My Chemical Romance Turns a Stadium Into a Theatre Experience in Detroit
My Chemical Romance might be one of the greatest Rock acts of my generation, and that’s both a hefty sentiment and yet not outlandish. Friday night, August 21, the band and their stage players world-built Draag, a totalitarian backdrop, to perform the ‘Long Live The Black Parade’ tour stop at Comerica Park. Opening the show was legendary rocker Iggy Pop, a man and band that MCR admires.
For the fans who only know My Chemical Romance’s music, the front half of the show may have seemed like you were coming into a movie in the third act. However, the band’s staying power with ‘The Black Parade’ as an album means that those fans knew the majority of the tunes and became better exposed to the non-singles. The stage performances include a series of actors (some roles change depending on the location of the tour, like the opera singer, for example), and a story is being told across the album play.
Photos by Bryce Hall, provided by My Chemical Romance
Growing up in the era of ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge,’ My Chemical Romance lands in a ranking of “Emo Royalty,” and arguably is part of the “Big 3” or “Mount Rushmore” of that time frame. “I’m Not Okay” and “Helena” are main staples of every Emo Nite. However, when it comes to the “Emo National Anthem,” there are usually only 2 choices in that boom of Emo music expression – “Welcome To The Black Parade” being one of them, triggering a transportive quality back to 2006. Now, 20 years later, as of this October, the band sounds better than ever, and are more in demand than they possibly ever were.
During Act 1 (‘Long Live The Black Parade’), usually one of the members has to “die.” Frank Iero took the fall for the bloodshed, as he had his throat cut (faked, of course). Gerard Way held back Ray Toro and urged from across the body to his brother Mikey Way that Iero would be fine after a blood fountain erupted. Frank, of course, theatrically sat up, and kayfabe-moved on to play guitar again, after “shaking off” his own murder. Now, I won’t pretend that I truthfully know this whole story as to how this performance goes and what story is being told beyond basic knowledge. There are a lot of people out here who do have the knowledge and time to catalog it all – which is why I suggest you head to this Google Document I found online if you want “THE LORE.”
After the first act concluded, fans got prepped for the B Stage. This was considered a moat show, so fans somewhat circled the B Stage, and were primed to hear things that were NOT on ‘The Black Parade’ album. We got extremely lucky with our setlist, at one point where Gerard exclaimed, “SNAKE EYES, MOTHERFUCKER – DOUBLE VAMPIRES” before performing “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” from their 2002 album ‘I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love,’ followed by the famed “Vampire Money” from the end of ‘Danger Days.’
Photos by Bryce Hall, provided by My Chemical Romance
During this, you could see Ray Toro grinning from ear to ear, truthfully loving the crowd singing every word as he shredded guitar. Mikey and Frank held it down while Gerard paced the stage, giving his best frontman performance and not missing a single step. They also covered “Jack The Ripper” from Morrissey and performed “Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us.”
With fans traveling from across the globe to attend multiple dates, it’s easy to see why: the theatricality, the different openers, and the community it brings. While standing in line waiting to get into the show at Comerica Park, I encountered multiple fan clubs that had printed little colored sheets of paper for songs like “Sleep” and “Disenchanted” to hold over your phone flashlight during those songs – giving the crowd a chance to curate their experience from their seat. There was another fan who was walking through the lines, handing out physical tickets for keepsakes, as well as fans photographing other fans’ intricate cosplays or interviewing each other for their online presence.
Fast forward to the end of the night, and we were able to close it out with a ton of fireworks across the lines above our heads on the floor, and fire erupting from the top of the stage. It ended cinematically, and extremely on time, as if Gerard himself called for a rainstorm after the last note rang out. I found myself walking back to the car with my AirPods in, blaring ‘The Black Parade’ once again, holding onto the experience I just had with metaphorical claws. I’m known for having a whimsical mind, imagining things cinematically and how I’d capture them all if I had the right camera gear, and I felt like I was trying to replay everything I just witnessed in BrainHD.
There’s no way to accurately replay the feeling, though. The tears, the love, and the heartache that My Chemical Romance’s music speaks to. That’s why I believe that this show is truly special, and the band earns their spot as one of the best to do it – and that categorizes My Chemical Romance to legendary status as a result, no hyperbole. What it represents for its fanbase is a legion of misfits across the globe who were spoken to through their lyrics, instrumentation, and their heart. ‘Long Live The Black Parade’ references death thematically in a lot of ways, but there is one thing for sure: ‘The Black Parade’ will never die. (Yes, it will carry on.)
Catch My Chemical Romance on the rest of the ‘Long Live The Black Parade’ tour by visiting their website here.
