(Trent during “The Greater Good” - photo from NIN official)
Getting a bonus NIN show was totally unplanned. I don’t know why I hadn’t looked to see when they’d be in Dallas, but I happened to notice it a couple of weeks ago and checked to see if there were still tix. There were so no stressing on getting them beforehand. I figured I could show up and still get awesome seats, which I did.
To prep for the show, I took a look at some recent set lists and checked out Amateur Chemist, who took a vacation to catch a round of shows (a man after my own heart.) I wasn’t surprised to see how long the sets were. Trent has always been good about playing for a couple of hours - you totally get your $55 worth of show. And I don’t ever mind paying that much to see a NIN show - they gotta pay for all the toys somehow. Trent has always been on the technological fast track - I remember him using LED screens back in the Fragile days but this setup is the most complicated I’ve seen yet, with three different screens at different depths, which at times brought a 3D effect.
The first three songs just built up the tension in the arena. Kinda like eating something spicy when you don’t feel the burn until later. But “Discipline” changed all that. Those lyrics (I need your discipline/I need your help/I need your discipline/You know once I start I cannot help myself/Once I start I cannot stop myself) are just super sexy and yes, he is still uber hot after all these years. “MOTP” is always a crowd pleaser - it’s a fist pumping, scream at the top of your lungs kinda song. “Head Down” is sure to be a new fan fave, it was totally intense. Trent slowed it down next with “The Frail” (without its regular companion “The Wretched”, kinda weird) but then we got “Closer”, so all good. We got a bonus song with “The Line Begins to Blur” before we got blown away (yet again) with “Gave Up”. Then they segued into the “Ghosts” portion of the show, which is just the instrumental stuff. But not boring at all to watch because of the visualizations. I don’t remember exactly which song it was, but there was a part where the visuals made it look like it was raining. Lots of allusions to tv fuzz and that sort of thing as well. “Piggy” ended that slower portion of the set. The screen was all blue at that point and we saw some guy start to walk across. At first I thought “WTF”, but he was part of the show. The visuals made him look like he was erasing the screen until he got all the way across the stage and the LED was no longer lit up. Genius.
I was confused again when we got “Wish” without “Pinion” (Trent was totally messing with us longtime NIN vets, “Frail/Wretched” and “Pinion/Wish” *always* go together. ) but that song more than makes up for not having “Pinion”. Again, the crowd was pumped and sang along, though I always wonder how long Trent will sing the lyric I’m the one without a soul I’m the one with this big fucking hole/No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to Hell since he is way on the other side of 26. Haha. The next three songs were full of raw emotion - “Terrible Lie”, “Survivalism” and “The Big Comedown” are epic live.
“Survivalism” and “Only” had some nods to their videos. If you recall, the “Survivalism” vid has a bunch of different cameras going (like in a security video center) - they did the same setup for the live version - the screen was broken up into eight different “tvs”. One had a message that alluded to the ARG game - it said that it was censored for our protection. A couple of screens had shots of the crowd. One screen was processing video from onstage. And one screen had a bathroom where some guy is fucking some chick doggy style. I kid you not. Actually, I am not sure it was a chick, I could have sworn it was a guy (similar to the video where there is a gay couple in bed) but I heard some people talking about it afterwards and the guy said it was a chick. “Only” had Trent’s face on the screen like the video does with that pin game. (You know what I am talking about if you’ve seen it.)
The last two songs of the main set were electric. I always love “Down In It” - again, another spine tingling song. I grabbed this video from a NINnie in the pit.
And yeah, “Head Like A Hole”. It’s hard to believe I first heard that song when I was 17 - a whole 18 years ago. I’m not angry like I was back then, but those lyrics I’d rather die than give you control might as well be on my headstone. Sigh.
A short break where the NIN curtain (the photo in my previous post) comes down and then the 5 song encore. Trent was totally appreciative of the crowd at this point and said something to the effect that we made it worth it tonight. Nice. And I totally appreciated seeing Trent in his emotional, vulnerable mode when he hugged himself through the end of “Hurt”. An arena full of people singing your song should make you feel better, Trent. I loved that they ended with “In This Twilight”. It’s beautiful and sufficiently epic.
I’ve got two more shows on this tour - I can’t wait. (Full set list if you rawk on.)
P.S. Nice to have Robin Finck back on guitar. Dig on this photo from the official NIN blog....
