Nine Inch Nails’ Hometown Show Sees Reunion With Early Members

There are some live music moments that happen just once in a lifetime. One of those moments happened Saturday night.

On Sept. 24, Nine Inch Nails performed just outside of the band’s birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio when founding member Trent Reznor was joined by four early band members.

The day before the show, the band hosted Nine Inch Nails Fan Day in which band alumni throughout the years accompanied Reznor for a Q&A.

At the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on Saturday four ’90s era members joined in towards the end of the set. Listen below for one fan’s reaction.

Former members Richard Patrick (Filter), Chris Vrenna, Danny Lohner, and Charlie Clouser took the stage for the last six songs. Paying homage to the band’s Pretty Hate Machine years, the tracks included “Eraser,” “Wish,” “Sin,” “Gave Up,” a cover of Filter’s hit, “Hey Man Nice Shot,” and ended with “Head Like A Hole.”

The hometown show was anticipated to be momentous as the performance had been a COVID-induced makeup gig twice over. Also not having played Northeast Ohio since 2013, the band has waited to do something special since their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2020.

Originally, only Reznor was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the sole full-time member, however, it was later announced that former members Vrenna and Lohner, as well as current members Alessandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin, longtime guitarist Robin Finck, along with Atticus Ross, would all be inducted. That’s cause for the epic celebration in the video, below.

Photo by Corinne Schiavone / UMusic