Tonight‘s the night! Former rap rockers turned experimental alt rock act Linkin Park have been one of the planet’s biggest rock bands for 15 years now, and, with a stacked lineup of seminal punks Rise Against and metalcore upstarts Of Mice & Men, they’re poised to blow the roof off of our very own Bridgestone Arena this evening. If you haven’t checked in on Linkin Park in a few years, we definitely recommend doing so, as their sound has matured and evolved in a really unique and totally cool way over their last few records! Read on to find out more about all three bands, and snag your tickets right here.
LINKIN PARK
If you’re taking the time to read this, we can reasonably assume that maybe you haven’t kept a close eye on Linkin Park over the years. And, if that’s the case, there’ probably a good chance that you still remember them for their highly successful (but, perhaps, critically questionable) period as the breakthrough nu metal/rap metal band that brought us Hybrid Theory. While ’90s nostalgia is starting to look back on nu metal in a more forgiving light, and new acts are unabashedly drawing influences from the better elements of that musical movement (and hey, there certainly were some), we’re not going to bother defending the Link Park of old, because it’s more important to catch you up on the Linkin Park of new. Over the past five years or so, the band have quietly (or not so quietly, if you’re one of the thousands and thousands of people still buying their music and attending their shows) evolved and matured, first with 2010’s A Thousand Suns, then with two subsequent full-lenghts. More politically charged, rock rooted, and experimental, Linkin Park funnel their heavier, angsty early style into something more ambitious, unhinged, and, well, really good. And, following a string of electronic and more ambient efforts, the band have come full-circle to produce their heaviest (but more hardcore than nu metal rooted) effort in years with 2014’s The Hunting Party. If you haven’t checked in on Linkin Park in a decade, you might want to reconsider, and if you have, then you probably already know what we’re talking about, but this is one big band with a bit of a bad stigma that deserves another shot. Plus, their live show is unreal. Don’t miss out.
RISE AGAINST
How did Rise Against end up on this bill? We’re not exactly clear on that one, but we’re glad to see them there. A thoroughly punk band with some melodic hardcore tendencies, they’re definitely an oddball on this lineup, but help bring a ton of cred, and, alone, would be worth the cost of admission. Through their unparalleled live show and one turbocharged release after another, the band have spent the last decade and a half cementing their reputation as one of punk’s most uncompromising and best groups, and, no matter how much you love their varied and stacked catalogue, they’re an act best served live.
OF MICE & MEN
Formed in 2009 following vocalist Austin Carlile’s departure from Attack Attack!, SoCal metalcore act Of Mice & Men have amassed a widespread and devoted following through relentless global touring and with the release of three full-length albums. The youngest and most consistently metal-informed act on the lineup, they’re actually closer to early Linkin Park than anything the headliners are doing now, though their more modern sensibilities should appeal best to the younger-skewing members of the crowd.
Linkin Park, Rise Against, and Of Mice & Men, will perform tonight, Jan. 17 at Bridgestone Arena. The show is all ages, begins at at 7 p.m., and tickets are available to purchase for $59.50-89.50.
