Greatest Cleveland concerts: No. 9 — Nine Inch Nails reunion

Nine Inch Nails' reunion concert on Sept. 24, 2022, was more than two years in the making — but well worth the wait.

Why it matters: The show at Blossom Music Center saw Trent Reznor — who founded NIN in Cleveland in 1988 — bring back former band members, some of whom hadn't played with the band in nearly 20 years.

• That included guitarist Richard Patrick, who left following 1991's Pretty Hate Machine Tour, and drummer Chris Vrenna, who moved on after "The Downward Spiral" made NIN one of the biggest bands in the world.

Flashback: The reunion that took place at Blossom last September was originally scheduled for 2020, when Nine Inch Nails was to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

• However, the COVID-19 lockdown quashed those plans.

The intrigue: Finally, with the pandemic easing in 2022, NIN announced a "one night only" concert at Blossom.

• The day before the show, Reznor reunited with former members Patrick, Vrenna, Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini, Danny Lohner, Charlie Clouser and Ilan Rubin for a panel discussion at the Rock Hall.

What they did: The following night, the former bandmates took the stage to perform fan favorites, including "Eraser," "Wish," "Sin" and "Gave Up."

• The biggest crowd reaction came when Patrick strapped on a guitar and sang "Hey Man Nice Shot," the 1995 hit by Filter, the band he founded after leaving NIN in 1993.

What they're saying: "We had been talking about it for two years and finally were on stage together," Patrick tells Axios.

• "I was so overwhelmed by the love the audience was giving us. It'll be a highlight of my life forever. "

Go deeper: 15 greatest concerts in Cleveland history