P.P.S. And Josh Freese is still the man. His son was out on stage before the show and threw some drumsticks out into the crowd.
(photo courtesy of the NIN blog)
Nine Inch Nails
American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX
8/18/08
999,999
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March Of The Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Closer
The Line Begins To Blur
Gave Up
The Warning
Vessel
Ghosts 1
Ghosts 25
Ghosts 19
Piggy
The Greater Good
Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
The Big Come Down
Ghosts 31
Only
Down In It
Head Like A Hole
Encore:
Echoplex
Getting Smaller
God Given
Hurt
In This Twilight
I got to see NIN in Dallas tonight. I’ll post a real review later...I want to wait until I can get more photos from the NIN official and the set list (which I did not keep since I know the NINnies will take care of me.) In the meantime, check out what the NINnies are saying about the show on Echoing the Sound.
I didn’t have to work on Friday, so I had some quality time to take new albums for a spin.
Artist: Jihae
Album: After Thought
Recommended if you like: quirky singer-songwriter chicks
From their press kit:
Jihae’s voice is melancholic but defiant. At times cynical, but always resolute. Her hypnotic rhythms are seductive and her lyrics, subversively sentimental and knowing. The dynamics of her music carry each story and poem into a dreamworld, featuring daring arrangements on voice, guitar, cello, viola, bass, synth, drums, percussion and programmed beats.
Standout Tracks: “Simple Man”, “Cement Garden”
Worth a second listen?:
If you like chill music that features breathy chick vocals, this is all you.
More info: official/myspace
Listen: “Simple Man” (stream or right-click-and-save-as to dl)
Artist: Lykke Li
Album: Youth Novels
Recommended if you like: electronica, chick vocals with a swedish accent, stuff produced by Bjorn of Peter, Bjorn and John fame
From their press kit:
“She’s got the charming eccentricity of Regina Spektor and the confident cool of M.I.A.” - Blender
Standout Tracks: “I’m Good. I’m Gone”, “Little Bit”
Worth a second listen?:
I’ve never really been a fan of this kind of electronica, it kinda reminds me of the stuff my best friend used to torture me with when we were younger (stuff like Aphex Twin, god damn that shit is boring to listen to.) What saves this for me is the vocals (think Bjork during the early Sugarcubes period). So yeah, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.
More info: official/myspace
Listen: “Breaking It Up” (yt)
Artist: Kristoffer Ragnstam
Album: Wrong Side of the Room
Recommended if you like: Swedish indie-pop
From their press kit:
“Evolving from months of world travels and emotional stamps in his sentimental passport, Ragnstam’s follow up to last year’s Sweet Bills effortlessly floats from humorous self-examination to discovering the comfort in discomfort, once again displaying his knack for great melodies.”
Standout Tracks: “Disco Fiasco”, “I Heard About My Own Death On The Radio”
Worth a second listen?:
This was fun to listen to - some very funny lyrics and upbeat melodies throughout.
More info: official/myspace
Listen: “Swing That Tambourine”
Artist: Sunfold
Album: Toy Tugboats
Recommended if you like: the Annuals
From their press kit:
“Kenny Florence has an amazing voice which just can’t be ignored…unlike many ‘side-projects’, Sunfold stands on it’s own two feet…the amazing melodies make the songs shine.” --Triangle Music
Standout Tracks: “Sailed Off To The Sea","To Wake The Eye”
Worth a second listen?:
I had heard some tracks live on the last couple of Annuals shows, so I was already hip to the totally different sound and vibe of Sunfold. A few songs have a jazzy feel to them. No, not that crappy “smooth jazz”, but the kind that you would hear in a smoky piano bar in NOLA. Overall, a solid album.
More info: official on Terpsikhore/myspace
Listen: “Sara The American Winter” (stream or right-click-and-save-as to dl)
Artist: What Laura Says
Album: Thinks and Feels
Recommended if you like: “breezy mix of pop and rock with folk influences” - Flagstaff Live!
