Nine Inch Nails launched their 2025 ‘Peel it Back’ tour with an engrossing performance in Oakland last night (Aug. 6).
That Trent Reznor and company were in excellent form should come as a shock to nobody. The band is known for their incredible live shows, with intensity and technical wizardry both on display.
The Oakland gig also marked the return of Josh Freese, Nine Inch Nails’ recently reunited drummer. After a stint with Foo Fighters, Freese recently returned to NIN for the first time since 2008. In an Instagram post announcing his return, Freese noted the band’s “intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show” as especially unique. He also promised: “If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they’re going to be absolutely unforgettable.”
Sure enough, the tour’s opening show lived up to that hype. The set began with “Right Where It Belongs,” the haunting track from 2005’s With Teeth. From there, NIN ran through tracks from throughout their impressive catalog. Reznor and his fellow musicians alternated from performing on the venue’s main stage and a second platform, located within the crowd and engulfed with colorful lights. Raw aggression flowed from the frontman on tunes like “Wish” and “The Hand That Feeds,” while tunes like “Came Back Haunted” showcased the group’s dark a brooding side.. The night featured the live debut of “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” NIN’s newest single, recorded for the upcoming Tron: Ares film.
Watch Nine Inch Nails Perform ‘As Alive as You Need Me to Be’ for the First Time
Opener Boys Noize joined Nine Inch Nails for a handful of tunes including “Vessel” and “Sin.” Later, timeless hit “Closer” whipped the audience into a frenzy. The performance closed with two powerful, yet starkly different tunes: NIN rampaged through “Head Like a Hole” before distilling to a simmering intensity on “Hurt.”
Full set list and videos from the show can be found below. Nine Inch Nails will remain on the road through mid-September, with performances in major cities such as Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York. The trek wraps with a two-night stand at the Forum in Los Angeles.
Nine Inch Nails, Oakland, CA 08/06/25 Set List
1. “Right Where It Belongs”
2. “Ruiner”
3. “Piggy”
4. “Wish”
5. “March of the Pigs”
6. “Reptile”
7. “Heresy”
8. “Copy of A”
9. “Gave Up”
10. “Vessel”
11. “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”
12. “Sin”
13. “Came Back Haunted”
14. “Somewhat Damaged”
15. “Less Than”
16. “Closer”
17. “The Perfect Drug”
18. “The Hand That Feeds”
19. “Head Like a Hole”
20. “Hurt”
Watch Nine Inch Nails Perform ‘The Perfect Drug’
Watch Nine Inch Nails Perform ‘Sin’
Watch Nine Inch Nails Perform ‘Hurt’