The 2008 HardRockChick.com Awards

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

Best Shows: These 10 immediately come to mind as shows that really wowed me in 2008.
1. Nine Inch Nails, Deerhunter @ The Forum, 9/6/08
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Bled @ BOTH, 4/7/08:
3. Marilyn Manson, Ours @ The Warfield, 2/20/08
4. Saul Williams, Dragons of Zynth @ Slim’s, 3/21/08
5. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (electric) @ Great American Music Hall, 9/9/08
6. OhGr @ Slim’s, 11/21/08
7. The Faint, Glass Candy, Shy Child @ The Fillmore, 8/4/08
8. Metallica, Lamb of God, The Sword @ Oracle Arena, 12/20/08
9. A Place to Bury Strangers, Sian Alice Group @ BOTH, 9/30/08
10. Nine Inch Nails, Crystal Castles @ key arena, 7/26/08

Worst Shows: These 5 shows made me cringe in 2008.
1. My Bloody Valentine, Spectrum @ The Concourse, 9/30/08
2. Outside Lands @ Golden Gate Park, 8/22-24/08
3. Cut Copy, Black Kids @ Mezzanine, 4/26/08
4. Too Short, Celsius 7, Mavrik, and many more @ 1015 Folsom, 2/22/08
5. Chris Cornell, Timbaland @ The Fillmore, 10/31/08

Most Disappointing: I had high expectations for these shows, and the bands really let me down.
1. Ministry
2. Atmosphere
3. My Bloody Valentine
4. The Damned
5. Chris Cornell

Best ‘Nostalgia’ Acts: Older bands that delivered stellar performances in 2008.
1. Ted Nugent @ The Fillmore, 6/19/08
2. Billy Idol @ The Fillmore, 6/26/08
3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ The Warfield, 9/19/08
4. New York Dolls, We Are the Fury @ The Fillmore, 3/5/08
5. Mission of Burma, Hank IV @ The Independent, 9/27/08

Best Swag: These items really added to my rock memorabilia collection.
1. NIN guitar pick from JMJ
2. Saul Williams setlist
3. The Faint setlist
4. Signed and numbered Manson poster
5. The Sword drumstick
6. My pic w/ Brendon Small (in my homemade Dethklok shirt)

Craziest Shit I Saw: Things that made me go whoa.
1. SHAT: one word- dildos
2. Dillinger Escape Plan: attempt to break the back window of Bottom of the Hill
3. The fire at The Fillmore that canceled Dethklok
4. Robin Finck throwing his guitar at the barrier, scaring several fans at the NIN Inglewood show
5. A drunken member of HotTub stage diving to attack a girl that was making fun of her.

Firsts and Lasts: What I saw make their debut or their final appearance.
1. Hearing NIN play ‘In This Twilight’ for the first time ever
2. Seeing one of Velvet Revolver’s last performances
3. Seeing one of the last shows at 12 Galaxies
4. Seeing Josh Freese and Alessandro Cortini’s last 2 shows w/ NIN

Best Venues: These places make a good show great and a bad show a bit more tolerable.
1. The Fillmore
2. Bottom of the Hill
3. Great American Music Hall
4. The Warfield
5. Slim’s

Best Local Bands: I’ve been generally disappointed with the local bands in SF, but I’d recommend these.
1. Veil Veil Vanish
2. immigrant
3. The New Centuries

Hottest Tickets: I could have sold the following tickets for oodles of money.
1. GA presale tickets to see NIN at Planet Hollywood in LV
2. The Raconteurs @ Bimbo’s
3. Filter

Shows I missed due to illness, etc.
1. GWAR @ The Grand Ballroom
2. Radiohead @ Outside Lands
3. DEP/Cavalera Conspiracy @ The Fillmore
4. Conor Oberst @ Bottom of the Hill
5. 16volt @ DNA
6. MSTRKRFT @ Mighty

Most Rockin’ Non-Concert Experiences:
1. U.S. Air Guitar Championship
2. Russell Brand
3. Rocky Horror Picture Show
4. Obama Victory Street Rally
5. Guitar Superstar

How about you? What was your best/worst shows of ’08?

——————————————————-
update 1/1/09

I forgot to rant one more time about my 2 biggest ticket debacles:

1. Flight of the Conchords
2. Beck @ The Independent

These two shows detracted from my normal status of Ticket Queen….argh….

