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The show was the band鈥檚 first time back in the city since their original lead singer, Chester Bennington, died by suicide in 2017. The event was bittersweet as fans surrounded the centered platform stage and screamed the heavy metal lyrics into the darkened arena.

It was also first time for many seeing singer Emily Armstrong, who joined Linkin Park in 2024, perform with the band. Armstrong, along with new drummer Colin Brittain and tour guitarist Alex Feder, raged all night on stage with founding members Mike Shinoda, turntablist Joe Hahn and bassist Dave 鈥淧hoenix鈥� Farrell. They ran through 26 songs, leaning heavily into their catalog from before Bennington鈥檚 death, with eight songs from their 2024 album 鈥淔谤辞尘 Zero鈥� littered throughout the set list.

As the 25th anniversary of their debut album, 鈥淗ybrid Theory,鈥� approaches in October, Linkin Park showcased the longevity and timelessness of records spanning its three-decade career. Despite having a new lead singer and album, Linkin Park is a millennial legacy rock band, as fans embraced the nostalgia of singing the lyrics to songs they memorized 30 years ago.

With Armstrong, the diamond-certified act is born again following a devastating loss. The singer, who also leads vocals for the band Dead Sara, was a star as she ran through songs from Linkin Park鈥檚 latest album. She displayed dynamic vocal range as she bounced from angelic siren to screaming banshee with ease. Armstrong has exactly what it takes to sing with one of the biggest bands of the new millennium.

But she played it safe on older Linkin Park songs that originally featured Bennington鈥檚 vocals. She lacked confidence at the start of the show on classic tracks, with low vocal projection that was often drowned out by her bandmates and leaning on the audience to sing a lot of Bennington鈥檚 verses and hooks.

Linkin Park kicked off the show with 鈥淪omewhere I Belong,鈥� before launching into a high-energy medley of tracks from throughout their career. The band shinned as stellar musicians across every instrument. Even with three new members, they performed like they鈥檇 all been together for years. The cues and synchronicity between each of them were crisp as they transitioned between new and old songs.

Armstrong and Shinoda complemented each other well on vocals, as the latter juggled singing, rapping, playing guitar and hopping on the keyboard. Earlier on in the set, Armstrong鈥檚 vocals felt more like airy, background singing than co-lead on songs like 鈥淟测颈苍驳 From You.鈥� She wasn鈥檛 vocally projecting loud enough to showcase her true vocal prowess on 鈥淏URN IT DOWN鈥� and continued playing it safe on 鈥淲hat I鈥檝e Done鈥� as the crowd happily belted Bennington鈥檚 vocals instead of her taking full charge.

Perhaps it was an homage to Bennington by letting the audience sing the majority of his parts. There鈥檚 no doubt that he left behind big shoes to fill. But Armstrong is fully capable of walking in them and tackling his heavy metal vibratos and emotive vocals on older band tracks.

This was clear from her performance on songs featured on 鈥淔谤辞尘 Zero.鈥� Her voice was radiant on 鈥沦迟补颈苍别诲鈥� and 鈥淭he Emptiness Machine.鈥� She added a feminine, playfulness to Linkin Park鈥檚 hardcore, angsty aesthetic that was refreshing and fun. Although her timidness singing Bennington鈥檚 parts seemed to come and go, Armstrong鈥檚 personality and vocal abilities began to shine more near the show鈥檚 midway point, and she closed out the concert strong.

Each band member approached the performance with an enthusiasm that could be felt in the crowd as laser lights danced around the arena. Hahn executed a crafty DJ intro to start the song 鈥淭he Catalyst.鈥� He added authentic hip-hop flair to the set as he itched and scratched on tracks and displayed exceptional mastery behind the turntable during a special solo DJ set.

Halfway through the set list, the band engaged in a slowed-down rendition of the Fort Minor song 鈥淲here鈥檇 You Go.鈥� It was a heartfelt ballad that felt like an unspoken ode to Bennington. Although they didn鈥檛 mention their bandmate鈥檚 name, the audience knew who they were singing for.

By the time the band performed 鈥淐astle of Glass,鈥� Armstrong had found her footing, and her lively personality took over the stage as she jumped around, sang playful ad libs into the microphone and began belting explosive vocals on both new and old Linkin Park records. A mosh pit opened on the floor, and fans raged as she screamed the hook on 鈥淭wo-Faced.鈥�

Shinoda proved why he is one of the best emcees in rock music throughout the show. He graced the audience with memorable verses from 鈥淩emember the Name鈥� and 鈥淲hen They Come for Me.鈥� He took a break from the stage to engage with the crowd, handing out signed merchandise and performing on the floor as fans rapped along.

Drummer Brittain didn鈥檛 feel like a newcomer at all as he jammed out with the band and had a standout moment on 鈥淟ost.鈥� Farrell and Feder stood back to back for an electrifying guitar duet on the song 鈥淏leed It Out鈥� before the show concluded.

Right as fans began leaving their seats, Linkin Park returned to the stage for a three-song encore that included 鈥淧apercut,鈥� 鈥泪苍 the End鈥� and 鈥淔aint.鈥�

By the end, fans knew that Linkin Park had risen from the ashes, with Armstrong bringing a fresh wave of emotive singing to their songs. She just has to own it.