so what the hell is a NIN|JA?

for all who couldn’t decipher my facebook status last week…

…NIN|JA = nine inch nails & jane’s addiction on tour together. to my knowledge sharing a stage together for the first time since the first lollapalooza tour when jane’s headlined (since it was the lead singers concept to even HAVE lollapalooza it was only fair) and nine inch nails was fairly low on the bill as hardly anybody outside of us black-wearing club geeks knew who they were (and many credit the tour with launching trent’s career…)

job or no job there was no way i was missing this.

the problem was my day went TOO well so i ended up missing the opening act, streetsweeper social club, which is tom morello’s latest project so he can avoid letting a rage against the machine studio reunion happen since that would make us all happy and he doesn’t want to live in the past while simultaneously shunning material things as rage preaches for us to do. seriously, tom, let it go and let it happen, okay?

spent the earlier part of the day running about san marcos with ME, had a great time, but then had to blow off my workout for the silliest reason yet – no belt. “belt” not meant in the weight lifting belt sense, but rather the more common use of keeping my pants on…literally. while my scale ain’t showing it, apparently i’ve lost enough around my mid-section to where some of my pants fall off when not given a little leather help in positioning and the constant “drop and pull” got on my nerves enough to where i knew there was no way in hell i could actually EXERCISE this way, so i went drinking…

…and through lunch in the mix so i didn’t seem like TOO much of a lush.

when i left the restaurant i heard that a buddy of mine (who pics off his facebook page will be ripped off for part of this bit) would be doing interviews for the NIN|JA tour, which is what reminded me that today was “the” day – and i had wanted to see this since i first heard about it leaving work, ironically for the last time. i had been checking on tickets off and on, knew i’d be in the nosebleeds, but didn’t care – scalped tickets were retarded in price, and figuring i’d easily pay thirty bucks for either band, nosebleeds to see both for fifty were well worth it.

i got home, hit the site, got an aisle seat a few rows up (but with an awesome view) in the mezzanine, and away we go (note to JAB: basically, i had the erwin center equal to our van halen seats, which were high but good, ya know?)

true irony: i did traditional will-call so i could get a real ticket stub, but have no idea where it’s gone since i went to the show only a week ago…but said decision and the subsequent line is what caused me to miss the opener.

while in line to get a t-shirt (i so seldom go to shows any more that i almost HAVE to do this) i heard the opening notes of what i KNEW was not jane’s addiction, who i figured would play first. jogged up to my seat and saw this…

(okay, my view was a bit more distant as my boy keith has a rockin’ digital camera, but has just as nostril draining a seat as me ‘cept his was free from work)

fact number one that made being poor for a week worth it: this apparently will be the last nine inch nails tour for quite a while. a FINAL tour? very doubtful – unless you consider the word “final” in the KISS since where they have several “final” tours. but all the nine inch nails shirts said “nine inch nails : wave good-bye 1989-2009” so we’ll see where things go after this. the set list reflected this as it took almost forty-five minutes before he played a note off the latest album (which i really liked) and even then i think we heard maybe four songs. it was like a greatest hits set, which you would expect for a “final” tour. so if this is it, he went out on a high note.

(and for all who showed up late to the show and wondered “what the fuck” apparently the bands alternate on who headlines and the austin show came up with NIN|JA going in order of appearance)

fact number two that made being poor for a week worth it: this was the first tour with all four original jane’s guys since the first lollapalooza. the bass player has always held out, but went out for this one. i’m enough of a music snob to where i prefer to see the lineup for a band that was around when i got into ’em. while i’d seen nine inch nails several times (six if i’m counting right) i had NEVER gotten to see jane’s addiction…

(again, thanks for posting up awesome pics, keith!)

great set, fun times, and just overall a good show. i laughed, i cried, it became a part of me…and since this was possibly the last nin tour, the first jane’s reunion tour, and the only texas date on the back of my shirt, i was glad i made this eleventh hour decision to go because if i HADN’T and i found out that crap later i’d have been PISSED. the last thing i need is another metallica / stubb’s non-memory, ya know?