Nine Inch Nails/Soundgarden | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Review
Nine Inch Nails (Photo Credit: David Burke)
Nine Inch Nails / Soundgarden Red Rocks CO July 21.2014
On this beautiful warm summer night what better way to spend this evening with Trent and Chris and rock the f@cK out! When you attend a Red Rocks show you don't walk to the venue you hike to a natural wonder and then hear and feel how the music played there moves and nourishes your soul. Too “Mother Earth” for ya? Well, we all experience Red Rocks in our own way..
Soundgarden sounding like they did 20 years ago (Photo Credit: David Burke)
Soundgarden came out with Searching With My Good Eye Closed guitarist Kim Thayil chugged and wailed on his guitar while bassist Ben Shepherd wandered the stage with his bass acknowledging the audience. Tight thunderous beats were delivered by Matt Chamberlain, filling in for Matt Cameron, currently on the road with his other job, Pearl Jam. Over head was a large display with ethereal and animated shapes and lights that seems to be in sync with their set. Personal High lights were the rocking Rusty Cage and Superunknown. While the moody and dark Black Hole Sun and Like Suicide captured the audience. This was also a special day for front man Chris Cornell as it was his 50th birthday, we all then sang a very pathetic version of Happy Birthday to Chris and this appeared to make his day.
Chris Cornell celebrating his 50th birthday at Red Rocks (Photo Credit: David Burke)
As this was the 20th anniversary of their album Superunknown and also one of two nights, they not only played a bunch of songs from that album their set was more wide ranging stretching from their late eighties grunge sound to their 2012 reunion album, King Animal.
Chris’s Voice was muscular and sharp as he sounded better than the original versions. Spoonman was like traveling back in time to my 90’s era plaid button ups and loose fitting silvertabs.
As their set ended, they all ignited and undulating storm of feed back from their instruments and then waved goodbye with the sounds still roaring 20 years later after it began.
They still got it (PhotoCredit: David Burke)
Soundgarden Setlist:
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
I Awake
Let Me Down
Rusty Cage
Black Hole Sun
Outshined
Jesus Christ Pose
Like Suicide
The Day I Tried To Live
My Wave
Fell on Black Days
A Thousand Days Before
Slaves & Bulldozers
Nine Inch Nails headlining Red Rocks (Photo Credit: David Burke)
Nine Inch Nails’s set began with Trent Reznor marching out to a large blank stage void of color, then as his band appeared they launched into Copy of A a new track from last years 2013 album Hesitation Marks. Very alive and full of energy, Trent danced and hopped on stage as the music moved him around.
Trent Reznor (Photo Credit: David Burke)
Songs like March of The Pigs and Piggy had the crowd enthralled and acted like their back up vocalists in harmony. Watching all the members Ilan Rubin, Allesandro Cortini and Robin Finck switching instruments and play them like they were complete masters of that particular instrument in their hands was very impressive. As l jammed back to the 90’s with tracks like Head Like a Hole and Closer and as always the light show was intense and mesmerizing. Industrial rock at it’s finest needless to say.
Incredible visuals courtesy of Nine Inch Nails (Photo Credit: David Burke)
Reznor has stated that this would be Nine Inch Nail’s last tour “for a long time.” Well I hope not, but having the last memory of them echoing though this special venue will be one of my most favorite memories during the summer of 2014!
-BRKY
NIN Setlist:
Copy of A
Sanctified
Came Back Haunted
1,000,000
March of The Pigs
Piggy
Terrible Lie
Closer
Gave Up
Me, I’m Not
Find My Way
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Wish
Only
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole
Encore:
Hurt
