Review: Linkin Park at Rogers Arena
For the sake of transparency, I’ll admit that I hadn’t listened to any of Linkin Park’s new material until seeing them live at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night.
When I was first offered the opportunity to review the Honda Civic Tour, which also featured American rockers Incubus and Mute Math, I agreed because Linkin Park’s debut album Hybrid Theory encouraged me to paint my nails black and wear a leather bullet belt to Junior High School. I really wasn’t aware that the boys from Agoura Hills, California were still selling out stadiums. But to my surprise, LP have a dedicated fan base that consists of confused emo kids, Metallica loving dads, and your average music lover.
Photo via theprovince.com
Unlike most rock bands of the early 2000’s, Linkin Park has continued to sell records well into this decade. Their latest release entitled Living Things debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 220,000 records in the first week. Nonetheless, the majority of the songs they played on Tuesday were from previous works, most notably Meteora. Making a nearly sold out crowd go nuts for such classics as Numb and Somewhere I Belong.
In terms of production, there was minimal stage fare. Nothing but an average light show, some mediocre fire explosions, and an illuminated X that divided the stage in half. Yet, that didn’t seem to matter, as Chester Bennington’s voice combined with Mike Shinoda’s smooth flow and good looks were all the audience needed to justify the ticket price.
photo via theprovince.com
Chester’s eerily perfect vocals instantly transported me back to 2001 and it didn’t take me long to realize why I once followed this band so contently. Linkin Park is the middle-man in the musical rock game. They’re not punk nor are they heavy metal, they merely externalize anger in a way that is both approachable and appealing. And I can proudly say that since Tuesday I’ve listened to both A Thousand Suns and Living Things multiple times. Well done boys, well done.
Yeah, I know that was deep.
review by @clarkbs
