HOLLYWOOD -- When Linkin Park began brainstorming for the third Projekt Revolution Tour, the band made a list that was basically a dream lineup.

"And right off the bat, it was us and Korn and Snoop," Chester Bennington explained. "We made the phone calls and it was that simple."

Bennington, along with Linkin Park bandmates Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson, Korn's Jonathan Davis and Snoop Dogg gathered Thursday (February 19) at the Avalon in Hollywood to announce the three acts will launch the 2004 Projekt Revolution Tour on July 23. Exact cities and dates are still being finalized, but the outing will wrap up September 6.

"You know me, I like to make history," Snoop said, "and this is history to me. You've got the best of the best stepping to the stage to do what we do best: give people something special for the summertime. That's when everyone wants to have a good time, everyone's out of school, so why not come and have fun with the best."

The outing marks a reunion for Snoop and Korn, who shared the stage on Lollapalooza in 1997. "It's been a long time, so it's going to be fun," Davis said. "It's cool to be surrounded by great acts."

To Bennington, the lineup represents exactly the idea behind the Projekt Revolution Tour.

"We've always wanted to bring something different," he explained. "This isn't the kind of tour that is branded 'This is a metal tour,' this is a tour where you get to see three headlining acts that know how to put on a great show and connect with the people and have the ability to connect with people who may not be there to see them.

"The first one, we brought Cypress Hill, and they're legends," he continued. "That was something that was special and we wanted to do that again. ... This year we wanted to do it a little bigger and we got the best thing that could possibly happen."

Projekt Revolution will also include other bands to be announced at a later date, Bennington said. Last year the tour featured Mudvayne and Xzibit, while the tour's initial 2002 run had Adema and DJ Z-Trip joining Cypress Hill.

"I hope they put on really great shows," Bennington said, expressing excitement about the challenge of following Korn and Snoop. "And we're gonna do the same. I want kids to go away going, 'That was the best show I've ever seen.' Not, 'Such and such band was great.' "

Snoop Dogg will be tweaking his performance a bit for a rock audience.

"I got me a band now, the Snoopadelics, who I've been rollin' with for the past year, and it's makin' me feel like I need to be a little more in that direction," he said. "That's why I jumped on this tour faster than any rap tour that was offered to me. I wanted to do something that was different and big and could change the face of the game, and Projekt Revolution is the next level."

All three acts hope to collaborate onstage throughout the cross-country trek.

"Of course we gonna come together," Snoop said. "Why not? We're already out there together. If they're onstage and I'm on the side watching, I want to be onstage. I just love the game like that. And there might be a song of mine that they might like ... and we might just have to say, 'I'll save this song for y'all to play on.' "

"Every tour we've put on," Bennington said, "the bands get along really well and the bands join each other onstage, and I would welcome any of these bands up with us. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Linkin Park are currently headlining a tour in support of last year's Meteora with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Story of the Year. The band was recently forced to postpone a date when Bennington was diagnosed with bronchitis and acute laryngitis (see [article id="1484910"]"Linkin Park Frontman Falls Ill, Group Readies New Singles"[/article]), but the show is back on the road.

"It's great," Bennington said of his throat. "I get a cold and it's on CNN, but it's great that people are so concerned."