On June 27th, 2003, Linkin Park took the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. This show was a warm-up before they embarked on the Summer Sanitarium Tour, led by Metallica and featuring a lineup of not only Linkin Park but also Limp Bizkit, Deftones, and Mudvayne. Can you imagine? Of course, this was just the beginning for Linkin Park and their extraordinary career… which has lasted over two decades, seven albums, and over 100 million records sold.

On the 20th anniversary of this Sin City show, we’re paying tribute to the late Chester Bennington and his bandmates. The hard rock-meets-hip-hop pioneers performed fantastically as they celebrated their new (at the time) sophomore album, Meteora. And the project spawned several setlist songs that remain some of their most recognized hits to date.

These include the live premieres of “Numb” and “Figure.09” in Las Vegas, along with performances of “Somewhere I Belong,” “Faint,” and “From The Inside.” Other notable singles they played throughout the night? “Crawling,” “In the End,” Papercut,” “Points of Authority,” and more over the course of seventeen songs, ending with “One Step Closer” for a night that perfectly encapsulated the era.

You see, 2003 was a time of music video worship, and Linkin Park was at the forefront of this movement. You couldn’t turn on MTV without seeing a music video for “Numb” or “Breaking the Habit,” as any millennial can attest. But even more powerful than their cinematic efforts were their sensational Linkin Park concerts, which brought an entire generation together to sing and rap along in style.

Unwavering intensity, epic rock choruses, and fiery hip-hop verses were guaranteed at every Linkin Park show. Along with a sense of community that was hardly seen anywhere else. Just watch the heartwarming video from their 2001 London show, in which they lead the crowd in a chant of “When someone falls, what do you do? Help them up!” after a fan in the crowd faints. Linkin Park was known to lead with empathy in all their artistic efforts, and July 20, 2017, was a devastating day for any fan.

Nearly six years later, Linkin Park fans still mourn frontman Chester Bennington after his tragic death. Known as one of history's most talented rock vocalists and an all-around fantastic human, he inspired millions of people. These include artists like Bring Me the Horizon and Machine Gun Kelly, who has stated his rap-rock hybrid methods as influential. And then there are the fans worldwide who witnessed his showmanship up close and personal and will hold these memories dear in their hearts.

While Linkin Park has no plans to perform again anytime soon, their concerts over the years will live on in rock history. Just check out the full Las Vegas setlist here to see what we mean!