2014.07.21 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

[TheBang]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH99WaWoTec

(Note: not from tonight's show)

[wch1208]

Welcome back Year Zero !!

Ok..

Nope.

Still not sure.

Ok....

First, let me say this. I flew in from Iowa for these shows because I believe NIN shows are the worth the effort. I have never seen a bad show and I have faith that Trent would never put out a half-assed product. I was partially deaf after opn and soundgarden. (Still am for that matter). The white screens definitely tipped off a Lollapalloza like beginning....but this was the first tour where I did not cheat and look at prior set lists...so that kept things exciting. What was not exciting was seeing production elements from every prior tour. Copy of a...Lollapalloza. Closer....LITS. Me, I'm Not and the Great Destroyer...LITS. Only...BYIT. Eraser...no bombs, but same feel. The HM songs had the same feel as Tension (including Sanctified). The standards were there and incredible as always. Our friend the snake moved over to Hurt, and the decaying bones and insect made an appearance. Hard to actually mouth these words..but I was hoping for some new.

Highlights
Piggy (nothing can stop me now)
A solid appearance from Year Zero. (Loved seeing some ARG references)
Venue..can never be topped

Concerns
Trent changing his voice up..?.
Clearly an early show on the tour ... transitions were a little rough....none of it felt comfortable up there
Minimal good....seen it, done that...not so good

Anxious for tonight. Encore?? Seeing Even Deeper last year in Vegas was incredible

[m0reta]

Hmmm...I know I've missed one. Not in right order. Mistakes all mine.

Copy of A
Sanctified
Came Back Haunted
1000000
MOTP
Piggy
Terrible Lie
Closer
Find My Way
Me I'm Not
Gave Up
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Wish
Only
THTF
HLAH
HURT

[themethatyouknow]

Holy minimalism! At one point during Piggy the stage looked like a Youth Center blacklight party that only 4 people showed up to. The new four man lineup is way different from any of the other incarnations over the last 20 years. It's much more funky, especially through the first four songs. I really liked the moving LED boards and it was nice to see Rob(I think that was him anyway) getting into the action. Overall a great show with another reinvention keeping things interesting.

The only complaint I'd have about the show was the people in my section kept sitting down for about half the songs. They'd get up for MOTP Closer and Wish, then lose interest and sit back down. And we were right up front in row 5.

Soundgarden was good, but REALLY FUCKING LOUD. Like so loud that at a couple points the distortion started messing up my equilibrium and I lost my balance almost falling over before plugging my ears with my fingers. I've never worn earplugs at a concert and didn't need them at all during NIN, but I would definitely get some if I were seeing Soundgarden again.

[FULLMETAL]

The setlist was the same as Planet Hollywood, but tonight's performance totally blew PH out of the water. Will edit during breakfast.

*edit*

OPN is an odd opener for this leg of the tour. I almost wish they would have skipped an opener and given the extra time to both bands, but what can you do? I'd recommend showing up to catch his set and making your own judgment, but if you're doing multiple shows you could easily skip out and not miss anything huge. The show started promptly at 7pm and he breezed through a 25 minute set. Again, cool soundscapes with some interesting 3D imagery but nothing memorable from the performance.

SG’s curtain came down roughly 15 minutes later and they rocked it out. Their set seemed similar, but they mixed in a rare (?) song just because they can. I don’t recommend missing out on their performance. Even if you aren’t a fan, you’ll enjoy the pure energy these guys pour into their 85 minute set.

After a 25 minute set change, TR walked out and thus began a 90 minute barrage of solid NIN. It seems like this leg will have a static set considering all the moving screens and giant silhouettes, but that’s not a huge downer for me. Especially considering how explosive the band was last night. I’m not sure if it was the difference in venues or crowds, but I felt more kinetic energy here than in Las Vegas.

Nerdy complaints: I’m not a fan of going from “copy of a” into the reworked version of “sanctified,” as they flow of energy feels like you’ve tripped on loose carpet. In a similar vein, having “find my way” between “me, i’m not” and “the great destroyer” doesn’t mesh well. Of course, in the moment it’s hardly a consideration as you’re engaged in the performance. They close HLAH with the 3D NIN logo, but the fucking t-shirt is no where to be found.

Anyhow, I'm enjoying this leg and I really hope they include some of it as bonus footage for the TENSION release.

[Krazy]

The setlist was the same as Planet Hollywood, but tonight's performance totally blew PH out of the water. Will edit during breakfast.

Yup, 180 from LV. Absolutely loved tonight's show- but, one would have to be there to appreciate it so no point in attempting to type right now.

[ZeroSum]

Good show. To me, it was very much like their Lollapalooza show last summer. Very similar setlist too. But that's not a complaint at all- it's a fantastic show, and I think this setlist, with is meticulous construction and perfect flow, is greater than the sum of its parts. Was somewhat surprised we didn't see some more Hesitation Marks, but that's ok. You're right about the songs being a bit groovier with this line up. Trent was on point all night- this was probably the most I've watched him at a show, as I had a great view of the stage, and it was just a blast. Every time I see March of the Pigs and Head Like a Hole I think they some how manage to do it better than the time before. The lights were incredible, especially from where I was sitting- only a few rows back, just a bit right of the center. Good crowd. Some guy covered in corn starch told me he it was his 40th NIN show and I got incredibly jealous. Makes my 5 shows seem pretty measly, but ill be glad to add my 6th tomorrow night.