Genre(s): Miscellaneous,My Musical Adventures

1360Comments (2)The+2008+HardRockChick.com+Awards2008-12-31+20%3A26%3A45hardrockchick

Trent Reznor: #1 Sexiest Male Atheist

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

My TR google alerts always reveal interesting things:

from atheistmind.com

Number 1: Trent Reznor (1965-)

Career: American Singer and Producer for Nine Inch Nails

Claim to Atheism: There are just some things that don’t seem very fair in the world, like this fucking hypocrisy of organized religion. I just don’t understand how people can blindly believe a bunch of the shit they’re fed, to believe it so that they don’t think too hard about other issues. ‘Be a good boy and you’ll go to heaven.’ If it works for you, fine, but it doesn’t work for me and that pisses me off because I kind of wish it did. (source unknown; mentioned in [Wikiquote]) Also evidence in his songs.

Genre(s): HRC loves NIN

1367Comments (0)2008-12-31+19%3A44%3A07hardrockchick

NYT Article: Songs From the Heart of a Marketing Plan

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

The New York Times recently featured an article discussing music licensing, and its potential effects on the creative process of creating new music in the future.

You know, I’m really starting to get sick of the whining about the music industry not being what it used to be. It is what it is, and let’s get over it. The author, in discussing the increased lucrativeness of licensing for musicians nowadays, muses about musicians starting to write songs with their marketing potential in mind.

The fact of the matter is that there have always been and will always be musicians that make music with the end product in mind: selling it, making it commercial, getting rich. And there have been and always will be those who create their music as a true artist.

Likewise, there will always be listeners who ‘discover’ music through commercials, movie trailers, etc., and then there will always be those of us who dig and dig and dig to find new stuff on our own. Articles like this often ignore that the new music industry has allowed us to find new bands much easier through things like MySpace, iLike, itunes, and Pandora….even videogames, gasp!

The subtext of this article is the age old ‘selling out’ label. I’ve never thought that an artist should be labeled a ‘sell out’ as long as they didn’t change their music to be in a commercial or film. If they can’t make money selling records, then let them license their music as they please without calling them a sellout.

Genre(s): Read This

1365Comments (0)2008-12-31+19%3A38%3A04hardrockchick

It Was a Rockin’ Year: 83 Shows, 211 Bands, Lots of Memories, and one tired Hard Rock Chick

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

Now I know why I have been walking around in a fog over the holidays- I went to 83 shows this year! I beat last year’s 54 shows by a pretty impressive margin. Can I beat this next year? We’ll see….but in the meantime I think the bio is going to need to change—>

Here’s the list of shows I went to so we can take a walk down memory lane:

