Adam’s Top Concerts of 2008, Part 2
Without further ado…
Best Concert of 2008: Nine Inch Nails
If you saw this tour, you know what I’m talking about. There simply has never been a concert like this. Trent and company have broken ground on some seriously cool concert technology. Multiple interactive, moving, stage-covering screens, real-time rendered video effects, amazing lights and visuals… add fantastic music, sound and musicians, and you have… well, the best show of 2008. It was so good that I drove to Portland (with my mom (= ) to see it a second time (her second time too). The Seattle show was also William and Andrew’s first (in utero) concert.
It was even more special because Trent revealed that the band lineup was changing; Josh Freese (drums) and Alessandro Cortini (keyboards, etc.) both moved on from the band at the end of the year, and the next live incarnation will be more stripped down (understandably so) with a much less tech-heavy stage show.
We witnessed a concert spectacle that may not be equaled anytime soon. I’m disappointed that there will be no official DVD release, but I’m really excited to see what will come out of the hundreds of gigs of raw video footage and soundboard audio that they released.
Boobie Prize: Crystal Castles
Not once, but TWICE I missed them, tickets in hand. I was itching to see them, as their self-titled debut album was one of my Monster Albums of 2008.
The first time, they were opening for Nine Inch Nails at Key Arena in Seattle. Someone had the bright idea to have a giant parade that started at the Seattle Center at the same time, and it took us over an hour to get from the U District to Key Arena. That was an infuriating traffic jam. (The NIN show made up for it though, which is saying something.)
The second time, Crystal Castles was headlining a show at a smaller club. However, the universe once again conspired against me and two crazy boys popped out of Bekki four days before the concert. The night of the concert was the day we brought them home. Needless to say, I wasn’t ditching Bekki, no matter how much I wanted to see the show.
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