famous last words or tour stop number two:
the tale continues as we are gently shooed from the saroyan lobby into the cold night air. me and a few others of our party, as well as a few new additions, decide that going over to the motel eight and hanging out with a cool dude named dominic [he of miyagis from the "friday night's alright for fake gunplay" saga]while we wait for part of our party to return from the euphemism is an great "idear". sooner or later, ignatz and crew become "unstuck in time" and we plot our next move.
word on the street is that the 80 is still snowed in. i am regaled with stories of black ice and other horrors by former residents of the east coast. what really bothers me is that is not only do i have zero experience driving in such conditions, we also lack any real plan of action i.e., an actual hotel room of our own in reno. i do not relish driving a route that may or may not be closed by the weather and going to a town where i have to wander vaguely around a hotel lobby [which most likely contains a casino] for god knows how many hours. since i am the driver, i make the executive decision that we ain't going nowhere until daybreak. this decision is not popular, but fuck it, i'm in charge.
at the local hang, i grab some floor and try to sleep. i succeed in catching a few winks but it can't be any more than an hour or two as i go over the latest dispatch of tour anxiety in my head. luckily, towards daybreak, i am treated to a listen to a spiffy group called "
the frogs" who would probably annoy the crap out of you. this makes them the coolest thing possible to me, despite the fact that a smashing pumpkins dvd is what recommended them to skwerl and eventually led to my ears. they are funny, which puzzles me since i didn't know corgan actually possessed a sense of humor, but hey, i've been wrong before. this won't make me like the pumpkins any more than i already don't, but will give me pause before the next time i launch into a hate filled rant about how much they piss me off; especially corgan and his bald head.
what i come to learn as the sun also rises, [yes, there will be no extraneous nin quotes from me in my reviews and i will therefore substitute literary references instead], is that a certain member of the party has decided to opt out. while this is disappointing, skwerl has been tempted to go.
what you have to know about this is that the dude said the following:
"i don't care if you give me a ticket
and a ride. i am not going."
famous last words.
so we gather up our new, improved party, containing me, exit, and skwerl, and head out on the 99 fwy on the way to "sac", which is the unfortunate contraction of the name our revered state capitol at 10 ayem. we take the chains and hope for the best since all travel advisories have been lifted. while on the road i get phone calls telling me that people who started on the road in the middle of the night were forced to sleep in their cars at the summit. this makes me feel a tad better about my decision and, while i hope that it doesn't put me in the very back of the hall watching tiny specks of musicians, i manage to retain a cheery attitude.
in sacramento, i take the 80 fwy and start up the pass. at the beginning of the trip, we are treated to socal-like conditions. with little to no warning, the snow sets in. literally. we get snow showers and get to watch the plows work on the snowbanks as we climb. the subject of the afternoon inevitably turns to cannibalism. i think it was the fact that i made a joke about snacks and skwerl replied that the
donner party thought they had plenty too. sadly, since we were cutting time pretty close, we were unable to stop at the "
pioneer monument" and chew on some beef jerky and memorialize the event with photos. that's right, apparently, we are some sick bastards. but the discussion of that most taboo of subjects continued on past the summit and went through modern day cannibals, the seige of stalingrad, and the book, "
stiff", which had already come up while we were eating lunch, but had to be revisited while passing the emigrant gap.
we arrive in reno and return to what looks like socal but feels like utah-like conditions, at least from the standpoint of the temperature. it is at this time that we realize that we really have no place do trivial things like take showers, change our clothes, or do our hair. mac lip-schtick to the rescue. seems that the arbitary "plan" hatched earlier wasn't really concrete and since we don't have a lot of time till the show - we really don't have a lot of time to do anything about it. instead we trudge over to the casino floor and get in line.
even though it is four pee'em and there are about 125 people ahead of us, we are not very concerned. what i should have been worried about was this:
i had dressed according to my assumptions of cold weather, which was actually a really good idea. i was wearing a suit jacket, a base layer ski
thermal, jeans and some ski socks. think warm. i'll admit it, i was a little loopy from lack of coffee, water, solid food, and sleep. i was also waiting for uncle drunkie to come down and claim his ticket from me. bless his black heart, he called everyone else but me and then took his time. this caused me to wait around and, in a fugue state, i forgot to change and get rid of my purse. this will become crucial about half way through the set since i am in the pit but i have only myself to blame. i also have to work on getting a hotel room for us to sleep in since our space for after the show has magically disappeared, much to my dismay.
time seems to speed up and we become aware that a couple of really neato folks from apc.net are kicking around the hotel. skwerl goes off in search of dvn and i talk to completetool about our obsession with the donner party. she concurs and tells of having to video all the related signage on the way up over the pass.
drunkie eventually comes over to get his ticket and we get to meet gentle red. the line start moving and i truly come to terms with how much of a bad idea not changing was. i wish i had had the presence of mind to ask exit to hold my purse, but i didn't want to be the lame-o who stuck her with my responsibility. since reno will be the worst of the two pit areas, i should have swallowed my stupid pride, but i am not one to foist on my friends.
shit.
skwerl and head for the orchestra in the front and ignore the many banquettes that offer the relative comfort and safety that makes me squirm.
exit decides, for reasons of her own to hang back. not because she can't rage but, well, she has a mission to complete, don't you know.
funnily enough, the rodent and i end up in the second row. weird how that happens, eh? we are surrounded by truly fantastic bunch of friendly freaks who are more than willing to share space and fight for the rights of their newly acquired tour buddies [that would be us, btw]. these guys are ready to fight before the show starts and promise help and stare down the lowlifes who are already eyeing the space that we are currently occupying. even though, some drugs are clearly being consumed, i feel a nice sense of trust and camaraderie towards these folks.
now is the time when i should mention what i know as a concert adage.
