Linkin Park rocked a crowd of contest winners and industry personnel just after midnight Thursday (Feb. 21) at the Apple Store in New York's Soho neighborhood, in what served as an intimate warm-up for a show tonight at the city's Madison Square Garden.

The set was recorded and filmed for what is expected to be a March audio-only release on Apple's iTunes Music Store, sources say.

Linkin Park took the stage to the concise "Wake" before tearing into "Given Up," from its latest album, "Minutes to Midnight." The group also played "Shadow of the Day," "My December" (with just frontman Chester Bennington's vocals and Mike Shinoda's keyboard), "In Pieces" and "Bleed It Out."

"This is the best show in an Apple store we've ever played," Bennington joked with the crowd. After the set, group members stuck around to sign autographs for the devotees.

Apple has hosted concerts at its New York store on several occasions, including performances by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Kaki King, the New Pornographers and Simian Mobile Disco. But Linkin Park is by far the most recognizable act to appear here to date.

Sources say additional A-list acts will play the store in the days to come.