Beside Me In Time

There was a cool little record store down on Dyer Street on the north side of the city that I was told had the best selection of alternative, thrash, and metal music. One afternoon I walked into the strongest smell of incense, with CD’s and tapes on racks everywhere. It was 1990, so cassettes were still big. There was a large selection and I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular, not having heard of Nine Inch Nails before. I’m really not sure what attracted me specifically to the Pretty Hate Machine. I picked it up, paid for it and left. I instantly connected and eventually ended up loosing count of how many times I heard that cassette and read the booklet. Up until now, the only time that tape has left my hands was when I lent it to my future wife, her brother had asked to borrow it, she gave it back sometime later and I was relieved.

Trent’s music was undeniably helpful while growing up. Discovering that there was someone out there that I could relate to and whom I shared similar emotions with, gave me the self-assurance to be myself as an individual and not a follower, helped comfort me in solitude and sustained me from the malignant masses. The music evolved and I along with it. Nine Inch Nails became the friend who never left. The music has been with me during my carefree naivety, difficult transitions, helped me overcome two most overwhelming deaths, and was present during two blissful births. It essentially became a part of my life.

1991 was the first time I remember seeing a local commercial for Nine Inch Nails; they’d be playing at our local Club 101 for the Sin Tour. After attending multiple shows and over 15 years, Nine Inch Nails decided to come back to El Paso, TX. This time around, they would be filming the high-definition live video Beside You In Time. I ended up meeting Trent for the first time the day before this epic event. It was downtown outside a fast-food burger place on the corner of Paisano & El Paso St., which turned out to be a historical site from the Mexican Revolution. He greeted us with a smile and a handshake; that handshake meant the world to me.  Everyone worries about meeting their hero. Will you catch them on a bad day or will they bluntly reject you? Fortunately, Trent is a genuinely nice person; please… just don’t forget about Mr. Self Destruct.

He makes his music with the purest feelings and with results unlike any other. His innovative thinking leaves us all behind trying to keep up with the methods he uses to promote, distribute and create his music, always involving fans along the way. He once said “gray would be the color if I had a heart” these words dissolved into the air as he emerged a true humanitarian, PETA spokesperson, and was in the frontline for aid in the Katrina aftermath. I know there are countless things I’ve failed to mention, and are probably unaware of, all this is part of how he changes the world.

As the man emerges from the hate machine, he’s met someone that has allowed him see in color now; the beautiful life he deserves awaits him for the next chapter in his life. Trent, through the good times and bad, now and in the future, thank you for being beside me in time.