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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: John Crawford) |
Nearly a month after Nine Inch Nails kicked off their Peel It Back tour in Dublin, Ireland, the band finally made their stateside debut at the Oakland Arena this past Wednesday night (August 6). It marked the long-awaited return of Trent Reznor’s industrial powerhouse — with an added twist: the comeback of drummer extraordinaire Josh Freese.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: John Crawford) |
The lineup shift came suddenly. Just days after wrapping their European leg, longtime drummer Ilan Rubin announced his departure to join Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters — the very band that had parted ways with Freese only a month earlier. For fans, it was a full-circle moment: Josh had previously manned the NIN kit from 2005 to 2008, leaving only for family commitments. If you’re unfamiliar, Freese is one of modern rock’s most in-demand drummers, a go-to for everyone from Devo to A Perfect Circle. That’s why Grohl tapped him after Taylor Hawkins’ passing. Whatever the backstory behind his Foo Fighters exit, his return to NIN felt right — even inevitable.
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| Josh Freese & Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: Andi Elloway) |
Late in the set, Trent saved Freese’s introduction for last, noting with a smirk that Josh had learned the entire set after just one day of rehearsal. Yes, he’s that good.
The excitement was already palpable before the first note. Winding my way through the Oakland Arena parking lot, I was struck by the sense of community among fans — and the unmistakable sound of NIN blasting from dozens of car stereos. Teenagers there for their first NIN show mingled with grey-bearded veterans like me, the kind who first discovered Reznor on MTV’s 120 Minutes. Different generations, same connection: this music has carried us through life’s rough patches. Trent’s recurring themes — addiction, heartbreak, depression, withdrawal, loss — still resonate deeply, whether you’re a disaffected teen or an adult looking back at your own storms.
(Pro tip: take BART. At $40 a car, parking is highway robbery, and the post-show crawl out of that lot is enough to kill your encore high.)
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: Andi Elloway) |
The announcement of this tour was a surprise in itself. It’s NIN’s first since 2022, and they’re not promoting a new album. The band has been relatively quiet while Reznor and creative partner Atticus Ross have been racking up awards for their film scores — beginning with David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010) and continuing through a decade of critically acclaimed work.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: Andi Elloway) |
But last February at Disney’s D23 Expo came a curveball: the upcoming Tron: Ares would be scored not by “Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross” but by Nine Inch Nails. A Disney exec reportedly insisted on the NIN name — a curious distinction. Was it a branding play? A tonal choice to lean into NIN’s darker sonic identity? We’ll find out when the film drops this October, but here's a taste of what to expect from the lone song performed off the upcoming Tron: Ares soundtrack:
Right at 8 p.m., German-Iraqi DJ/producer Alex Ridha — aka Boyz Noize — took the stage… or rather, the riser. Positioned behind the soundboard in the back of the arena floor, he delivered a pounding, hour-long set that fused abrasive textures with danceable beats, like a club-ready Aphex Twin. One track even coveren Nitzer Ebb’s “Join in the Chant,” a highlight for this longtime NE fan.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: John Crawford) |
At 8:59 sharp, the curtain around a small square stage at the center of the floor dropped, revealing Reznor alone at a keyboard. He opened with a hushed “Right Where It Belongs,” the crowd erupting so loudly it nearly drowned out the first verse. Blending a hint of “Somewhat Damaged” into a slowed-down track, Reznor then broke into “Ruiner” as Atticus Ross and Alessandro Cortini joined in. By “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now),” guitarist Robin Finck had entered the fray, prowling the small platform with Reznor to get the crowd whipped up even more.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: John Crawford) |
Then came the night’s even bigger eruption: Josh Freese’s face lit up on the MainStage curtain as he tore into a two-minute drum solo, giving the rest of the band time to transition from the b-stage to the main one. Without pause, they launched into “Wish” — the 1993 Grammy-winning track that still hits with the same ferocity three decades on.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: Andi Elloway) |
NIN shows have always been as much about the visuals as the sound, and this one was no exception. The b-stage’s overhead lighting rig created a floating cube illusion, mirrored later on the main stage by a semi-transparent curtain. Video projections blended with live performance, at times multiplying Reznor’s silhouette into ghostly, staggered copies — particularly stunning during “Copy of A.” Minimal set pieces, maximum impact.
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| Nine Inch Nails @ the Oakland Arena (Photo: Andi Elloway) |
Midway through the set, during a reworked “Sin” with Boyz Noize guesting, water suddenly cascaded from the lighting rig — right onto Reznor and his keyboard. Crew members scrambled with towels, but from my vantage point, it looked like the instrument may have shorted. Trent ceded the part to Atticus and Boyz Noize, finishing the song without touching the keys. At the end, he spoke about what rained down and essentially said — “Thanks, Oakland, for the privilege of being dripped on.” -- take a watch below:
After “The Perfect Drug,” Trent thanked the crowd for kicking off the U.S. tour, saving Josh Freese’s intro for last: “This fucker rehearsed with us one day — one day — when it took us months to learn this shit.” From there, it was a sprint through “The Hand That Feeds” into a cathartic “Head Like a Hole,” before closing with a heart-wrenching “Hurt.”
No new album. No filler. Just Nine Inch Nails doing what they do best — peeling it back, and leaving the Bay Area crowd raw, wired, and wanting more.
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