CONCERT REVIEW: LINKIN PARK | PITTSBURGH, PA | 08.19.2025

Linkin Park returned to touring after a seven-year hiatus (and a 100% understandable one at that). As a lifetime fan (their lifetime, not mine, I’m too old), it was amazing to see them back to doing what they love. Their current From Zero World Tour, supporting their recent ‘From Zero’ album, doesn’t shy away from the loss the band and its fans endured. Instead, it celebrates the music the band made together! I went into this concert wanting it to be exactly what it was: its own new thing. Mike Shinoda & Co. reunited to rebuild in the best way possible; they did so by adding former Dead Sara frontwoman Emily Armstrong on vocals. This was a brilliant decision. Not only does Armstrong have impressive vocal capabilities, with a natural higher register, but she has the screaming pipes to boot. Gone is the need for an apples-to-apples comparison. Emily is Emily, and she’s singing Linkin Park songs as Emily interprets them. Plain and simple: She nails it!

While I was in high school, MTV used to host concerts inside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that were filmed to air on MTV at a later date.. Linkin Park was one of the headlining shows, INSIDE the Rock Hall (with opening act Alicia Keys.) For $5 I was able to see Linkin Park perform almost all of their breakthrough album, ‘Hybrid Theory,’ their only album out at the time. Being so early in my concert-going career, I, along with maybe 700 other people, got to see a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was this show that I felt so immersed in for the first time. I’d been to some really great concerts in the past, but when you pack a few hundred angry teenagers into the foyer of the Rock Hall, you have no choice but to be completely engulfed in the whole experience. This show is still one I use to gauge how cool a show really was to this day.

Seeing Linkin Park, 24 years later, after everything they’ve gone through, was very special to me. Additionally, as a photographer, Linkin Park permitted me to shoot the first four songs AND the entire encore. I had one of my favorite concert shooting experiences to date, spanning over 20 years as a credentialed concert photographer. (Check out my shot on film gallery below). I took a solo trip to Pittsburgh to see the band at PPG Paints Arena for their August 19, 2025 show. When I got in I, was pleasantly surprised that the stage was in the center of the floor arena. Not only does that make for a more unique performance space, but as a photographer, it can be a hit-or-miss experience.

Just before the band took the stage, a massive countdown appeared on the two giant cube screens suspended above it. They looked like two elaborate scoreboards. With a stage in the round, there is no way to surprise the audience when making an entrance; instead, the band built hype around it. Timing their entry with the countdown had every single Linkin Park fan on their feet! Armed with three different cameras, I was ready to go to work! My goal was to balance taking photos with my digital camera and the two film cameras I had with me. My “Pit” songs were “Somewhere I Belong,” “Crawling,” “Cut the Bridge,” and “Lying From You.” These songs gave Armstrong a strong and forceful way to say, “I’m here for a reason.” She didn’t join the band to fill in; she is helping to complete their revamped sound!

Shinoda has taken the lead spot; while he’s still slightly in the minority of vocals, it’s he who addresses the audience and speaks the most on behalf of Linkin Park. Returning with LP are Joe Hahn and Dave Farrell. These original members reprised their familiar roles. While Brad Delson is still a member and lead guitarist, and has recorded with them on their latest album, Brad has opted not to go on tour. Those seven years off from touring let him develop his personal life, and he wishes to keep that as his primary focus. Joining the band are Alex Feder on guitars and Colin Cunningham on drums.

The stage setup was epic. They used their two cube-style screens lined with moving spotlights. This allowed them to showcase members and moments. The video on each screen was impressive and well-orchestrated. I walked past the no less than eight people controlling multiple PTZ cameras that covered the stage. The videos were just as elaborate as the lighting setup. There is really a limitless number of possibilities for how to cover the stage. Boarding both sides of the platform were robotic cameras that could raise or lower to the level of action happening on either side. A great deal of work went into this production, and it was evident. While accommodating the band’s spontaneity, they were still able to provide excellent coverage. Even when Mike walked around the barricade to greet the fans mid-show, cameras were right there with him!

The band and the show’s sound were spot on. This comes from a well-polished band and hiring the right sound tech. Mike was really loving being back in front of an audience. In fact, the whole band was really enjoying it. Emily, who is no stranger to being a front woman, was excellent. She knew her role and knew her job, and she executed on all cylinders. Colin was a great replacement for Rob, who did not officially rejoin after the hiatus. Dave was having an amazing time on bass and really brought a wonderful familiarity to the show, and Joe did what Joe does. A little bit of everything!

Linkin Park made a fantastic return. It can be compared in time to the likes of AC/DC when they returned with Brian Johnson after the passing of Bon Scott. (I don’t make that statement lightly!)

I literally had the best seat in the house for the majority of this show. I was able to see the looks on the faces of everyone on that stage. To see the excitement and joy in the eyes of all new and old members. They played well together, they sounded good together, and hopefully, they are also healing together. Mental illness affects everyone, some more than others. To see a band come back from something so tragic really is something special. Armstrong has her work cut out for her, but it’s a challenge she’s accepted. If you have the chance, see this band again. Check out their new album and show them some love, as they are doing all of this for us, too.