LINKIN PARK

From Zero Tour | Live at Intuit Dome

September 16th, 2025 Review by Jimmy Alvarez

L. A. is a very weird place – so many things go on there on the daily. For example, just last week I was driving through the traffic one night on Sunset Boulevard.

I honestly didn’t think I would make it to the Intuit Dome in time to go back in time, then back to the future. Like many, I was very eager to see Linkin Park 2.0.

This night was just like any other as you hit the city limits of Inglewood. The sights and sounds of a major metropolis engulfed the sense. Parking was nuts, and that’s not an understatement. And yes, the time it took to get in gave you an opportunity to take a look at the facility that is slowly becoming the jewel of Los Angeles, Inglewood’s Intuit Dome is quite the sight.

Despite the line to get into the sold-out show, everyone was in a very good mood. As many of us rolled in, the show was just getting started.

Immediately the crowed was amazed at the stage. It was not at the end of the venue; instead in was smack-dab in the middle.

It was positioned so that concertgoers could get a firsthand look at the band, their lead singers in an equal setting as they whisked themselves about the stage.

First out to entertain the crowd that was quickly filling up the Intuit Dome was Brooklyn’s own, JPEG Mafia. Born Barrington DeVaugh Hendricks, the New York rapper has been on a steady rise to musical stardom.

He opened unapologetically taking the stage by storm as he tends to do. With the swagger of a music veteran, “Jesus Forgive Me, I am Thot” and “Lean Beef Patty” had the crowd immediately laser beam focused on him. He thanked every for coming out and then jumped into his next set of tunes, “bald!,” “Call me Baby,” and “SIN MIEDO” (translate to “without fear”), which got a great response from the crowd.

JPEG Mafia lived up to the hype, but sadly because having an opener’s slot, it was an abbreviated set. Nevertheless, it was a good sampling of music, closing with fan favorites as “Scaring the Hoes,” “Protect the Cross,” and “Either On or Off the Drugs.” JPEG exited to a standing ovation from the early birds.

As for downtime, it was almost non-existent as the stage was already set, it was just the equipment hookups and some lighting adjustment. As I sat there waiting on LP to take the stage, I overheard fans behind me talking about the band’s history. Turns out we were all very familiar with their catalog of music as we had followed them from the beginning. I turned to chat with them and it turned out we had been along for the ride from “Hybrid Theory” to “Meteora” to “From Zero.” Throw in their incarnation as Fort Minor and X-Ecutioners, we had all the bases covered.

We were all very curious what newcomer Emily Armstrong brought to the table. Truth is the only measurement we had with Mike and Chester, but we were poised to give Ms. Armstrong a fair shake.

Otherwise, it was a very quick turnover as evidenced by the countdown clock on the enormous video screens above the stage: the countdown started at 15:00. What was interesting about this was due to the kick-ass acoustics a Intuit, the crowd noise was slowly percolating. As the countdown neared zero – it was as it was an amplified beehive buzz that got louder and louder until the clock said 0:00!

Immediately, the crowd went bananas, apparently that place can get very loud very quickly.

As the silhouettes of the band took their place on stage, that insanely cool light show took effect adding the epic feel of the moment.

As Mike Shinoda took the stage, I couldn’t help be remember visions of Chester and those crazy Spiderman / Scott Weiland karate-man-like moves which always made me smile.

Then, I focused myself back in the moment and out came Emily Armstrong.

Immediately, the sound, energy and amplitude was so familiar, they launched with the most appropriate song for their return to L.A., “Somewhere I Belong,” causing many in the crowd to lose their minds. Most sang along to each word, while others were literally in tears.

With copious amounts of energy vibrating throughout Intuit Dome, they slid into “Crawling,” and then the moment came, we got to see what Armstrong brought to the table with “Up rom the Bottom.”

The thing about anyone attempting to replace an iconic voice that person will always be unfairly judged. Armstrong did exactly what I hope she would do; she didn’t attempt to be Chester, she didn’t try to mimic his style (vocally or otherwise), instead she was Emily Armstrong and with authority she let us know she was there to sing music for us, and it worked!

Armstrong walked from side to side of the stage, strolling front to back and all points in between while she delivered on that incredible voice.

“The Emptiness Machine” was the song that defined her position in the band I think. She was able to commune with the crowd and all we could think was this is a great sound. The crowd was no longer looking at the LP 2.0 angle, they were all taking in a great performance by Linkin Park.

LP broke the show down into segments, new and not so new. Songs from their catalog included “The Catalyst,” “Burn it Down,” “Stained,” and one of the coolest versions of their Fort Minor mega-hit “Where’d You Go.” Wow, wow, wow, Emily killed that.

After a very short pause, Shinoda took center stage and with his cool varsity jacket in play, he thanked everyone who had supported them since the beginning. It was about a year ago they reformed the band, and this night was special he said.

The show continued with a surreal light and laser show, “Waiting for the End” and “When They Come for Me / Remember the Name” caused a stir.

That lightshow, did I mention that?… because it was insane! Songs like “Lost,” “What I’ve Done,” and “Numb” had everyone on their feet.

“In the End” and “Faint” almost brought the roof down, it was such an epic moment.

Even though the night was done, we all knew it wasn’t, not yet at least. The lights dimmed and the crowd coaxed LP back the baseline.

Then “Papercut” brought a roar back to the house that could be measured in decibels.

As LP was in full effect, “Heavy is the Crown” and “Bleed it Out” sent everyone home with smiles from ear to ear.

What a night for music, what a night for a return of icons, and what a fabulous job by Emily Armstrong – impressive is how to best describe her performance.

SHOW PHOTO GALLERY

by Green Eyed Blonde Photography

>

TO FOLLOW

SID 250918 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR