According to loudwire.com, after debuting new singer Emily Armstrong at a fan-exclusive show that was livestreamed last week, Linkin Park performed at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles and delivered a 27-song set marked by rarities and live debuts. Before this month, Linkin Park had not played a show since 2017, the last being a tribute event held in memory of late singer Chester Bennington. As for rarities, “When They Come For Me” was played for the first time since 2014, while “Given Up” has not been performed since 2015. Going even further back, Linkin Park added “My December” back into the set for the first since 2008.
“Keys to the Kingdom,” off 2014’s The Hunting Party, made its live debut, as did “Friendly Fire,” a previously unreleased song with Chester Bennington that appeared on this year’s Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2003) compilation. It was originally recorded in 2017, during the One More Light sessions.
After rumors of a comeback swirled, the band teased fans with a countdown timer that began counting back up to the 100 hour mark it began at. Then, the fan-exclusive event was announced, still brought in mystery as many believed Linkin Park would be unveiling their new singer.
Dead Sara’s Armstrong was revealed to be Bennington’s successor, igniting a new era of Linkin Park alongside the release of new their single, “The Emptiness Machine” and the impending November release of the new album From Zero.
Photo Credit: Shareef Ellis