Also- I really enjoyed Soundgarden. They were a bit loud, but I was expecting it as I saw them at Red Rocks a few summers ago. NIN definitely owned the night, and clearly made it their show, but Soundgarden still felt like a bit more than an opener. The songs they played from Superunknown were great, particularly the title track. And "I Awake" was a nice deeper cut for sure.

Could take or leave the opening act personally. I think the dude just played three "songs", and the whole thing had the feeling like the guy just wandered up on stage and started dicking around while a bunch of people just sat around and talked over the loud noises he was making. I have heard a few Oneohtrix albums though, and I do like him as study music. Could also see the set working in a seedy little club somewhere. Opening for Soundgarden and NIN at Red Rocks? Not really. I wish we had Dillinger...

[Jfdubb1028]

A couple thoughts:


-Red Rocks is overall a great venue and you really get to appreciate the set design. Absolutely the best set design they've put together. The first 3 songs were incredible from a design standpoint. There weren't any major noticeable technical errors.


-The sound quality was good. One of the best venues from a sound standpoint and it didn't disappoint.


-You can't go crazy at red rocks. It'd be dangerous. I've seen it done before but with an older crowd, it wasn't happening. That lent to a somewhat subdued atmosphere. Over the years the crowds have gotten more tame naturally but it's disappointing sometimes to not be able to go crazy. Btw- wish and terrible lie were great songs that the crowd might have gone off during if the venue was different. Both songs were the best they've been in years. However, a LOT of slower songs from HM and YZ. I could have done without a lot of those songs but I also didn't enjoy those albums either so I guess- what do you do...


-The opening act couldn't have been worse. I don't actually have any idea who it was and I hope anyone reading this will show up late and forgo enduring that nonsense. The only thing I can compare it to would be walking by an action movie at the movie theatre and listening to the special effects sounds muffled from outside the wall but at the loudest volume you can imagine. Awful.


- Soundgarden was good and there were more hardcore soundgarden fans there than I thought there would be.


Overall - Trent rarely disappoints and he didn't tonight but really excited to see them at a different venue with a high energy crowd.

[darksiren82]

There is nothing on Earth like a Nine Inch Nails show!

OPN wasn't that much of a disappointment. I actually like this harder, nightmarish, industrial heavy drone that he did. However, it eventually sounded like good background music to grab brews to.

Soundgarden was fantastic. The band was super tight and yes, very loud. In spite of the loudness, they almost sounded CD quality from our middle of the park seats. I was definitely digging the visuals. Chris Cornell and his signature wail reigned throughout that set. With that voice and at 50, the man is truly a freak of nature.

I'm standing next to this gorgeous lady in her 40s and her twentysomething daughter all night. She was so into it! One of the first things she said during "Copy of A" was "is it me or is their sound mix even better than Soundgarden?" She kept telling me "Trent and Chris are just so gorgeous. Their some of the sexiest rockers ever." When I told her how old TR is, she was taken aback and launched further into OMGOMGOMG. It was great. She danced all the way through the show...even to "Hurt."

NIN played very close to my dream setlist with "1,000,000," TGD, "Me, I'm Not," "Eraser," "Only" and "Sanctified." "Find My Way" is one of my recent favorites, but as I've seen on some recent YouTube vids, there's something about it that just doesn't quite work live in addition to losing its intimacy. The 8-bit Alle and TR TGD throwdown was epic! The visuals were absolutely amazing and didn't seem to hiccup at all. The crowd may have been a little older and more subdued, but the energy was definitely there from beginning to end, even if it lost some steam during the slower tracks. Even my tough as nails, diehard Metallica fan husband teared up massively during "Hurt." This was my 4th NIN show and definitely the best.

If you've never been to Red Rocks, especially if your like me, living in Colorado for some time and haven't gotten out there, go. You have to be ready to do some serious footwork from parking to seating and all the amenities, but it is well worth it. It's such a beautiful venue to really experience music.

Also:
I've never danced so much at a NIN show.
Ilan Rubin is a beast on the drums and pretty badass at bass.
I did occasionally think of what it would sound like to have Kim Thayll and Ilan jamming out together.
Wish I would have brought 3D glasses because I think a few more screens aside from the end NIN logo could have been trippy to see.

[halo33]

Just got back to NY from Red Rocks. Man, I can't believe I waited so long to check that place out. I met a bunch of fans that I normally don't get to see and generally just had a blast. What an amazing place. Wish I could've stuck around for round 2.

Eraser & Sanctified from NIN, & Slaves & Bulldozers from SG were my personal show highlights.

[burninglard]

A few days late but I thought the show was great. It was like being home seeing a show at Red Rocks(I use to live in Denver).
I felt OPN was interesting, he was doing more than just "djing" I just don't know if that was the best choice for a opener?
Soundgarden was fun, like last time I was at Red Rocks to see them. They really seem to love playing there and it showed.
Same goes for Trent and Company, great showmanship. I loved the production.
I didn't get to see the Tension tour so I was happy with the 1st nights setlist. I feel for a show with not many surprises song wise, it was still amazing and They seemed all really into it, especially Trent.
Still my favorite Band Period :)

[zeegrizzle]

Red Rocks 7.21.2014
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxO_Ep_8XPKaJqzi2OQDHan7aisjGCGbg

Red Rocks 7.22.2014
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxO_Ep_8XPKafAxovERSDrY-h2aO_7Jsi

Filmed with an iPhone 5s. Row 6 for both nights.

Enjoy!