My first NIN show occurred during the 1994 Self Destruct Tour. Since I was attending college in Claremont, CA (about 45 minutes from L.A.), I attended the April 27, 1994 show at the Hollywood Palace. Fem 2 Fem and Type O Negative were the opening acts. The way I got my tickets was as memorable as the show itself. Since this was well before the Internet was a thing, you either had to buy tickets via phone or in-person. My friends and I decided to go in-person and, being young, just spent the night at our local “Wherehouse Records” shop. We didn’t sleep, but, instead spent the night bullshitting, tossing a football around and other nonsense that made the night pass rather quickly. It was the only time I had ever spent the night at a ticket outlet in order to buy tickets, but, there was no way I was missing the show. Since “The Downward Spiral” had been such a huge success, it was obvious that tickets would be hard to get. So, we were the first people there and had the parking lot to ourselves up until early morning. At that point, I noticed another line forming, filled with plaid-wearing folks (ranging from teens, to much older adults). Unknown to me, that same day, tickets for the Eagles reunion show were going on sale. As the Eagles ticket line grew, I got nervous, wondering if we’d be getting tickets first or if they would let the massive line go before us. Again, we were first, but, it was clear the Eagles reunion show was big. When the store’s employees finally arrived, they were stunned by how long the line for the Eagles tickets was and hardly noticed that we were standing to the right, the only people there to buy NIN tickets. When one of the managers finally entered the store, I noticed that he had left his store keys in the door. So, not wanting to be an asshole, I knocked on the door and made sure he got the keys. He was really grateful and I guess was in a panic looking for them, while that crowd continued to grow. When the time to sell finally arrived, the line for the Eagles tickets had to be at least 200 people long. Meanwhile it was just me and my 4 friends in the NIN “line.” Since both tickets were going to be sold at the same exact time, another manager decided they were going to let the Eagles fans go first and make me and my friends wait, even though we were there all night. The shit was crazy and I was just stunned, knowing that the NIN show would sell out well before that huge Eagles line got served. The other manager (whom I gave the store keys to), caught the look of dejection in my eyes and just told his co-worker: “They’ve been here all night; they shouldn’t have to wait.” So, they decided to let me go in and buy all the tickets for my friends. Crisis averted, I managed to buy tickets for the show, which sold out in minutes.

The show itself was amazing: The Hollywood Palace was a smaller venue and I just remember this odd sense like, IDK, shit just didn’t seem real. It’s the closest I’ve felt to being on drugs without being on drugs. The show itself is a blur; all I have to remember is this cathartic sense of euphoria. The raw power was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I just remember, after the show, knowing that I had found MY band. Ever since that show, I have been a devoted NIN fan and have really enjoyed the ride. I’ve been to numerous shows since (at least one for each tour after my first) and still get that euphoric feeling that no other band has given to me, live. The “relationship” between artist and fan is an odd one: It’s like having a friend I’ve never truly known; but, never let me feel alone. I’m thankful I’ve found an artist that I connected to, for so long. I look forward to what Trent has planned next and appreciate the memories I’ve already been given.