What was almost a disaster of an evening turned into an incredible concert.
Free tickets from work were a blessing. I had looked into buying tickets, but couldn't justify the price. Seats in the lower bowl were over $200. The last time I saw Nine Inch Nails, tickets were $40 and Soundgarden opened for them. And the time before that was the $140 NIN/Jane's Addiction tour in Vegas. But 2 days before work came through and we got some freebies up in the top deck. Mike and I were there early and I went into the seats, with the stadium empty, and freaked out how high up we were. I had to get back into the foyer to calm down. We hung out while I tried to psych myself back inside. Boys Noize started playing, so we walked back around to the seats. That's when we were accosted by an angel. A staff member was giving away tickets to fill seats in the lower bowl, and put us on an isle 6 rows back from the small stage in the middle of the floor. I had already talked myself into leaving Mike there, and walking home. But alas......we were about to see an amazing show.
Boys Noize DJed an hour. The music was fine, but the old man in me thought it was only 1 song (and I should've been DJ....ha!). Trent Reznor slipped past us and onto the smaller stage right in front of us and started the set on his own, as the band joined one at a time (sans drummer) until they finished their 3rd song, Piggy right there in front of us. The end of Piggy saw the Josh Freese kick into action with the drum attack of Wish on the main stage, as the rest of the band made their way up. A frenetic start to the main stage was doubled with March of The Pigs. Surrounded by a silk screen, and a cameraman who worked double time, Nine Inch Nails visually and sonically blew me away. Copy of A was the pinnacle. The multiple light copies of Reznor projected all over the stage was just perfection. Never has a visual representation of a song been so suited to the music.
Half way through the night, Reznor, Atticus Rose and Boys Noize cam back to the smaller stage in the middle of arena for another 4 songs, including the highly anticipated Closer. I just spent the whole song being grateful to be there - I'd almost left before it started and I would've missed all this.
Back on the main stage The Perfect Drug was a perfect song as was the double header to end the night. Head Like A Hole was sung louder by the audience than the band in full throttle, only to be bought back down to earth by the haunting Hurt. Just a dynamically different way to end a show. This is the 5th time for me seeing Nine Inch Nails - over a 30 years period - and it's safe to say they are a great live band, who only get better each time I see them. For the first show of 2026, I'm a little worried about how any other band can top that.
The Crap Facts
This is my 538th concert.
This is my 4th concert in the Spectrum Center.
This is my 133rd concert in Charlotte.
This is my 159th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 338th concert in the USA.
Boys Noize are the 631st band I've seen
This is my 5th Nine Inch Nails concert.