spindrift, the vandelles @ 12 galaxies, 1/16/08
the cool kids @ the independent, 1/17/08
The Missing Reviews series: Low Sea Roar/Good People @ Rock-it Room, 1/19/08
The Missing Reviews Series: Velvet Revolver @ The Warfield, 2/5/08
Buckethead, Kid Beyond @ GAMH, 2/15/08
SHAT, The Doormats, 8 Bit Idiots @ Thee Parkside, 2/19/08
Marilyn Manson, Ours @ The Warfield, 2/20/08
Too Short, Celsius 7, Mavrik, and many more @ 1015 Folsom, 2/22/08
Noise Pop: Fu Manchu, Saviours, ASG, and Orchid @ Slim’s, 2/27/08
Noise Pop: Holy Fuck, A Place to Bury Strangers, White Denim, Veil Veil Vanish @ BOTH, 2/29/08
Filter @ Cafe du Nord, 3/3/08
New York Dolls, We Are the Fury @ The Fillmore, 3/5/08
Serj Tankian @ The Warfield, 3/8/08
Saul Williams, Dragons of Zynth @ Slim’s, 3/21/08
The Ghosts of Curtis, Astral, Victim of Collision @ The Knockout, 3/22/08
Ministry, Meshuggah @ The Fillmore, 4/1/08
The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Bled @ BOTH, 4/7/08
Hot Challenge, Panda, Dangraham @ GAMH, 4/12/08
Cypress Hill, Literates @ The Fillmore, 4/20/08
The Raconteurs, Birds of Avalon @ Bimbo’s, 4/23/08
Cut Copy, Black Kids @ Mezzanine, 4/26/08
atmosphere, abstract rude @ the grand ballroom at the regency theater
Juliette & The Licks @ Oysterfest, 5/17/08
Jakob Dylan @ Cafe du Nord, 5/18/08
Astra Heights, Von Iva, The Blacks, The Bruises @ BOTH, 5/23/08
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult @ DNA Lounge, 6/1/08
Peter Murphy @ The Grand Ballroom at the Regency, 6/2/08
Type O Negative @ The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center, 6/4/08
Dethklok @ The Fillmore, 6/5/08
John 5 @ Guitar Center SF, 6/9/08
An Evening with Dethklok @ The Fillmore, 6/9/08
Broken Spindles @ Cafe du Nord, 6/17/08
The New Centuries, White Pee @ Retox, 6/18/08
Ted Nugent @ The Fillmore, 6/19/08
She Wants Revenge @ The Fillmore, 6/20/08
US Air Guitar Championship, SF Regional Final @ The Independent, 6/25/08
Billy Idol @ The Fillmore, 6/26/08
Tidal Wave Metal Fest @ McLaren Park, 7/5/08
immigrant @ dna lounge, 7/19/08
Burning Brides, MC Rut @ Rickshaw Stop, 7/22/08
nine inch nails, crystal castles @ key arena, 7/26/08
The Faint, Glass Candy, Shy Child @ The Fillmore, 8/4/08
The Faint, Jaguar Love @ The Grand Ballroom, 8/5/08
OTEP, Droid @ 12 Galaxies, 8/7/08
US Air Guitar Championship @ The Grand Ballroom, 8/8/08
The Faint @ SOMA, 8/9/08
Outside Lands @ Golden Gate Park, 8/22-24/08
Vin Rouge @ Bottom of the Hill, 8/29/08
Polvo, Trans Am @ Bimbo’s, 9/2/08
NIN, Deerhunter @ Oracle Arena, 9/5/08
NIN, Deerhunter @ The Forum, 9/6/08
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (acoustic) @ Great American Music Hall, 9/8/08
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (electric) @ Great American Music Hall, 9/9/08
Guitar Superstar Competition @ Great American Music Hall, 9/13/08
IAMX @ Great American Music Hall, 9/16/08
Does It Offend You, Yeah? @ Great American Music Hall, 9/18/08
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ The Warfield, 9/19/08
Spoon @ The Fillmore, 9/24/08
Rancid, The Adolescents @ The Warfield, 9/26/08
Mission of Burma, Hank IV @ The Independent, 9/27/08
A Place to Bury Strangers, Sian Alice Group @ BOTH, 9/30/08
My Bloody Valentine, Spectrum @ The Concourse, 9/30/08
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, & T Bone Burnett @ Golden Gate Park, 10/3/08
The Dandy Warhols @ The Warfield, 10/4/08
The Presets @ Mezzanine, 10/6/08
The Sword @ Slim’s, 10/10/08
Butch Walker @ The Independent, 10/20/08
The Damned @ Slim’s, 10/28/08
Chris Cornell, Timbaland @ The Fillmore, 10/31/08
Russell Brand @ Cobb’s Comedy Club, 11/6/08
The Faint, Dr. Dooom, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head @ The Warfield, 11/8/08
Mini Review: Gang Gang Dance, Marnie Stern @ Bimbo’s, 11/14/08
Mickey Avalon, Dirt Nasty, Beardo @ Slim’s, 11/19/08
OhGr @ Slim’s, 11/21/08
Mini Review: Wintersleep @ Slim’s and The Rosebuds, Fire & Whiskey @ The Independent, 11/14/08
The Decemberists @ The Warfield, 11/25/08
The Birthday Massacre, Tub Ring @ Slim’s, 11/30/08
My NIN Weekend: Nine Inch Nails, The Bug @ Arco Arena/Sacramento and Planet Hollywood/Las Vegas, 12/12-13/08
An Evening with The Black Crowes @ The Fillmore, 12/19/08
Metallica, Lamb of God, The Sword @ Oracle Arena, 12/20/08

Total Spent: $2310 + fees

I went to 31 venues. I visited The Fillmore the most- 11 times. Last year I spent a lot of time at Mezzanine, but managed to only go there twice this year (am I growing up? no way!).

I went to the most shows in September- 14!

I saw NIN the most- 5 times, closely followed by The Faint, who I saw 4 times.

Genre(s): Miscellaneous,My Musical Adventures

1356Comments (0)2008-12-30+18%3A56%3A27hardrockchick

Metallica, Lamb of God, The Sword @ Oracle Arena, 12/20/08

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

In 1992, when I was 12 years old, I asked my parents if I could go see the Metallica and Guns ‘n Roses show (which was supposed to be supported by Nirvana) in Houston. They told me, “sure, if you wear a football helmet”. I said, “no problem”. They rescinded the offer.

