But the artists of Lollapalooza are varied, interesting, and weird enough to capture our attention amidst the noise of life's busyness. See: Nine Inch Nails at 1994 Woodstock, so covered in mud that they look like zombies. Zombies playing industrial rock. Rock. On.
My friend Laura said that NIN got her through high school, and I can understand why. The band is loud, unapologetic, loud, expletive-ridden, and loud. You can't possibly have a sad thought while enduring the overwhelming force of NIN's sound.
The band, which officially consists of frontman Trent Reznor and whoever he chooses to play with after a given album, played the very first Lolla in 1991. In fact, the '90s were NIN's heyday, with two Grammys and a nod from Time and Spin magazines to the influence of Reznor (as Reznor has succinctly written on the NIN Wikipedia page). (Oh come on, you can totally tell he wrote it.)
After a philosophical difference with the recording industry, NIN began releasing music through Creative Commons in 2008, and they seemed to dip below the radar. The band went on official hiatus in 2009, but Reznor began rumbling about getting the band back together in 2012. This year's Lolla will kick off NIN's fall festival tour, with dates in San Francisco, Philly, New Orleans, and Paris, among others. And Reznor has said he's working on new material; perhaps we'll see some in Grant Park.
Besides Reznor, the current NIN line-up includes Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, and Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, along with Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin, who joined NIN for the band's 2008 album releases.
Let's hope it rains the first day of Lolla, because they'll be playing on Friday night and I want to see Zombie Reznor in all his glory.
Zombie Trent Reznor
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