It’s just a function of life to have nostalgic feelings about the past—to idealize your youth. Unfortunately for me, I blossomed from adolescence into adulthood in the late 1980s to early ‘90s, so all the pertinent experiences of my past are cloaked in torn jeans and drab plaid.
My parents would listen to the music I loved back then—themselves weaned on crooners and the Great American Songbook—and call it noise. And really, they were right. Nirvana? Sonic Youth? Even Smashing Pumpkins in their more drawn-out, spacey tracks? I mean, yeah, it was noise. I still love it, but that really doesn’t change the facts. I won’t ever be able to put on a Nine Inch Nails album and play it for my young daughter and say, “This is real music. This is real lyricism,” as Trent Reznor atonally wails, “I want to fuck you like an animal.”
In fact, not too long ago, I was at Disney World on a charter back to the hotel—packed with Middle American kids all hopped up on the Magic of The Happiest Place on Earth—and “Closer” came on over the speakers. The song was censored for the radio, of course, but it was still pretty clear what was going on.
I laughed loudly, of course, because I’m a jerk. But also because I was kind of mortified. “This is NOT Disney appropriate,” I said to my wife, only half-joking. And I really do like that song. I’ll sing it in the shower sometimes, like it’s “Dancing Cheek to Cheek.” To me, all that abrasive yelling and electro-distortion grinding is music. Or it was, at least. Would 40-year-old me go back to 1992 or whenever and scold teen-me on the importance of melody and songcraft? Am I my own lame old relative who just doesn’t get it?
Regardless of the inner-turmoil I feel when I look back on the 1990s, I’ll still turn on Lithium on Sirius XM and hear a song like, I dunno, “Good” by Better Than Ezra, and say to myself, “Man, can you believe this song was a hit?” It’s just some janky power-pop fluffball with a pretty rousing bridge and anthemic chorus and maybe four chords (five at the most) and all this fuzzy distortion to cover up the middling musicianship. I can’t help but smile. I’m singing along to it as unskillfully as the people performing it. In those moments, life is good.
I’ve been stuck in this weird nostalgia loop lately, because we just started watching Party of Five on Netflix. Maybe we just needed to unplug from now for a bit. All the “Breaking NEWS!” graphics in blazing red and 24/7 information buffeting is just too much. Party of Five has proven to be a well-needed respite from life in 2018.
If you haven’t seen it, or completely forgot about it (like I did before we started watching it), Party of Five debuted on Fox in 1994, before I had attached any negative connotations to the Fox brand. It follows the Salinger siblings, five young people just trying to get by in San Francisco in pretty much the most beautiful house ever after their parents are killed by a drunk driver. It stars Lacey Chabert, who went on to a starring role in Mean Girls; Neve Campbell, who was Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise and recently had a role on House of Cards; Scott Wolf, who must have done some stuff afterward; and most importantly Matthew Fox, who was Jack on Lost. Fox plays eldest sibling Charlie Salinger in Party of Five, but my wife and I still call him Jack, because he’ll always be Jack to us, and if you consider the theories of time and space presented in Lost, he probably always was Jack. Just something to think about if you decide to queue up Party of Five.
When I watch movies or shows from the 1960s or ‘70s, they look old to me because I don’t recognize anything. I have difficulty seeing Party of Five the same way, because I lived through “the now” that it’s depicting. I remember when cars looked like that or the particular model of Sony television in the Salinger living room. I realize decades have passed, for example, in a scene when the youngest Salinger, 1-year-old Owen, gets sick with fever. The babysitter tries to reach Charlie-Jack on the phone at the Salingers’ family restaurant, but can’t. She takes Owen to the emergency room. Oh yeah, I remember, there weren’t cell phones then. That’s when it begins to feel archaic. When you see scenes of Julia (Campbell) at the coffee shop talking to her friend, and no one is behind a screen. No one’s face is washed in soothing blue light.
It’s in those moments that the sweet wave of nostalgia crashes over me. It’s then, and in the show’s opening credits, a montage of the Salingers’ triumphs and heartbreaks set to the BoDeans’ impossibly catchy “Closer to Free.” As I binge watch, now onto the second season, Netflix gives me the option to “skip intro,” bypassing the theme song and credits, but this wasn’t something you were able to do in 1994, and really, why would you want to?
