09.10.09 - I had to work that day so made sure to come in extra early as one of my coworkers/friends was driving us to the show. He asks me what time I want to leave and because at the time I really wanted to get pit wristbands I said 1pm but he couldn't leave until around 2pm. No big deal right right? Well not according to Twitter.
I knew people online that were lined up since last night and even Adrianne Curry herself was sitting out in line with fans since 8:30am. So just before 2pm I see updates that are already over 200 people waiting in ticket line so I know there is no way I'm getting pit now. 2:30pm comes around and we finally head out to the show.
Luckily no traffic - we ended up near the Wiltern around 3:15 and grabbed fast food to bring in line with us since neither of us had eaten (El Polo Loco). Then we pulled up to the Wiltern - holy shitballs was the line worse then I expected. We quickly parked in the Ralph's parking structure and headed into the back of the ticket line already wrapped completely around Ralph's.
So from 3:30pm until about 5pm we waited for tickets - feel bad for people out there all day - was an unexpected warm day out in LA and the SUN was beating right up in front of the ticket line. But I did get to see the NINnie van!
So now Wristbands and Tickets in hand - some more of our friends come to meet us as we wait until the doors open. Now it starts to feel real. Excited and nervous at the same time - and glad we were all able to get floor wristbands since my friend's wife and her best friend showed up late.
When we finally DO get in... we realized.. We need to go grab a Merch Venue shirt before they run out. Of course everyone else was doing the same and it felt like forever - starting to get nervous hearing how they are running out of certain sizes. By the time I get up there they only had XXL left - my friend from work took the second to last one and there was still a mob of people in the Merch line.
By this time I need a drink - so go to the bar - but of course I ended up in the beer only line but didn't care and grabbed a Corona then escaped the mob in the lobby. By this time IO Echo was already playing at this point but I just enjoyed them from the distance enjoying my drink. Went outside to the smoking section to get some fresh air with my friend Andy and who is standing outside? The one and only Robin Finck - just as we notice he is there and my friend tries to get his camera ready - but too late - he runs off into the distance (in slow motion to give us a chance for quick snapshot - but we failed). Also happened to see Penn Jillette back there - you can't miss when someone that tall walks passed you.
It's almost show time so now attempting to find my friends when my Blackberry has no signal and is on it's last sliver of power - but I finally get the txt message I'm looking for "We are to the left of the sound engineer". Meet up at the spot and the view is perfect with our own wall/railing to lean against. I'll take it! Again it was me, friend from work - his wife and her best friend (names hidden to protect the innocent). The girls were nice enough to let me stand between them to try and take video shots but as we will find out later the view was great in person but not for my Flip HD.
While waiting, we happen to see Tony Hawk pass by and as he happens to look towards us the idiot in me screams out "Hey Tony!" and I put my hand out for him to shake it and he did! I always say the dumbest things when I see people that have no idea who the hell I am. As Tony Hawk hangs out with some people in front of us to take pictures, we notice some girl spending a lot of time talking to him and I finally realize - It's Veronica De La Cruz! So again.. "Veronica!" and she looks up and I the brilliant linguist tell her my Twitter name so she knows who I am. Says give me a minute - takes some pictures with Tony Hawk and asks be to come down and talk to her and she is with Eric De La Cruz's very close friends all wearing Eric De La Cruz T-Shirts.
I knew that Veronica would was coming to the show tonight but expected maybe they were hanging out in the Balcony section that night - so was very shocked and excited to meet her and Eric's friends. She showed me pictures from her iPhone of her and Eric's dog and pictures from when she meant Trent Reznor. It was a very special moment and didn't want it to end - almost forgot where I was, but then NIN came out on to the stage and so we had to cut it short.
Back to my spot - very excited now and ready to endure and hoping for a very long set! I really wanted to go all out in the front for this final show but made up for it for rocking out to near the sound engineers. Lucky for me, my friends wife's best friend was a long time secretly hardcore fan. So not only did I get to scream and rock out to my favorite band for the last time but there was someone that was yelling and screaming just as loud as me (as you can hear in the 2 YouTube video's I did end up taking below:)
This is where I just end up getting lost in the moment. Over 3 hours of unbelievable live Nine Inch Nails. Rest of the night - phone off, camera off - enjoying the show with some great friends! That is what I needed for the final NIN show. That made it that much more unbelievable. I wish I could elaborate more in words but - without being there to experience it - I can only share other people's accounts of the show and videos to help - but it will be something I will never forgot!
Thank you to all my Twitter friends that made #NIN rise to #1 - it was nice to finish the show and on the way home seeing everyone expressing their love for the band.
For more in depth details on the performance and video clips, please check out:
http://www.hardrockchick.com/2009/09/12/the-day-that-nin-went-away-nine-inch-nails-io-echo-the-wiltern-91009/ via @HardRockChick
For the complete Audio download of the show (which I listened to while writing this blog):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AWSFQYUN
Thank you Trent Reznor, Robin Finck, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Ilan Rubin, Gary Numan, Mike Garson, Atticus Ross, Dave Navarro and Dillinger Escape Plan for giving us one hell of a live performance - that none of us will every forget!
Thank you Veronica De La Cruz for taking the time to say hi and introducing me to Eric De La Cruz's friends.
Thank you to all my friends that made my this night a completely unforgettable and magical experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment