Nine Inch Nails at Mohegan Sun

Nine Inch Nails

To quote one concert-goer “NIN just delivered like mother*ckers. I could find no technical fault in their performance…”  And I have to agree.  The Friday night Nine Inch Nails show at Mohegan Sun was the perfect sensory assault.

It’s been 4 years since Nine Inch Nails hit the road.  “Tension 2013” hit – punched – Mohegan Sun on Saturday night in support of the new album “Hesitation Marks”.  The tour kicked off in Japan with multiple performances at major festivals around the world and then made its way back to the US for headliner shows.

Trent Reznor has been the sole member of NIN since forming in 1988 with a revolving door of “guest” players through the years.  This time out, his backing band is a group of stellar players taking Hesitation Marks (as well as many older fan favorites) to eager fans.  Stand-out performances came from drummer, Ilan Rubin, who did the studio work for Hesitation Marks, and from vocalists, Lisa Fischer and Sharlotte Gibson.  I found myself continually transfixed by the thunderous drums and then to the ethereal vocals from Fischer and Gibson.  This was indicative of the rollercoaster ride from driving techno rave to punch-you-in-the-face hard core industrial to beautiful, pain-laden harmony.

I’m not sure what part of this show I was most impressed by…The band?  The sound mixing?  The bombastic lights?  Reznor himself?  NIN roared through a two-hour set with a sensory arsenal.  Expansive lighting that moved and pulsed gave the illusion of a massive stage that encompassed one third of the arena.  I would have killed to have my camera in my hands!  The music itself presented flawlessly and at just the perfect decibel.  And Reznor simply commanded the stage as the seasoned rock star he is.

Reznor barely spoke during the show save for a heartfelt thank you to the crowd and a gracious intro to his world-class band that he “is fortunate to play with.”  But he didn’t need to.

“Hurt” closed the show.  It was sublime and beautiful.  You could hear a pin drop in the arena as Trent Reznor delivered his lyrics with anguish and pain.  I have yet to shake the goose-bumps I felt.

In the 30 years I’ve been seeing shows, this easily becomes one of my favorite shows ever.  It will long-remain embedded in my memory.  The US leg of this tour wraps up on the West Coast at the end of November before the band embarks on a tour of Australia/New Zealand in March 2014.  Catch them if you can!

Full set list:  http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nine-inch-nails/2013/mohegan-sun-arena-uncasville-ct-23c720f3.html

Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez – lsg Original

Lover of music and the visual arts, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez is the insanity behind lsg original photography. lsg specializes in artist and performer photography. She’s had the honor of photographing national bands such as Weezer, Snoop Dogg, A Simple Plan, Paramore, Whitesnake, Wye Oak, and The Antlers along with countless local bands and performers.

Hailing from Hartford, CT, Lisa is a life- long music connoisseur. Growing up, her mother exposed her to everything from The Stones to Simon and Garfunkel to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Loretta Lynn…and everything in between. No genre was left unexplored in her vinyl collection. She saw her first concert at 14…Rod Stewart at the (then called) Hartford Civic Center. Thirty years later, it’s still her favorite pastime.

Lisa has two kids (grown!) and a day job. Her loves of music and photography have melded into a second career. And her love of CT keeps her promoting and pushing for local artists and performers. Lisa spends the greater part of her free time seeing and shooting live bands, performers, and artists and art work…and purchasing vinyl!

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