NINE INCH NAILS
COLD AND BLACK AND INFINITE TOUR 2018
The Jesus and the Mary Chain
with Gabe Gurnsey
Aragon Ballroom Chicago
Thursday 10/25/18

Welcome back to Chicago Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails.
Oh how we’ve missed you since a couple years ago at Riot Fest.
Nine Inch Nails at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago: the first of a three night residency from the Aragon Ballroom- a venue built like a Sherman Tank, a venue that can withstand the onslaught of a Nine Inch Nail performance, and then some.
Nine Inch Nails  on their “Cold and Black and Infinite” North American Tour, playing multipole dates in the large markets, and bringing along a shitload of music to change and mix it up each and every night.
Songs like “The Perfect Drug” never played before live, and “Starfuckers, Inc”, or how about “Reptile” or even better David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans”.
Sounds like a good time by me.
Have to say Trent Reznor is one of my favorite performers to photograph live, never ever disappoints, always ready willing and able for performance war.
His bandmates are also equal to the challenge: Atticus Ross on keyboards and synths, Robin Finck on guitars, Ilan Rubin on drums, and Alessandro Cortini on keyboards and synths as well.
Touring on the strength of the three ep’s released over the past couple of years, the most recent being “Bad Witch”, which showcases Trent branching out and playing saxophone, and also givig a nod to Robin Finck on lead vocal for the song “God Breaks Down the Door”.
The Nine Inch Nails hits are front and center in the setlist, right from the start with “Mr. Self Destruct” into “The Perfect Drug” into “Wish”.
How’s that to start a show?
And it gets more gnarly from there, with “March of the Pigs” (without all the microphone stand tossing and keyboards throwing from days of yore). No Matter. These songs are still as volatile as ever, with Trent’s band so punishing, so unrelenting.
All n’ all: Trent reznor and Nine Inch Nails. Still as badass as ever.
The show opened with post punk stalwarts The Jesus and Mary Chain, with brothers Jim and William Reid jam packing their rather short set with nuggets from their first release “Psychocandy”, and making it known that they came to play.
A short set by them, but still so worthwhile. So good seeing Jim and William reid getting along as well.
Multi instrumentalist Gabe Gurnsey opened the show.
Cheers- Bobby Talamine – Music Photographer