Concerts Reviews
Linkin Park Balance Legacy and Renewal in Vancouver with From Zero World Tour
Linkin Park’s return to Vancouver felt like something out of an alternate timeline ; one where the band weathered tragedy, reassembled, and reemerged with a different voice but the same electricity. On Sunday night, September 21, Rogers Arena was packed to the rafters for the From Zero World Tour, a two-hour, career-spanning spectacle that proved the band’s legacy isn’t just intact, it’s still evolving.
But first: chaos. JPEGMAFIA opened the evening with a blistering 30-minute set that sounded like it was beamed in from five different planets at once. He thrashed between aggressive hip-hop, noise rock, and psychedelic jams with a live band that veered dangerously close to sounding like Rage Against the Machine one minute and a warped carnival ride the next. His set included the fan favourite “BALD!” (dedicated to the follicly challenged), and a trippy Auto-Tuned rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” It was messy and funny, exactly the kind of left-field warm-up a band like Linkin Park deserves.
Then came the countdown clock. Projected on massive cube screens suspended above the in-the-round stage, the numbers ticked down as the arena went dark. When the band emerged to the swelling “Inception Intro C,” lasers cut across the arena, and Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda launched into “Somewhere I Belong,” and just like that, Linkin Park was back.
The early stretch leaned hard into nostalgia: “Crawling,” and “New Divide” had fists pumping, while Armstrong proved she wasn’t interested in mimicking Chester Bennington so much as channelling his spirit. Her voice is different, gritty in the right moments, soaring where it counts, but she left plenty of space for the fans to scream along. When she tore into “The Emptiness Machine,” a centerpiece of the new From Zero record, you could feel her confidence snap into place.
The show was structured in four acts, almost like a rock opera. The second act veered into Linkin Park’s more experimental side: the punchy “The Catalyst,” “Burn It Down,” “Lies, Greed, Misery.” One of the strongest moments came with “Two Faced,” a new track that sounded like vintage LP, with Shinoda spitting razor-sharp verses, Armstrong screaming her lungs out, and Joe Hahn working the decks like it was 2001 all over again.
Halfway through the show, the crew rotated the set up, giving every corner of the arena a front-row view at some point in the night. Hahn and new drummer Colin Brittain got their own spotlight, trading turntable scratches and pounding rhythms in an extended interlude that bled into a Mike Shinoda solo section where he walked along the barricade and gave his hat to an excited Brazilian fan. His mashup of “When They Come for Me” and Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name” turned Rogers Arena into a 18,000-person rap cypher, the crowd shouting every word of the hook back at him.
Act three was all about catharsis. “Lost,” the unearthed Meteora-era track, was reborn as a piano ballad before the band crashed in for a full-band version. From there, the crowd surged through “Stained” and a crushing “What I’ve Done,” which sounded bigger and heavier than it has in years.
Act four leaned into the emotional core of Linkin Park’s catalog. “Overflow” exploded with a wall of sound, while “Numb” gave way to one of the loudest singalongs of the night. Armstrong pulled back during the chorus, letting the fans carry the weight. By the time the band ripped through “In the End” and “Faint,” the energy was at its highest.
For the encore, the band tore into “Papercut,” reminding everyone why Hybrid Theory remains untouchable. Then came “Heavy Is the Crown,” a new anthem from From Zero, and finally “Bleed It Out.” And just like that, the night was over.
Here’s the thing: Chester Bennington can’t be replaced. Everyone in the arena knew that. But Emily Armstrong doesn’t try to replace him, she adds a new layer. On the older songs, she does them justice while letting the fans fill in the gaps. On the new tracks, she absolutely owns the space. That balance between memory and reinvention is what makes this version of Linkin Park work.
Shinoda, as always, is the glue, trading verses, moving between guitar and keys, and keeping the crowd engaged. Dave “Phoenix” Farrell’s bass was thunderous, Hahn’s visuals and scratches stitched the eras together, and Alex Feder and Colin Brittain slid seamlessly into their roles.
By the end of the night, old fans got the emotional release they craved, new fans discovered a band reborn, and everyone walked out knowing Linkin Park is thriving.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LINKIN PARK
JPEGMAFIA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Face to Face with Sevendust in Riverside, Iowa
For close to thirty years, Hard Rock’s Sevendust has graced hundreds of stages all over the world, playing sell-out shows to rabid fans. The band, fronted by LaJon Witherspoon, has been recognized for its soulful vocals, hard-hitting riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly, thumping bass from Vince Hornsby, and monstrous drum sounds and screams from Morgan Rose. Riverside, Iowa was treated to the full Sevendust experience on Friday night.
The Riverside Casino Event Center has played host to events ranging from poker tournaments to keynote speakers, but on Friday it served as the setting for an amazing night of rock. The show started off with Iowa City–local band NonGrata. NonGrata has become very well known in the Eastern Iowa music scene, having opened for bands like Alien Ant Farm, Norma Jean, Archers, and will be opening for DED this summer. Blending groovy guitars with crisp clean vocals and harsh screams, the band delivers a sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and stage dive. Although Sevendust was the main attraction on Friday night, everyone enjoyed NonGrata. They were a great choice to open the show and get people excited before Sevendust took the stage. NonGrata will be playing shows in Eastern Iowa throughout the year, and Midwest locals should take the chance to see a new band.
After an hour pre-show delay due to the weather, fans were itching to get out of their seats as anticipation for Sevendust taking the stage rose. Riverside was the second show of the One Tour, but there was no sign of early tour woes as the band broke right into Home. The 1999 track off the album of the same name was a great opener, carrying a hint of nostalgia and a whole lot of feeling. Witherspoon made an early effort to cross from side to side, ensuring every fan had the opportunity to interact with him. Stage presence is always among the highlights of a Sevendust show. Fans know they are going to get two things when they go to a Sevendust show: amazing music and plenty of interaction. The great music kept rolling as the second track of the night was a crowd favorite, Denial. The band was joined by hundreds of backup singers who knew every word, creating an ambiance that added essential energy to the environment.
The band seemed emotional in response to how well they were received by the Riverside crowd. After spending significant time in Europe to start the year, Sevendust said it was good to be home. Because these were among the first U.S. shows of the year, American fans had not yet had the opportunity to hear songs from the band’s upcoming album, One, live. The first chance came with the third song of the night, Is This the Real You. Although the Riverside crowd had never heard the song live, that did not stop them from singing along. Sevendust also played two other new tracks from the forthcoming album, Unbreakable and Threshold. Both sounded great live, and anticipation for the new album is high. Based on the reactions to the new material, the album will likely be well received when it comes out in two weeks on May 1.
The focus on new music did not stop Sevendust from breaking into its classics. The setlist was full of songs a Sevendust show would be incomplete without; Praise, Enemy, Waffle, and Black all had their place in the night. It truly was the complete Sevendust experience. The night could not end, however, without an encore of Rumble Fish and Face to Face. Even though the crowd was treated to a 15-song main set and a two-song encore, they still yearned for more. Unfortunately, all good shows must come to an end, but with 25 dates left on the One Tour, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Sevendust again this year.
One comes out May 1.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming tour dates:
4/20 – Indianapolis, IN
4/21 – Lexington, KY
4/22 – Birmingham, AL
4/24 – Mobile, AL
4/25 – Destin, FL
4/26 – Atlanta, GA (supporting Alter Bridge)
4/28 – Dallas, TX
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK
More information on the band’s website.
SEVENDUST
NONGRATA
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger