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Linkin Park and current Stone Temple Pilots singer Chester Bennington knows how to throw a party–especially when it comes to benefiting the children of Cardon Children’s Medical Center. Bennington may have outdone himself this year at Saturday night’s fourth annual Stars of the Season charity at Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, which raised over $175,000 for the neonatal intensive care unit at the Mesa hospital.
The packed house included former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, former Arizona Diamondbacks Joe Saunders and Justin Upton, golfer Tom Lehman, and Bennington’s Linkin Park bandmate Mike Shinoda.
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Attendees enjoyed dinner, drinks, and a live auction before Stone Temple Pilots took the stage for an electric 45-minute set. Things started out mellow; opener “Big Empty” featured the sweet slide guitar work of Dean DeLeo and sent Bennington swaying around the stage.
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The unmistakeable riff of their 1994 hit “Interstate Love Song” followed, and people began getting out of their seats to get closer to the stage; from there, the party never stopped.
The members of STP really seem to love playing with Bennington as an artist and a person; they were all smiles throughout the night during tracks like “Vasoline” and the impressive new single, “Out of Time.”
Bennington was equally pleased. “I mark this event on my calendar every year,” he told the crowd, “no matter what I have going on.”
After the band wrapped up the show, the singer returned to the stage with over 200 drum heads. Each was signed by the band and going for $200 each. Bennington hand-delivered them, and needless to say they didn’t last long.
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