NINE INCH NAILS: WITH TEETH 2005-2006
TEMPE, AZ [MARQUEE THEATRE]
5.28.05
By tangyzizzle
Another roadtrip, three more shows. This time the destination was Tempe, AZ on 5/27 and 28 and San Diego, CA on 5/30. Of these shows, I've chosen the 5/28 show to review as it was the best of the three. This doesn't have as much to do with the band or shows themselves (the band truly did shine for all three performances), but more to do with the overall environment -- venue, crowd, comfort level, etc. This one was also the only one where I was able to keep rockin' it at the barricade for the entire show (dehydration did me in for the last 3 songs at the 5/27 show and, at the 5/30 San Diego show, a rougher-than-usual crowd combined with the barricade taking on an apparent life of its own convinced me to move back about 6-7 songs into NIN's set).
Tempe's Marquee Theatre is probably the smallest venue the band has played on this tour, with a capacity of only 1,000. For this reason, I'd been eagerly anticipating the shows here moreso than any of the other shows I've attended. I did not come away disappointed. With a great sound system and a sloping floor, there wasn't a bad seat in the house.
Getting to the show itself, the set list for the 5/28 show was as follows:
Beside You In Time Intro
Wish
Sin
The Line Begins to Blur
March of the Pigs
Something I Can Never Have
The Hand That Feeds
Terrible Lie
Burn
Closer/Only Time
Home
Even Deeper
Reptile
Love Is Not Enough
Suck
Gave Up
Hurt
Starfuckers Inc
Head Like a Hole
Although "Piggy" was omitted from the set list, we did get "Something I Can Never Have", a song that gives me the chills when I listen to it on the album, never mind hearing it live. With this, the crowd went from the total frenzy brought on by the preceeding "March Of The Pigs" to an almost eerie silence. Time seemed to have stopped dead in its tracks. Jerome and Aaron sat this one out, turning things over to Trent, Jeordie and Alessandro. Jeordie goes bad ass on the keyboards, hair obscuring his face as he hunches over it, caressing it, slowly swaying back and forth...it's almost as if he's making some sort of demented love with it, becoming one with the sound. This ends, and everyone's ass is kicked mercilessly back into high gear with the first few notes of "The Hand That Feeds". This song is one that I hadn't been all that crazy about the first time I heard it on the radio, but it kicks ass live and I've been won over. "Burn" is just amazing live and blows me away every time, Jeordie's sinister whisper -- "something inside of me has opened up its eyes" -- backing Trent on the vocals, climaxing with the audience screaming in unison at the end: "I'M GONNA BURN THIS WHOLE.WORLD.DOWWWWN!!!!". No time to catch one's breath as this is followed immediately by "Closer".
Despite Trent turning to Alessandro during "March Of The Pigs", laughing and asking "Did I just fuck you guys up?" (not sure what this was about – something was mentioned elsewhere about water thrown by Trent getting on the board and Alessandro's timing going a little off because of it), this show wasn't plagued by the technical difficulties that seem to have plagued some of the other shows on this tour, and nobody's job seemed to be on the line tonight. However, I lean towards thinking that at least *some* of the "technical difficulties" and Trent's subsequent outbursts are staged to play to that segment of the audience who miss the dark, angry, out-of-control Trent of days gone by. As has been the case with every show on this tour thus far, the band closed out the set with the rabble-rousing, consummate "fuck you" anthem "Head Like A Hole", but this time with one little surprise. Apparently at Jeordie's suggestion (I'd seen him walk over and whisper something to Aaron as the song was starting), he and Aaron switched instruments -- and positions on the stage – for the duration of the song. Trent, looking to his left and expecting to see Aaron, seemed a bit confused to see Jeordie instead. A nice little twist, closing out a great performance by all.
As always, Jeordie kicked some serious ass, not only showcasing his guitar/bass/vocal/keyboard skills, but displaying a wicked cool stage presence and style as well. In particular, his funk/jazz-infused bass lines provide the very backbone to the song "Suck". With each show, he seems more at ease and more comfortable with his role in the band and you get the feeling that maybe this was where he was meant to be all along. Aaron's just as crazy as ever, flailing about, throwing himself into anything lacking the ability to get itself out of his way in time, while still managing to play a mean guitar. It's obvious that although this is Trent's band, he seems more than willing to give his supporting cast room to shine on their own, allowing the sum of the parts to equal a very exciting and powerful whole. Mr. Manson, are you paying attention?