As video cameras panned over some of the Linkin Park fan posters at the United Center Monday night, they stopped on one that struck a chord: “The hardest part of ending is starting again.” The lyrics are from the band’s 2010 song “Waiting for the End,” which had just been performed 40 minutes prior. Isolated on a poster board, the words were a gut punch, encapsulating the bigger meaning of the night.
Monday night’s show was Linkin Park’s first time back to the city in nearly a decade after revered frontman Chester Bennington died by suicide in 2017. “Hard” doesn’t even begin to describe the challenges the rap-rock act had in starting again, particularly rising above the initial knee-jerk backlash the group received for bringing on a new singer — a female singer at that — with Emily Armstrong. Since Linkin Park made the surprise announcement last September that they had recruited the Dead Sara frontwoman, everyone from purist fans to Bennington’s mother and son scoffed at the idea, wondering how anyone could possibly fill the void.
Armstrong has risen up to the challenge; after winning over the enthusiastic crowd at United Center, the singer made it clear she’s where she belongs.
From the first minutes of the opening number, Armstrong brought something new to the mix — feminine energy coupled with a distinctive register that harmonized incredibly well with the rap breakdowns from band co-founder Mike Shinoda. Not only can Armstrong hit Bennington’s signature raspy growls — a sea of fist pumps flew into the air when she nailed the high screams on “Faint” — but she also brings a similar emotional gravitas to the music. Her careful and sometimes sensitive delivery on songs like the newly arranged “Lost” tempered the aggressive backbeats from turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer Colin Brittain (the other new guy). In so doing, it tapped into the fury-with-feelings hybrid that made Linkin Park stand out in the post-millennium dawn of active rock and nu metal and go on to sell 100 million albums worldwide.
It’s obvious Linkin Park is not trying to rewrite or cling to history in 2025. Rather, they are embarking on a new chapter, and doing it well. While the band (completed by guitarist Brad Delson and bassist Dave Farrell) could have just relied on churning out the oldies and been demoted to Linkin Park karaoke, instead, they issued a new album, “From Zero,” in 2024 with material that pays homage to the legacy they’ve built while sounding like fresh cuts. Singles like “The Emptiness Machine” and “Heavy Is the Crown” could been B-sides on a reissue of the group’s pinnacle album “Hybrid Theory” while the more pensive rumination of “Overflow” brought a new mood and the lyrical pull of “Cut the Bridge” channeled the feelings of pain and isolation that have long bled through the music of Linkin Park.
“It’s an unusual thing when fans come and want to hear new music,” said Shinoda mid-set. “We’ve been doing this a long time and we are all very flattered and grateful you have been so supportive of the new stuff.” Six of the new songs were added to the set list, all met with a hearty reception live. Armstrong also shone best on the new material, perhaps feeling more ownership over songs that didn’t dredge up the past or trigger the gatekeepers. It’s clear she’s still trying to find her place in the group, often hiding on the edges of the stage when big numbers like “Numb” and “In the End” perked up. But she had help, whether in the form of massive crowd sing-alongs or special guest stars. For “Burn It Down,” Lynn Gunn of opening band Pvris added vocals, multiplying the female power of the night in a typically reserved boys club. And for “One Step Closer,” Rise Against singer Tim McIlrath popped up on the stage to bring a punkier vocal take.
Linkin Park Aug. 11, 2025 United Center concert set list
The guests were a nice touch, serving as another reminder that music is a living, breathing organism that can evolve and doesn’t need to be locked in a box when a band member passes or moves on. Alice In Chains did it with William DuVall. Nirvana’s surviving members have brought on a slew of guest vocalists like St. Vincent and Post Malone for various pop-ups. Even Chester Bennington himself did something similar when he briefly joined Stone Temple Pilots after the group fired Scott Weiland in 2013. Linkin Park is just doing the same by reviving the music for the day ones as well as a new generation.
On Monday, when Shinoda asked how many in the crowd were seeing their first Linkin Park show, it was a nearly unanimous response. And isn’t that what starting again is all about?
Somewhere I Belong
Crawling
Cut The Bridge
Lying From You
The Emptiness Machine
The Catalyst
Burn It Down (with Lynn Gunn)
Up From the Bottom
Where’d You Go (Fort Minor cover)
Waiting for the End
Lies Greed Misery
Two Faced
When They Come for Me / Remember the Name (Fort Minor song)
Given Up
One Step Closer (with Tim McIlrath)
Lost
Good Things Go
What I’ve Done
Overflow
Numb
In The End
Faint
Encore:
Papercut
A Place For My Head
Heavy Is the Crown
Bleed It Out