I atteneded the private X games opening concert with Linkin Park at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on June 29, 2012 & while in line, I met a fan who was going to his 99th show. Color me impressed? HELL YES. We were in line together and talked about how he had seen the band even in their early days. I went to my car to put things away before doors opened and had been separated from him and the others I was in line with. I’ve been to every LA show since then as well as the “Only US show(at the time)” in Vegas. I had found out he was also at these shows but had missed him. With SSMF promotion increasing over the last few weeks, I thought it would be really fun to interview him and ask things that only a fan like him would be able to tell us! His list is very impressive & I hope that the guys see how dedicated this fan is… because what else says dedication? Everyone, meet Richard Carter! I definitely plan to see him during his 107th show Saturday! Enjoy~ Irene

My LPU name is: rclinkinpark1

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Favorite Album & Why?

This question to me is like asking a father to pick his favorite child. Before I discovered Linkin Park, music to me was just something playing in the background during car rides. When I first heard the Hybrid Theory album material, it was the first chunk of music that was relatable to me on a personal level. While I enjoy all of their albums for differing reasons, sentimentally, Hybrid Theory is the favorite.

Favorite Song & does it have any meaning?

Again, a very tough question to narrow it down to just one… Thinking again on a pure sentimental level, “Papercut”, was THE song that first really hit me based upon some life circumstances at that time.

Favorite Song Live & Why?

There is just something about “Lying from you” …The aggressive nature of the verses from Mike; the panoramic chorus from Chester. It’s a song the crowd always responds to with energy. Really, it’s the epitome of an arena rock anthem.

Favorite tour?

I’d have to say the LP Underground Tour which preceded the release of Meteora. It was a small-venue tour in which the band gave LPU members free tickets. Small venues; free tickets… Can’t beat that!

How did you react when it was announced that Linkin Park was headlining the Sunset Strip Music Festival?

In all honesty, no more or less excited then I would be over any other announced show that I may possibly attend. I have been to numerous festival shows in my day, but never the SSMF, so I can now knock this one off the list, and put another notch under the LP list of shows belt.

You stated the first show they ever played at, you were there for a different band. How did you feel when they got on stage & what was your first reaction?

Sadly, while I was in attendance, I didn’t pay much mind and attention. I went to this show as a tag-along with some friends who were going for differing reasons, and this random band “Xero” just happened to be there. It wasn’t until few years later where I stumbled upon a relatively, at the time, unknown band named “Linkin Park”, that I then traced the lineage back the band “Xero” that I by happenstance, “kind of” saw play years prior. It was one of those situations where you are there in body, but you’re not paying much attention to this unknown act. That is not meant to be an indictment on the earlier iteration of the band or their effort, it’s just sometimes, to a fault, people just don’t always pay attention to these unknowns, and consequently, may miss an experience because of it. But I guess I can technically say I was there.

Looking at your impressive list of shows, I see a gap in your first two shows being 3 years apart… How was the second show different than the first time you saw them & how was it with a new lead singer? Likes/Dislikes?

I don’t know if it’s fair to compare the band pre-Chester to what we know of the band now. I vaguely saw the original iteration of LP ( Xero ) by randomness, so I’m hardly qualified to compare. What I can say though about the earliest of the LP shows, is that you knew this was just the beginning for these guys. When you coupled the music itself, with this highly-energetic, fan-friendly and appreciative group of guys, you knew their ceiling was going to be really high. I’m a big sports fan, so to use a sports metaphor; it was like watching this really young and raw rookie, knowing that he is going to be an All-Star one day. These guys obviously toured incessantly early on, and anytime you engage in something as repetitively as they did with their live shows, you were able to see show by show the honing of their craft taking place.

How was watching LP back then at the famous sunset strip shows different than when they started to get more known & play larger venues?

I’m not in the music industry or anything, but I can safely assume that when bands graduate to larger venues, that inherently means, things like their production budget and such are increasing. In turn, stage set-ups and such become grander, but other than that, and the gradual honing of their live musicianship, there really wasn’t much difference. I go to shows strictly to see an interpretation of their album music in a live setting. I don’t care for what their stage looks like, or the video boards, or any of that like pomp and circumstance. If I get overly-consumed at a live show with the peripherals, that actually detracts from the live musical experience in my eyes. These things have became more elaborate over the years, however, I have never been overwhelmed at a LP show with any of these peripheral features to the point that it takes away my attention from what they guys are doing on stage.

