Soanother night another sore morning a strained voice and a smile of satisfaction. Here is the long awaited review of the NIN show at the SF Warfield on April 28th.
I got in line a bit earlier. Last month in Davis I hit right at 7 due to traffic. I took the day off this time and was in SF by noon. I had some stops to make (lunch and the hospital) but I made it to the line just after 5. Not bad, needed a drink so It was a touch later than I expected. Had a groups of kids no more than 16 or 17 in front and a couple people behind me that were in their 20s and 30s. I talked to them mostly. If you have never been to the Warfield it is on Market Street in San Fran, a main thoroughfare for cars, trolleys and the oh so fabulous panhandlers and psycho homeless people. We had two today that seemed to color coordinate, if you consider camouflage coordinating. We will call one `Bag Lady and the other `Tuck-n-Roll. Bag lady was by far more boisterous, though her garbled screech was a little impossible to discern. Tuck was the man. He walked into the middle of Market Street and started falling forward and then `tucked a shoulder in, rolled to his feet in classic `Vietnam veteran flashback they are gonna get me so I have to be in the ready position to fire back position. He, alas, got arrested shortly later for some altercation with someone that shouldnt be picking fights with the homeless. In the 2 hours the Warfield staff worked the line keeping most panhandlers awayonly was asked for change 12 times.3 times by the same guy. The best and most entertaining part was the occasional scenery. Those that dont know, the Warfield is conveniently located next to The Crazy Horse, and exotic dancers club. We had fun watching women walk towards the place and deciding if they were working there or not. Anything to make a 2 hour wait in line pass by.
Now, doors opened and much less security than at Davis. Maybe I was just prepared. You can drink at the Warfield, must have been 4 bars, but I was not going to dehydrate like that before a show. I went straight to stage right and got a hand on the wall. Grant it, with my late arrival I had one person in front of me, but I just wanted to hold the wall, not hump it. Dresden Dolls are a hell of an upgrade over the Carre Calloway debacle in Davis. They are a to person crew and had some Victorian goth like marionette and stilt walkers around the venue, so that was kinda entertaining. Brian Viglione plays the drums.with a vengeance and panache that is all his own. He has timing, intricacies and passion that made being right in front of him well worth the wait for NIN. Amanda Palmer can play the hell out of a piano and has an entertaining stage presence and vocal styling. Havent seen a woman ride a piano bench while playing that intensely since Tori Amos. They went about 45 minutes, and you got ample chance to see up her dress as she was not trying to hide anything. She did wear some undergarments so no free show there. She also doesnt shave her armpits. Brian likes to drool while he plays the drums and gets rather heated. I have to say, all said and done, I liked them and they are decent to warm up with.
On to the main event first to remove any queries Set List:
1. Intro (Besides You In Time/sans voiceover)
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. You Know What You Are
4. March Of The Pigs
5. The Line Begins To Blur
6. Piggy
7. Terrible Lie
8. The Collector
9. Closer/The Only Time
10. Home
11. Burn
12. Gave Up
13. With Teeth
14. Even Deeper
15. Wish
16. Hurt
17. Getting Smaller
18. The Hand That Feeds
19. Starfuckers Inc.
20. Head Like A Hole
Metrosexual Report -- Trent was wearing the same pants from the Davis show perhaps he owns a few pairs but not likely. He came out wearing a loose white shirt that barely made a song and a half. He dumped some water on himself early and then just lost the shirt. Niobe just for you he took it off an was wearing a black tank top guns a-blazing the rest of the night. I had another stage right viewing again. Was not missing the `Aaron North show for anything. He was very exuberant and short (we know this thou) as they tore through the set like madmen. Jeordie again was a corpse, but slightly more animated, just expressionless. I swear Aaron kept looking at me as I was really feeding of his energy as he tore through song after song and leaped from stack to stack. He didnt destroy his guitar at the end as I heard he did on Wednesday, but he tossed it and probably killed a speaker or two throwing his mike stand into it at the shows end.
Set Report -- I like the variety from the last show its nice knowing they honestly have a large arsenal of music rehearsed for the stage show and dont have to regurgitate the same set list night in and night out. You can compare this list to the one from last month and see they went all over. Pulling out Burn and Terrible Lie was nice. They seemed to have a better presence with the newer tracks, going through them more seasoned than in Davis. I missed no Wretched but other than that I was wild again through Wish and Starfuckers, though people are tiring of it, was amazing. He got to the `dont you and just looked at the crowd as our cacophony of sound echoed back at him louder and louder. He broke a large grin and shook his head repeatedly at us and then just stared as we got louder, screaming back `Dont You Dont You Dont You and then after what was nearly 2 minutes they took back over and ripped the rest of the song out. People were again disappointed that there was no encore, but that is rarely happening and I dont see it occurring on this tour. I prefer the non-stop 90 minute set to stopping the flow anyhow.