"the smaller the pit, the more heinous the crush." and yes, the reno pit follows this adage to the letter. here we go.
opening act:
lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. my soul, my sin.
to bring the point home, i have taken a moment to specially compose a whimsical poesy just for the occasion.
this non review
has been brought
to you
by the auspice
of the letter
"j"
don't forget
on the way out
to have a
really nice day!
as soon as said act has left the stage the crush begins in earnest. as a group, we attempt to hold our ground but there are some serious scumfucks to whom the words "we were here first, fair and square" mean nothing. in particular, one large bastard [that is code for tank brain] clearly intends to muscle his way through skwerl and me. since he has no way of knowing that skwerl is a veteran of the philly punk wars, he does not realize that he is doomed to abject failure.
love is not enough - this song kicks off the show well and sounds even better than last night. i realize that we are directly in front of reznor and am pleased as punch.
march of the pigs - rocking [!] and it is at this point that i am forced to dig my nails into some guys forearm. when he yells at me to stop, i point out that his elbow had been lodged in my throat and that i was not able to breathe. he seems to back off after that.
reptile - another very pleasant surprise song and the moment when i fancy that the compression in the crowd is such that my rib cage may implode and my heart might pop out. no lie. but boy, was the rendition of the song worth it.
piggy - this song began as a brief breather that was also the moment that i understood what a bad idea my clothing was. reznor is smiling and gives extra emphasis to the end lyrics with a sardonic glee that is wonderful to see. meanwhile, the pudgester next to skwerl takes the lyrics "nothing can stop me now" as his personal mantra to rid the pit of all obstacles to his personal adulation of trent.
terrible lie - less enthusiastic but still good version of the song. i think this may have been when reznor had a "difficulty" with his own lyrics, much to his own amusement. this is also where the mighty mighty skwerl first pushed dipstick back into his place. it was truly a sight to behold and i am still somewhat in awe of his sheer strength and determination. i asked him if he wanted out right then and he said, "hey, as long as bottles aren't flying, i'm okay."
the collector - i was fading fast at this point so i am none to clear on the details. sounded pretty fucking good though.
with teeth - more tambourine inspired hilarity. even hearing it the first night did not prepare me for the fact that the song has an elongated break and is not really o-v-e-r. i noticed that the lighting [mostly in jewel tones] goes from the blue/purple, to white, darkness, and briefly flashes reznor green. indeed, he does toss the tamb. and leo goes long for the catch. we are also treated to dancing that is pretty funk-i-fied for a dude from pa. the lack of self consciousness that was needed for this demonstration to work is a marvel of nerve and no, i am not kidding. this is where skwerl, the digital superhero, must again place roly poly in check. truly, he is not to be underestimated by those who think bulk will carry the day.
closer - more of the same - that is to say - good times. but, since i am considering taking a nap as a good option, i am forced to have myself pulled from the crowd as i feel i am on the verge of heat exhaustion. after telling skwerl that i am about to faint [true], i stupidly try to work my way back.
that is how out of it i was at the time, kids. security unwedged me and i am treated to the indignity of being the lame girl carried bodily to the side by some burly dude. i hang my head in shame. nice lighting, btw.
home - i don't remember this one so i have no opinion.
burn - coming back to normal; "burn" sounded even better than the previous night. more vicious, if you get my meaning.
no, you don't - this is where i begin to truly regret getting pulled out. more aural ill will in perfect harmony.
even deeper - son of a bitch, it sounded good, but i was at the side of the stage. i love this song and hope that i will hear it from the front in davis.
the line begins to blur - much better place in the order. well done.
suck - mother of bitches, i wish i had just pulled off the thermal and wore my coat. this was fucking great and sounded exactly like the album version that i recklessly adore.
wish - the less said about this the better, but only because i might pout at not being in front.
hurt - loud sing along song, very popular with the kids. well done like the night before.
the hand that feeds - more good stuff that i missed out on.
starfuckers - see above for comment.
head like a hole - an even more passionate version of the song than the previous night and an even better capper to the night. jesus god i wish i had made it through this whole show.
after locating skwerl and bumping into uncle drunkie, we are introduced to a couple of other board members. don't worry, it was no one that you would recognize. we noticed that the guys left in the orchestra area seem to be flailing around like a speared octopus trying catch items that are being flung from the stage. sensibly, we ignore them and their weirdness. however, while i am striking up a convo. my new acquaintance is suddenly knocked to the floor by rampaging douchebags. just as soon as i reach over to offer her a hand, i too am slammed off my feet. my ass seems to barely graze the ground as unseen hands use jedi like intensity to lift me back up. we resume convo. as if nothing else had happened, which is lucky since i intended to scream obscenities at the fucking losers who think it is okay to run women over in search of souvenirs.
skwerl indicates that this would be a good time to search out dvn and completetool. we collect them and find exit outside the venue doors texting me. we retire to dvn's suite and have most excellent time ordering room service, eating fried food with ranch dressing, and making a list of the ten coolest motherfucking things of all time. go over to "speak your mind" and check the thread if'n you don't believe me. and truly, the two fifths of bacardi that we consumed helped us along. we had such a great time and our laughter was so loud that around 2:00 ayem, we got a friendly visit from the reno p.d. asking the nice nine inch nails fans to shut their tiny little precious mouths for the nice policemen.
yes, this is how we roll.
someone better leak this shit soon. whats up to the kid i was talking to in line, the kid with the lip ring(first time to NIN concert better than the first time u had sex LOL,, you better pm me to tell me how the davis show was.
. Met Rob too... at both the Fresno and Reno shows and yeah, he was really cool. Really wanted to meet Trent, but maybe next time... Insane road trip to get to both places. It's hard to believe all the shit that took place... 
)