Fast forward to 2007, when I would experience my first live Metallica set at their mostly unfortunate Bridge School performance.

Last night I was able to see Metallica the way you are supposed to: in a sea of fans in a sold out stadium.

I gotta say, it was a relief to go to a big GA show without dealing with the anxiety filled waiting that I’ve been dealing with for NIN. We walked in just as The Sword was starting their set. I walked onto the floor having no idea that this show was in the round. I’ve never been GA at a show like this, and was at first a little flustered about where I wanted to stand. But, having gone all week thinking that I wouldn’t get anywhere near the stage for this show, I was able to get up closer to The Sword than I did at their Slim’s show earlier this year. I thought their set- even though it was incredibly short- was fantastic. They really made use of the stage, being able to run around and play at any angle. Their sound completely made sense in a stadium (unlike some opening acts)- they were born to play venues like this. And the bonus was that at the end of the set, the manfriend caught a drumstick.

sword

After wandering out for some gross arena grub and beer (a gallon of popcorn, seriously?), the floor quickly filled up when we went back to resume our spot. So we walked around to the back of the venue to watch the Lamb of God set. I’ve never seen Lamb of God before, nor do I know any of their songs, but I am familiar with the infamous Wall of Death. Unfortunately, the stage setup didn’t appear to allow for this organized chaos of a mosh pit, so I didn’t get to observe it from afar like I had planned. They do sure sound reminiscent of Pantera, though.

It is at this point that I begin to wonder how the bands are getting on and off the stage. On cue, a barrier goes up to create a walkway to my left. We line up along the barrier, where I get my little pre show barrier excitement fix mingling with the always amusing security guards and the fans- some of whom had flown from Israel to be there. It was a little bit like waiting for fighters to come out to the ring. Finally, the lights dim, revealing lighters held up by what felt like a million fans reaching way up to the ceiling. It was one of those moments where I felt really lucky to be exactly where I was, feeding off of what these guys must feel like coming out to play on such a prestigious stage. Kirk Hammett comes running out first, his guitar already strapped on. Next was Robert Trujillo, followed by Lars, and bringing up the rear, James Hetfield (or as the Israelis referred to him, ‘King James’).

lasers

hetfield

As soon as they are through, the barriers came down and we ended up at first in the middle of a very drunken mosh pit, but then somehow ended up second row in front of a mic stand. It was truly incredible. The band was in the midst of the first two tracks off of the recent Death Magnetic, which sound way better live compared to the weird production issues surrounding the record. Not only that, but you wouldn’t know these were new songs judging by the crowd’s enthusiasm. Pretty much every single person- old and feeble and way too drunk to young and mohawked is wide eyed with excitement. “Look, that’s Kirk Hammett 5 feet away from me!!!”. Even the security guys were jumping up and down with excitement.

kirk

trujillo

Oddly enough, the only way out of the circular barrier was right next to us, where the security would just pull the barrier apart to let people in and out. Mind you, they had to go through a mosh pit to get there. So the photographers and their equipment, out and through the mosh pit. Mom and Dad Hetfield, band kids, aunts, uncles- they seemed to all be there- through the mosh pit and into the barrier. It was pretty wild. Even though people were being shuttled in and out, it wasn’t too terribly disruptive for us, and everyone seemed to be able to keep their spot. But, if I were a VIP or photographer, I would have probably thrown a fit for putting me in the line of fire.

james

kirk

The guys worked the stage, and really worked the crowd. They make eye contact, point at people, gesture to get you to make some noise. Some people near us had a banner saying they had come from South America, I think, and they got a lot of love. The stage set up was really interesting- there were metal coffins up by the lights that moved down occasionally. Lars’ drum set was rotated every few songs so that he got face time with everyone. There were some nice pyrotechnics that really freaked out the security guy in front of us. It was good to feel the heat- that’s rare in this post-Great White era. I was curious with all of the running around how this sort of set up works technically for the instruments- they didn’t appear to have effects pedals anywhere or anything like that. But I don’t pretend to know how any of that stuff works anyways…

coffin

fire

‘One’, ‘Sad But True’, and ‘Master of Puppets’ were definitely my highlights. I hadn’t even listened to those songs in a long time, but it was- as they say- like riding a bike. After the main set- where I knew the band couldn’t leave the stage for the encore- they merely walked off to the side by us and then came back up to finish the show with a bang. It’s always great to watch a band play the last few songs on the last stop of a tour- they lay it all out there. Trujillo spun the bass around for what seemed like minutes, and I was just sure he was going to fall over with dizzyness. Black Metallica beach balls dropped from the ceiling, bouncing all over the stage and on the guys as they were trying to play their instruments. And then I saw some paper plates come out on the side of the stage. At the end of ‘Seek and Destroy’, all hell broke loose as Lars got pummeled by silly string and shaving cream for his birthday (or for just being kinda douchy in general, who knows). It was pretty funny.

