In honor of the memory of Chester Bennington and #tbt, I am republishing a review of a Linkin Park concert we attended in 2011 in Denver. May the life he gave millions of listeners and fans through music resound louder today than the way he chose to end it.
May your soul find peace now Chester.
Photos compliments of Photographer Kate Martin
Linkin Park and The Prodigy Rock Denver on the “A Thousand Suns World Tour”
Originally Published February 27, 2011 – 3:21 P.M. on Examiner.com
On one of the last stops during the winter leg of the A Thousand Suns World Tour 2011 Linkin Park and The Prodigy brought some of the best electronic fused Punk/Rock music the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO has seen so far in 2011. The energy in the predominately young crowd last night was as intense as the strobing lights that conducted the convergence of faceted multimedia entertainment on the stage.
After at least a 45 minute delay in start to the show, The Prodigy opened the night in a nearly full arena of ravenous fans. Proclaiming from the outset that this performance marked their last with Linkin Park on the tour promising, “We’re going to show you how we do it in the UK.”
Their continuous strobe lighting turned the Pepsi Center into a rave-like environment and immediately engaged fans awaiting Linkin Park. Unlike most opening bands the UK based group commanded the arena with their veteran stage presence and uniquely crafted visual show. At one point the guitarist hurled his guitar to the back of the stage before turning around and spraying the audience with water from his drink.
The stage was then cleared and opened up to reveal an industrial set accentuated by hard lines and steel risers. The visual representation was a fitting introduction for the internationally renowned band about to control it for the duration of the evening. Big screens towered as a back drop to the set displaying black and white images as bright lights came up announcing the arrival of Linkin Park. Opening with “The Requiem” and “Papercut” the tangible electricity sent shock waves through the venue and co-frontman Mike Shinoda felt it too. Several times he paused to comment during the performance saying things like, “I’m feeling the love tonight in Denver.”
By mid-set the venue and those in attendance were completely immersed in the intensity and passion of Linkin Park’s performance. The synergy that played between the stage and crowd during the riotous rock/electronic show blanketed every inch of the arena and was especially noticeable at the height of the set when they unleashed a trio of fan favorite songs, “Waiting for the End”, “Burning in the Skies” and “Numb”.
After years in the industry, the artistry of the band hasn’t tired and still lives up to every measure of expectation billed for their live shows. They brought and left everything they had on the stage, highlighted by a six song encore! More impressive still is that they continue to do this night after night, city after city and year after year proving they have earned the respect and legitimacy many bands aren’t willing to pay the price for. For Linkin Park this comes naturally and they tower as giants over their respective competition.
If you missed out on this leg of their 2011 tour don’t miss their summer tour starting in June.
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