The 10 Best Moments of Linkin Park’s Triumphant NYC Performance

Linkin Park did not pause very often in Brooklyn on Tuesday night (Sept. 16). The band’s second full concert (following Wednesday’s show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles) since unexpectedly returning earlier this month did not include drawn-out speeches, prolonged stage banter between members, a ton of reflection on their seven-year break or many words about what returning to the stage signifies. Instead, Linkin Park performed at Barclays Center like they had been shot out of a cannon — flying through 27 songs in two hours, hopscotching through big hits and beloved deep cuts across their many eras, playing breathlessly and making the most of a spotlight that they probably never thought they’d have again. And the fans, who had been waiting for just as long, gulped up every moment.

Following Chester Bennington’s tragic passing in 2017, Linkin Park’s future as a live act remained cloudy. After this month’s announcement of a surprise comeback, featuring new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain, upcoming album From Zero and six tune-up arena dates to precede an expected 2025 tour, the prospect of Linkin Park’s live return remained tantalizing if still a bit of a question mark, considering how irreplaceable Bennington remains as a vocal force and stage presence (and how Armstrong’s new role as co-vocalist has already been met with some controversy). 

Yet Mike Shinoda has already told Linkin Park’s new audiences that they would be playing the role of Chester at their shows, and indeed, all of the songs that Bennington helped make famous rang out through shared vocals on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Armstrong proved that, while it will naturally take time to develop stage chemistry with her new band mates, she already seems remarkably comfortable taking on the heaviest and most delicate moments of the band’s discography. And Shinoda, bassist Dave Farrell and DJ/turntablist Joseph Hahn (along with drummer Brittain and touring guitarist Alex Feder) sounded and looked reinvigorated while swaggering together onstage, diving back into their rich catalog while mining the opportunities of a new era and extra time. 

Casual fans of the band will have lots to latch onto as they make their way around the world once again; longtime supporters should feel relieved that this new iteration of Linkin Park is already functioning at a high level a few shows in, taking the stage as a single unit and leaving it triumphantly.

Here were the 10 best moments of Linkin Park’s Brooklyn performance, in chronological order.