The Nine Inch Nails show was pretty decent, since they played a good variety of music that included a lot of older material. I especially liked that Trent still likes to sing from behind a screen with projected video images splashed across it.

We had a lot of fun, although I am not sure I can ever hear the song “Hurt” again without giggling. Trish and I were laughing so hard because the entire audience sang along, with the lighters and everything. The thing that was so funny was: if you thought about it, it really sounded like a chorus of 11 year old girls. And you could picture this being a campfire sing-a-long. It’s really a decent song for kids. Think about them singing: “You can have it all/ my empire of dirt!” Anyway, once we had that in our heads we couldn’t stop laughing. Plus, there were some girls behind us that were singing along in off-key voices, and to make matters worse they were singing the wrong lyrics. I should also mention the “Willie Nelson dude” who sat a row in front of us who was rockin’ out to NIN—the thing was, he was rockin’ out totally off the beat and he seemed to be “air punching” the band.

The fans were strange. First of all it was not sold-out, which is a first for me. The three shows I’ve seen in the past have been packed, and the audience has been super-charged and passionate about being there. I was hoping for that, and instead was met with a lukewarm, typical Phoenix crowd.

Trish, Kane and Greg saw a woman who looked and sounded exactly like Jane Weidlin. It was probably her. I can see her visiting Phoenix, and attending a Nine Inch Nails show while she’s here. Either way we still don’t know for sure if it was her or not.

But yeah, that crowd was kind of bumming me out. I think it made me feel old, somehow. The last time I’d seen NIN was in 1995 or 1996, when they played with David Bowie and Prick opened for them Great show, by the way. But in those 10 years, I guess the fans have aged and gotten steady jobs. Piercings have been removed and 401Ks have been joined. Sure, we still wear black but it’s a less elaborate black. It’s cotton instead of leather or vinyl.

The people that were dressed up just looked crazy. I think it’s because you can’t be a tortured Goth/ Industrial type and live in sunny Phoenix. Sure, you see those kids around, but for one thing there are much fewer of them here than on the east coast; and the ones you do see really do look incredibly greasy and sweaty. It’s sad—which is probably exactly what they are going for, anyway—but true. The people dressed up at the concert were not the classic city-goths, but were goth by way of trailer park. Know what I mean?

The moment that disappointed me the most was when the show ended, and people clapped and “woooo”-ed for a minute or so, but then just shut up and neatly began to file out of the arena. In fact, I saw a ton of people leaving earlier than that. I was completely expecting to scream, yell, stomp my feet and clap for an encore. After all, at all 3 past NIN shows I’ve attended, that was what happened. We didn’t want the show to end, and NIN came back out and played decent encores. In Long Island, for the show I was in the pit for, Adam Ant came back out at the encore and sang with Trent for a good 8 songs or so. It was really amazing. I am chalking it up to a couple factors:

1) It was a Monday night and all the little office workers had to get home so they could be in the office by 8am Tuesday
2) Phoenix sucks
3) Maybe people didn’t recognize Trent with his newly-shorn head and rippling biceps. Thought he was a gym rat that needed his rejuvenating sleep.
4) This was everyone’s first concert. And they didn’t know that encores are possible.

Despite the shortcomings of the crowd, and the inevitable laugh-fest that became of Hurt (although that was a good time, really), it was excellent to hear NIN live again. Trent is truly a strong performer and I think his voice is getting even better than it was. Go see them if you don’t mind being reminded of the fact that you’ve gotten a lot older than you were when Pretty Hate Machine came out. (And screw it--plan to go into the office late the next day, you little responsibility-laden drone, you.)