American rock mainstays and innovators Nine Inch Nails brought their Peel It Back world tour to St. Paul Minnesota’s Xcel Energy Center on August 17th, marking their first show in the Twin Cities in over a decade. The band has not visited Minnesota since 2013, making their mid-August return even more of a celebration. Their return to the sold-out arena was met with 15,000 fans of all ages, from Gen X on down.
The most popular attire was your favorite NIN shirt from the last 30 years, along with anything black, leather, and spiky. Bootleg t-shirts were available outside the venue for $25, a concert classic. Inside, the official Ts went for $45. They also had two sweatshirt designs, a hat, a tote bag, and a keychain/AirTag holder.
At 8 pm, German DJ/Producer Boys Noize (Alexander Ridha) opened his set from a small stage in the back of the arena. Boys Noize is recently known for remixing the Challengers soundtrack, which was created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The special release was available for Record Store Day 2024. The arena was saturated in red, and the electronic pulsing beats lasted about an hour before Reznor appeared on the B-stage in the middle of the arena.
Sitting alone at the keyboard, Reznor played an emotional version of “Right Where It Belongs” off 2005’s With Teeth, followed by a snippet of “Somewhat Damaged” as the other members of NIN slowly took the stage. Ross was first at the keyboard, followed by Alessandro Cortini on bass and Robin Finck on guitar. Now fully formed in front of the arena, the band played “Ruiner” off their iconic LP, The Downward Spiral, before ripping through a powerful version of “Piggy.” Reznor was all over the small B-stage while the cameraman followed closely, capturing the intense performance, which was then projected on a curtain covering the main stage.
The band then made its way to the main stage, where you could hear the thundering drums from Josh Freese playing, who recently regained his role in the band, following his recent dismissal from Foo Fighters.. The curtain rises, revealing a mesh see-through screen in front and the band behind commanding a dynamic version of “Wish” and “March of the Pigs” before slowing down a bit for a haunting version of “Reptile.”
The mesh screen danced with imagery as the band continued with “The Lovers” and “Copy of A.” NIN has built a reputation for stunning visuals to accompany their live performances, and the Peel It Off tour is no exception. During “Copy of A,” the mesh screen was filled with multiple shadows of Reznor performing as if there was a choir of Reznors joining in. A fierce and intense “Gave Up” followed before the band made its way back to the B-stage with opener Boys Noize joining them for a remixed version of a few songs.
The small B-stage started to transform as red lights and smoke billowed out. The top scaffolding rose towards the ceiling and then came back down like a carnival ride as the band performed a punchy remix of “Vessel.” The lights intensely flashed red and white, then turned purple for a funky version of “Closer.” The band’s performance was projected back on the main stage curtain while the B-stage was saturated with red. The blinding lights continued to illuminate the small B-stage as they played “As Alive as you need me to be,” from the band’s recent work on the upcoming Tron soundtrack, and “Came Back Haunted.” Reznor then made his way to the main stage, still singing “Came Back Haunted” with camera and band in tow.
The curtain dropped with no obstructions, and the band went into a chaotic “Mr. Self Destruct,” which brought the crowd to a fever pitch, which sparked a pit of slam dancing. The crowd was in NIN’s control, with Reznor performing “Less Than” followed by “The Perfect Drug,” where Freese’s percussion prowess finds room to shine on stage.
The Highlight of NIN’s return to Minnesota might have been the cover of David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans,” a fitting addition to the setlist for today’s political climate, and the fact that Reznor remixed and released the Bowie classic as a maxi single in 1997 is a plus. “It’s a fucking privilege to be here,” exclaims Reznor from the stage, who isn’t one for much talking during NIN performances. After a moment of appreciation, the band launched into “The Hand That Feeds” and the iconic “Head Like a Hole,” where the crowd melted back into their moshing form.
No NIN show would be complete without Reznor performing the emotional outpouring that is their classic industrial rock ballad, “Hurt.” Reznor’s words, even though written years ago for the band’s 1994 LP, resonated with the room. The crowd responded with a flourish of lighters and cellphones’ flashlights, illuminating the Xcel Energy Center. The crowd passionately sang along, hanging on every last one of Reznor’s movements. After a humid 95-minute performance, folks welcomed the pouring rain as they left. A symbolic baptism from the Rock Gods, you could say.
One Response
Excellent review, Billy! Thanks for making me wish I was there!