Linkin Park, Cornell lead Revolution

Chester Bennington (pictured here in Lisbon last month) cranks it up with Linkin Park. (Jose Manuel Ribeiro/Reuters/file)

MANSFIELD - Talk about playing to the cheap seats. Before Busta Rhymes bounced onstage, DJ Scratch pumped out the beat to Queen's "We Will Rock You" as a crowd-rousing introduction. Finally, after around five hours of performances, a flutter of engagement spread among the scant audience previously slumped in seats or ambling in and out of the auditorium, seemingly oblivious that they had paid money to hear music at Projekt Revolution.

This annual summer tour, headlined and organized by Linkin Park, made its European debut in May and launched its 10-band-strong US leg at the Comcast Center Wednesday. Yet, only a little more than 7,000 tickets were sold for the 19,900-seat venue.

Regardless, Scratch, Rhymes, and MC Spiff Star continued to hustle for small mercies in between throwing down old-school hip-hop. "Us hip-hop people, we have fun," Rhymes cajoled. He managed to get some arms in the air. Fronted by A Perfect Circle's Billy Howerdel, Ashes Divide drew some interest opening the main stage. Its grunge cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" didn't hurt. You had to pity the Bravery, arguably the most experimental band of the day - which is saying a lot given its punk-dance-electro hybrid is basically mainstream modern rock. Following Rhymes's semi-rousing set, the New York band played to an arena full of sullen faces and seated bodies.

So was Projekt Revolution a disaster? Enter Chris Cornell in the penultimate main stage spot, with a surprising set culled heavily from his Soundgarden years before he joined alt-rock supergroup Audioslave. Aided by five young guns-for-hire, Cornell cooed through the psychedelic haze of "Black Hole Sun," belted out "Spoonman," and even revived Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike," on which he was joined by Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, who sang Eddie Vedder's parts. Only then did Cornell broach his Timbaland-produced solo record, "Scream," due this fall.

One new song, "Watch Out," had a wiry guitar riff and a tricky Latin tempo to the chorus. Following Audioslave's "Show Me How to Live," a less engaging new ballad, "Long Gone," was dispensed, capped by Soundgarden's early and magnificent "Rusty Cage."

Even the adored Linkin Park played it safe, though, playing pounding rap-metal numbers - "Lying From You," "Somewhere I Belong," "No More Sorrow" - up front before delving into poppier, softer fare like "Given Up," where Bennington sang sweetly over covocalist Mike Shinoda's melancholic rap. Rhymes joined them for their collaboration "We Made It," and Cornell bopped on "Crawling." The beat feast finale, "Bleed It Out," featured Los Angeles punk percussion troupe Street Drum Corps, which also introduced Linkin Park's set and opened the main stage, too.

Earlier, one of the endless, inane "I love [fill in the blank]" texts on the over-stage electronic banner read "I love Street Drum Corps." During the group's opening set, however, a few hundred people sat eating pizza. Was it love? Who knew?