Nine Inch Nails: Tension 2013 with Special Guests: Explosions in the Sky aka My Flight with Nine Inch Nails

With NIN seemingly being retired in 2009, I was happy that I was able to enjoy those last shows but sad that my favorite band would stop touring. Not too long ago, Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor announced that he had been working on a couple of songs for a greatest hits record, and it grew from there. Seemingly out of nowhere, those songs led to an all new album "Hesitation Marks", which then led to a full-on tour to support said album. And here we are, after a short festival tour with dates in Asia, Europe and the United States, we have NIN's first full-on tour of North America in 4 years.

An unexpected surprise was Trent's announcement that Godspeed! Your Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky would be supporting him for this tour. Explosions in the Sky would probably rank in my top 5 bands of all-time ever since I was first introduced to their music thanks to their contribution to the soundtrack for the film, Friday Night Lights (which was also later developed into an excellent television show). Seeing Nine Inch Nails live is usually enough for me to get excited, but having another one of my favorite bands open for my favorite band of all-time? Sploosh.

Overall, the experience was amazing, with NIN bringing out their most elaborate production yet. The band was expanded to an eight-piece with the noteworthy additions of legendary bassist Pino Palladino and backup singers Lisa Fischer and Sharlotte Gibson. The backup singers in particular at first seemed like they may be out of place, but after seeing them live, it's a wonder how NIN ever existed without them. They belong up there and added significantly to the live NIN experience. The cool thing about NIN live is that Trent always changes it up and adds new members almost every tour. While there have been fan favorite members that may have left the band before, the new members always add a new twist that makes something old sound new again.

Nov. 15 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Out of all the venues I've seen live music in, I have to say this place ranks with the Zepp in Osaka among the best. 4,000 capacity with two balconies, no low ceiling and staggered floor make this a great venue for sightlines and sound. The downside to the smaller venue is that the entire tour production for NIN's Tension 2013 show could not fit in the venue and we missed out on some of the cooler visuals.

Explosions in the Sky:

1. The Catastrophe and the Cure
2. The Birth and Death of the Day
3. Yasmin the Light - one of my all-time favorite songs (not just by this band, either)
4. Let Me Back In
5. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Nine Inch Nails:

1. Copy of A - fantastic opener, when the song really gets going, all the noise, the flashing lights, it's amazing!
2. 1,000,000
3. Terrible Lie - drummer Ilan Rubin's fills during this and many of the other songs are an absolute joy. The longer he drums for NIN, the better he gets
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. All Time Low
7. Disappointed - about the only time you'll hear someone use the word "Disappointed" with Nine Inch Nails is when they play this song
8. Came Back Haunted - so much more powerful with live drums
9. Find My Way - fantastic song, this is Hesitation Marks' equivalent of Hurt
10. Various Methods of Escape
11. The Frail
12. The Wretched - nice to have this 1-2 punch back regularly. I think from 07-09, we would sometimes get The Frail without The Wretched, and it was just wrong
13. Sanctified - absolutely amazing new live arrangement that sounds completely different from the original album version. Also heard a little bit of Sunspots in the end that I've never heard before
14. The Big Come Down - hands down one of my absolute favorite songs live, it never disappoints
15. Survivalism
16. Wish
17. I'm Afraid of Americans - loved hearing this David Bowie cover
18. Burn
19. The Hand That Feeds
20. Head Like a Hole
21. All the Love in the World - a pleasant surprise as they had only started playing this song from 2005's With Teeth recently on this tour
22. Even Deeper - Lisa Fischer really shines here
23. While I'm Still Here - a great melancholy song to help close out the night
24. Black Noise - this outro to While I'm Still Here really showcases Ilan and the backup singers, and there's saxophone! Can't go wrong with that
25. Hurt - beautiful, as always

Nov. 16 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
As you can see from the ticket, it has been autographed by NIN members Robin Finck, Josh Eustis and Alessandro Cortini. I happened to be on the same flight from Vegas to Portland as them and several other NIN members and associates. It was really quite surreal to sitting so close to them and I was quite starstruck. I didn't bother them at all until after the flight to ask for their autographs and I didn't take any pictures as I didn't want to be a creeper. Sadly, Trent wasn't there, if he was I would've squealed like a fangirl!

