On the afternoon of the 28th, go up to the stage at Inspire Arena in Incheon.
First performance in Korea in 13 years… The only one among the new tours
New member vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Britton attract attention.
(LA=AP/Newsis) Mike Shinoda, Emily Armstrong
(Incheon = Newsis) Reporter Lee Jae-hoon = “What I think was never real / I want to let go of the pain I felt so long / Erase all the pain till it’s gun / I wanna hill (What I thought was never real / I “want to let go of the pain I felt so long / Erase all the pain till it’s gone / I wanna heal” / I want to heal)
The American hybrid rock band ‘LINKIN PARK’, which performed in Korea for the first time in 13 years, started by comforting Korean fans who must have been exhausted from pain and trauma for a long time.
‘Somewhere I Belong’, which opened Linkin Park’s solo performance as part of their new world tour ‘FROM ZERO’ at the Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon on the afternoon of the 28th, was a consolation song for themselves and their fans.
Linkin Park members and fans realized the destructive power of quiet time after vocalist Chester Bennington (1976-2017) passed away in July 2017. For the next seven years, music almost fed my longing.
However, the six members of Linkin Park, who reorganized the team and resumed their activities in earnest from the beginning of this month, shook off their sense of debt with the fans they had formed a bond with and preached through music for about two hours the importance of making their finances heard.
In particular, on the stage of ‘The Catalyst’, a song that begins with the hope that God will bless us, 14,000 people gathered at the concert hall sang the song’s last song, ‘Lift me up Let me go’. The part where the hand holding the cell phone with the flash turned on was raised above the head while repeating the same thing was spectacular.
(LA=AP/Newsis) Linkin Park Emily Armstrong
Mike Shinoda, the team’s producer, rapper, and close friend of Bennington, visited Korea through the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival that year with his first solo album ‘Post Traumatic’, released in 2018. After letting go of a friend, they presented art therapy that incorporated the gradual structure of hope in the album, moving from darkness to light, into the performance, and Linkin Park’s new full-length performance was a departure that even encompassed previous memories. This is because it was the successor to the legacy that this team has maintained for over 20 years.
That is why the roles of vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Britton, who were new to the team, were important. In the previous Linkin Park, Bennington’s dangerous yet transparent vocals on top of the dynamic energy created the team’s uniqueness.
Gender was not an issue for Armstrong, the female vocalist who succeeded this male vocalist with a distinct presence. The husky voice was especially powerful in the high notes, fully inheriting the uniqueness of Linkin Park’s legacy of exuding sorrowful energy even in the midst of fierceness.
The team’s representative songs such as ‘One Step Closer’ and ‘Faint’, as well as ‘The Emptiness Machine’ and ‘2024 League of Legends (LoL) World Championship’ (Worlds) Armstrong also enhanced Linkin Park’s identity with the theme song ‘Heavy Is The Crown’. Linkin Park fans also confidently shouted, “Bennington will be proud of you” at the Korean performance. Armstrong’s harsh expressiveness had great synergy with Shinoda’s honest rap.
Britton, who showed a stable sense of rhythm amid explosive sound, proved that he had completely melted into the team with his energetic chemistry when supporting the solo stages of Shinoda and DJ Joe Han.
(Seoul = Newsis) Rock band ‘LINKIN PARK’. (Photo = Provided by Live Nation Korea) 2024.09.06 (email protected) *Resale and DB prohibited
Linkin Park’s identity was also maximized by the fact that the performance hall on this day was not a proscenium, but a 360-degree setting with audience seats surrounding the stage on all sides. Armstrong and Shinoda looked ahead separately for most of the stage and stood symmetrically, creating a unique scene. The advantage of the Inspire Arena structure, which boasts a pleasant view from anywhere, stands out even more. The lighting production encompassed not only the stage but also the standing seats on the floor, creating a sense of space.
Due to the nature of the Inspire Arena located within the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, there were significantly more overseas fans than other performances in Korea. The group sang loudly all the way to the end, which included ‘Live Out All the Rest’, ‘My December’, ‘In the End’, and ‘Paint’.
Korea is the only Asian country included in Linkin Park’s current world tour ‘From Zero World Tour’. Jo Han is also a member of Korean descent. At an online press event for Asian reporters on the 27th, Linkin Park members said they would meet in Korea. It is estimated that there are quite a few fans from other countries who flew to Incheon to see Linkin Park.
Linkin Park will release their new full-length album ‘From Zero’ in November. Xero is the band’s first name before the team name ‘Linkin Park’ was finalized. The history of this team has become public knowledge not only for the members but also for all music fans. Then, the band’s career runs the risk of becoming collectivized. However, today’s performance proved that good songs are individual and create their own stories.
In this way, music is not a seller of memories. It brings us closer to the present as well as the past. This is why Bennington will stay with the members and us as long as Linkin Park’s legacy continues.
◎ Sympathetic media Newsis (email protected)
Source: www.newsis.com
