Nine Inch Nails at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (Aug 17, 2025)

 

Nine Inch Nails brought their hybrid of precision and spectacle to the Xcel Energy Center Sunday night with a show that was both retrospective and forward-looking, a dual-stage experience that exceeded my highest hopes for cutting-edge arena presentation.

The night opened with an hour-long DJ set by Boys Noize, offering shifting rhythms and textures from the back of the arena. When a curtain dropped in the center-of-arena “B-stage”, Trent Reznor was revealed alone at a piano, launching into a stripped-down “Right Where It Belongs” before band members slowly assembled around him.

What followed was a tour through the band’s legacy, from early juggernauts (“Wish,” “Gave Up”) to newer offerings (“The Lovers,” “Less Than”). For the first half of the show, the band played behind translucent screens, upon which they themselves were projected, along with dizzying animations and reprocessed live imagery.

A mid-set return to the B-stage featured Boys Noize joining the band to remix “Closer” and the new track, “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” from the upcoming TRON film. The visuals throughout remained uncanny – not only high-definition, but synced to the music, no matter where you were sitting. For a hockey arena, the sound was startlingly intimate.

Reznor kept his comments brief but warm: “It’s a privilege to be here.” Man, 35 years into his career / this project, it’s a privilege to have him, Atticus Ross, and the rest of the band. I’ll clear my schedule – whenever they’d like to return.

NIN’s remaining tour dates: