Nineteen years after My Chemical Romance’s most acclaimed album, The Black Parade, was released, the New Jersey emo-rock band brought a cinematic and theatrical performance of the album to Los Angeles.
Playing two sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium, Saturday night’s kickoff show was the band’s (known by fans as MCR or My Chem) first L.A. show since 2019. Long Live The Black Parade, MCR’s first stadium tour, was a theatrical affair.
The band — currently consisting of members Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro and Frank Iero — played their 2006 hit emo-rock concept album, The Black Parade, in full, set against a backdrop best exampled in the tour’s teaser. The video’s description reads, “It has been seventeen years since The Black Parade was sent to the MOAT. In that time, a great Dictator has risen to power, bringing about ‘The Concrete Age’; a glorious time of stability and abundance in the history of DRAAG.
“His Grand Immortal Dictator wishes to celebrate our rich and storied culture, fine foods and musical entertainments by welcoming you to these great demonstrations of power and resolve,” it continues. “And lending voice and song for the first time in six thousand two hundred and forty six days, their work privilege ceremoniously reinstated, will be His Grand Immortal Dictator’s national band… The Black Parade.”
MCR introduced the Dictator, who “watched” the performance in his honor, along with several other characters. Frontman Way — donning a fake accent — acted as the leader of the band performing for the Dictator, staying in his Cabaret Emcee reminiscent character for the entire Black Parade set. The show then had a brief intermission before the band traveled to the B-stage to perform a set that included an unreleased song written just before their 2013 breakup (the group officially reunited in 2019), hits “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena” and a slew of B-sides.
Night one of MCR’s L.A. return was full of drama, excitement and nostalgia. Here are some of the highlights from My Chemical Romance’s Long Live The Black Parade tour in L.A.
A Truly Theatrical Production
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance.
Lindsey Byrnes
MCR’s performance of The Black Parade in its totality would’ve been a hot ticket no matter what, but the band’s dedication to a full storytelling experience can’t be overstated. Led by Way’s over-the-top band leader, who, spoiler alert, meets a tragic end, The Black Parade portion of the evening was the perfect way to experience an album like this one.
At one point in the evening, following a grand performance of the album’s main track, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” Way, still in character, made a disclaimer to the crowd that they might be disturbed by what was to come. The guys of MCR were given Dodger Dogs by the character keeping them in line, even cutting to a video view of the Dictator eating the hotdog.
Then, a choice was introduced. Upon entering the stadium, fans were given “yea” or “nay” placards that were to be used to decide whether there would be a execution or an election would be held. “I’ve started to call it an elexecution,” Way told the crowd. After a vote, four prisoners — Way explained they were guilty of the crime of daring to question “the longevity of the Grand Immortal Dictator” — were brought onto the B-stage and “executed.”
To finish The Black Parade portion of the night, a clown took the stage as the group was performing on a burned and destroyed stage, stabbing Way in a bloody and theatrical moment before the rest of the group was taken off the stage with bags over their heads by officers. The clown then performed to the album’s hidden track “Blood,” before revealing to the crowd he had explosives strapped to his chest, igniting them on stage in an explosive scene. The sequence earned a standing ovation from the watching Dictator.
A Crowd of Adoring Fans
My Chemical Romance perform at Dodger Stadium.
Lindsey Byrnes
Unsurprisingly for a tour of this nature, the crowd was full of die-hard fans, both old and new. There wasn’t a song played throughout the entire set that nearly all of the crowd didn’t know — with the exception of an unreleased track. The iconic opening of “Welcome to the Black Parade” was a great example of how excited the fans were to see the group again, which had the crowd singing along at full volume.
The crowd also organized a fan project, distributing red hearts to put over attendees’ phone flashlights. The project illuminated the crowd red during the band’s performance of “Cancer.”