by Sean Reiter
Following the tragic death of Chester Bennington in 2017, Linkin Park’s music was still present on the radio and satellites, but it was a quick transition that saw their dynamic catalog evolve from cutting edge to retro. One year after the band made a September 5, 2024, announcement that they were reforming with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, they returned to SAP Center at San Jose on Monday night with a concert that brought a massive influx of energy to their large catalog from both the onstage players and a fevered audience.
When Jerry Garcia died, Bob Weir went almost immediately on tour for a solid year and when asked why, he stated “Because the music had to be played.” Co-Founder Mike Shinoda (co lead-vocalist, rhythm guitar, keyboards) faced a difficult challenge in trying to replace the late Bennington’s vocal style and energy. Judging by both their 2024 “From Zero” album (the first with Armstrong on vocals) and the performance Monday night, his bold decision to not just re-cast, but re-shape his co-vocalist paid off.
Armstrong’s energy and joy were on full display throughout the entire show and her ability to drive home the vocals on classics from the opening on “Somewhere I Belong” to the encore closer of “Bleed It Out”. Shinoda couldn’t stop smiling throughout and though many of their songs portray the frustration and angst of life, the entire band seemed extremely happy and content throughout the show. Drummer Colin Brittain, guitarist Brad Delson, turntablist Joe Hahn and bassist Phoenix engaged with each other and the audience throughout.
Despite lots of talk of tour troubles and reports of downgraded show locations due to less than expected sales, SAP Center of San Jose was packed to the last rows of the top deck on Monday night. A mixed blend of fans from the original days and a younger generation lined the rail screamed, jumped and shouted throughout the entirety of the show.
The extremely tall stage was set up in the center of the arena floor as a thin long straight line with the band facing in split directions most of the night. From the photo pit looking up, it felt disjointed and almost like watching two halves of a band (indeed a large stage crew jumped on stage midway through the show to reverse the setup so that members would each face in the opposite direction).
Taking my seat after the initial opening songs, it felt much more cohesive and the band less divided. “In the End” featured the loudest singalong I’ve ever heard with Armstrong and Shinoda fueling the energy with the incredible power of the two singing together in the same physical proximity (a rarity during the performance). The encore of “Papercut”, “Heavy Is The Crown” and “Bleed It Out” brought the night to a massive close as the house lights were brought up and the band was able to enjoy the crowd’s roaring appreciation for Linkin Park’s songs being brought back to life.
JPEGMAFIA opened the night with a set that blended his rap heavily with hard rock. He demonstrated a compelling range during his set: delivering an acapella version of his cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and a powerful “I Scream This In The Mirror Before I Interact With Anyone”.
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