What’s the biggest change in how Linkin Park perform live back in the day to how they perform today? In the important aspects of live performance, there is no difference. What I mean is these guys have never short-changed their fans at any performance I’ve been to. Sure, some shows may stand out above others, but at the end of the day, I have never been to a show, where I felt they didn’t give everything they had in them that particular night back to the crowd. I know I wouldn’t keep on spending time and energy on anything that wasn’t returning entertainment value to me.

Obviously, the disposition of their music has changed over the years, and when a band starts working a larger portion of this newer sounding stuff into their sets, compared to their earlier work, the nature of the live show will just be different. I’m not saying the earlier live version of the band is better or worse than the more recent version, just that the live experience is different. The earlier material as we know was generally aggressive sounding, coupled that with a generally younger demographic fan-base, and the fact that the band were in their early-twenties, you netted quite raucous show. Today, like me, the band members are in their mid-thirties, the composition of their music has changed a bit, the crowd is of a more mixed demo, so, a differing toned-down a notch overall experience.

Is there a specific show that stands out & why?

I can fill this spot with numerous shows if I wanted…

There was a show at the Palladium in LA in ’01. The show was great, but what was cool was, before my buddy and I hopped in line, we stopped off at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles on Gower St. in Los Angeles. As we were just about to leave, Mike, Rob, and Joe walked in. They noticed the LP shirt I was wearing at the time, and gave me the head nod. Despite my feverish fandom, I’m not one of these people that ever needed to have any sort of personal contact/conversation with the band/famous people. The thrill with me starts and stops with the music. At some of their earlier shows prior to the Palladium gig, I had “slapped hands” with the guys, as it was commonplace for them to mingle after their performances, but I highly doubt they would have remembered me had I pressed them about it. The head nod was all I needed…

Some other random live memories include the first LA show of the LPUnderground Tour at the Wiltern. Chester decided to do a stage-dive to end the show. He flies over me, but nobody in the pit decided to hold him up, so consequently, he took half the crowd out like bowling pins, and wasn’t able to close the show with the thunderous “Shut up” send off.

The “Boost Mobile” event in Vegas in ’03 also stood out. If my memory serves me correct, the band had cancelled a slew of their prior shows in Europe because I believe Chester was ill. This was a random one-off show that, by the time the show happened, LP was very well rested from their touring schedule. Slightly Stoopid was the opener, which I thought was an odd pairing, but the band came out and absolutely destroyed the place. You can tell the time off re-energized them, and it showed in the performance. It also marked their first attempt at performing “Breaking the Habit” live if I’m not mistaken. They butchered the intro and had to re-start the song, but other than that, the show was quite strong.

When the band changed their names from xero to hybrid theory to linkin park do you think it affected their music style or anything change?

I don’t think a name change would have any influence per se on the music. Linkin Park has always said the interpretation of their music is up to who is listening. That’s the beauty of art/music. It’s what YOU get out it. With that being said, had they not been legally forced to change the name from “Hybrid Theory”, that would have been a pretty fitting band name.

Have you ever traveled outside of California to see them play live?

Even though I live in the “hub” of Linkin Park in Southern California, you can’t rack up as many shows as I have without some pretty exhaustive travel. My game plan in the earlier days was always to attend every show in So-Cal, and most in No-Cal as well. I would always drive to places like Vegas and Arizona for any dates out there, and would usually pick another state; most notably Texas where in the earlier days they would always play the Texas –Triangle of Dallas/ Houston/San Antonio areas. There were some odd and end shows in various other states I would seemingly include, but those were the places I focused on. I was lucky in that my father works for a large airplane carrier, so when I was younger, I was afforded basically free flight privileges through him. Without that perk, there would have been no way to do what I did, due to cost etc… As I have gotten older, the trekking around the country has slowed, as life and financial responsibility have caught up to me, so I basically am California and shows within reasonable driving distance only these days. But that’s why I was so feverish when I was younger, as I knew that life was not going to allow it to continue down the road.

How does it make you feel knowing you’ve basically known the band since the beginning & stayed a loyal fan?

I’m a pretty loyal guy by nature, so as long as they continue to make music that sounds good to my ears, and they keep doing what they do on stage, I will keep coming back.

What do you think of the whole stereotype of LP old vs new in regards to their albums & how they’ve changed?

I’d like to think I’m an individual thinker in life in general. I don’t let others perceptions, on music or otherwise, dictate what steers me. That’s not really being true to your self when that occurs. With that being said, sure I’ve read critiques that I agree and disagree with in regards to their sound/live shows/albums etc, but there really is no sense in worrying about it one way or the other. There is no way to quantify why another opinion is any more valid or less valid than yours when it comes to art. As long as YOU are taking away something positive from the experience, that’s all that matters.