Pit Report -- The masses were more timid than Davis. I mean, we were wild dont get me wrong, but it wasnt as hoppy as in Davis. More likely a result of me being at the wall and the slightly older crowd. I had a girl behind me the whole show holding my belt to keep up, Angela was her name and at the shows end she told me she would ride my hip in any pit. The guys in front of me fell in love too. With my arm lock on the wall holding myself in place and using it for leverage to keep the crowd at bay they said they had never been in a pit on a wall and been crushed less in their lives. I also got a half a dozen people giving me props on the way out for `a good fight when they tried to get by and force around me. Only a couple cunts that thought they could get through anything had to get put in their place and sent down the wall. I only nearly killed two guys. One that was using his elbows with all his body weight in front of him in peoples backs to get them to bend. I felt his leg slide inside my left foot and I instinctively jerked my left foot up, realizing what I damn near was about to do. I stopped the heel of my boot maybe an inch from making him a gelding and decided to just take my elbow and insert it into the seam of his bicep\tricep. He quickly pulled his elbow from my ribs and was a little more courteous. Then game the 250 pound man that was conscious but barely and lying on people to stay in the pit. He made it through, but I had to force his ass away to allow Angela her viewing angle over my shoulder and get his weight off my legs. I only had to throw two girls over the retaining wall to security for `cant breathe related incidences. I had a companion this time, yet he got a little distanced (6 or 7 feet towards center stage) as the show progressed. One moment there was a nice 20 foot hole as perhaps 3 people fell in a crowd shift. Everyone recognized and stayed safe and helped them up sometimes even in chaos humanity can win over. No injuries that I saw, no blood or bruises on me (though I am again sore as shit) and just another quart of sweat released in the name of NIN.
Ending Well, once all was said and done everyone filed out. I am so glad I raced for my shirts in Davis because if you wanted schwag after this show, be prepared to wait. I swear, at least 200 people at the ONE vendor table. It was insane. I looked, contemplated and left. I would have liked a litho but no litho was worth a 30 minute to hour line. The whole show was absolutely satisfying and I was happy to have a second chance so soon to see them again. I do think the assholes listening to the new album in line should grow up and not spoil things for the Niobe s out there that chose to wait to hear it.
Wait I am missing something here. Perhaps pictures?
Thats all. I have an invite to Coachella this weekend but I dont think I can muster the energy (and I have a date tomorrow) to head that far. Enjoy this and feel lucky if you are lucky enough to have tickets on this small venue tour.
I got in line a bit earlier. Last month in Davis I hit right at 7 due to traffic. I took the day off this time and was in SF by noon. I had some stops to make (lunch and the hospital) but I made it to the line just after 5. Not bad, needed a drink so It was a touch later than I expected. Had a groups of kids no more than 16 or 17 in front and a couple people behind me that were in their 20s and 30s. I talked to them mostly. If you have never been to the Warfield it is on Market Street in San Fran, a main thoroughfare for cars, trolleys and the oh so fabulous panhandlers and psycho homeless people. We had two today that seemed to color coordinate, if you consider camouflage coordinating. We will call one `Bag Lady and the other `Tuck-n-Roll. Bag lady was by far more boisterous, though her garbled screech was a little impossible to discern. Tuck was the man. He walked into the middle of Market Street and started falling forward and then `tucked a shoulder in, rolled to his feet in classic `Vietnam veteran flashback they are gonna get me so I have to be in the ready position to fire back position. He, alas, got arrested shortly later for some altercation with someone that shouldnt be picking fights with the homeless. In the 2 hours the Warfield staff worked the line keeping most panhandlers awayonly was asked for change 12 times.3 times by the same guy. The best and most entertaining part was the occasional scenery. Those that dont know, the Warfield is conveniently located next to The Crazy Horse, and exotic dancers club. We had fun watching women walk towards the place and deciding if they were working there or not. Anything to make a 2 hour wait in line pass by.
Now, doors opened and much less security than at Davis. Maybe I was just prepared. You can drink at the Warfield, must have been 4 bars, but I was not going to dehydrate like that before a show. I went straight to stage right and got a hand on the wall. Grant it, with my late arrival I had one person in front of me, but I just wanted to hold the wall, not hump it. Dresden Dolls are a hell of an upgrade over the Carre Calloway debacle in Davis. They are a to person crew and had some Victorian goth like marionette and stilt walkers around the venue, so that was kinda entertaining. Brian Viglione plays the drums.with a vengeance and panache that is all his own. He has timing, intricacies and passion that made being right in front of him well worth the wait for NIN. Amanda Palmer can play the hell out of a piano and has an entertaining stage presence and vocal styling. Havent seen a woman ride a piano bench while playing that intensely since Tori Amos. They went about 45 minutes, and you got ample chance to see up her dress as she was not trying to hide anything. She did wear some undergarments so no free show there. She also doesnt shave her armpits. Brian likes to drool while he plays the drums and gets rather heated. I have to say, all said and done, I liked them and they are decent to warm up with.
