who moved to LA on Sunday (hopefully I can make it out for Coachella) and a pleasant evening overall.
Purported setlist: (via WOXY.com message board)
1. Pinion
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. You Know What You Are?
4. Terrible Lie
5. The Line Begins To Blur
6. March Of The Pigs
7. Something I Can Never Have
8. Closer
9. Burn
10. Gave Up
11. Eraser
12. Right Where It Belongs
13. Beside You In Time
14. With Teeth
15. Wish
16. Only
17. Every Day Is Exactly The Same
18. Getting Smaller
19. Dead Souls
20. Hurt
21. The Hand That Feeds
22. Head Like A Hole
Posted by: Matt
posted by Matt @ 1:05 AM
2 Comments:
I would say that the video display at the show was incredibly sweet. Matt was a little frightened by it, but I thought it was the closest to a psychedelic experience one could come without actually ingesting hallucinogens. As for the crowd, there were some doucherriffic characters, but for the most part, they were infinitely better than most metal-type crowds. Also, there were a lot of hot girls there.
Saw the show too, and I agree with pretty much all of your comments. The production and the band's energy were stellar. And there were definitely some characters in the crowd. There was a kid about 8 years old sitting in front of us with his dad. They both sat down at one point, and some 30 year old dirtbag in front of them starts repeatedly yelling at this kid, "You gotta stand up. This is a NIN concert!" The kid was mature enough to hold his own, but I wish I would have punched that dude looking back.
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