(Written for LA’s the Place.com.)

Sam Endicott appears calm, despite the fact that thousands of people are waiting in the amphitheater just outside.

With less than two hours to go before stepping onto the main stage, The Bravery frontman and songwriter relaxes in the tour bus, strumming quietly on his guitar. Having just returned from an unscheduled trip to the Apple® store, Endicott is dressed casually in dark colors, with lightly shaded sunglasses and sporting bare feet.

Music seems to relax him. Holding a guitar while answering questions, it is an apparent extension of who he is. Fans of the indie rock and electronica band would be surprised to learn that growing up there was no music in Endicott’s household. When he was 12, Endicott finally began tuning in to the radio. “It blew my mind,” he says. The future musician then started listening to various types of music and playing guitar…and knew he wanted music to be his job and his life.

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Linkin Park held the audience captive even before they came onstage. The amphitheater was shrouded in darkness and man-made smoke billowed out. Suddenly, the Street Drum Corps, clad in black-light sensitive clothing and reflective instruments, burst onto the scene and broke into tribal drumming. Then, as purple and blue lights engulfed the stage, Linkin Park opened their set with the powerful “What I’ve Done,” from their Minutes to Midnight album and the 2007 movie soundtrack Transformers.

Linkin Park kept the party going and rocked the crowd despite a long day. Bands from all over the country had congregated at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Orange County, performing on two stages from 2 p.m. until well into the night.

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