People I Saw at the Nine Inch Nails Show, Part Two

Let’s continue what we started, shall we?

nin 6This guy hasn’t worn this hoodie since 1998, but I bet he’s still wearing it as I type this. He had the look of a man who’d rediscovered something vital.

nin 7This couple will be tipping the sitter tonight, because they’re having their best night in a long time.

nin 8Enid Coleslaw made an appearance.

nin 9There was something almost architecture about this dude’s hair, as if he had the potential of taking an eye out with one of those stalagmites if he wasn’t careful.

nin 10Best. Mom. Ever.

There were a lot of these kid-sized NIN shirts floating around! Another favorite was the woman pulling a new Nine Inch Nails shirt on over her old Lady Gaga shirt. I would like to think that she had like five more shirts on under the Gaga shirt, each one from a show she’d seen at Key Arena in the previous months.

What have we learned from this? Well, I’ve learned I need to go out and doodle people more often. These were all done from memory, as I didn’t think to take something to the show to draw on. You? I would guess you’ve learned that you missed a rad show. Or that I devote a considerable amount of energy to not appearing to stare at people, even though I perpetually am.

P.S. A friend posited that Regretpants from last post was having the shifty britches feelings that can come with doing ecstasy. The more you know!

People I Saw at the Nine Inch Nails Show, Part One

So the Nine Inch Nails show last Friday was good. Great. Amazing. Really, I can’t say enough good things about it, so I’ll just refer you to someone else’s version of the same sentiment and leave it at that.

But the other great part of it, the part I didn’t anticipate? The people. My god, the people! You know that feeling when you’re walking toward a show, and you start recognizing your crowd as you get within a couple of blocks? The area around Key Arena was thick with it – a thousand men in black hoodies, battered 20-year-old NIN tour shirts worn with reverence, and so many people summoning their 1994 selves.

So while I loved the show – I loved the show! – the part that really turned my heart was the people watching. Everyone was having a stellar night.

I was so struck I came straight home (after cocktails, I mean) and drew. Here’s the first installment of two of People of Nine Inch Nails. (I can’t call it Nine Inch Nails Parking Lot, as I suspect a majority of us took the bus to get there.)

nin 1This is the first person I saw. Put me immediately at ease. Sometimes it’s nice to see someone and to have a good idea of about half of the contents of their bookshelves. Here, I see much Neil Gaiman, some obscure philosophy, and the earlier works of Anne Rice. Fine company in a diner for sure. Continue reading