I never understood why my mom cried when Michael Jackson died until the world lost
Chester Bennington. That day, I understood my mom. I understood millions of people
who felt the same way that I did. Chester’s passing was a tremendous loss, not just to
the rock and metal community, but for music in general. He was the voice of a
generation, and he will never be forgotten. I never got to see them live with Chester and
that will forever be one of my biggest regrets.
When news of his passing broke, I thought for sure the band was done. And they were,
for a while. Then the countdown began. Everyone was speculating what it could mean,
but we all knew that it meant something big was coming. The buzz was brewing.
Everyone was talking about the countdown starting, waiting for it to get all the way down
to zero just to start counting upwards (“From Zero”). We thought we were being trolled.
However, on September 5, 2024, Linkin Park performed for the first time since 2017,
debuting their new lead vocalist, Emily Armstrong, of the band Dead Sara.
Like most, I was wary of Emily singing Chester’s parts. It felt like a betrayal to Chester’s
memory to accept Emily as the new singer. Despite that, she did a good job during the
livestream, and it was great to see them together again. At the same time that the
livestream was happening, Linkin Park’s website was updated to announce that they
were going on tour. LA and Brooklyn. I thought to myself, I could go to Brooklyn.
Tickets were nearly impossible to get. The presale was exclusive to Linkin Park’s paying
fan club members, and all of the presale codes were unique, so guessing the code was
not even an option. By the time the public sale had started, the show was nearly sold
out. I tried getting a ticket through Ticketmaster, but ticket restrictions prevented me from
purchasing only one ticket, and reaching out through social media proved to be
unhelpful. By Saturday night, I had practically given up on the idea that I would finally get
to see Linkin Park.
On the day of the LA show, all I could think about was going to Brooklyn. Admittedly, I
was having mixed feelings. I was on the fence about going because it felt wrong to see
them without Chester. I also felt like this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I would
regret not being there. I bought a ticket on StubHub and boy, am I glad I did.
Arriving at the Barclays Center on September 16, 2024, felt like a movie. There was a
line to get into the line to go inside. There were thousands of people outside and the
energy was electric. Everyone was over the moon to be there.
Once I got through security, I could feel the excitement inside. I went straight to the
ridiculously long merch line and got to my seat just in time for the show to start. As I
scurried to my seat, I was trying to take it all in. My first Linkin Park show. Everyone was
buzzing. Every seat was filled, and everyone was ready for the long-awaited return of
Linkin Park. I couldn’t believe I was finally going to see them live, even if it was different.
It was happening. Everyone was standing, waiting with baited breath as a single beam
of light emitted from the stage floor, building the anticipation until the band finally made
their ascent to the stage. The first song, “Somewhere I Belong,” began and the crowd
went absolutely wild.
This tended to be a theme throughout the night. You could almost hear the crowd singing
more than the band at certain points. Everyone sang along to every word of every song.
Everyone stood the entire time. It was magical. People in the pit were moshing almost
the entire time, and everyone in the stands was going crazy. Emily’s vocals sounded
amazing, and she is definitely finding her groove within the band. I couldn’t help but feel
like she was auditioning for the fans, but as the night went on, she didn’t need to
anymore. She got more and more comfortable with the crowd throughout the show, and
she had great chemistry on stage with the guys. These may be the biggest crowds she’s
ever performed in front of, which can be nerve-wracking, and she killed it.
I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed during “Leave Out All the Rest,” and that was the
moment I knew that Chester was with them in spirit. His presence was felt throughout the
night, and there were many signs saying how missed he is. Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park’s
rapper, even pointed this out at one point saying how nice it was to see. You could see
how happy they were to be back on stage, back in front of a crowd, back where they
belong.
When they played their surprise song, “A Place For My Head,” the crowd erupted in
cheers. I felt so lucky to be there. During “Faint,” the man next to me was screaming,
“She got it!” over and over again. I think it’s safe to say that many people were pleasantly
surprised. Emily’s vocals were on fire, and it felt like everyone was finally open to this
new chapter in Linkin Park’s story.
We were treated to a quick solo set from Mike featuring Fort Minor’s, “Remember the
Name,” which had every millennial going absolutely feral. There was also a solo from
Linkin Park’s DJ and creative director, Joe Hahn featuring the band’s new drummer,
Colin Brittain. The energy was at an all-time high, and people were elated to actually be
at a Linkin Park concert. There was even a nod to their “Collision Course” album with
Jay-Z leading into “Numb.” It was everything I wanted it to be and more. The night flew
by, and before I knew it, the end of the night was upon us. The whole show was like a
whirlwind that consisted of banger after banger. They closed the show with “Bleed It
Out,” giving the spotlight to guitarist Brad Delson. It was the perfect way to close out the
show. Everyone left on a high note and in a great mood.
Linkin Park is back. Is it different? Yes. Does that mean it’s bad? Not at all! I’m not
looking at Emily’s presence in the band as trying to replace Chester but as a new
chapter for them. They were respectful to the songs, and to Chester’s memory, but they
should be allowed to write a new chapter for themselves. The show was absolutely
incredible and I’m so glad I went. If you get the chance, try to catch them!
Linkin Park’s From Zero World Tour will be coming to Hamburg, Germany on September
22; London, United Kingdom on September 24; Seoul, South Korea on September 28;
and Bogota, Colombia on November 11. Linkin Park’s new album, “From Zero,” is set to
be released on November 15. You can pre-order the album here:
https://fromzero.linkinpark.com/variants.
Article and photos by Jacey Mattegat
September 18, 2024
