Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails played a nearly packed house in Lexington’s Rupp Arena last night. Trent Reznor, being something of a role-model for me as a visionary, one who embraces emerging technologies better than anyone else, and one who makes utterly incredible music, I had been excited for months since I first learned of it and began strongly promoting the show. I’ve said it before, Trent Reznor is a visionary, and I think unequivocally the most important man in music today. This was the show I had been the absolute most excited to see for the summer, because after being a lifelong fan since Pretty Hate Machine, and seeing them in 2006, I knew that this show would be artistic buffet of incredible sound, visuals and energy. Naturally, I was not let down in that regard.

Similar to the 2006 experience, the first song of the set, 99,000 began as the stadium lights were still illuminated, so as to catch people off guard. In 2006, it had been pinion which silently crept into our ears. I recall at that time recognizing it immediately and to begin getting into it. Last night, the crowd didn’t take quite as long to recognize the song being played and the crowd erupted as the stadium lights quickly faded to black and the blue and red stage lights revealed Trent and the rest of the crew.

In 2006, I was in the first row on the floor and the experience was surreal with the energy and angst of the crowd flowing along with the music. With this experience, detached from the energy of the crowd, I was able to give perhaps greater appreciation to the visual elements of the 3 layered LCD screens, and the beautiful imagery they created. Nine Inch Nails knows how to use a stage better than any band I have seen, fitting a wide number of instruments from the normal guitar, drums, mics, to less conventional things such as a dulcimer, marimba, water jugs, chimes, timpani, keys, multiple interactive LCD screens and more. As everyone was able to see, Trent set an electronic drum sequence using a large touch sensitive LCD screen just prior to Echoplex. What most people may ot have realized was that during The Great Destroyer, Robin Finck, Trent Reznor and Alessandro Cortini all appeared to be live mixing the LCD screen from white static to blue and green, incorporating several other visual elements into it, including the Microsoft blue screen of death. Each of these had a monitor in front of them with a touch senstive LCD screen on it which they appeared to be controlling. The visual element to this show blew away what they had done in 2006. It was magical.

Watching this show and realizing that Pretty Hate Machine was released in 1989, you can’t help but feel while Trent has been a rock god for years, that his evolution quickens, and never moreso than in the last two years. Having released the operatic Year Zero, alongside the incredible campaign he initiated to elevate the expereince of new media, to his later ran in Australia where he encouraged the Aussie’s to download his albums for free online, to dropping his record label and adopting what is in my opinion the best current and most sustainable method of distribution with Saul William’s album, as well as his release with Ghosts I-IV, to his thank you in The Slip. It has been a big year for music, and at the forefront, Nine Inch Nails. I mention this because you can see it in the way that the performance ran last night. From everyone I have spoken to, whether they’ve seen NIN once, twice, or twenty time, last night’s show has been the best. Trent’s energy commanded your attention, and the amount of time each of these guys have spent in studios and touring together has left them with incredibly tight and precise coordination, whether it is bringing walls of sound to a suddent and abrupt hault in the blink of an eye or putting together the beautiful pieces that is Ghosts.

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about Ghosts as though it were some major departure for the band, but can’t help but wonder if they don’t recall hints of what was to be Ghosts in tracks like A Warm Place from The Downward Spiral, arguably one of the more beautiful songs of the time. As the series of Ghosts songs began is when the LCD screen really came into the show. Serene piano-heavy music set to what might have been post Year Zero industrial landscape just before leading into the second best visual display of the night, a rain storm which hid the band from us only until a patch cleared up for us to see them, and finally, shattering. The best visual display of the night was no doubt a blue screen on The Greater Good, which showed what looked like a topographical map and the image of portions of Trent’s face and mic as he sang the subtle beauty of the that song. At the conclusion of the song, someone with a flashlight came to the stage to wipe the screen clean using a flashlight. As the person flashed the light at certain areas of the screen, the blue of the screen cleared away to reveal NIN again to us.

During Survivalism, a series of live feeds were set up showing various areas of the arena, namely Camera 1) Trent, 2) Crowd, 3) Bathroom sink, 4) Sound Guy, 5) Stairwell, 6) Crowd, and 7) Toilet. While some of the feeds were definitely live, we all have our doubts about the Camera 3 feed because during the song, it depicted a guy having sex with some girl from behind directly on the sink in focus (picture below). Also, the sound guy seems an odd choice, particularly since he happened to be going NUTS, but nevertheless, the feed was wonderful and played into the theme of the Year Zero very nicely. I would love to catch an all Year Zero show, even while fans are generally coming to hear their favorite Downward Spiral and Pretty Hate Machine songs, I think there would be so much room for a really creative set for Year Zero only.