Then I got yanked to the side as the barrier was put back up. We watched them all run off, one by one, giving us high fives on their way out.

We hung around trying to get picks and/or setlists, when finally, right before we were pushed off the floor by security, a roadie threw a ton of picks in the air. I got tackled and had my hair pulled, but between the manfriend and myself, we successfully obtained three different totally cool picks.

pick1

pick2

You know, Metallica has had issues with authenticity and relevancy over the years. They’ve fallen on and off my ipod many times. I have a personal vendetta against Lars Ulrich as a metal icon. But no one can deny that every American must see Metallica live at least once. It’s fun.

Metallica Setlist:

That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
One
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
The Unforgiven
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master of Puppets
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman

ENCORE
Metal Militia (teaser) / Last Caress (by the Misfits)
Whiplash
Seek and Destroy

MF Metallica Montage

OVERALL: 9.25/10
Metallica performance: 9.25/10
Lamb of God performance: 8/10
The Sword performance: 8.75/10
venue (Oracle Arena): 8.25/10
crowd/scene: 8.5/10
value ($95.95/ticket): 8/10
memorable: 9.5/10

Genre(s): My Musical Adventures

1345Comments (4)2008-12-21+22%3A04%3A53hardrockchick

Pink is the New Blog’s Reznor Interview

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

A very nice interview, Trent (both of you). This proves that bloggers do it better.

~Trent on New Wave, Band Camp, Malcolm Gladwell, Experiencing Music, and Coming Down off a Tour:

Trent Reznor Interview, 12.13.08
by trentisthenewpink

Genre(s): HRC loves NIN

1334Comments (0)2008-12-20+20%3A52%3A54hardrockchick

An Evening with The Black Crowes @ The Fillmore, 12/19/08

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

I think I bought the tickets for this show six months ago. Many tickets have arrived and gone since then, but these had safely stayed in my ticket envelope as what would be one of my last shows of the year.

Somehow The Black Crowes have always eluded me. I never quite understand how this happens, for I’ve made a point to go see bands that rank way lower on my list of ‘bands I like and respect but do not love’. Just a time and place thing.

So finally, The Black Crowes decide to do a Fillmore residency- the old school, underutilized residency- and finally, after almost 20 years, I’m able to go.

bcl

Unfortunately, the show starts off on a really bad note for me. Dreadful, really. I’m a poster collector, and a quick glance at merch reveals a really nice limited edition poster. So I’m waiting in line for it, telling the manfriend about how last weekend as soon as I got up to the merch table after a show they sold the last poster (though I still managed to get one), someone buys the last one from out in front of us. I swear I have the absolute worst luck lately.

After drowning my sorrow in a drink, I take my position and wait for the show to begin. The stage is an odd set up. There are partitions between each musician, and the back up singers perform behind plexiglass. It ended up being less obstructive to the performance than I thought, but it didn’t really allow for a ton of movement on the stage, but they aren’t that kind of band anyways.

The incense started to flow as the show was about to start. And when I say flow I mean it was I-can’t-believe-this-isn’t-setting-off-the-fire-alarms thick. But it’s only appropriate for stoner/Southern/American rock, right?

The guys come out to a loudly receptive crowd full of a mixed bag of hippies, rockers, and marina types who are ‘branching out’ (if you’re an sf-er, you know what I mean). The band epitomizes an ageless rocker look- and I tell you what- the fact that the camera adds 10 pounds does Chris Robinson good. Dude is skinny.

They start pounding through newer songs, and the crowd instantly mellows out. Well, except for druggie smurf, the most drunk and drugged out person in the crowd, who somehow breaks rank and stands in front of me. At first, I don’t mind….she’s short. But then her furry hood and long blond hair and hands start whipping me in the face as she attempts to dance to the music. I’m thinking that any second she is either going to pass out or throw up on me. Luckily she leaves, but reappears behind me. I’m not sure which was worse. Lucky for her I wasn’t in the hair pulling mood.

Chris Robinson has one of the most interesting voices- instantly recognizable in a line up. I’ve always found it interesting how an element of hoarseness can be so appealing in a singer- like Janis. I bet they could have done an incredible duet. As a lead singer, he definitely delivers an energetic performance, complete with dance moves that kinda make him look like a little kid.

