Nine Inch Nails at the IZOD Center

August 27th 2008

Does it Offend You, Yeah? opened. Good energy. Very positive vibe. They were really good and LOADS of fun, I will buy their record. I was VERY distracted though... Seeing as how it was sinking in that I was about to see NIN again for what felt like the first time... and... Trent. Oh god, Trent.

We got there early enough to be second row (I left early to get there by 4 p.m.).

That is the closest I've ever been to Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails at a performance. I am really surprised at my response to being so near him. I didn't scream or wail. I just FROZE and went into a daze... there was soft lighting, glitter, and I think I could hear "dream weaver" was playing...



I always like to convince myself that I am not madly in love with the man, and that I am a grown woman who is finally over him. Then, he stands less than 10 FT away from me, singing, moaning, whispering, shaking his hips, playing the tambourine, and generally doing any other type of provocative thing you can imagine.... And I literally turned to jelly... Frozen stiff jelly.

I kept trying to will myself to be visible to Trent. I think he made eye contact a few times, this comforts me- so I am going to run with that. :-) He thanked everyone and their mother. Seriously. It was so endearing. He said he hoped we like the show- because a LOT of thought and planning went into it. (it SHOWED). He said while they were back stage getting all pumped up, he turned to the other band mates and simply said "Let's blow these fuckers minds tonight". At that he smiled. Amazing!

On top of the good looks, the musical and lyrical genius- his artful stage direction (the best set design EVER btw)... he took a few moments to talk to us. I noticed he has a very specific sort of hand signal to the sound crew so that he could have the time to talk and that the rest of the band was kind of like "jeez". He apologized and said that he "felt suddenly possessed to talk to us". His voice is no longer the nasal of yore- it's now a deep throaty rasp/whisper. The kind of voice that make my ears sing with ecstasy, as the sounds courses down and through the entire length of my body. He was so gracious. He just kept telling us how excited he was to be there. He said something like, "You know, I didn't get into music to be famous, or makes lots of money, or to fuck girls... I thought I was going to lose my mind if I didn't figure this shit out some how... so I began writing these songs that were just for me. then i had the guts to put them out and then just find out that other people can relate to it... Some how we are communicating with one another... and I want to Thank you so much." From there, it went into "Hurt". I'm not going to lie, I cried like a baby. I didn't expect that to be honest. Then I ended up crying and was a bit forlorn the whole way home. Didn't see that coming either.

He is simply put the unrequited love of my life.

I mean it.

And unrequited love SUCKS. I feel bad for people who actually KNOW those that they're in unrequited love with, and not just a celebrity thing, because it's pure torture. I know a lot of people LOVE him... But I don't know... I would be cool with just having him know me in SOME way, like a friend- maybe even a casual acquaintance. Better yet, I wish he knew me creatively like through writing or art. I want that exchange...

Anyway, here's the set list:



999,999
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Reptile
Closer
Gave Up
The Warning
Vessel
Ghosts 5
Ghosts 17
Ghosts 19
Piggy
The Greater Good
Pinion
Wish
Terrible lie
Survivalism
The Big Come Down
Ghosts 31
Only
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole

Encore:
Echoplex
God Given
The Good Soldier
Hurt
In This Twilight

In all fairness, I need to see the show again, I keep hearing how amazing the set, lighting, and effects were... but I was so busy looking at Mr.Reznor that I didn't really notice... Unrequited love makes you forget the bigger picture.