The show ended with a fury of fan favorites, namely Only, The Hand that Feeds, and Head Like a Hole. By this time, the frustrations I had dealt with before the show were wiped completely from my mind and all I could do was appreciate what was happening as the NIN logo climbed its way down the LCD screen before standing prominently before us. For some it is merely a logo, and for others of us, a symbol of strength, edurance, innovation, and brilliance.

As Echoplex opened the encore, Trent created the aforementioned electronic drum sequence using the touch sensitive LCD. As an electrical engineer and patent attny, I was mesmerized. My personal favorite and has been one of my favorite songs since 1994, was Hurt. As soon as the introductory swirling wind sound began, I started jumped, excited to know what was about to happen…and then it kicked in, Trent’s confessional plea “I hurt myself today”. The crowd went nuts. As the end of one of the greatest concept albums of all time, I cannot find a place for it anywhere than at the very end of the set, particularly when the last suicidal blast happens at the close, and the power struggle is lost. While I enjoyed In This Twilight, I felt its placement was poor. The sentiment of Hurt is so powerful, and although out of context from the rest of the album, it loses some of the cumulative meaning of the concept of Downward Spiral, anyone with familiarity with the album is surely aware enough to pull it together themselves.

All in all, the show was incredible both visually and musically. I missed a large part of the energy being a wallflower stuck in the stands, but the music more than made up for it.

Setlist:
99,000
1,000,000
Letting You Get Away
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Reptile
Closer
Gave Up
The Warning
The Great Destroyer
Ghosts 21
Ghosts 14
Ghosts 19
Ghosts Piggy
The Greater Good
Pinion
Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
Ghosts 31
Only
The Hand that Feeds
Head Like a Hole

Encore
Echoplex
The Beginning of the End
God Given
Hurt
In This Twilight

By Cory from BackseatSandbar.com
Photos by James Crisp

American Idols

I’ve always been a fan of American Idol. It provides some pretty quality entertainment at the beginning of the year after the holiday season ends. Usually I’m able to choose a favorite to root for, but I must admit I’m not one to pick up the phone and actually vote, nor would I ever actually pay money to see the contestants perform live… but oh how very different this season was!

So even though the product-placement was becoming increasingly heinous and the group numbers actually made me cringe, I never missed a Tuesday or Wednesday night this season. Overall I thought the contestants were a very talented group of musicians. Even with the performers I didn’t care for as much, my disinterest seemed to stem more from stylistic choices rather than actual voice quality. And slowly I found myself starting to emotionally invest in the show, and more specifically in David Cook. I called in and voted for him. I secretly found myself worrying about his safety on the show. I broke my cardinal rule of reality T.V. – to actually become involved.

And now here I am months later waiting at Rupp Arena for “Poptarts Presents American Idols Live.” I’ve driven over 5 hours to be here and stalked Ticketmaster for the best seats I can find. What on earth has gotten into me? As I enter the arena to an announcer and what appears to be a patron having a dance competition with a life-size Poptart I once again question my sanity. But as I look around and see people of all ages, excited, with t-shirts and signs promoting their favorite Idol I feel very happy to be here and glad to find that I am not the only one who was so captivated by this group of contestants.

Speaking to friends who have previously attended the concert, I am already aware of the format of the show. The idols will be performing in the order in which they were eliminated. This suits me perfectly, considering the main attraction of the event—in my mind, at least—is David Cook, and this will line him up to close the show.

The house lights dim and I take my seat as Chikezie opens for us. I am pleased with his renditions of the songs he covers. He is lively and energetic. He works hard to get the crowd involved. I find myself thinking he was a good person to be in the 10th-place spot because he has managed to set a nice tone for the show.

Up next is Ramiele. She is so tiny. I really can’t reiterate this enough. On T.V. she looked small, but in person I think that I—at 5’ 2’’—would swamp her. Her voice is not exceptionally strong to me. She doesn’t always stay in key, but she’s working it out on the stage. Still, I do not find myself disappointed when her set of three songs concludes.

Finally someone I am really looking forward to—Michael Johns—commands the stage. On the show I was a fan of his, but I found his dancing to be a distraction. If I closed my eyes and listened to his voice I really enjoyed it, but watching him dance always cracked me up to the point where I couldn’t take him too seriously. Still, I thought his departure at #8 was quite premature. On this stage he is on fire, no silly dancing, just very passion filled performances. By the end of his set I am ready to go buy his CD.