From their press kit:
What Laura Says’ upcoming album gives us all a breath of fresh musical air. The band focuses on producing a new sound, and something completely uncharacteristic of what would be considered mainstream in this country. “American radio music tends to let people down,” said bassist Mitch Freedom, and this album gives every indication that these guys are willing to step out of the box.” - Phoenix Art Space
Standout Tracks: “Illustrated Manual”, “Pairadice”
Worth a second listen?:
Some of the pub I read compared WLS to Ben Folds. I’ll agree with that to some extent, especially on “Illustrated Manual” and “Pairadice”. Not surprising that these are my faves on the album. I think you have to be in a good space to listen to this though. If you’re in a meh mood, the upbeat vibe will make you want to throw the cd across the room. (Not that I did that though. It was just a fleeting thought that came to me when I was writing this. Haha.)
More info: official/myspace
Listen: “July 23” (stream or right-click-and-save-as to dl)
In Stores 8/19:
The Academy Is...Fast Times At Barrington High
And the tween girls said swoon. The album is streaming now on their myspace. (P.S. A song called “Beware Cougar”? I kinda like these guys in spite of myself. )
Dandy Warhols Earth to the Dandy Warhols
Grab “The World Come On” here.
Jaguar Love Take Me To The Sea
This is not up everyone’s alley, but it is up mine. The entire album is streaming on their myspace.
Lykke Li Youth Novels
Lots of good buzz on this one. I’m listening to it for this week’s record reviews. Check out some tracks on myspace.
Kristoffer Ragnstam Wrong Side of the Room
I’ll do a review of the album later this week. In the meantime, check their myspace to take a listen to some tunes.
Lagwagon I Think My Older Brother Used To Listen To Lagwagon
Great title to the album. Listen to tracks on myspace.
Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line
An indie blogger fave. Preview tracks on their myspace.
Staind The Illusion Of Progress
Ack. Is anyone still listening to this band? I know they still play it on the radio in some unenlightened cities. Sigh.
Stereolab Chemical Chords
Another indie blogger fave. Listen here.
Toadies No Deliverance
The single (and title track) is streaming on their myspace.
The Walkmen You and Me
This has been out digitally for a few weeks (for $5 for charity) so it is all over indie blogger nation. You can listen to the entire album on spinner.
What Laura Says Thinks and Feels
Released on Annuals’ Terpsikhore label, this promises to be an interesting listen. Full review later. Check them on myspace now.
Impacting on radio:
(alt rock)
Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor) - You Don’t Know Me
Jack’s Mannequin - The Resolution
Oasis - The Shock Of The Lightning
People In Planes - Mayday (M’Aidez)
Pretenders - Boots Of Chinese Plastic
(triple a)
Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor) - You Don’t Know Me
Calexico - Two Silver Trees
Ingrid Michaelson - Be Ok
Meiko - Boys With Girlfriends
Oasis - Strike The Lightning
Pretenders - Boots Of Chinese Plastic
Grr. According to this myspace blog, My Morning Jacket has cancelled their Vegas show....
“Please note that the September 24th date in Las Vegas at The Joint Inside Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has been canceled due to a casino scheduling conflict, and unfortunately will not be rescheduled on this tour. Anyone holding advance purchase tickets may return them for refund at the point of sale.”
There goes my back-to-back MMJ shows. Which means I have a Southwest flight and a hotel to cancel. But that also means I can do the back to back Kings of Leon shows instead. (Saturday 10/11 in Vegas and Sunday 10/12 here.) Rawk.
Update: Okay, getting a ticket to the Kings of Leon show and changing my flight on SW was a piece of cake. But I usually stay at my timeshare in Vegas and they are booked. Ack, I hate it when I have to do shit outside of my comfort zone. My flight is pretty early the next morning, I could just wing it and not get a room and stay up all night....
Update #2: Staying at a Doubletree near the airport for less than $100. They shuttle you to and from the airport and to the strip, so I save $$ on cab fare. Plus I get double Hilton points. I feel much better.
Me + 6 hours in the sun = super tan Lyn. Yes, I am back home after spending the day at Warped. Here is how it shook out.
12.30 arrived at the Amphitheatre formerly known as Coors. Headed straight to the board near the main stages to figure out my schedule.
12.45 hung out at the Hurley/Smart Punk stages. Caught Human Abstract on Smart Punk. They were godawful.
1.15 Aggrolites on Hurley stage. I’m a dork, I was trying to catch the Color Fred, there were two Hurley stages. FAIL. But the Aggrolites were fine for the three songs I caught.
