NINJA Night at Shoreline

Last Friday evening, my buddy Dooms and I attended the Nine Inch Nails / Jane’s Addiction show at Shoreline in Mountain View. While it should be noted that yours truly did not ingest any “outside food” himself, there was certainly no shortage of neighboring concert-goers who chose to partake in the more traditional form of the ritual, as evidenced by the unmistakeably pungent aroma wafting around the amphitheater air that chilly evening. Our seats were neither good nor bad, located at the very top row of the reserved section, a pathway-width away from the lunatics on the lawn.

As for the show itself, the co-headliners provided the audience with a definitive contrast in musical style and overall aesthetic. Nine Inch Nails performed their 80-minute set on a relatively small, somewhat claustrophobic stage, backlit only by several columns of stark, white floodlights. NIN leader/frontman Trent Reznor only sparingly spoke with the crowd, instead focusing his voice and energy on the delivery of his lyrics and music.

Although I don’t consider myself a huge fan (I own the first album), it was quite clear to me that Mr Reznor and band had the enthusiastic audience eating out of the palms of their hands. The highlight of NIN’s set for me came during their performance of ”Head Like a Hole”, a song whose lyrics describe the downside of being obsessed with money and material wealth, when every member of the crowd sang along with the chorus.

Head like hole, black as your soul,

I’d rather die, than give you control.

Head like a hole, black as your soul,

I’d rather die, than give you control.

Bow down before the one you serve,

You’re going to get what you deserve.

Bow down before the one you serve,

You’re going to get what you deserve.

After a short intermission, Jane’s Addiction opened with “Three Days”, a sprawling opus of a song from their Ritual album. They performed their 90-minute set on a wide-open stage, awash in purple, red, yellow, blue, and green lights and a pair of video screens. Vocalist/frontman Perry Farrell frequently chatted up the crowd, who, like me, seemed to hang on his every word.

The highlight of their set, for me, came when they played ”Summertime Rolls”, my all-time favorite Jane’s song. And although it wasn’t nearly as noticeably momentous to the ten-thousand strong audience as NIN’s “Head Like a Hole”, having Perry sing those words of that song that night at Shoreline to an audience of one, sent me all the way back to those nights when I would lay on the floor of my room, headphones hugging my ears, and I would listen to songs like ”Summertime Rolls” until I drifted off to sleep.

Fell into a sea of grass

and disappeared among the shady blades.

Children all ran over me

Screaming Tag! You are the one.

Me and my girlfriend don’t wear no shoes

her nose is painted pepper sunlight.

I love her, I mean it’s oh so serious,

as serious can be.

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