It was the best show... I ever seen...

I wasn't going to blog on the show last night, but as it turned out to be the best show I ever saw, I will.

Nine Inch Nails - 9/8/09 Henry Fonda in L.A.



We get there and go through check in (have to have ID and pick your tickets up there, cut way back on scalpers) and then line up way around the block. I've been to several sold out shows at this venue but the place usually doesn't fill up until during the show. For the second to last NIN show, the line was way down the block hours before they took the stage (or before the doors even opened).

Crew was very polite and got everyone in at a decent pace and without too much waiting.

We get in and the venue is as I remember (of course), but the size (very small) seems all the more epic due to the fact we are about to see a huge band here. We get in and are very close to the front. Maybe 6-8 people back, slightly right of center. Awesome spot. Opening band Health was pretty good and the crowd was respectful (and remained a good crowd throughout). Some guy passes out right next to me on my left side just before the show starts. A pro camera guy sets up shop directly to my right.

Lights go out. Band comes out. Immediately tear into Head Like a Hole. Which is unusual as that is almost always a near closer. Then Terrible Lie. By this point much of the crowd, myself included, figure we are going Pretty Hate Machine front to back. NIN had gone through The Downward Spiral twice at the recent closing shows. Turns out, this did not happen.

What did happen was the best set list I have ever seen from NIN and the best concert I have ever been too. The band sounded awesome. The set list was varied and fresh. Oh, and there was a ton of awesome special guests.

Trent was into it more than I had personally ever seen. Being so close was great as you could see all the extra expressions and gestures he put into the songs. You could also tell that it had hit home this was the end (or very close to it).

So, after 15 awesome songs Trent introduces Mike Garson as a special guest and I was super happy. He is best known as David Bowie's pianist/collaborator and had played on a previous NIN album (and is my favorite pianist). They started with Just Like You Imagined, which is one of my favorite pieces of music ever (and one Garson played on album wise). After that we got The Becoming and I Do Not Want This from The Downward Spiral with Mike Garson killing the Becoming and also doing several improvs. This added a whole new dimension to already amazing songs.

Mike Garson played a solo piece (which at the time I didn't know was Down in the Park piano version). Then Gary Numan (WICKED!) came out and played Down in the Park (!), Metal and Cars. Oh yeah... and Mike Garson played on those songs as well. Oh... and with Cars, Eric Avery from Jane's Addiction came out and played bass. The Numan mini-set was a treat. That guy sings as good as he ever did.

After Cars, Mike Garson departs. Then NIN + Gary Numan + Eric Avery are joined by opening band Health for a cover of Gang of Four's Anthrax. It was pretty neat and there was a ton of people on stage.

At this point, the band (and everyone) exits.

After a minute the lights go dark in a show time again kind of way... Trent comes out and explains this is a mess up. He says that the house lights were supposed to come on, so when the band came back out it would be a bigger surprise. "So, please, when we come back out in one second, act surprised." He walks off then back on and the crowd feigns loud surprise. So, does Trent. Hilarity.

Trent then introduces someone he almost had to drag on stage (it took a few reassuring waves to come up). He said it was a good friend and a member of NIN. Then Danny Lohner (former bassist) came up and started an amazing encore set. They played the Queen cover Get Down, Make Love during this time which was a real treat to see live. On top of the other great songs during the encore, they played Mr. Self Destruct and Wish with vocalist Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan.

So many surprise guests. After the encore, the band departs. The crowd is still going nuts. There have already been 28 songs!

NIN return for Encore 2 and finish off the night with a great 4 song ender. They play the Joy Division covers Atmosphere and Dead Souls. Both were awesome.

Then came the final two songs. The Day the World Went Away... another favorite. This version killed. I started to tear up a little which hasn't happened at a concert in ages. Trent got emotional and wiped tears away. Hard to explain. But a lot of themes in the song (loss) are present in what I am writing. And what others around me are going through. And I also knew this was the end. They finished with a fantastic rendition of Hurt. Which is a song often used for closing, but was very appropriate here. The whole band looked thankful for the great crowd and seemed to know that was a special night.

It was the best show I ever saw. Thank you guys (Trent and Co.) for the music and good times!

Set list and videos below... thanks to GetBonus for videos! (http://www.youtube.com/user/getbonus)

Just Like You Imagined with MIKE GARSON


Opening with Head Like a Hole...



Set List
1. Head like a Hole
2. Terrible Lie
3. Sin
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. Echoplex
7. Reptile
8. I'm Afraid of Americans
9. Survivalism
10. Head Down
11. 1,000,000
12. Letting You
13. Burn
14. Gave Up
15. Eraser
16. Just Like You Imagined (with Mike Garson)
17. The Becoming (with Mike Garson)
18. I Do Not Want This (with Mike Garson)
19. Mike Garson solo Down in the Park piano version
20. Down in the Park (with Gary Numan & Mike Garson) [Gary Numan song]
21. Metal (with Gary Numan & Mike Garson) [Gary Numan song]
22. Cars (with Gary Numan, Eric Avery & Mike Garson) [Gary Numan song]
23. Anthrax (with Gary Numan, Eric Avery & Health) [Gang of Four cover]
ENCORE
24. Heresy (with Danny Lohner)
25. Get Down, Make Love (with Danny Lohner) [Queen cover]
26. Mr. Self Destruct (with Danny Lohner & Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan)
27. Wish (with Danny Lohner & Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan)
28. The Hand that Feeds
ENCORE 2
29. Atmosphere [Joy Division cover]
30. Dead Souls [Joy Division cover]
31. The Day the World Went Away
32. Hurt