a year ago today was my last nine inch nails show. having met a new nin-friend at work, i’ve been thinking and talking about nin alot lately, and i thought i should get my favourite memories down somewhere. 51 shows later, here’s what i remember…
2000
fragility toronto – i wish i could remember more about this show, but it WAS 10 years ago…it was the most beautiful stage show ever. perfect visuals, great setlist, and i remember trent coming on stage and thinking this was the most beautiful man in the world. black lipstick all over his face and everything 🙂
2005
reno – i invited a virtual stranger to go across the country with me to see our favourite band. and she turned into one of my best friends ever. we had amazing line conversations with awesome people, and “new” guitarist aaron north walked by us with a pizza and we didn’t know who he was. too hyped up to go to bed we drove around reno and got lost in the never ending suburb from hell LOL.
toronto club shows 1 & 2 – still top my list as the best shows i’ve seen. everything about them, from having to get back in line cuz i had the wrong ticket, but still getting to the rail, the crush, the heat, the injuries, being at a 45 degree angle but still not falling down…it was what nin shows should be. only days after With Teeth was released, everyone knew the words, club shows mean true fans in attendance. adrienne2 got hit in the head with a tambourine, and we didn’t see any tambourines again until much later in the year haha
philadelphia club shows 1 & 2 – after the first 2 club shows, we couldn’t NOT go to philly. scalped tickets on ebay, drove to the show. too injured from the week before we rocked out at the soundboard both nights. people stared as we were the only ones who knew the lyrics to “home”. amazing aftershow conversation about why the band ended the set early, to go to see the new star wars (which turned out to be true!), and a 2 hour search for a hotel room (not fun!). and a trent freakout because his guitar stopped working (“something’s gonna get broken!!”)
philly/wilkes-barre – en route after the philly show to wilkes-barre for the next show, we accidentally left bliss at the gas station. good thing we were only driving across the parking lot to the convenience store! adr2 and bliss met cassie and beth, who became line buddies the following spring.
toronto – everyone assumed this was our last show. trent wasn’t known for touring for years anymore. we joked around that we had to go to all the shows we could, because it would be another 5 years before trent put out another album, and by then i’d be 30 and who knows where i’d be (LOL!)…little did we know.
san luis obispo – yes i flew across country, spent more time en route than actually IN california, huge delays in Dallas/Ft Worth because it “snowed”, and missing my connection, greaaaat… but a spur of the moment “club” show, couldn’t miss it. again, assumed it to be my last show.
2006
cincinatti – what else is there to be said about this show except adrienne2 caught aaron’s guitar. 🙂
erie – pilgrimage to Mercer! met sarah for the first time, though we didn’t really know it, and it was the only show i got pulled from the crowd.
rochester – i know that the only people who believe me when i say this are adrienne1, adrienne2, amira, cassie and maybe eric….but…trent played this show TO us. the only show where all of us were at the rail directly in front of trent. the whole show he gave us so much attention, including my one and only “piggy” moment. trent came off the stage directly to me, grabbed my hand and for the rest of the song i had my face smooshed up against his stomach. i was not complaining. “the wretched” was a highlight, and then of course “everyday is exactly the same”, trent came to the edge of the stage and threw the tambourine directly to me. not lying or exaggerating, it was not even a throw, it was a lob, right to me. there was no way anyone else could have even tried to get it, it was that direct to me. adr2 threw me over the rail so i wouldn’t get beat up and the guard looked completely confused as to why i’d want to leave. amazing. top of the list of shows for sure.
las vegas – again, supposed to be my last show.
summer ampitheatres – too hot, too much driving, great setlists. the smallest pit ever in saratoga, and my birthday show in columbus.
2007
flying to europe, sitting in JFK with alex watching “beside you in time” on my laptop. awesome.
london – “year zero” listening party complete with tea and crumpets. getting the first half of The Downward Spiral in order. awesome awesome setlists with songs i never thought i’d hear.
brussels – at my 33rd show i finally met trent reznor. the “spiral line” was invited into the venue for sound check followed by a meet and greet. nervous as hell i managed not to throw up on trent, actually speak to him, and get a hug. i do admit tho i had to go to the bar next door after and do some shots hahaha.
2008
strangely i don’t have alot of memories about the Lights In The Sky tour…
toledo – the show was in a convention center, and all the stage equipment didn’t fit so we got a slightly different show than the others of the tour.
atlantic city – another club show? hell yes. i refunded my ticket to the rescheduled worchester ma show to be able to go to atlantic city, and i had to go by myself but a stripped down small show is always worth it. while we didn’t get anything strange or acoustic like people were expecting, we did get special guest Peter Murphy on “reptile”, and during the course of the show Trent’s security dude stuck a tambourine in my hand for no reason LOL i asked him about it in hamilton, and he said people were fighting for it when trent threw it, so he took it away from them and decided to give it to someone he had seen before.
2009
toronto (again) – a duck ate my muffin. i finally got to see “the fragile” live, which was more than appropriate for ending my nin touring. this was my last show
except it wasn’t – pittsburgh – last minute decision to get lawn seats, which we found out we could upgrade once we got in for $10, score. really, my last show.
except it still wasn’t – trent unhappy with his last shows being during the day light as an opener for jane’s addiction (DUH!!!!!!!) he added a series of “wave goodbye” club shows. i tried to get tickets for NYC, the bowery being a 400 person club, but i had to settle for Chicago. still pretty awesome. invited Sarah to go along with me. she fiiiiiinallly got to see “the wretched” so it was all worth it. super long sets, with special guest Peter Murphy (again) which I could have done without. still pissed off about how badly he screwed up “reptile” since it’s the last time i’ll ever see it. really, seriously, my last 2 shows.
so like some nin fans, i can’t say that he “saved my life” as i was never holding the proverbial gun to my head, but he certainly changed it. i’ve met some of my best friends ever in the queue, i’ve traveled places i never would have, had amazing conversations and had some seriously good times. there is no where else i feel as at home, and as much “myself” as at a show with other people who “get it”. some people think i’m nuts to have gone to so many shows, and sometimes i agree, but in the end there is nothing else i would have rather done.