Kristy Lee Cook is next. I love country music and think with the backing of 19 records she has a shot at being a good recording artist, but I prefer Carrie Underwood’s style to her own. I wasn’t familiar with two of the songs she sang, which I think detracted from her set to me. However, her rendition of “God Bless the USA” was amazing. Her voice was well suited for the song and since I didn’t think she was singing it for sympathy votes this go-round I could really enjoy it.

Carly Smithson, another favorite of mine, now takes the stage. I am thrilled with her song choices – Evanescence, Cindy Lauper, and Heart. Carly is well defined in her style, and her voice is so intense and powerful. Her set passes by entirely too quickly. Also, on a completely superficial note the girl has lost a ton of weight since Idol. She was never really overweight, but she looks beyond amazing now.

Speaking of beanpoles, Brooke White takes the stage next. Oh dear Brooke, “Mrs. Don’t Forget the Lyrics” what a huge difference not being judged makes on you. The girl is incredible. She is the first person to arrive on stage playing the grand piano and it is truly breathtaking. You can tell she pours her heart into her performances and she proves to be the perfect end to the first half of the show.

At this point I prepare myself for the group number that is upon us. The bottom six all sing “One” by U2. It actually isn’t as bad as on the show. The choreography is not nearly as cheesy and everyone is in tune and harmonized. I’m actually quite impressed. I expected much worse from a show that prides itself on arm swaying and features the Charleston as a primary dance move.

Intermission time! I excuse myself from the arena; I’ve had my fill of “product pimping” on the show. I feel no need to see Poptarts and Guitar Hero shamelessly plugged further.

The concert is in fact very professional and I don’t want this to take away from it. The graphics in the background are excellent, the transitions between artists is smooth. I am becoming increasingly delighted with my decision to attend this event.

Jason Castro takes the stage after intermission. To be completely honest I don’t remember much about his set. I’m starting to get excited about David Cook being just a few performers away and Jason is really just providing background music for me. I apologize I don’t have a better description for his number, but that’s the honest truth of the matter.

Syesha is the last lady to take the stage. Her sound does not coincide with my taste in music. She has a diva-ish voice, loud and filled with runs. I spend a large majority of her set trying to decide how the people who are positioned at the catwalk don’t see up her dress—it is quite short.

Again the grand piano emerges from the stage with David Archuleta playing his heart out. The crowd goes wild; the excitement is infectious; David is adorable. On the show I couldn’t enjoy him fully because he was my favorite’s competition, but watching him live I am mesmerized. His voice is unearthly and he is so impassioned I actually think he might be about to break down and cry on stage. My favorite song he sings is “Apologize” and his version in my opinion surpasses the original. I can’t actually see myself buying this kid’s album—I know it will be a bit too pop-tastic for me—but I have to admit he is truly gifted.

Finally it’s the moment of truth. The crowd is going nuts. I am loving this. I’m really impressed at just how loud everyone has gotten all of a sudden. I didn’t know if Cook’s applause would surpass Archuleta’s by much of a margin but the stadium is roaring as David emerges singing “Hello.” This man is a natural. I can only surmise that he was meant to do this. He is so comfortable on the stage and with the crowd. He works the audience seamlessly with his sense of humor and truly insane vocals. I sing along to every word of every song and I am not the only one. Almost everyone in the stadium is on their feet. Somehow David has managed to turn an American Idol event into a rock concert. It is obvious why he won American Idol, at least in my opinion, but of course I am biased. Even with five songs, the most given to any performer, his set goes entirely too quickly. As he departs the stage I already feel excited for his CD, which is scheduled to drop in November.

The concert concludes as all 10 idols sing “Please Don’t Stop the Music.” This is kind of a joke. The vocals are not as good as the bottom 6 group number, but thanks to some highly amusing dancing antics on part of many of the Idols, mainly David Cook and Michael Johns, it turns into one of the highlights of the show. The people who look like they are goofing off and having a good time make this the perfect ending to the evening. The couple of individuals who seem to be taking the song seriously look a bit out of sorts. As the idols leave the stage, David Cook asks us to “Give it up for the band, give it up for Poptarts, and give it up for Guitar Hero.” I guess his job can’t be all glamor.

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time at the concert. It far exceeded my expectations and it was an awesome platform for some of these artists to gain greater exposure. I went in knowing for sure I would purchase David Cook’s CD but I left considering purchasing 3-4 of the other artists’ works. I look forward to seeing what this group of people can bring to the music industry. However, after breaking my cardinal rule and becoming attached to this group of contestants I have made it my resolution not to watch American Idol again next year. I don’t think it would be possible for it to surpass this season for me and to be honest I wouldn’t want it to. So I think I’ll stop while I’m ahead. Here’s hoping I can keep my resolve and not go back on another promise I’ve made to myself.