{"id":2004331,"date":"2025-09-07T17:24:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2004331"},"modified":"2025-09-07T17:24:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:24:07","slug":"theres-no-replacing-chester-bennington-but-linkin-park-did-their-legend-proud-in-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/theres-no-replacing-chester-bennington-but-linkin-park-did-their-legend-proud-in-phoenix\/","title":{"rendered":"There’s no replacing Chester Bennington. But Linkin Park did their legend proud in Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There\u2019s no replacing Chester Bennington<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His voice was like an open wound, inviting listeners to feel his pain in a throat-shredding Molotov cocktail of vulnerability and rage that clearly resonated with nu-metal fans of the early 2000s, when Linkin Park\u2019s iconic breakthrough, \u201cHybrid Theory,\u201d raised the stakes for a genre whose previous standard-bearers had hung their most popular chorus on \u201cI did it all for the nookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

His singing went beyond intensely personal. It often felt more like an exorcism.<\/p>\n

That all ended in 2017, when the Phoenix-born Bennington died by suicide<\/a> at 41, a tragic ending to a brilliant career.<\/p>\n

Linkin Park took 7 years to move on after losing Chester Bennington<\/h2>\n

It took his bandmates seven years to reach a point where they felt comfortable returning to that brilliant career they\u2019d shared with Bennington, welcoming Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara in September 2024 to share the spotlight with the other voice that helped make Linkin Park the biggest-selling rock act of the century\u2019s first decade: Mike Shinoda.<\/p>\n

One could argue that it seems a fairly reasonable length of time to occupy the sidelines.<\/p>\n

Others may insist they should\u2019ve gone on as Led Zeppelin did after losing their drummer, John Bonham, and refrain from a return to active duty.<\/p>\n

This newsletter goes to 11. Sign up for <\/strong>weekly music news<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Linkin Park fans gave Emily Armstrong a hero’s welcome<\/h2>\n

There was nothing to suggest that any of the fans who flocked to PHX Arena<\/a> on Saturday, Sept. 6, for Linkin Park\u2019s first concert in the Valley since 2015 had a problem with them moving on as Linkin Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And this is Bennington\u2019s hometown, as Shinoda noted early in the set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re feeling very grateful to be here in the birthplace of Chester Bennington,\u201d he said, \u201ca year since the relaunch of the band.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were seven songs deep in the performance, having just played \u201cBurn It Down,\u201d when a random dude behind me shouted, \u201cEmily (expletive) rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n

And to be fair, she does.<\/p>\n

\"Fans<\/span><\/div>\n

Fans listen as Linkin Park performs during their From Zero World Tour at the PHX Arena on Sept. 6, 2025, in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long after joining the fold that Armstrong was taken to task for alleged ties to the Church of Scientology<\/a> and previous support for prominent Scientologist Danny Masterson<\/a> of \u201cThat \u201870s Show,\u201d who was accused and convicted of rape<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Armstrong responded to the controversy<\/a> in an Instagram story, writing, \u201cSeveral years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn\u2019t have. I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for her role in the band, she has the vocal range to do exactly what the job requires and the personality to make you want to see her prove the doubters wrong.<\/p>\n

Members of Linkin Park did their legend proud<\/h2>\n

Shinoda more than rose to the occasion, as expected.<\/p>\n

And the reconstituted touring lineup \u2014 with Colin Brittain replacing Rob Bourdon on drums and touring guitarist Alex Feder stepping in for Brad Delson, who hasn\u2019t left the group but has stepped back from touring \u2014 did their legend proud.<\/p>\n

Chester Bennington’s choir teacher was in the house<\/h2>\n

Midway through the set, Shinoda strolled through the audience and came across a fan in a graduation cap and gown.<\/p>\n

It turned out that particular fan apparently had blown off graduation to attend the concert, a crowd-pleasing moment that couldn\u2019t help but pale in comparison to what happened next when the errant graduate revealed that his mother, also in attendance, had been Bennington\u2019s choir teacher in high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019d be over here if it wasn\u2019t for you,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n

Linkin Park’s Phoenix concert setlist sparked massive sing-alongs<\/h2>\n
\"Linkin<\/span><\/div>\n

Linkin Park performs during their From Zero World Tour at the PHX Arena on Sept. 6, 2025, in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

The setlist<\/a> included no fewer than eight songs from their first release with Armstrong in for Bennington, \u201cFrom Zero,\u201d from \u201cThe Emptiness Machine\u201d to \u201cHeavy is the Crown\u201d and \u201cUp from the Bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that still left plenty of time to delve into the early singles that continue to define them, from \u201cOne Step Closer,\u201d \u201cPapercut\u201d and \u201cIn the End\u201d through such crowd-pleasing highlights as \u201cNumb,\u201d \u201cWhat I\u2019ve Done,\u201d \u201cBleed It Out,\u201d \u201cNew Divide\u201d and \u201cBurn It Down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those songs inspired massive sing-alongs. But the fans seemed just as excited when they delved into the songs from their new album.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t often that a band survives the loss of a member as essential to their legacy as Bennington. And to be honest, there\u2019s no reason to believe this version of the band will ever scale the heights they scaled with Bennington on board.<\/p>\n

But they did send three singles from their latest album to the top of Billboard\u2019s mainstream rock charts, aside from which they clearly gave those fans who flocked to PHX Arena every reason in the world to keep coming back for more.<\/p>\n

Linkin Park setlist 2025: From Zero World Tour songs<\/h2>\n

These are the songs that made the setlist when Linkin Park brought the From Zero World Tour to PHX Arena in Chester Bennington’s hometown.<\/p>\n