The rest of the musicians all stand on their own- especially the excellent slide guitar work of Luther Dickinson. I was also really happy to see the back up vocalists, even though they were relegated to a holding tank in the rear. I think it would have been better for the overall energy of the performance to have them closer to the front.

About half way through the main set I’m realizing that I need to redefine what a residency means nowadays. It means that the hits will be spread out across all of the nights, amping up the B sides, new material, and cover songs. It’s not exactly the best time to see a band you’ve never seen before. My mind started to wander, and when I refocused, I’d realize that they were still playing the same song since the jam band elements also get amped up during a residency. Similar to when I saw The Smashing Pumpkins last year, I can’t deny that it’s a strong, solid set, but it is definitely more for the hardcore fans and not the casual ones like me.

I was also not entirely happy with how ‘Hard to Handle’ plays out live. I understand that it is hard to deliver that song, but the way that Robinson’s vocals are done makes it almost seem like he’s run out of breath and someone had to take over for him. It just felt a little awkward to me.

A highlight was during the encore, when the drummer came out with a marching band drum that had a picture of Bush on one side, which essentially had a black eye from being beaten by the drumsticks. It was also an interesting contrast to the American flag covering a speaker and the one embroidered on Chris Robinson’s jacket.

It was also great to hear the cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’, though I always think it’s a bit odd to end with a cover song.

And, whaduyaknow, I got a free poster at the end- one of the nicer ones The Fillmore has put out. That made the sting a little better…

Setlist:
Cursed Diamond
Horsehead
Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
Hotel Illness
Comin’ Home
Under A Mountain
Jam -> Bring On, Bring On
Girl From A Pawnshop
Girl From The North Country
Good Friday
Title Song
Bewildered
Soul Singing
Hard To Handle -> Jam
Wounded Bird
- encore -
God’s Got It
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Rolling Stones cover)

youtube video from Bad2b2

Soul Singing

God’s Got It

OVERALL: 8/10
The Black Crowes performance: 8.5/10
venue (The Fillmore): 9/10
crowd/scene: 7/10
value ($49.50/ticket): 7/10
memorable: 7.5/10

Genre(s): My Musical Adventures

1339Comments (0)2008-12-20+20%3A26%3A09hardrockchick

Suck

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

At first I thought that one of my fave books You Suck, was being swept up in the current vampire craze (which I luv, BTW), but it might even be better:

suck

Genre(s): I just heard...

1337Comments (0)Suck2008-12-19+06%3A46%3A02hardrockchick

rock out SF: the black crowes, metallica, the sword

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

thursday/december 18: high on fire @ gamh
friday/december 19: the black crowes @ the fillmore
saturday/december 20: metallica/lamb of god/the sword @ oracle arena
sunday/december 21: fall out boy @ gamh! (kidding)
monday/december 22: -pass-
tuesday/december 23: lil’ wayne @ oracle arena
wednesday/december 24: jingle bells jingle bells

Genre(s): Rock Out SF

1326Comments (0)2008-12-18+06%3A41%3A19hardrockchick

My NIN Weekend: Nine Inch Nails, The Bug @ Arco Arena/Sacramento and Planet Hollywood/Las Vegas, 12/12-13/08

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 8 months ago.]

It is with great pleasure that I spent some of my final concert experiences of the year with NIN. Though the 48 hour period following them on the last two dates for Lights in the Sky in Sacramento and Las Vegas was rather grueling, it somehow made my year feel complete. Seeing the first and last show of the tour brought everything into perspective.

The Warning

These two shows were really for the fans- we came out in droves as many were afraid this would be it. Thus, this review is for the fans. If you want more of a traditional show review, check out the one of these entries from my first 3 shows of the tour.

You Know What You Are?

You might be a hardcore NIN fan if:
-you make NINtags for fellow nin.com fans you will be spending time with in line
-you bake NIN cookies
-you spend 17 hours in line for 5 hours of showtime

nincook

That would be….me (and quite a few others).

Head Down

Drive to Sacramento, pick up fellow nin.comer on the way. Park illegally near the venue as we weren’t allowed to park in the lot until 6pm. Pick up another nin.comer on the way home to SF, arriving at 1AM. Flight to Vegas at 8AM.

Awesome.

Wish

I wished to be on the center rail just once. Apparently I will never get there early enough- life/work always gets in the way.