On to the main event first to remove any queries Set List:
1. Intro (Besides You In Time/sans voiceover)
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. You Know What You Are
4. March Of The Pigs
5. The Line Begins To Blur
6. Piggy
7. Terrible Lie
8. The Collector
9. Closer/The Only Time
10. Home
11. Burn
12. Gave Up
13. With Teeth
14. Even Deeper
15. Wish
16. Hurt
17. Getting Smaller
18. The Hand That Feeds
19. Starfuckers Inc.
20. Head Like A Hole
Metrosexual Report -- Trent was wearing the same pants from the Davis show perhaps he owns a few pairs but not likely. He came out wearing a loose white shirt that barely made a song and a half. He dumped some water on himself early and then just lost the shirt. Niobe just for you he took it off an was wearing a black tank top guns a-blazing the rest of the night. I had another stage right viewing again. Was not missing the `Aaron North show for anything. He was very exuberant and short (we know this thou) as they tore through the set like madmen. Jeordie again was a corpse, but slightly more animated, just expressionless. I swear Aaron kept looking at me as I was really feeding of his energy as he tore through song after song and leaped from stack to stack. He didnt destroy his guitar at the end as I heard he did on Wednesday, but he tossed it and probably killed a speaker or two throwing his mike stand into it at the shows end.
Set Report -- I like the variety from the last show its nice knowing they honestly have a large arsenal of music rehearsed for the stage show and dont have to regurgitate the same set list night in and night out. You can compare this list to the one from last month and see they went all over. Pulling out Burn and Terrible Lie was nice. They seemed to have a better presence with the newer tracks, going through them more seasoned than in Davis. I missed no Wretched but other than that I was wild again through Wish and Starfuckers, though people are tiring of it, was amazing. He got to the `dont you and just looked at the crowd as our cacophony of sound echoed back at him louder and louder. He broke a large grin and shook his head repeatedly at us and then just stared as we got louder, screaming back `Dont You Dont You Dont You and then after what was nearly 2 minutes they took back over and ripped the rest of the song out. People were again disappointed that there was no encore, but that is rarely happening and I dont see it occurring on this tour. I prefer the non-stop 90 minute set to stopping the flow anyhow.
Pit Report -- The masses were more timid than Davis. I mean, we were wild dont get me wrong, but it wasnt as hoppy as in Davis. More likely a result of me being at the wall and the slightly older crowd. I had a girl behind me the whole show holding my belt to keep up, Angela was her name and at the shows end she told me she would ride my hip in any pit. The guys in front of me fell in love too. With my arm lock on the wall holding myself in place and using it for leverage to keep the crowd at bay they said they had never been in a pit on a wall and been crushed less in their lives. I also got a half a dozen people giving me props on the way out for `a good fight when they tried to get by and force around me. Only a couple cunts that thought they could get through anything had to get put in their place and sent down the wall. I only nearly killed two guys. One that was using his elbows with all his body weight in front of him in peoples backs to get them to bend. I felt his leg slide inside my left foot and I instinctively jerked my left foot up, realizing what I damn near was about to do. I stopped the heel of my boot maybe an inch from making him a gelding and decided to just take my elbow and insert it into the seam of his bicep\tricep. He quickly pulled his elbow from my ribs and was a little more courteous. Then game the 250 pound man that was conscious but barely and lying on people to stay in the pit. He made it through, but I had to force his ass away to allow Angela her viewing angle over my shoulder and get his weight off my legs. I only had to throw two girls over the retaining wall to security for `cant breathe related incidences. I had a companion this time, yet he got a little distanced (6 or 7 feet towards center stage) as the show progressed. One moment there was a nice 20 foot hole as perhaps 3 people fell in a crowd shift. Everyone recognized and stayed safe and helped them up sometimes even in chaos humanity can win over. No injuries that I saw, no blood or bruises on me (though I am again sore as shit) and just another quart of sweat released in the name of NIN.
Ending Well, once all was said and done everyone filed out. I am so glad I raced for my shirts in Davis because if you wanted schwag after this show, be prepared to wait. I swear, at least 200 people at the ONE vendor table. It was insane. I looked, contemplated and left. I would have liked a litho but no litho was worth a 30 minute to hour line. The whole show was absolutely satisfying and I was happy to have a second chance so soon to see them again. I do think the assholes listening to the new album in line should grow up and not spoil things for the Niobe s out there that chose to wait to hear it.
Wait I am missing something here. Perhaps pictures?
Thats all. I have an invite to Coachella this weekend but I dont think I can muster the energy (and I have a date tomorrow) to head that far. Enjoy this and feel lucky if you are lucky enough to have tickets on this small venue tour.
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