Monday, August 11, 2014

Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden Perform at Charlotte's PNC Music Pavilion

The crowd starts to fill up at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte for 
Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT



By Dathan Kazsuk | Aug 11, 2014
Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: trianglearoundtown

Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden recently played the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte to celebrate some historic milestones. For Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, it's been 25-years since he released the critically-acclaimed masterpiece, Pretty Hate Machine in 1989. And for Seattle's Soundgarden, it's been 20-years since the release of the 1994 hit album, Superunknown.

So when I saw that NIN had a link on their Facebook page for $20 tickets to the Charlotte performance on Aug. 7, I jumped on the opportunity to buy a couple tickets for Jen and myself. 

Taking a half-day off work that day ... I came home and got ready for the night.

Am I ready for the two-and-a-half hour drive to Charlotte? Not really. But let's do it!

Traffic wasn't bad at all. I was shocked. It was 5:30 p.m. heading into Kannapolis ... traffic is very sparse on Highway 85.

Do you think we can hit up NoDa Brewing Company before the show? Let's check the GPS. Twenty minutes away from the concert and close to downtown Charlotte. No, we'll pass this time. Let's get to the show.

Arrived at the PNC Music Pavilion with no problems. Easy to park. Some idiot hits the side of my car getting out of his car in the parking lot. No damage, so it's not all good ... but good. Let's see how this crowd will be tonight.

Made it inside with no problem and found our way towards the front of the lawn. Wow! $11 for Bud Light! I'm not buying that! Then 5 minutes later and $22 out of my wallet, we're sitting on the lawn with a Bud Light and Bud Light Lime!

First band takes the stage. Dillinger Escape Plan. Didn't know who they were until the singer announced it half way through the set. OMG ... the band was horrible! The music was 30-minutes of the lead singer screaming at the top of his lungs while one of the guitarists jumped around like a fool. I look over at Jen. She must be thinking, "What the Hell did I get myself into?"

Luckily the band only played for half-an-hour. Thank you, Lord ... the noise is now over! Next is Soundgarden. This should be pretty good. Chris Cornell and gang played some of their radio-friendly hits such as "Black Hole Sun," "My Wave," "Spoonman," and "Fell on Black Days." Thirteen songs total. The sound, in my opinion, wasn't that great. Should have been better for a band with the caliber of Soundgarden. "Just wait until Trent comes out," I tell Jen. "The sound will be amazing." Oh yes! It was.

The band I came to see takes the stage. Trent walks out and starts the show with "Copy of A" on just one keyboard. One-by-one, the rest of the band comes out to their instruments. The crowd goes crazy. Looking over at Jen, I'm thinking she'll enjoy this performance. She did!

NIN performed 17 songs that night. "Sanctified," "Came Back Haunted," "Closer," "March of the Pigs," "Eraser," "Wish," "The Hand that Feeds" and "Head Like a Hole" were some of the favorites. I really enjoyed the part of the set that featured "Disappointed," "Find My Way" and "The Great Destroyer." You can't beat that. Such diversity!

Even though I liked Soundgarden, I wish they weren't there and NIN could have performed a 2-hour set that night and done more of my favorites like "Suck," "The Day The Whole World Went Away," "We're in this Together," and "Somewhat Damaged."

The concert ends and I prepare myself for the two-and-a-half drive back to Raleigh. I think we might have had a contact "high" from all the weed smoke around us ... so tried to stop at a Cracker Barrel. Say what? They close at 11 p.m.? Not fair! Yawn. 1 a.m. by the time we get home. My cat, Sleestak wakes me up at 7 a.m. At work by 9 a.m. I’m tired! Next up, Keith Urban at Walnut Creek shortly after I get off work.