Explosions in the Sky:

1. The Only Moment We Were Alone
2. Catastrophe and the Cure
3. Greet Death
4. Let Me Back In
5. The Birth and Death of the Day

Nine Inch Nails:

1. All Time Low
2. Sanctified
3. Disappointed
4. Came Back Haunted
5. Copy of A - I was a little disappointed that they wouldn't play this because it's usually opener or bust, but so glad it was included!
6. Reptile - another oldie, but goodie
7. The Frail
8. The Wretched - the backup singers wailing at the end of this song is just incredible!
9. Echoplex - very awesome live, haven't heard it since 08
10. Satellite - one of my favorite tracks from Hesitation Marks, it always makes me wanna dance. I can honestly say I don't feel that way about any other songs about the loss of privacy and the government spying on you
11. Running - one of my least favorite tracks from Hesitation Marks, but it's growing on me
12. I Would For You - another favorite from HM
13. The Big Come Down
14. Survivalism
15. In Two - probably my favorite song off HM and it doesn't disappoint
16. A Warm Place - I remember listening to this live during their wave goodbye tour and loving it so much I wished they played it every night, well now I finally get my wish!
17. Somewhat Damaged - so glad this is part of the regular set every night. This use to be the opening song or bust, but now it's in the middle of the set and it always makes me wanna me bang my head
18. Wish 
19. The Hand That Feeds
20. Head Like a Hole
21. Even Deeper
22. In This Twilight - My favorite version of my favorite song off Year Zero. The backup singers take this song to a whole new level. Before the song, Trent took some time out to facetime a fan, Andrew Youssef, suffering from terminal cancer who was suppose to be in the audience but was too ill to attend. You can read about his story here. It is sad, but also very inspirational. This is one of the many reasons why Trent Reznor is one of the greatest people ever.
23. While I'm Still Here
24. Black Noise
25. Hurt

Nov. 18 - Moda Center, Portland, OR

Explosions in the Sky:

1. The Only Moment We Were Alone
2. Catastrophe and the Cure
3. Greet Death
4. Let Me Back In
5. The Birth and Death of the Day

Nine Inch Nails:

1. Copy of A
2. 1,000,000
3. Terrible Lie
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. All Time Low
7. Disappointed - the visuals for this are particularly amazing, with the band appearing as if they are inside of a 3-dimensional cube
8. Came Back Haunted
9. Find My Way
10. Various Methods of Escape
11. The Frail
12. The Wretched
13. Survivalism
14. Running
15. A Warm Place
16. Somewhat Damaged
17. Wish
18. The Hand That Feeds
19. Head Like a Hole
20. The Day the World Went Away - another classic from The Fragile, probably the best version I've heard live
21. Even Deeper
22. While I'm Still Here
23. Black Noise
24. Hurt

Nov. 21 - Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
I absolutely love these custom printed tickets, they make a great memento, and they help fight those pesky ticket scalpers. I wasn't able to get one for the Vegas shows because the presale sold out almost immediately, and the presale for Portland was over by the time I decided to attend it. Also thanks to this presale (which are 100% free to anybody) I managed to score fantastic seats, row 5, directly to the left of the stage, the closest I've ever been to the stage and the band. I usually prefer being in the hot, sweaty and rowdy pit, but it's nice not having to compete with other people for your spot. It was also probably a good idea seeing as how rowdy the crowd was, definitely the rowdiest of the 4 shows I attended. Kudos to the floor personnel for safely catching the crowdsurfers and even squirting water at the people in the front who probably needed the hydration, they've most likely been there in the exact same spots since 6:15pm when the doors were first opened to presale ticker holders (NIN came on a little before 9pm, and played until about 11pm)

Explosions in the Sky:

1. The Catastrophe and the Cure
2. The Birth and Death of the Day
3. Yasmin the Light
4. Let Me Back In
5. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Nine Inch Nails:

1. Copy of A
2. 1,000,000
3. Terrible Lie
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. All Time Low
7. Disappointed
8. Came Back Haunted
9. Find My Way
10. Various Methods of Escape
11. Sanctified
12. The Frail
13. The Wretched
14. The Big Come Down
15. Survivalism
16. Running
17. A Warm Place
18. Somewhat Damaged
19. Wish
20. The Hand That Feeds
21. Head Like a Hole
22. All the Love in the World
23. Even Deeper
24. While I'm Still Here
25. Black Noise
26. Hurt 

Some pictures from the Vancouver, BC show in Rogers Arena to close this out:

Before the show

Terrible Lie

Disappointed

The Big Come Down

The Big Come Down

Survivalism

Somewhat Damaged

Head Like a Hole

Head Like a Hole

Head Like a Hole

Head Like a Hole

The Iconic Logo

Hurt