**This column first appeared in print on page 30 of issue #271 (Aug. 1 – 15, 2018)**
Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Cold Cave
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014 • Sleep Train Amphitheatre
In 2009, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor tweeted a darling message to Chris Cornell of Soundgarden that read, “You know that feeling you get when someone embarrasses themselves so badly YOU feel uncomfortable? Heard Chris Cornell’s record? Jesus.” So five years later, it was a surprise to everyone when Cornell and Reznor announced a full-throttle tour in which they would be joined hand-in-hand in holy matrimony to re-live their ‘90s glory. On Aug. 27, I hit the dusty trail that leads to Sleep Train’s Wheatland amphitheater to see Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden and witness said partnering.
First, let’s discuss what could have been. Originally, Sacramento’s favorite dysfunctional darlings Death Grips were set to open for this tour. As everyone knows, Death Grips suddenly broke up and removed themselves from the NIN/SG bill. It’s nothing new for Death Grips to simply do whatever they want, when they please (a bit bratty, but I suppose that’s part of their schtick?), but we still love them.
{Soundgarden}
Cold Cave opened in lieu of Death Grips, and it seemed to be a much better fit, anyway. Cold Cave was more of a calm-and-cool, clean/electronic “goth” duo that suited the ‘90s-seasoned crowd. While watching the few people scattered in the audience bob their heads to keys and wails while awkwardly trying to dodge the plastic chairs that were atrociously placed in what should have been the pit, it was clear that Death Grips may have dodged a bullet.
{Soundgarden}
After the opening, Cornell approached the stage, getting right into Soundgarden tunes that span their 20-year legacy. After all these years, Cornell’s still got it. Soundgarden’s set started with “Searching With My Good Eye Closed” from 1991’s Badmotorfinger, and soon segued into “Black Hole Sun,” heralding the 20th year anniversary of the 1994 alternative staple Superunknown. The performance offered part classic grunge, part classic rock on steroids.
Lastly, Trent Reznor embraced the stage with his intriguing bottoms that were either a man skirt or a pair of extremely saggy-butted pants. No matter; he led his Nine Inch Nails through a perfect set of eclectic noise that shows why he has been an innovator in the music industry for decades. The set started with “A Copy of A,” a song from their newest album, Hesitation Marks. Then, without missing a beat, they delved into beloveds from The Downward Spiral. The naughty classic “Closer” made the air a little mistier with its blatant sexual demands, while Reznor’s silhouetted face bobbed in and out of a red screen as if he was the devil presenting himself. Following were the thrashers “March of the Pigs” and Broken’s “Wish,” in which drummer Ilan Rubin absolutely shined.
{Nine Inch Nails}
{Nine Inch Nails}
The set perfectly spanned the moody and complex music of Reznor’s career. The songs would go from a dizzying mess to a clearer layout that perfectly paired synths with masterfully played drums, snarling guitars and hints of piano that show Reznor’s background as a classically trained pianist. Nine Inch Nails always puts on an amazing show, and this was no different. The show was tight and clean and without flaws. So much so, that it made me almost wish for a bit of spontaneity. It was so well-practiced and laid out, its predictability left me wanting a hint of that ‘90s NIN that would punch each other in the face and cake mud on their bodies… then again, that was called drug use, and Reznor has since swapped that for lifting weights, clearly.