1.45 Story of the Year on Main Stage Right. So sue me, I like a couple of SOTY songs. And I actually think that their lead singer, Dan Marsala is quite the showman, so I was all in. They did I few songs I didn’t recognize, not a surprise since I only have their second album and have only seen them live once before this. But then they did the single from their new album, “Wake Up” and then did a good one from Page Avenue, “In the Shadows”. Of course when they segued into “Until The Day I Die”, the crowd went crazy. Yes, there was a sing-a-long. As if. Solid set for sure.
2.15 The Bronx on Main Stage Left. Oh heck yeah. The SOTY crowd dispersed and we got an intimate set from the Bronx. They looked like they were having a good time up there. I peeped Tim Pyles and (I think) Robin Roth from the side of the stage rocking out to their set. Matt Caughthran, their lead singer, braved coming out into the crowd and sang an entire song in the pit. Awesome. I think there were a lot of people that walked away as new fans.
2.45 Say Anything on Main Stage Right. Max Beemis and crew brought out the tween girls. Max was pretty smarmy but I would expect that considering the songs that he writes. Crowd faves were “Alive with the Glory of Love”, “Shiska” and the set ending one-two punch of “Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too” and “Belt”. (Funny thing about Max’s in between songs banter - he was pubbing Gil Mantera’s Party Dream on the “dancy stage”. We saw this band at SXSW - they were a sorta frightening S&M techno band. Yikes.)
3.15 The Academy Is...on Main Stage Left. By far the most crowded stage of the day thus far. I lasted half a song before I decided I was hungry and wanted a beer.
4.00 Street Dogs on Main Stage Right. Didn’t really see them since I was really just hanging out before Rise Against, but my ears perked up when they covered Black Flag’s “Rise Above”.
4.15 Rise Against on Main Stage Left. I was pretty pumped to see RA again since they rock me out every time I see them. Tim and the boys started off strong with the classic “Black Masks and Gasoline” and then went into “Give It All”. They stopped midway through “Give It All” as security came out and told Tim that there was someone down in the pit and they needed to make sure they were okay. Tim made small talk for a few minutes and then they started “Give It All” near the bridge to finish. The sound on Tim’s vocals were spotty, but that didn’t take away from the hard hitting set of music they ripped through. (Full set list if you rawk on.) Before “State of the Union”, Tim got political on us and spoke out against the War in Iraq, to cheers from the crowd. He also gave a shout out to old school fans and the Che Cafe. Right on. They ended the set with a new song and “Prayer of the Refugee” with a pumped crowd singing along to the lyrics…
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You won’t let me down, down, down!
4.45 Beer o’clock before heading back to the Main Stage for MCS.
5.15 Motion City Soundtrack at Main Stage Left. I love me some MCS. I love their pop sensibility and their quirky lyrics and Justin’s fro. Another crowd dominated by the tween girls, we were treated to “My Favorite Accident” and “This is For Real” right away. Then Justin introduced LGFUAD. Another crowd pleaser “Everything is Alright” was next. Then it was “It Had To Be You” with these stellar lyrics - Let’s get wrecked on pop tarts and sex and see the Taj Mahal. They ended their set with “The Future Freaks Me Out”.
5.45 Against Me! on Main Stage Right. I was surprised to see that Tom Gabel wasn’t set up in the center of the stage - maybe to protect himself from hecklers? Dunno. But they started off with three songs from last year’s excellent album New Wave - the title track, “Stop” and then “White People for Peace”. Then it was “Pints of Guiness Make You Strong” (good lyrics for sure) and “Sink, Florida Sink”. I thought their set would be as tight as Rise Against’s but they didn’t seem to polarize the crowd like Rise Against did. But ending with “Thrash Unreal” was a no-brainer so everyone left singing.
And then I really left. Now on to watching the Olympics.
Rise Against
Warped Tour
Cricket Amphitheatre
8/14/08
Black Masks and Gasoline
Give It All
Ready to Fall
Heaven Knows
The Good Left Undone
State of the Union
Re-Education Through Labor
Prayer of the Refugee
Yes, I am going to Warped on Thursday. Yes, I listened to a song from every single one of these bands. I’ll use the same categories as last year. Snarky comments as needed.
Bands to See
Against Me!
Charlotte Sometimes
Gym Class Heroes
Horrorpops
Motion City Soundtrack
Rise Against
Say Anything
(I love Max Beemis and co. but I still haven’t seen them. It’s time to fix that.)
