Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Trent Reznor has produced an enormous catalog of music. After 15 albums (including EPs) and numerous tours since 1988, Nine Inch Nails launched their ongoing “Peel It Back Tour” across Europe, the U.S., and Canada. I was fortunate to catch them at the Benchmark International Arena (formerly the Amalie Arena) in Tampa, FL.
The arena show spotlighted a lengthy list of iconic songs from nearly every album, a real treat for fans. This was my second Nine Inch Nails concert after catching them in Orlando for their “Twenty Thirteen Tour” in, you guessed it, 2013. It was an impressive show that the recent tour has only improved upon. I can’t recall a moment when I wasn’t captivated throughout their 2.5-hour performance (which felt like an hour at most).
The “Peel It Back Tour” includes Trent Reznor and frequent collaborator Atticus Ross, with a lineup featuring Robin Finck (guitar), Alessandro Cortini (bass), and Josh Freese (drums). The arena was structured with two performance spaces, a main stage for the band, and a smaller “B-stage” in the middle of the packed floor.
Opening DJ act Boys Noize kept things lively for the most part, playing over an hour’s worth of electronic music as the stadium crowd expanded, eagerly awaiting the main event. We waited as the lights dimmed and a single spotlight illuminated the B-stage, revealing Reznor before a grand piano. An eclectic set list began with the subdued “Right Where it Belongs” and then charged into a memorable evening of sound and fury.
After the opener, the band took center stage, switching gears with pulse-pounding “Wish” from their ’92 Broken EP, “March of the Pigs,” (an obvious crowd please-er), and epic rock ballad, “Reptile.”
Reznor frequently switched between the two stages to deliver some of the band’s well-known rock songs on the main stage and quieter, piano-based melodies on the small stage. It was effective in not only highlighting the versatility of the music but also keeping things fresh and engaging.
Nine Inch Nails seated at the piano in Tampa, FL on 9-10-25 (Photo by Shawn McKee).
The main stage radiated an electric light show of moody colors, visuals of rain, moving silhouettes, and video projection against the translucent curtain, which was frequently lowered throughout. Certain songs seemed to bathe the stage in deep reds or shadowy greens as the band pounded through one fan favorite after another.
The show captured the full force of their extensive work, resonating with a generation of fans now grown from their high school days. The set list unfolded in a mostly chronological order, featuring recent tracks like “Find My Way,” “Copy of A,” and “Vessel” before surging into a rapid-fire run of fan favorites, including “Piggy,” “Closer,” “Come Back Haunted,” “Mr. Self Destruct,” and “The Perfect Drug.”
They also performed the electro-synth rock “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” from the upcoming Tron: Ares soundtrack—their first film score to include the band’s moniker and not credited solely to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The artistry was at its peak during a finale that felt like a time capsule of electrifying closing numbers. Strobes and flares lit the stage through the searing intensity of “Burn” from the Natural Born Killers soundtrack.
The propulsive “The Hand That Feeds” throbbed with machine-like riffs before giving way to the inevitable “Head Like a Hole.” And then the band closed with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “Hurt,” delivered in all its dark, melancholy glory.
I’ve long outgrown the morose teenage angst so emblematic of the ’90s (thankfully), but the music has never left me. Seeing Nine Inch Nails again was a memorable experience—a powerful tribute to their storied legacy and to the generations of fans, both young and old, who still carry it with them.
There may be more albums and tours ahead, but for now I’m satisfied with the enduring gift of rock and roll in all its forms.