What about Linkin Park has kept you around being a fan?

Simply put the music and live experience. We are lucky as LP fans in that they do a number of peripheral things besides the music that allows us more personal access to them ( meet & greets; summits; contests etc.) that most bands don’t do, or do as often. These aspects of this band make being a fan even more redeeming, but as I said in a response a few questions above, it all starts and ends with me on with the music and live show side of things. I have never attended a Summit, nor have I been to a meet and greet in the last 10 years. I had my close encounters with them back in the earlier days, which was great, but the music in and of itself is what keeps me coming back.

What other music do you enjoy listening to & has your music taste changed as you got older?

I listen to what ever sounds good. As teenager, I basically listened to a select type of music ( rap/R&B ), and had a very narrow-minded view at the time that that was all that was worth listening to. I think the eclectic nature of LP’s sound opened my mind up to the reality that I actually like varying types of music. I don’t think my musical taste has changed so much due to age, as I still enjoy much of the same types of music. I may listen to some music more than others these days, because rap etc, just isn’t as good of quality as it was back in the 90’s.

Do you have any funny stories from earlier shows that you’d like to share with the LP community?

Nothing really comical…Obviously, I have my favorite memories and whatnot, but nothing really comes to mind comically. That may also be because, as mentioned earlier, there really hasn’t been any sort of close contact with the band and myself. Those who take advantage of the meet & greets and the more intimate opportunities with the band, probably have more of a chance for these “off the wall” moments than I.

Is there anything you like more today than before or vice versa when it comes to LP?

Life has caught up to me to where I can’t pick up and go to shows the way I once could, but that doesn’t mean I have a diminished passion for the band and their music. The band continues to go, what I would consider, above and beyond in allowing fans inner-access to their world, coupled with the charity efforts and such they put forth, it’s really hard to not like what they are about, even if you’re not a fan of the music. It’s pretty easy to see why they are as popular as they are across the world.

THE LIST

1. 11/14/97-Whisky- Hollywood, CA—Xero**

2. 9/5/00-Roxy- Hollywood, CA

3. 10/18/00-Web Theatre-Phoenix, AZ

4. 10/31/00-The Palace, Hollywood, CA

5. 11/11/00-Best Buy-Westminster, CA

6. 12/17/00- Universal Amp ( KROQ)- Los Angeles, CA

7. 12.21/00-Modesto Plaza, Modesto, CA

8. 1/27/01-Crest Theater-Sacramento, CA

9. 1/30/01-Fillmore -San Fran, CA

10. 2/2/01-H.O.B. – Las Vegas, NV

11. 2/3/01-Dragon Festival-San Bernardino, CA

12. 4/14/01-Charity Show- Twin Bridges, CA

13. 4/16/01-Palladium- Los Angeles, CA

14. 4/17/01-Mesa Amp-Mesa, AZ

15. 4/22/01-C.W.M Pavilion-Woodlands, TX

16. 4/23/01-Verizon Wireless- Irvine, CA – KROQ

17.6/29/01-Shoreline Amp-Mountain View, CA – Ozzfest

18.6/30/01-Blockbuster Pav- Devore, CA – Ozzfest

19.7/4/01-Canyon Amp – Lubbock, TX

20.7/5/01-Smirnoff, TX – Dallas, TX – Ozzfest

21.7/13/01-Mars Amp-Palm Beach, FL- Ozzfest

22.7/14/01-Tropicana Field-St. Pete, FL- Ozzfest

23.9/28/01-Coors Amp, Chula Vista, CA – Rock 105.3

24.11/10/01-Pond- Anaheim, CA – FV Tour

25.11/13/01-Compaq Center-San Jose, CA-FV Tour

26.11/14/01-Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA- FV Tour

27.11/17/01-Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA- FV Tour

28.12/6/01-Paramount Theater- Seattle, WA – 107.7 X-mas show

29.12/8/01-Universal Amp-Los Angeles, CA-KROQ Acoustic

30.12/9/01- Universal Amp-Los Angeles, CA-KROQ Acoustic

31.2/17/02-Fort Worth Conv. Center-Fort Worth,TX

32.2/20/02- America West Arena- Phoenix, AZ

33.2/22/02-Long Beach Arena- LB, CA

34.2/23/02-Cox Arena- SD, CA

35.2/24/02-Thomas & Mack-Las Vegas, NV

36.3/4/02-H.O.B.-Hollywood, CA- Charity show

37.3/20/03-Bronco Bowl-Dallas, TX

38.3/23/03-Warfield-San Fran, CA

39.3/24/03-Wiltern-Los Angeles, CA

40.3/25/03-Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA

41.4/15/03-Don Haskins Center-El Paso, TX

42.4/18/03-America West Arena-Phoenix, AZ

43.4/19/03-Tucson Conv. Center-Tucson, AZ

44.4/21/03-E Center- West Valley, UT

45.4/25/03-MetroPark Arena-Billings, MT

46.6/27/03-The Joint- Las Vegas – Boost Mobile Event

47.8/2/03-Reliant Stadium-Houston, TX – Summer San.

48.8/3/03-Texas Stad-Irving, TX – Summer San.

49.8/7/03-Century Link Field- Seattle, WA- Summer San.

50.8/9/03-Coliseum- Los Angeles, CA – Summer San.

51.8/10/03-3Com Park- San Fran, CA- Summer San.

52.8/11/03-Jimmy Kimmel outdoor sound stage – LA, CA

53.11/15/03- Cypress Hill Smoke-Out – San Bernardino, CA

54.12/11/03-Moore Theatre- Seattle, WA – 107.7 X-mas show
55..12/13/03-Universal Amp-Los Angeles, CA – KROQ X-mas show.

56..2/2/04- World Arena- Colorado Springs, CO

57.2/5/04-Long Beach Arena-LB, CA

58.2/13/04- Tacoma Dome- Tacoma, WA

59.2/14/04-Memorial Col-Portland, OR

60.2/17/04-Cox Arena- San Diego, CA

61.2/20/04-Thomas & Mack – Las Vegas, NV

62.2/23/04-American Airlines Center- Dallas TX

63.2/25/04-Freeman Col- San Antonio, TX

64.2/26/04-Toyota Center- Houston, TX

65.3/15/04-Forum- Inglewood, CA ( make-up show )

66.8/18/04Tampa Amp.-Tampa Bay, FL

67.8/20/04-Smirnoff Center-Dallas, TX

68.8/21/04-Verizon Wireless-Selma, TX

69.8/22/04-Cynthia Woods Pav-Spring, TX

70.9/1/04-Cricket Pavilion-Phoenix, AZ

71.9/3/04-Coors Amp-Chula Vista, CA

72.9/4/04-Hyundai Pav.-Devore, CA

73.9/5/04-Shoreline Amp-Mountain View, CA

74.2/18/05-Pond of Anaheim, CA – Charity show

75.5/18/07-H.O.B.- Los Angeles – Jimmy Kimmel

76.5/19/07-Verizon Wireless- Irvine, CA- KROQ

77.7/27/07-Sleep Train Amp. – Marysville, CA

78.7/28/07-Hyundai Pav.-San Bernardino, CA

79.7/29/07-Shoreline Amp.-Mountain View, CA

80.7/31/07-Coors Amp.-Chula Vista, CA

81.8/1/07-Cricket Pav.- Phoenix, AZ

82.8/3/07-Verizon Wireless Amp. – Selma, TX

83.8/4/07-Smirnoff Centre- Dallas, TX

84.8/5/07-C.W.M. Pav- Woodlands, TX

85.9/8/07-Hard Rock Hotel- Las Vegas, NV

86.12/8/07-Gibson Amp-Los Angeles, CA – KROQ X-mas

87.3/4/08- Staples Center- Los Angeles, CA

88.3/6/07-The Joint- Las Vegas, NV

89.3/7/08- The Joint- Las Vegas, NV

90.3/10/08- Arco Arena- Sacramento, CA

91.8/7/08- Cricket Pav- Phoenix, AZ

92.8/10/08-Verizon Wireless – Irvine, CA

93.8/23/08-Superpages Center- Dallas, TX

94.8/24/08-C.W.M. Pav-Woodlands, TX

95.6/22/09- Transformers 2 Premier – Westwood, CA

96. Epicenter ’09- Pomona, CA

97.2/19/11- Viejas Arena- San Diego, CA

98.2/23/11- Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

99. 6/4/11- Verizon Wireless- Irvine, CA – KROQ

100. 8/31/11- Mayan Theater- Los Angeles, CA—MFR Benefit

101. 5/18/12-H.O.B. – Los Angeles – MFR Benefit

102. 6/29/12-Club Nokia- Los Angeles, CA – X-Games

103. 9/8/12- Home Depot Center- Carson, CA

104.9/10/12- Cricket Wireless – Chula Vista, CA

105.12/8/12-Gibson Amp – KROQ X-mas

106.2/16/13-Planet Hollywood- Las Vegas, NV

107.8/3/13- SSMF – Los Angeles, CA

Related Images: