Best Non-SXSW Gigs of 2009: NIN/JA & The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Just because it was so unfair to name SXSW the best show of last year and leave it at that, I've decided, in my infinite wisdom, to go ahead and let you know the other two best shows that last year had to offer that didn't take place in Austin. One of them happened in Columbia, Maryland, while the other took place both in Philly and right here in DC. Oh yeah, and the latter two just so happen to involve the band whose brilliant logo is pictured to the left.

We'll begin with the NIN/JA tour, billed as a kind of farewell tour for Nine Inch Nails, though not for Jane's Addiction. I went mainly because of my fondness for both the music of NIN and Trent Reznor himself, but hot damn if I didn't end up (finally) falling in love with Perry Farrell and the boys of Jane's by the end of the show. It was a magical night, from the storm rolling in during soundcheck to the utter perfection of the NIN set to the over-the-top exploits of Jane's Addiction. There's a lot to be said in favor of both of these bands, and many kudos to be given for just how good the front men are as showmen. The NIN/JA tour reinforced just how great these bands are live, and I feel pretty lucky to have been able to be there to witness it.

The other half of the non-SXSW live winners belongs to LET favorites The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Hopefully by now people have stopped going to BJM shows just to see what Anton gets up to, because if they're so fixated on that they might miss the sheer brilliance going on onstage. I got to see them twice last year, both at the Trocadero in Philly and the 9:30 Club here in DC. Both shows were amazing, and saw the divine triumvirate of Anton, Matt Hollywood, and Joel Gion all sharing the stage once more. Playing virtually anything and everything you could hope to hear at a BJM show, the band made me love them more with each note. I'm already looking forward to June 9th, when the band will be back in DC.

mp3: March of the Pigs (Nine Inch Nails from The Downward Spiral)

mp3: That Girl Suicide (The Brian Jonestown Massacre from Methodrone)

The Obligatory Thanksgiving Mix Post

By this time, i have come to learn that the great unwashed masses now realize that when it comes to the Greatest Mixes You Will Ever Hear, they're not going to find any place else that stuff 1/100th as good as the junk they'll find here at LET. Arguably not the clearest of wording aside, i get it, folks. A holiday comes around, and all y'all need a mix to help you with decorating/eating/drinking/avoiding suicide/etc. And you want some really good shit. i can dig it. No worries, even. Truth be told, though, Thanksgiving isn't exactly the easiest holiday for which to make a mix to blow your mind AND stuff your turkey. Aside from that Adam Sandler track, what's a Mix Master Supreme to do? Well, whip out your three ring binders and start taking notes, kids, because this is how its done.

mp3: Thank God I'm A Country Boy (John Denver from Back Home Again)

Don't ask me why, but this was one of my absolute favorite tracks when i was about five. Probably had something to do with that infectious fiddlin'. Or maybe because i associated JD with the Muppets, and that's reason enough for any kid to love a tune.

mp3: Thank Heaven for Little Girls (Maurice Chevalier from Gigi Soundtrack)

Who doesn't love songs that verge on blatant pedophilia by old French dudes? You know NAMBLA wishes they had a theme song this catchy.

mp3: THANK YA (DOOM from BORN LIKE THIS)

If i have to explain the inclusion of DOOM into any of my mixes, you need to either move along to a different site or do some more research on where you've ended up, suckafish.

mp3: Thank You (Pearl Jam with Robert Plant from 10-5-05 Concert)

You would have felt cheated if this Zep track wasn't on your Thanksgiving mix, then i would have felt either bad and/or annoyed with your whining, and then nobody wins. So here it is, and everyone can go about their merry way, no muss, no fuss.

mp3: Thank You, Boob Lady (Hanz Zimmer from The Simpsons Movie OST)

This one is for The Missus and her plentiful, er, cornucopias. That's huge tracts of land to you and me, kids.

mp3: Thank You Boys (Jane's Addiction from Nothing Shocking)

It's short, sweet, jazzy and somehow catchy as hell. What's not to be thankful about all that?

mp3: Thank You Jack White (For The Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me) (The Flaming Lips from Fight Test EP)

This track is both bizarre and entertaining. It's about a chance backstage encounter between Jack White and the Flaming Lips wherein the White Striped Raconteur gives a gift of love to his heroes--a light-up Christ figurine. i wish i could get some rockstar drugs.

mp3: Thank You, Lord, For Sending Me the F Train (Mike Doughty from Smofe + Smang)

One of my favorite MD tunes from his best solo work to date. The fact that i've waited for that train and thought those same things certainly endears it further to me, but don't let the fact that you've somehow managed to fortunately avoid Brooklyn up until this point in your life deter you from loving it just a little bit yourself.

mp3: Thankful 'N Thoughtful (Sly and the Family Stone from Fresh)

Sure, it's about overcoming addiction, but goddamn, that bass line could be the funkiest drug i've ever heard. And those horns? Somebody call Betty Ford's for me now because i have a problem turning this one off repeat on ye olde iPod.

mp3: Thanksgiving Theme (Vince Guaraldi from Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits)

i had to get one absolutely legit Thanksgiving track in here, so i used this chestnut. Bust out the jelly beans and popcorn, folks, it's party time!

And with that, you're welcome.

Live Review: NIN/JA 2009 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, June 9, 2009

There are shows, and then there are Shows. Your average show happens every night, in bars the world over. They range from dire to nothing special to pretty darn good. Shows, conversely, Shows are something else entirely. Shows can be stunning, awe-inspiring, earth-shaking. At a Show, you might see stars, shapes, or God. Shows don't happen all that often, but when they do, you're bound to thank your lucky stars you were there. And friends, last month, I saw a goddam Show. Nine Inch Nails. Jane's Addiction. Live supremacy. Below is my review from RVA, photos by Miss Laura O'Neill. Hope you managed to catch the NIN/JA tour...

"If you’re anything close to my age (30), there’s a small collection of bands that have been a part of all our lives for a good number of years. You’ve probably spent over half of your life listening to some of them, even the ones that you weren’t necessarily all that fond of to begin with. These bands, over time, become a part of the lexicon of your days, the familiar Old Faithfuls of your record collection. When you got bored with the new or became tired of the classics, they were there, dependable. Listening to them, whether as a snippet of a chorus heard on modern rock radio or a voluntary listen at home, can bring back a flood of memories of bygone days, blurry snapshots of younger years. And it couldn’t possibly get much more nostalgic (or, well, awesome) than the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction NIN/JA farewell tour, which stopped in the wilds of Maryland at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

When Trent Reznor announced (in his very fan-friendly way) the indefinite hiatus on NIN tours, it brought a tear to my eye. For my money, there are few bands around that can touch the intricacies, the intense spectacle, and the sheer performance value offered at a Nine Inch Nails show. Admittedly, I was slow (a mild understatement) to see the appeal of the formerly constantly black-clad and gloomy Reznor (my obsession with Britpop during my formative years being well-documented), but thanks to some jaw-droppingly spectacular live shows and a couple of the newer records, I’ve seen myself turn into quite an NIN fangirl. So naturally, then, the announcement of one last Nine Inch Nails tour was huge (another mild understatement). Throw in the promise of fellow '90s alternative mainstays Jane’s Addiction (and, I can’t lie, the promise of a shirtless Dave Navarro), and I was sold. Tickets were procured, preparations made (including a homemade cocktail I dubbed “The Ninja”). It seemed as though June 9th would never come.

When NIN/JA Day finally arrived, we jaunted up to Columbia, giggling like teenagers (the not-so-unexpected side effect of sheer giddiness, and those homemade cocktails). The glorious, sun-dappled (though ridiculously muggy) day gave way to the billowing thunderheads of a late afternoon storm, making a very atmospheric backdrop for the bon voyage party of two heavyweights. It’s as if Mother Nature wanted to see to it that the bands went out with a bang - though there were no worries there.

The farewell began with former Rage Against the Machine axeman Tom Morello’s newest band, Street Sweeper Social Club. I found them notable more for their matching epaulette-laden military jackets and huge banner than their actual tunes, though they did provide a fair introduction to the proceedings. It was loud, it was heavy, and you could dance to some of it. We already knew that Morello knows how to play guitar better than about 99% of the population, but the magic he found with Rage hasn’t been replicated. The best thing about SSSC, though, was that they sounded nothing like Audioslave.

After Morello and Co. left the stage, a certain energy began to fill the air. The thousands of us in the stands and the thousands more swathed in ponchos on the lawn all seemed to be buzzing at once. It was impatience, expectance, and exhilaration all pouring forth at the same time. After what seemed an interminable, molasses-like span of time, the lights finally went down, the crowd roared, and out strolled Nine Inch Nails for one final turn on the Merriweather stage. Trent Reznor being ever the chameleon, his approach to the final tour was in stark contrast with the last time I saw them, last November in Charlottesville. That show featured highly elaborate stage and lighting configurations, with each note of each song carefully planned with sensational effects for maximum impact. The NIN/JA tour was far less dramatic, though no less atmospheric. With the ever-approaching nightfall above, the dark lighting scheme of hazy golden browns and dark purples with strategically placed spotlights seemed somber and moody, perfect tones for a goodbye. The gloom was interspersed by fiery red lights and electric blues, but the fancy projections and mesh boxes were a thing of the past.

