For payment of teaching Twitter basics to DJ and good friend, Samantha Vega of 101.7 The Fox – Sonoma County’s Rock Station, I was given a ticket to see NIN|JA (NIN and Janes Addiction tour). Sam (aka @SamanthaVega) and I were supposed to drive down to the Shoreline Amphitheatre together, but sadly she was unable to go so I ended up going with an old time good friend and ex of mine who happened to be on crushes. Needless to say, it was a challenge getting anywhere with the crowds of people who were roaming the venue. On the brighter side, we were able to get better seats because of his injury!

Tom Morello’s (Rage Against the Machine) latest project, Street Sweeper Social Club opened up the show and they rocked a cover of MIA’s Paper Planes.

NIN was next and I blissfully screamed at the top of my lungs to “Head like a Hole” and “Down in It.” They ended their set with a song that I claimed as my song that described my middle class 9th grade rage -”Hurt.”

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wish I could shake my thirteen year old self to let me know that no matter how hard I though life may have been, it was nothing to being an adult and having to worry about money, bills, the recession, etc, etc. Life also seems to get better each year which makes all the hardships worth it.

I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t play “Closer” but the situation seems reminiscent of Radiohead’s refusal to play “Creep”…. It may be their biggest song and I would have loved to be able to say that I was able to sing at the top of my lungs to it, but I can respect their decision to omit the song.

Thankfully, Perry Farrell and the rest of the Janes Addiction crew did not omit any of their top hits.  As I mentioned in a tweet from Friday night:

I came a NIN fan and I leave a Janes Addiction junkie I will say it, I am inspired.

Perry Farrell  truly knows how to put on a headlining show.  His stage presence and hilariously animated dancing and singing skills were simply fascinating to watch.   Just as any good drug should, he hypnotized me and left me craving more. I left addicted to the sound of his voice.

Images taken and posted to Flickr by ssanbo. Video of “Jane Says” can be found here.