LINKIN PARK officially kicked off its comeback mini-tour Wednesday night (September 11) at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. The show featured LINKIN PARK performing a two-hour set in a very rare 360-degree circular setting, allowing for a unique production as well as a greater-than-usual number of tickets sold at the venue.
As was the case with LINKIN PARK‘s September 5 one-hour global livestream of a concert in Los Angeles, the Kia Forum gig showcased new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band’s new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder was filling in for Delson for the livestream and the Kia Forum show and will continue to tour with LINKIN PARK for the foreseeable future instead of Delson.
LINKIN PARK‘s 26-song set at the Kia Forum kicked off with “Meteora” cut “Somewhere I Belong” and included “Hybrid Theory”-era track “My December” and “Keys To The Kingdom”, the opening song from 2014’s “The Hunting Party” album. LINKIN PARK also played its new single, “The Emptiness Machine”, which was released last week. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming album “From Zero”, which will arrive on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK‘s first full-length effort since 2017’s “One More Light”, which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
The setlist for the Kia Forum show was as follows:
01. Somewhere I Belong
02. Crawling
03. Lying From You
04. Points Of Authority
05. New Divide
06. The Emptiness Machine
07. The Catalyst
08. Burn It Down
09. Waiting For The End
10. Castle Of Glass
11. Joe Hahn Solo
12. When They Come For Me / Remember The Name
13. Lost In The Echo
14. Given Up
15. One Step Closer
16. Lost
17. Breaking The Habit
18. What I’ve Done
19. Leave Out All The Rest
20. My December
21. Friendly Fire
22. Numb
23. In The End
24. Faint
Encore:
25. Papercut
26. Keys To The Kingdom
27. Bleed It Out
Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen in the YouTube video series below.
In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK‘s comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.
“Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band,” Shinoda said. “And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The ‘Hybrid Theory’ re-release [in 2020] and ‘Papercuts’ release [this April], he didn’t show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best.”
According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn “quietly began meeting up again in recent years” and “rather than ‘trying to restart the band,'” they worked with numerous musicians and “found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain.”
Regarding the band’s new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”
“The Emptiness Machine” is said to “channel the DNA of LINKIN PARK.” Shinoda said the band feels “really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together,” adding that they are “weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.”