Linkin Park Makes A Triumphant Return To Milwaukee After 10 Years
I never got the opportunity to see Linkin Park before the world said goodbye to Chester Bennington, so when Mike Shinoda announced the revival of the band featuring a new vocalist, I was intrigued. Vocalist Emily Armstrong, a co-founder of Dead Sara, was the replacement for the legendary icon, Chester. Since Linkin Park has returned, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the band’s choice to continue with a new vocalist, but that's not what this review is about. It’s about the return of Linkin Park to Milwaukee after a decade. The last time they were in this city was for Summerfest in 2015. It’s crazy to think about how much time passes when bands tour but don’t always make it back to certain cities, either due to travel or booking problems.
All Photos By: Carrie Bergan-Hamelink It might have been a Monday night, but the city certainly showed up for this monumental moment. The show took place at Fiserv Forum, home to our basketball team, the Bucks. This arena is used for all sorts of events, from concerts to basketball games to conventions. This was only my second time setting foot in this giant place.
The stage set-up was very different from my last encounter, and it was an adjustment at first. I’ve never shot or been to a show with a 360-degree stage, but it was also an elongated rectangle. Regardless, it was cool and a little intimidating at first glance. Throughout the entire “From Zero World Tour,” Linkin Park has been featuring an array of various openers per city as well as switching up the setlist, so no two nights are alike. Milwaukee got Jean Dawson as their opener. From a brief conversation with other fans and photographers, not too many were familiar with this musician. I had actually photographed him about a year ago at The Rave/Eagles Club on the bar stage. While his experimental pop style is not something I normally listen to, I do love being able to watch artists' journeys grow and being able to photograph him on one of the smallest stages in the city to the largest arena, props to him!
After his set and a brief stage change, it was time for Linkin Park. By the time I was in the photo pit, it appeared to be a pretty full house, especially the standing-only area. A ten-minute countdown appeared on screen, and it hyped up the excitement even more. So when it hit zero, the lights dropped, people screamed, and there was a lot of love for their return. One by one, the band members took the stage, lights flashing, lasers vibrating, smoke slowly dissipating. The show was about to begin. Due to the stage set-up and size, I was given four songs in the pit, two on one side and two on the other. It was absolutely insane. The lights, the energy, everything was everything you could want from a concert. After the first four, I quickly packed up my gear to head to my seat. The intensity in the room was unlike any other show I’ve been to in a while. The audience was of all ages, from little ones to older adults. This was the event of the century, it felt like. If the band asked for waving, everyone was waving. Mike Shinoda even designated a certain area of the floor section to allow a circle pit to open up. I had gotten word that previous shows had crowd surfers, but from what I could see, we did not have.
At one point, Mike Shinoda even entered the pit and walked alongside the crowd where there was a fan who held a sign saying, “Mike, take this keychain," and in return, gifted them his hat, which had been signed by the entire band. What a cool moment for them. I love it when bands interact with their fans like this. I was back in the pit for the encore, the first time this has ever happened. The encore was four songs! I think that’s the longest encore I’ve ever seen a band play. Impressive because I know just from photographing and watching shows, I’m wiped out. Bands who can play up to two-hour sets, several nights in a row, that’s a lot of energy required.
After the last song and house lights came on, I thought my night was over. As all of us photographers lined up to exit the pit, the band slowly exited in the same direction as we were, so we stopped. Behind the barricades were fans hoping for a high five or autograph with the band members, so at one point, I was literally arm’s length away from Mike Shinoda. This night was full of new experiences and definitely reminds me that not one concert shoot is ever like the other. It was definitely one for the books.
