Linkin Park Live in Seoul 2011

Linkin Park, an American rock band, dropped by in Korea on September 8 as part of their world tour for their newest album A Thousand Suns. With the help of the album¡¯s hit single, ¡°The Catalyst,¡± A Thousand Suns reached number one on more than ten different music charts in 2010.

Linkin Park first formed in 1996 in California. Their first album, Hybrid Theory, which was released in 2000, sold more than 4.8 million copies and went multi-platinum in various countries around the world. Their second and third albums, Meteora and Minutes to Midnight, also enjoyed critical commercial success. To date, the band has sold over 50 million records. Despite their early failures, which are mentioned in their songs, they have since achieved great success and have collaborated with many prominent artists, most notably Jay-Z for their song ¡°Numb/Encore.¡±

The world tour for A Thousand Suns has been going on for many months now, and they finally came to Korea and performed at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Gymnasium in Seoul. This was the third time they performed in Korea, the first and second were in 2003 and 2007, respectively. The concert lasted for roughly three hours and the 20,000 fans who were lucky enough to be there were shown a different type of music, compared to the soft pop music they¡¯re probably accustomed to.

Guitar riffs, drum solos, and just plain old screaming were blasted from the speakers all over the gymnasium. I had a front row seat and had the opportunity to jump up and down, scream, cheer, and have fun with the other thousands of fans.

It¡¯s always nice to listen to bands perform music that is much different from the usual Korean pop songs we hear. Whether its blues, metal, rock, rap, or just instrumentals, experiencing and appreciating all types of music has its own importance as well. Linkin Park¡¯s performance was more energetic, with fans screaming and singing along with their favorite songs.

I would like to thank Linkin Park on behalf of everyone who attended the concert and the many fans who could not. I would like to thank them for not forgetting our country and delighting their loyal fans. I think the 20,000 sold-out tickets shows just how much Koreans like Linkin Park¡¯s music as well. We all hope you guys return in the near future. It was truly a performance we will never forget!