Nine Inch Nails in Orlando

Anybody who has been following Nine Inch Nails for more that a decade now know that there are essentially two sides to this band. One of them wants to make loud industrial pop-rock and releases albums like With Teeth, Broken, and The Slip. One of them wants to make slow-burning intricate epics like Year Zero, Ghosts, and The Fragile. Both sides are essential, but how is Trent Reznor going to balance these two urges on a stage show?

That question brought me to see them last night at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. I never thought the pioneer of industrial-goth would fit in at a college basketball arena, but it was actually the perfect sized venue for him. Here's some random thoughts on things I loved about this show:

- The oddball setlist that worked even though it still doesn't make sense. "Echoplex" as an encore? "In This Twilight" as a closer after you just played "Hurt" as a communal sing-along? "The Wretched" as the only thing to represent The Fragile? No setlist by any artist has ever kept me wondering like this one.

- The crowd: amazingly enthusiastic college kids interspersed with a few random actual goths. I actually felt less nerdy as I was leaving the arena. The night was filled with spirited sing-alongs, particularly "March Of The Pigs", "Head Like A Hole", "Closer", and several more.

- The politics: after showing a picture of Bush fading into McCain during "The Hand That Feeds", Trent delivered the message "come on, Florida, you need to get your shit together this time!"

- The lighting can't be adequately described here. In an interview earlier in the year, Trent claimed he wanted to use video as an instrument. Now I get it. Video projections in front of and behind the band made for some stunning effects, while more peaceful backdrops accompanied the softer material. Speaking of that...

- The "Ghosts" instrumental mini-set. Although several people in the crowd found it as an opportunity for a bathroom break, this set featured a marimba, upright bass, banjo, and some stunning atmospheric music that sounded like a completely different band that the one that just lit up the arena with "Wish". "Piggy" was the perfect transition to bring it back to the older material.

- There was an overabundance of Year Zero. Before it's all said and done, that might be the most underrated record of this decade. Multiple keyboards and intense visuals took over when "God Given" and "The Great Destroyer" hypnotized the crowd with their apocalyptic chants.

Even if you know the Downward Spiral material better than anything new, I don't think there has ever been a better time to see the Nine Inch Nails. Now 14 years removed from his commercial peak, Trent is hitting his stride right now.

(Now Trent, give us another live record. Please?)