Linkin Park is currently on the road in support of 2024’s From Zero. Yesterday (Sept. 6), they performed at the PHX Arena in the hometown of late singer Chester Bennington – Phoenix, Ariz. – where two very special individuals (Bennington’s high school choir teacher and her son) were present, prompting frontman Mike Shinoda to express heartfelt words about her influence on the band.

What Did Mike Shinoda Say to Them?

In a brief clip shared on X by a fan, you can see and hear Shinoda addressing the crowd as the outro of “When They Come For Me” from 2010’s A Thousand Suns plays. According to setlist.fm, this occurred halfway through the concert (during Act II of Linkin Park’s five-act set), and Shinoda begins by noticing someone in the audience dressed in graduation attire.

“Yo! What’s going on with this? What happened? What’s going with your outfit?” he asks, to which the individual – Dylan – explains that he skipped his graduation ceremony to attend the show. The crowd cheers after Shinoda announces, “He skipped graduation to come here!” and then confirms that Dylan’s choice won’t “disqualify” him from graduating.

“I’ve never skipped a graduation, so I don’t fucking know,” Shinoda admits, and Dylan replies: “[It was] the easiest decision of my life.”

After asking for his name, Shinoda gets a marker, signs Dylan’s shirt, and then says, “You’ve got better than two signatures from the band. You’ve got six” as he hands Dylan his hat. He also encourages Dylan to “celebrate” his graduation and “all the hard work [he] did” as the night continues.

Suddenly, Dylan whispers into Shinoda’s ear and points to the woman next to him, after which Shinoda proudly declares: “You guys, this is fucking crazy. This is so dope. His mom was Chester’s choir teacher in high school.” He also leans down to give her a hug.

As the crowd cheers loudly, Shinoda smiles and claps before continuing: “I don’t know if I’d be over here if it wasn’t for you, so—.” After a long pause as the audience keeps shouting, he embraces Dylan and then says, “Thank you. Have a good night. Alright, you guys. Make some noise for these two right here!”

You can see that clip and another clip (from a better angle) below:

Naturally, numerous Linkin Park fans responded to the post with their own reflections of the night and praise for what occurred.

For instance, one person asked: “Who’s cutting onions in the middle of the damn show???” On another post shared above, someone else replied: “Such an amazing night. Had such a great night for my first time ever seeing them in person. I’m glad there were some things to make it feel special for them being back in AZ for the first time in this new era.”

You can see those replies – and others – below:

Unfortunately, we’re unsure of what the choir teacher’s name is – so please let us know if you do – but that certainly doesn’t prevent the moment from being very special!

READ MORE: Linkin Park Reveal the Song They Won’t Play Following Chester Bennington’s Death

What Else Did Mike Shinoda Say During the Show?

Shinoda’s interaction with Bennington’s choir teacher and her son wasn’t the only heartfelt moment of the night.

In particular, amid the audience’s deafening enthusiasm, Shinoda reflects at one point:

We’re feeling very grateful to be here, in the birthplace of Chester Bennington. . . . make some fucking noise! As luck would have it, [it’s been] a year since the relaunch of the band. So, a lot of emotions for us. Thank you guys very, very much for being part of this journey over the past year. For supporting the band and for supporting new music. Thank you.

What Songs Did Linkin Park Play at the Show?

Regarding the lengthy and expansive concert overall, Linkin Park performed plenty of hits and deeper cuts as they represented their roughly 30-year career.

Specifically, according to setlist.fm, mainstays such as “Numb,” “Waiting for the End,” “Burn It Down,” “One Step Closer,” “In the End,” “What I’ve Done,” and “The Emptiness Machine” were complemented by lesser-known tracks such as “Over Each Other” and “Cut the Bridge.” Alongside these hits, they covered “Where’d You Go” by Shinoda’s hip-hop side project (Fort Minor) and “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson as well as brought out opener Jean Dawson for “Castle of Glass.”

Of course, Linkin Park still has many shows left on their From Zero tour; you can check out the remaining dates and grab tickets here.