Center rail arrival time for Sac- 6AM
Center rail arrival time for Vegas- 10PM the previous night

My arrival time for Sac- Noon
My arrival time for Vegas- 10AM

Day late, dollar short. Grrr….

We’re in This Together

When you are in line with people for a long time, you get to know each other quite well, on a NIN level. And then your fandom is subconsciously ranked by everyone around you based on a point system based on the number or shows you’ve been too, what NIN era said shows belong in, how often you post on nin.com, the number of people who aren’t present that you hold spots* for in line, the amount of insider knowledge you have about the current location and activity of TR and company, etc.

*+1 is ok. Anything else can kiss my ass.

Discipline

In Sacramento, we froze our asses off for 7 hours before going inside. We made trips to the bathroom to try to warm up. I couldn’t stop shaking for an hour after getting inside. Being tense from the cold made me more sore than the actual show.

In Vegas, we had to stand in the line for 10 hours. At least it was around a bar called Halo, where we were intermitently shown an ad on a screen for the show containing Closer video and live footage. And it was inside from the cold- which was a total relief.

Pilgrimage

I don’t think anyone in either the Sac or Vegas lines that I met were actually from either city. SF, LA, Boston, SoCal, Columbus…it was definitely a NIN pilgrimage.

Heresy

There was super lax security in Sac, particularly because of the filming that was allowed.

In Vegas, I got picked on, and oddly enough it was not for my camera. After feeling the outside of my bag to determine I did not have a scud missile inside, the head security rushed over and told me that they were confiscating my studded bracelet. Notice I said studded, not spiked. Seriously? And they also threw away my banner that I spent a fair amount of time making. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to get a cloth banner to sneak it in like others. Boo.

And I never got my bracelet back- someone had stolen it from the box before I made it out of the venue.

March of the Pigs

After the long wait, the fun begins when Jen finds your tickets, and JT gives you the speech (walking is good, running is bad. The rail is not a comfortable place to be….) In Sac, JT was in a really good mood, thanking us for our support on nin.com, and even smiling and giving me a little wink. In Vegas, he gave the stern speech even though he knew all 40 of us GA ticket holders had heard it several times.

In Vegas, we got to hear and sort of sneak a peak at the end of the soundcheck. I thought that was pretty exciting.

The rail rush- not so much for either show. In Sac, I got pushed out to the right of Robin- the stage seemed tiny. For getting there at noon, I got a worse spot than when I’ve showed up at 2 or 3. Odd.

For Vegas, I decided to mix it up and stand in front of JMJ. I hadn’t experienced the show from this angle, and I’m glad I did it. Though I did miss Robin.

I’m Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally

Waiting in line has its moments, but it is mostly a drag. Once inside and at your spot, the anxiety melts into excitement. Just when I was questioning why the hell I was doing this, I remembered: front row at the best show evah.

Closer

I knew that GA at this Vegas show would be badass, but it was really mind blowing. The stage was low, and the barrier curved in where I was, making me super close to the stage. I almost felt like I was invading JMJ’s space. And then turning around and seeing all of those seats…

Where is Everybody?

In Sac, the top level was covered in curtains because it didn’t sell.

In Vegas, the seats were practically empty for what seemed like a really long time. Were the NIN fans tardy from a Vegas hangover? I was getting worried, but then it started to fill up.

Starfuckers, Inc.

Seeing Ron Jeremy walk off the Vegas stage when the rail folks were first let in was hilarious. And to the girl who got her picture taken with him that didn’t turn out- sorry hun, but it’s probably a good thing.

Please

Most NIN fans have not been very respectful of the opening bands on this tour. The Bug was different, yes, but they put on an energetic show with some danceable beats. I know we were doing some bootie shaking. No need to tell them to get the fuck off the stage, or yawn without covering your mouth.

Right Where It Belongs

Being at a NIN show is one of the few times in life when I can truly be in the moment. There’s never a second where your mind wanders, thinking about laundry or something. It’s such a communal experience to have everyone be so excited about the same thing, acting like kids on Christmas, dressing up, making things for each other. The show is the climax of a long journey we’ve all taken…

Screaming Slave

Sac had a lot of crowd surfers, but none of them came near me, and the crush only occurred once. Pretty tame, but still confined to my little space.

In Vegas, I was able to completely rock out- from the moment The Bug came on, to when TR walked off the stage after In This Twilight/Zero Sum. Roomy rails are fun.

Well, except for when this picture was taken by Rob during Hurt:

nincom

Rob and Co. were filming a lot in Sacramento. It was interesting to see- the camera’s they were holding up front were shaky for sure. Can’t wait to see what either the fans or the band end up coming up with.

