Nine Inch Nails Kick Off Night 1 of 2 at The Met In Philadelphia
An Evening With Nine Inch Nails
Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails have never played by anyone’s rules including the music industry. From mud-soaked performances at Woodstock to selling tickets direct to fans at venues to fight scalpers to sending merch packages with black powder-filled envelopes, Trent and now Atticus Ross are constantly raising the bar with how they are seen and heard by NIN’s extremely loyal fanbase.
The duo has carved out some time to play some select festivals (Welcome to Rockville, Shaky Knees, Boston Calling) as well as intimate performances around the U.S. in between scoring major movies and television as well as producing albums for superstars like Halsey (Trent and Atticus just did Halsey’s 2021 release If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power).
Nine Inch Nails landed themselves in “The City of Brotherly Love” Tuesday, May 24th for the first of two intimate performances at the beautiful The Met Philly.
If you’ve never seen NIN live, this may be a bit harder for you to understand. It’s an absolute religious experience of live music, but one that is usually in a large arena or festival. Don’t get me wrong, arena shows and festivals are great in their own right, but getting the opportunity to experience an arena band in a small intimate setting is an unforgettable experience.
I’ve been lucky enough on two other occasions to witness Trent and company in smaller venues, once in Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City when he returned with NIN With Teeth record and a second time when they performed a surprise NYC gig to close out the legendary East Village venue Webster Hall before it closed for renovations.
Well, lucky for me, faith has struck me a third time and I headed to Philadelphia to witness it once again.
As Pennsylvania and New Jersey loyalists made their way inside, many made their way to the merch booth before heading to their seat or standing spot for the evening. Merch for the show included a t-shirt just for the May 24th and 25th gigs with the famous Liberty Bell on it, a host of NIN albums on vinyl, and a limited-edition event poster, (only 250) available.
Nine Inch Nails hit the stage around 9:25 pm. Minutes prior, the stage lights dimmed and clouds of fog overtook the entire venue. When the show began, Trent, Atticus, and touring members Robin Finch, Alessandro Cortini, and Ilan Rubin took to the stage with dark blue lights making it almost impossible to see the members hidden beyond the fog.
The show began with the track “Home” which I’ve never seen them perform live, followed by “The Beginning of The End” from 2007’s Year Zero. The show starts off at a slower tempo and builds up before the band kicks you in the face with fan-favorite and super fun live track “March of The Pigs” which got the sold-out crowd’s attention and movement began.
Heavy fog and consistent strobe lights create shadows and silhouettes on stage, not a surprise as its NIN signature stage shows even in larger environments. I will say you haven’t been blasted in the face with strobe lights quite as you do at a Nine Inch Nails show, bring your sunglasses!
The evening’s setlist was also a bit different than the ones they’ve been alternating between the past handful of shows creating a unique experience for Philly fans and maybe a taste of what the sets may look like at future shows.
Trent and Atticus delivered high energy fan favorites like the anthem “Survivalism” as well as “Head Like A Hole,” “The Hand That Feeds,” and even broke out the ballad style (If NIN had a ballad) “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” which by my research hasn’t been played in a while until this past month or so of shows.
But a lot of the show was filled with more obscure tracks and deep cuts like “The Big Come Down,” “Piggy,” “Gave Up,” and “And All That Could Have Been” before closing out the show with their now-iconic “Hurt” which always brings on some tears in the crowd.
Overall night 1 in Philadelphia was special, refreshing, and much needed for fans. Trent looks healthy. He also doesn’t age and he sounds as good as ever. The band is as tight as always. I always tell people Nine Inch Nails is one of the best live shows you can see. Even for people who aren’t necessarily into the music, the show is worth it alone and you’ll probably walk out a fan.
I and many other fans are looking forward to night 2 on the 25th, then Nine Inch Nails headlines the Boston Calling Festival this Memorial Day weekend before heading across the pond in June to play five shows in England. Fear not though, the band is returning to the U.S. this fall to play Colorado, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Ohio.
Check out the band’s website HERE for all the tour dates and the latest news!
Click Here for the Full Gallery of the Evening!
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
