Concert Review: Nine Inch Nails (11/5/13)

Tuesday (November 5, 2013) saw the return of pioneering industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails to Texas for their 2013 Tension Tour in support of the new album, Hesitation Marks.

Nine Inch Nails during the 2013 Tension Tour. Photo credit to Rob Sheridan (image from nin.com)

The show took place in San Antonio at the AT&T Center to a very packed audience. Down in the pit before the fun began, everyone chattered on about the songs they loved most and hoped to see and there was a good mix of NIN veterans seeing the band yet again and newcomers at their first show, all eager and excited.

Tension 2013 comes as the first big tour for Nine Inch Nails since 2009's Wave Goodbye Tour, which at the time was dubbed by founder, creative writer/producer, and frontman Trent Reznor as the end of Nine Inch Nails, at least from a touring perspective (full details of the band's history and an overview of Hesitation Marks can be found here).

The night began with opening act Explosions in the Sky, a post-rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1999 that have played previously with Nine Inch Nails. The group delivered a strong set of instrumental "mini symphonies" packed with power and emotion, proving that vocals aren't a requirement for great music. The crowd seemed a little hesitant at first to get into the group's music, but after the first couple songs, everyone was engaged and bopping their heads along. Albeit a bit different of a choice for an opening act, Explosions in the Sky delivered the kind of performance you hope for from an opener and far exceeded expectations by pushing the envelope.

After Explosions in the Sky, Nine Inch Nails hit the stage with current live line-up featuring Trent Reznor (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Robin Finck (guitar and some keyboards), Alessandro Cortini (keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums), Josh Eustis (keyboards, I believe), Pino Palladino (bass guitar), Lisa Fischer (backing vocals), and Sharlotte Gibson (backing vocals).

Trent Reznor. Photo taken by me.

The night began with the third single off of Hesitation Marks, "Copy Of A," which immediately drew the crowd in very close. Afterwards, the group launched into several older songs, mostly from 1989's Pretty Hate Machine and 1994's The Downward Spiral, which were met with a very raw energy from the crowd and loud singing along. The set also featured a healthy amount of the new album and mixed in several other big Nine Inch Nails hits from recent albums, including "The Hand That Feeds" (from 2005's With Teeth) and "Survivalism" (from 2007's Year Zero).

Perhaps the major highlight of the night for fans came during the encore with the live debut of "All the Love in the World" (also from With Teeth), which was met again with a fervent crowd. The instrumental ending note of Hesitation Marks, "Black Noise," was much drawn out and done extremely well in its array of layers and noises. The night ended with the classic track from The Downward Spiral, "Hurt."

Trent Reznor again, at the end during "Hurt." Photo taken by me.

Overall, Reznor still puts on a show with high intensity and flawless vocal performance. The members of his band, most of which are long time touring musicians for NIN, also deliver a strong performance full of raw energy and passion. Having Lisa Fischer and Sharlotte Gibson on backing vocals provided an immensely pleasurable and almost surreal experience that made the show that much greater. And, as is typical of any NIN show, the lighting displays used throughout the show added that extra element of greatness. This was a great show and a shame for anyone to have missed.

The Tension 2013 Tour is wrapping up its North America stint by the middle of November, but if you're near a city where they're playing and tickets are available, you should most definitely go. Don't miss this opportunity to see an engaging and exciting performance. Nine Inch Nails stop in El Paso, Texas, on Monday (November 11, 2013) to play the Don Haskins Center.

Complete Setlist:

I wasn't lucky enough to get a setlist, but here's a picture of the one that was on stage. The songs listed below were the ones actually played.

Copy Of A
Sanctified
Terrible Lie
March of the Pigs
Piggy
All Time Low
Disappointed
Came Back Haunted
Find My Way
Into the Void
The Frail
The Wretched
Echoplex
In Two
Survivalism
Running
A Warm Place
Somewhat Damaged
Wish
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole

ENCORE

All the Love in the World
Even Deeper
While I'm Still Here
Black Noise
Hurt


Ratings:

Explosions in the Sky: 4 out of 5

Nine Inch Nails: 5 out of 5

More Information: Official Site of Explosions in the Sky Official Site of Nine Inch Nails


Author's Note: Nine Inch Nails on their last tour was actually the first show I had ever been to. I was blown away by the show but my only regret was that if this were to be the end of NIN, I had seen them from way up in the nosebleed section. It was then that I determined I would get tickets early to shows and arrive as early as I could for great spots. When NIN announced this tour, I quickly got my GA ticket through the nin.com pre-sale, and made the drive down from Austin to San Antonio. It was worth every penny and then some. The emotional rush I felt as NIN closed with "Hurt" was beautiful and a moment that shows just how much music can touch a person's life (though that song is fairly dark). Support your favorite bands - go see them, buy their merch, and buy the music.