Lately, the world feels cursed.
Cultural division – largely motivated by political and economic strife – lurks around every corner, threatening to infect the inherently relational nature of humanity. Antidotes are needed, and though it may be relatively small in the scheme of things, the unifying force of music is one of them. For nearly two hours on Friday night, Nine Inch Nails achieved that goal during the Houston stop of their Peel It Back Tour.
The fivepiece band proliferated solidarity via a multi-pronged approach. First and foremost, it resonated via the simple act of bringing fans together at the Toyota Center for the purpose of enjoying live music. Catharsis came easily when thousands of voices joined for the thunderous choruses of the set’s 20 songs, the majority pulled from 1994 opus The Downward Spiral.
On a more complex level, harmony stemmed from a carefully crafted production designed to imbue an arena-sized show with an air of intimacy.
The process began as core members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross kicked off the set on a small stage – in the round – with a piano version of “Right Where It Belongs,” immediately arresting in its hushed, acoustic format. The volume built steadily as bassist Allesandro Cortini and guitarist Robin Finck joined for “Ruiner” and eventually crescendoed on the crushing “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now).”
From there, the band sprinted to the main stage, wasting no time launching into a kinetic onslaught of six more songs anchored by drummer Josh Freese, which included electro-punk opener “Wish,” the industrial-metal march of “Reptile,” and the techno-inspired tapestry of “Copy of a.” This run of tunes revealed the eye-popping visual concept of projections cast over multiple layers of hanging, stage-encircling mesh curtains, which created an enthralling 3D effect featuring strobing black-and-white snippets of the performance. Though the presentation as a whole was larger than life, handheld camerawork cycling through focused images of each band member again accomplished an up-close-and-personal vibe.
While Finck thrashed through the final notes of “Gave Up,” Reznor and Ross rushed back to the B-stage, joining opening act Boys Noize for a series of EDM remixes of deep cuts (“Vessel” and “Sin”), one mega-hit (“Closer”), and the group’s latest composition, “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” the first single from the soundtrack for upcoming film Tron: Ares. In contrast to a bare-bones lighting scheme during their first foray on the center stage, this set saw the musicians take full advantage of an overhanging rig. A rotating array of colored beams surrounded them, creating the effect of a glowing dome, and then shone out in all directions, some bouncing off of four disco balls that turned the entire arena into what felt like a tightly contained dance club.
The feature from Boys Noize accentuated another key component of the concert’s overall convivial energy. You could feel it in the synchronicity of the band, in large part thanks to a maelstrom of backbone beats provided by Freese – whose time to shine came at the end of “The Perfect Drug,” where he absolutely destroyed his skins under a sea of blinding strobes. Afterward, Reznor took a moment to recognize the prowess of the seasoned drummer, who – following a recent stint with the Foo Fighters – returned to NIN for this tour (he previously held tenure behind the kit from 2005-2008).
“If you want to know why I’m smiling … I took my in-ear monitors out and I was really just appreciating this motherfucker playing drums,” Reznor said. “ … like damn, I haven’t really really had a chance to appreciate how good he actually is.”
The singer then emphasized the essential role of the fans – he mentioned the many times the band had played at revered Houston venue Numbers, applauding those who shouted out that they’d been there in the old days – and likewise highlighted a spirit of collaboration with the next song, “I’m Afraid of Americans,” which he produced alongside “a hero of ours,” David Bowie.
That ferocious track and the remainder of the set were played without the curtains from the concert’s beginning, creating a literally peeled back portion of the show. Simple white light and strobes revealed the band in raw form.
Within the night’s overarching theme, the more minimalist conclusion harkened to a sense of vulnerability. It was fitting, then, that they would close the show with “Hurt,” an anthem about pain, a universal component of the shared human experience. Embracing that en masse – as thousands of fans did while they solemnly sang along – fosters strength and collective kinship, something sorely needed in the present moment. Kudos to Nine Inch Nails for doing their part.