Linkin Park has spent most of 2025 on the From Zero tour, named for the band’s 2024 revival album, and the trek recently made a stop in late singer Chester Bennington’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. While there, playing at the PHX Arena, the band got a big surprise when they discovered that Bennington’s high school choir teacher was in attendance.
In a clip posted on social media, frontman Mike Shinoda is seen and heard addressing the crowd in between songs, specifically singling out a guy named Dylan who is wearing graduation gear.
“Yo! What’s going on with this? What happened? What’s going on with your outfit?” Shinoda asked, to which Dylan explained that he skipped his high school graduation ceremony for the concert, but assured the vocalist that it wouldn’t “disqualify” him from receiving his diploma.
“I’ve never skipped a graduation, so I don’t fucking know,” Shinoda quipped. Dylan responded: “[It was] the easiest decision of my life.”
Was a crazy moment pic.twitter.com/1kU7TXy2k6
— Andrew Froncek (@itzbigred) September 7, 2025
Shindo then signed a shirt for Dylan and gave him his hat, saying, “You’ve got better than two signatures from the band. You’ve got six,” and then encouraged the teen to “celebrate” his graduation and “all the hard work” he put in.
At this point, Dylan whispers something into Shinoda’s ear and points to the woman next to him. Surprised, Shinoda then announced to the crowd: “You guys, this is fucking crazy. This is so dope. His mom was Chester’s choir teacher in high school.”
After hugging the woman, to a roar of cheers from the crowd, Shinoda told her, “I don’t know if I’d be over here if it wasn’t for you, so…” he paused as the crowd cheered, then said as he hugged Dylan, “Thank you. Have a good night. Alright, you guys. Make some noise for these two right here!”
Chester Bennington was Linkin Park’s vocalist from 1999 until his death in 2017. The singer died by suicide just two months after the release of One More Light. The band went on hiatus for the next seven years and reemerged in late 2024 with a new lineup, album, and tour plans. See below for the band’s remaining 2025 North American tour dates.
9/13 Intuit Dome, Los Angeles County, CA (+ Queens Of The Stone Age & JPEGMAFIA)
9/15 SAP Center San Jose, CA (+ JPEGMAFIA)
9/17 Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA (+ JPEGMAFIA)
9/19 Moda Center, Portland, OR (+ JPEGMAFIA)
9/21 Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC (+ JPEGMAFIA)
9/24 Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA (+ JPEGMAFIA)
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