Linkin Park stays focused

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 6, 2004 by Scott Iwasaki Deseret Morning News

Phoenix, of the rock band Linkin Park, started his musical career with the violin when he was 6, and he played the instrument for eight years. A far cry from the hip-hop/metal sound he gets from his bass guitar.

"I really enjoyed it," Phoenix said during a telephone interview from Detroit, "and I appreciate it even more now.

"When I grew older, I wanted to play something else, so my mother helped me out with getting a guitar. She knew a few chords and started me playing."

Phoenix, who was born David Farrell, quickly found himself a band . . . but there was a problem. "There were three of us that played guitar, and one guy who didn't play anything. So I was nominated to play bass, and the guy who didn't do anything learned to play drums."

That was a few years before a band called Hybrid Theory came around. And, as fans know, Hybrid Theory became Linkin Park.

With guitarist Brad Delson, vocalists Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon and DJ Joseph Hahn, as well as Phoenix, Linkin Park got things together because they wanted to play music together. "We didn't have a game plan at all," said Phoenix. "We just liked what happened when we came together. We liked playing music and liked writing songs with each other."

The band released its debut album, "Hybrid Theory," in 2000. The album, backed by the No. 1 hit "Crawling," skyrocketed in 2001 and become the No. 1 best-selling album of that year. The band garnered three Grammy nominations -- and won with "Crawling," in the Best Hard Rock Performance category.

In 2002, the band hit the road, selling out arenas all over the world. Feeding the fans' devotion, Linkin Park released a remix album, "Reanimation," featuring new dubs of the songs on "Hybrid Theory."

Last year, the band's official studio follow-up album came in the form of "Meteora." And in keeping with the sound and intensity, it unleashed "Somewhere I Belong" as the lead single.

Through it all, Linkin Park has survived grueling tour schedules and health problems, specifically Bennington's chronic stomach disorders.

"We were friends first when we started the band," said Phoenix. "And that's our basis for our existence. We know we have to maintain a relationship with each other in order to survive the craziness of our jobs. Besides, we have known each other for so long that we keep each other in check. I mean there's nothing more humbling that having one of your best friends bringing you down to earth when you're acting stupid."

Keeping well-grounded is important in the music business, Phoenix said. "We want to stay as focused as we can. Our goal is to maintain relevancy. We want to play music that stands the test of time."

In the fall of last year, Linkin Park released "Live in Texas," a live CD and DVD. "We were on the Metallica tour last year, and the shows we were a part of were amazing. We wanted to capture that and offer it to the fans who didn't see us. It was an exciting project for us."

The current tour will team Linkin Park with some old friends, the members of P.O.D. (Payable on Death). "When we first came onto the scene, P.O.D. took us out on the road," said Phoenix. "Now we're paying them back. It's great to see old friends.

"Also, the other bands that are with us -- Hoobastank and Story of the Year -- have been incredible on this tour. They give so much for the audience. It's great to see their enthusiasm, and that makes us want to play harder."

If you go

What: Linkin Park, P.O.D., Hoobastank, Story of the Year

Where: E Center

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

How much: $33.50

Phone: 467-8499 or 1-800-888-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

E-mail: scott@desnews.com