NIN was in rare form, though it’s pretty hard to imagine this band having an off night. They began with “999,999” and set the tone immediately. It was to be nothing but the best. The 19-song set was full of favorites, a veritable retrospective of NIN’s lengthy and noteworthy career. Two standouts were “March of the Pigs” and “Echoplex”, an old and a new favorite, the former featuring one hell of an audience singalong (though there were many), and the latter having been tweaked so that Robin Finck's saucy guitar riff was somehow even dirtier. All four band members were in fine fettle, with Reznor, as always, taking the lead. Alternating between vocals, guitar, keyboards, and fair amounts of thrashing around with boundless energy, the 44-year-old continues to put dudes half his age to shame. And hot damn, is he sexy. Every song was great, but the final four nearly induced my brain to melt: “Dead Souls” (the Joy Division cover that I never in a million years would have expected to see live), “The Hand That Feeds”, “Head Like a Hole”, and “Hurt”. The crowd singing along to “Head Like a Hole” and “Hurt” was quite possibly the loudest I’ve ever heard at a concert. And the finale, “Hurt”, was the best I’ve ever seen it, with extra poignance because of the finality of the gig. Despite the lack of songs like “Closer” or “Mr. Self-Destruct”, it was an amazing set, nearly perfect, but incredibly bittersweet. If we had to say adieu to NIN, this was the way to do it.

After the set that I didn’t want to end, it was time to take a breather before Jane’s Addiction closed the show. I’d never been much of a Jane’s fan, probably thanks to years of inherent resistance to the song “Jane Says”, which I couldn’t stand back in the day. But now I stand before you, completely converted. All it took was 14 songs to turn me into a believer. Ageless wonder Perry Farrell (50) shimmied and shook his ass across the stage, prancing around in his tight, befeathered ensemble like a preening, over-sexed peacock. Farrell is truly a consummate performer, witty and engaging, with the added charm of being overtly raunchy. Swigging from a bottle of wine, Farrell wiggled his hips and alerted us to the fact that we were making him hard. It wasn’t just the ostentatious Perry that I found so impressive. It was the entire band. They sounded legendary. After falling in love with songs like “Ocean Size” and “Mountain Song”, I found myself under Jane’s spell. I even found their last song, “Jane Says”, fantastic. And that truly is impressive, given how many years I’ve disliked it. The lighting was more outrageous for JA, as you might guess. Lots of pinks and greens and bright purple, to match the over-the-top whirlwind that is Farrell. They sure shocked the hell out of me with how much they could rock. Maybe not quite as hard as they once could, but they still know what they’re doing. And Pied Piper Perry will forever know how to keep the audience in the palm of his hand.

NIN/JA was probably the (non-festival) concert of the year for me. It would take some kinda ferociousness to top what happened up there in Maryland. There are so few bands that could withstand the test of time the way these two bands have. I mean, Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction would have been a hot ticket back in 1994, but it takes something special to keep the masses enamored for as long as they have. They always have great musicians around them, but both bands will always be known and noted for their frontmen; NIN with the awesome force that is Trent Reznor, and Jane’s with Perry Farrell, their brother from another time and place. I just hope they don’t stay in rock & roll retirement for too long. After all, someone’s gotta show the kids how it’s done."

Zut Alors!: 2009 NIN|JA Tour

Before I get into anything else, I'd like to say for the record that the upcoming Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour has possibly the coolest name of all times. I mean, seriously, they're calling it NINJA 2009. Seeing as the third act on the bill is Street Sweeper, I'd probably have called it NINJAS, but who am I to question the marketing gods?

To whet everyone's appetite for the impending festivities, the boys decided to give the fans a little sampler goodness. All you need to do is sign-up at the NINJA site, but we've got a couple of treats here for you if you're just too damn lazy to go that extra step yourself. You'd be a fool not to check it out if you're fans of any of the bands, however, as there are tons of things to watch and listen to there.

I'm not sure if I'm happier with the fact that Reznor produced some previously non-studio faves from JA or that Trent's stuff simply is as good as it is, but it's a dilema I don't mind having.

Regretfully for area readers, the NINJA tour is coming to the Nissan Pavillion, inarguably the worst venue in the southeastern US, if not on the entire East Coast. I'd say in the world, but that clearly would be hyperbole, even if it is true. Remember what happened the last time we had a major act at NP? Seriously, I've never been to one show there where it took LESS than two hours to get out of that parking lot. One road to and from the final stretch of road in and out of the place?

I'm not sure who to blame for booking the place, as it clearly does enough business to justify its own existense. However, it's a slap in the face to fans who want nothing more than to have a good time at an easily accessible venue.

Sadly, I will not be attending the sure-to-be fiasco waiting to happen that is the Nissan Pavillion. If any of our loyal readers attend, however, pick me up an XL NINJA tee shirt, would you, please? I just can't get enough of that namey goodness.

mp3: Chip Away by Jane's Addiction

mp3: Not So Pretty Now by Nine Inch Nails

mp3: Clap for the Killers by Street Sweeper