{Nine Inch Nails}
In what might be the weirdest tour of the summer, Sacramento’s rap/punk group Death Grips will be opening for Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden. NIN frontman Trent Reznor has been outspoken in the past about his dislike of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, so the two musical powerhouses combining to co-headline a tour together is a bit of a surprise. Not only that, can you even imagine the looks on the faces of typical old-school Soundgarden fans as Death Grips takes to the stage with their ferocious, in-your-face, this-sounds-like-the-end-of-the-world type shit? It’s going to be hilarious. Someone should film their reactions and make a funny montage video for the Interwebz! Anyways, in typical Death Grips fashion, the tour does not come to Sacramento (I know it’s not their fault the tour doesn’t come here, but I’m going to blame them anyway since they haven’t played a show in Sacramento since 2011, and I’m still bitter about them flaking on Sacramento Electronic Music Festival in 2012!). Instead, you’ll have to make the trek to Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014. By the time you read this, tickets will be available. For more on Death Grips, visit Thirdworlds.net
April Fools was in full effect this year. I fell victim to an official-looking post by Björk on her Web site, saying she has accepted the position of lead vocalist for legendary Led Zeppelin. The post went on to say Björk has “put forward her wish that they only cover with her songs from album I and IV” and that the tour would begin in June. A link for further information and tickets revealed it was an April Fools joke and confirmed my gullible nature. Jokes are funny, but that’s scary.
In keeping the spring prank theme alive, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor joined in on the fun. After calling out colleague Chris Cornell (Audioslave, Soundgarden) on the electronic/pop direction of his new album produced by Timbaland, Reznor took it a step further on April 1 posting information about a new NIN “album” that was available for download. The fictitious post said NIN is releasing Strobe Light, also produced by Timbaland, for just $18.98 plus a $10 digital delivery convenience fee. The track listing included guest appearances from Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Sheryl Crow and Chris Martin and song titles like “Everybody’s Doing It,” “Pussygrinder” and “Laid, Paid and Played.” The album cover features Reznor in a black leather jacket with white Kanye West shades. I think it’s safe to say he’s not a fan of Timbaland.
Brad Fuhrum
As expected, M.I.A. delivered her baby just hours after her Grammy appearance. In a message on her Myspace blog, she said she got home from the Grammys ready to party, but instead went into labor at 2 a.m. What a buzz kill! She notes the baby is healthy, despite enduring some unhealthy-looking stage mannerisms on M.I.A.’s part the evening before.
Legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac will hit the road this spring for the first time since 2004. The band had considered bringing out Sheryl Crow to replace Christine McVie on the road, but (fortunately) the two sides mutually decided against it. With no new album on the horizon, the Fleetwood Mac: Unleashed tour will feature all the hits that made the band so popular in the late ’70s, including: “Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop.” The band’s most renowned album, Rumours, ranks among the best selling albums ever and is definitely a must-have album in any music guru’s catalog. The tour hits Arco Arena May 18.
According to a post by Trent Reznor on Nine Inch Nails‘ Web site, NIN will tour with the newly reunited Jane’s Addiction. Reznor recalls his band’s “biggest break” was when NIN supported Jane’s Addiction for a string of shows that became the ongoing festival known as Lollapalooza. He modestly acknowledges that, “These performances essentially created and defined the term ‘alternative’ rock in the U.S. “¦ [and] set the stage for Nirvana to shift to popular taste a few months later.” No dates have been announced yet, but expect them to be released in the near future.
After doing it all for the nookie, and then taking eight years off, Limp Bizkit has reunited with their original lineup and will tour and release a new album. Wes Borland decided to rejoin the very band he ripped years ago upon his departure. He also claimed as recently as February he had no plans to rejoin the band, even telling the Web site Mlive that when writing his own songs, “it all makes sense together, instead of random lyrics on top of music that sounds cool.” And in an ironic joint statement Feb. 12, Borland and Fred Durst said “We decided we were more disgusted and bored with the state of heavy popular music than we were with each other.” A world tour and new album is expected to be announced soon.
The wonderful Web site Pitchfork thankfully alerted me that today is NOT April 1; therefore, it’s likely this new super (for lack of a better word?) group that Billboard.com is telling us about could be real. Evidently, members of Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick, Hanson and Fountains of Wayne have joined to create a new group, Tinted Windows. The band will shock the world at Billboard’s SXSW showcase March 20 and will release their debut album April 21.
Rapper Nas is conjuring up a unique collaboration. According to Billboard, Nas has been secretly recording in Los Angeles with Bob Marley’s youngest son, Damian Marley. Damian is, of course, a well-accomplished reggae artist himself, collecting a Grammy in 2002 and two more in 2006. Nas’s manager told Billboard that the guys were heading to Miami to finish up the record. We can likely expect a spring release, followed by a summer tour to support the album.
