Nine Inch Nails "March" to the Mullins Center

By: Bill Donovan

Nine Inch Nails created a storm Friday night on the Mullins Center stage, bashing their way through a two-hour set. Trent Reznor howled with ferocity alongside his refurbished band to many career-defining songs, such as "Closer," "Hurt" and "March of the Pigs."Reznor looked fully healed and upbeat after his six year seclusion. Adorned in his traditional black attire, he ran all the over the stage, at times playfully pushing guitarist Aaron North aside."How you guys doing, are you having a good time?" he asked a few songs into the show. "I think that's the first time in this band's history I've asked that."A tight rhythm section between bassist Jeordie White and Josh Freese on drums buffed up many of the songs. "Piggy" was such a song where these two shined. White's bouncy strings marched to the beat of Freese's shattering kit. A lone light hovered above Reznor as he walked off the set, embracing the throng of fans. He passed the microphone to people, who helped sing the apathetic chorus. Chants of "Nothing can stop me now, 'cuz I don't care anymore," echoed throughout the place.A dark sea of lighters and cell phones illuminated the arena as Reznor performed "Hurt" alone on a keyboard. It was powerful moment, watching him reflect on his drug-fueled past. Reznor, like Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante is one of the few amongst '90s-rockers to survive from a bout with heroin. Clouds of smoke danced around him as he played the broken notes. North's guitar, accompanied by Alessandro Cortini's keyboard, screamed as the piece came to a halt.The band took a stand against warfare and the Bush administration midway into the show. A silk screen lowered as the ominous "Eraser" began. Freese pounded out a marching band beat as shots of tanks and destruction filled the frame. Over this, North plucked along, bending notes neurotically.Reznor, although now in his early 40s, is still as intense as ever. On songs like "Terrible Lie" and "Burn" he strummed his guitar furiously. The crowd, which had pushed its way to the front of the stage, shared the moment. "Burn" is a track off the soundtrack to the film "Natural Born Killers." People bobbed their heads and cheered the band on. But many did not know the lyrics to this song. At last year's show in Boston, NIN did a similar soundtrack song, "Dead Souls" from the movie "The Crow."A sight to see was North during faster-paced songs like "Wish," off the "Broken" EP. He twirled his guitar as if it were a baton, playing it behind his back. Jumping onto his amplifier, he'd face Freese while playing. The show closed with the anti-authoritarian "Head Like A Hole." The crowd yelled the words defiantly as the band raced through it. It was interesting to see them end the show with the song that started it all.Opener Saul Williams had an interesting mix of hip-hop beats, poetry and hard rock. Williams performed with NIN for the Voodoo Music Festival, a charity concert in New Orleans.