I heard Somewhere I Belong and Breaking The Habit on the radio. I don't know how or why, but I just one day in 2004 decided "I'm gonna be a Linkin Park fan". It was not too long before Collision Course came out. I went on their website and listened to all the songs on the Meteora Player. Breaking The Habit was the most recent music video. I went on WinMX, LimeWire or one of those sites and downloaded all their songs. My first LP album was Reanimation. Then I bought Meteora, followed by Hybrid Theory.
In 2005, I got my best friend (at the time) into Linkin Park. He was 12 at the time. We always argued about Hybrid Theory and Meteora. His favorite was HT and mine was and still is Meteora. His favorite song was By Myself. I remember watching Live In Texas with him. We'd laugh our ass off at certain parts, especially when Phoenix looks like he was about to trip on A Place For My Head.
I had wanted to join the LPU, but my grandma was the only one at the time with a credit or debit card. I was really happy the LPU package came to Best Buy in December, 2006. My grandma let me use her card to order it online that year. I bought 7,8 & 9 from Best Buy. When LPUX went up to $60, I said forget that, and haven't been back since.
In 2008, I got two free tickets from an LPU member to the East Troy, WI PR08 show. He wanted to go,but lived in Alaska. His son lived in Illinois, but we wasn't able to make it either. I PMed him and he generously sent them in the mail for no cost to me. My wish came true, to finally see Linkin Park, especially in my own state. My brother and I went to the show. It was his second LP show. He seen them at the same location during Ozzfest, 2001. Lucky him.