Photos: Nine Inch Nails and Explosions in the Sky at the Xcel Energy Center (St Paul, MN)

Back in eight or ninth grade, I was in charge of holding the Sony Discman with surgeon-like precision (because it had zero skip protection) while riding shotgun as my brother drove the red Pontiac minivan to ski practice or school. This is where I first heard our borrowed copy of Nine Inch Nails’ “Pretty Hate Machine”. What was this music? Where could I get more? Who was behind it? That would be none other than Trent Reznor, and last night was the first time I would get to see Nine Inch Nails live.