Complication

In Sac, the security guard in front of me was being very good about keeping everyone hydrated. Unfortunately, that meant that he perched in front of me to pour water into everyone’s mouths, and it seemed to happen during every song. So, I got to stare at his crotch a lot. Yay me.

Robin and his guitar seems to be getting along much better at these shows than earlier this tour. Though I kinda missed the three tantrums I saw before…

The Vegas show starts, and I think something is obstructing my earplug. I can’t hear anything, and it is totally weird. I’m playing the songs inside my head, I can hear Trent’s actual voice and not the speakers. It seemed like JMJ wasn’t even playing. I look up and realize the speakers are behind us. Boo again.

Somewhat Damaged

To be brutally honest and speak from my reviewer’s perspective rather than my NIN fangirl one, both shows failed to live up to my expectations. Keep in mind that NIN on their worst day is eons better than 97% of bands.

The boys are tired. They’ve been on the road for six months, dealing with demanding fans and a technologically difficult stage production. They’ve had poor ticket sales with the bad economy.

Trent’s voice is fried. At times, he looks very present, but at other times, I can feel that he’s working. The passion was flickering on the stage both nights, which made me sad.

Meet Your Master

Highlights:

Sac:

The Frail into The Wretched. We had our fingers crossed and were chanting for this. It was the one and only time I got to hear it on the tour.

Seeing that JMJ had taken up some ferocious headbanging.

Vegas:

Destruction/anger during MotP. The guys moved around a lot and shook up the equipment. This seemed to be a proper performance of the song, where in Sac I felt a little weird hearing it after the Guantanamo Bay incident. I thought it might be cut from the set.

Reptile’s usual orgasmic qualities- I was torn as to whether I wanted to film this or not, and I’m really glad I decided to film the first half and rock out for the second. It will be my NINporn for awhile.

Last

These were the last shows of the tour, and what I thought might be my last NIN shows for a long time. Vegas was Josh Freese’s last show, and to my surprise, Alessandro Cortini’s last as well.

TR’s speech in Sac was short, thanking us for our support. In Vegas, we were informed of the departures, and that the set may be installed in TR’s house so that he can watch porn (Ron Jeremy?). We were also told that NIN would continue as a 4 piece, and that there would be new shows in April, in the U.S. and Europe. This probably got the biggest crowd reaction of the entire evening.

Sin

I was a victim of high expectations for this Sin City show. A guest appearance, some new songs…something ‘extra special’. It was a great show and I had a beyond belief spot, but apparently I wanted more. I cursed myself for not going to that HoB show.

I got really wrapped up in the nin.com banter for expectations, and started to be one of those selfish, demanding fans. Shame on me.

Ringfinger

How ironic is it that I didn’t have one injury at either show until the very very end of the Vegas set? I was trying the get a setlist that a roadie pulled off and said was Sacramento, shouting, “I was at that one!”, when some people pushed me over and I smashed my left hand digits in the rail. Screw you guys. I may lose my ring fingernail. Also ironic.

(o)Pinion

Neither show was the best on the tour for me. Seattle for the surprise or Inglewood for the energy would be my favorites. However, the Vegas experience was very unique and special.

The Big Come Down

Post-NIN depression sux. Anyone want to sponsor a trip to New Zealand for me?

Adrift and At Peace

The post-NIN debrief: After a tour, certain songs take on new meaning for me. 1,000,000 has increased it’s appeal to me since it signals the beginning of the show. In This Twilight is now more bittersweet. Ghosts 19 and 28 have now become recognizable by number. Through the tour, I’ve met new friends, learned more about the band, and fueled my NIN addiction. The countdown begins….three months and two weeks until April….

Sacramento Setlist:
999,999
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
The Wretched
Closer
Gave Up
The Warning
Vessel
21 Ghosts III
28 Ghosts III
19 Ghosts III
Piggy
The Greater Good
Pinion/Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
The Big Come Down
31 Ghosts IV
Only
The Hand That Feeds

Head Like a Hole

Encore:
Echoplex
The Good Soldier
God Given
Hurt
In This Twilight/Zero-Sum piano outro

Las Vegas Setlist:
999,999
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Closer
Gave Up
The Warning
The Great Destroyer
Ghosts 21
Ghosts 28
Ghosts 19
Ghosts Piggy
The Greater Good
Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
The Big Come Down
Ghosts 31
Only
The Hand that Feeds
Head Like a Hole