Story of the Year
(If only to hear “Anthem of our Dying Day” and “Until The Day I Die”)
Bands I am curious about:
Classic Crime
The Academy Is…
(A bit of power pop, but I could possibly enjoy that.)
The Bronx
Fear
(Electronica during the day? Maybe just to see the crowd.)
ORESKABAND
(Japanese ska. Kinda cute actually)
The Fabulous Rudies
(From covers to 99 Luftballoons to your more traditional ska. But with a chick on lead vox. And they claim to be from O-side. )
Bands I’ve seen that I am not going to worry about seeing again:
Aggrolites
Angels and Airwaves
Reel Big Fish
The Germs
The Vandals
If I was a 16 year old girl, I would go see:
Cobra Starship
(And all the tween girls said….swoon..)
Anberlin
(Typical comment on their myspace: “Thanks soooo much for signing my shirt at the Gorge! I took 46 pictures of you guys and sang every single word!")
Beat Union
(A little ska tinge to these guys)
Between The Trees
(Very Dashboard Confessional-like)
Dr. Manhattan
(The lead singer kinda has that Tom Delonge bratty pop vocal going on....)
Relient K
We the Kings
If I was a 16 year old guy, I would go see:
MC Chris
3oh!3
(What a trainwreck. Hip-hop meets euro pop meets emo. )
A Day to Remember
(Hello screamo with power pop choruses.)
Alesana
(More screamo but the lead vox is very reminiscent of Claudio of Coheed)
All That Remains
Big Drill Car
(OC punk, not poppy, so more for dudes.)
Confide
(Christian screamo?)
Evergreen Terrace
Everytime I Die
From First to Last
GBH
MIA
(This is the 80’s punk rock band not M.I.A.)
Norma Jean
Protest The Hero
Set Your Goals
Sky Eats Airplane
Street Dogs
T.S.O.L.
The Human Abstract
If you listened to the radio in a CC alt rock market, you’d go see:
The Audition
Ludo
Forever The Sickest Kids
Four Year Strong
Panima
Meh:
Katy Perry
(I don’t care if you kissed a girl. I especially don’t care that you liked it. )
Shwayze
Natives of the New Dawn
(Not my kind of hip-hop)
Who?
(Couldn’t find them on my first try and not willing to dig around further. )
Bring Me the Horizon
D.I.
H2O
Lordz
Lyn is always rawking to the song in her head, which she would be happy to sing to you. Just ask.
Music posted is for sampling purposes and is only available for a limited time. If you like what you hear, support the artist and buy the album or go to a show.
I am big time dorking out to Charlotte Sometimes lately.
Max Beemis & co. are some of the most supreme douchebags around. You’re lucky not to have had to interact with them on their last trip through SD. In spite of that, I dig their tunes.
The Bronx KILL. I’m not sure how it’ll translate on Warp Tour, but I’ve seen them a few times at the Casbah and the smaller room at SOMA. SO killer.
Interesting how they discussed that the Internet was the future but didn’t really have anyone on the panel that works at a music based web site. Maybe they should give sites like Slacker a listen.
I love how those people are clearly out searching on Google for themselves, probably hoping to find a more positive commentary on their writing than he found here. That cracks me up! Hahahahahaha! I think that’s something my sis-in-law would do, and it’s an activity that makes me feel sorry for them a little bit…
Apparently, you aren’t allowed to have an opinion of music, writing or anything else on your own blog unless it’s a positive one.
That bloviation is some of the most banal crap I’ve read in recent memory.
Unless you’re writing fiction, which that press kit one sheet may very well be, it’s kind of a golden rule that writers avoid the temptation to try and sound intelligent by using big words and semi-descriptive but completely useless language for the sole purpose of flexing their writing muscle.
In the end, it reads more like a sixth graders attempt at creative writing.
Hahaha--I probably know that dude. Sorry--it *is* written terribly. Everyone tries so hard to be funny or ironic in their press descriptions, but so few are truly able to execute.
This was the all ages venue that was supposed to be the new all ages spot for indie kids, then Leighton wrote some shit about it and the fire marshal cracked down and they got their venue permits pulled. Guess they’ve worked that stuff out?
Hey, thanks for the review, i will be seeing them for the first time in Seattle next Wednesday, so i’m stoked to see so many rockin’ songs on the setlist.
