Late last Thursday evening, sitting on the train to Toronto for a long-overdue family visit, I was contemplating whether to buy a ticket to the My Chemical Romance reunion concert in town the night of Sept. 4. Yes, MCR has been my favourite band since I was 14, and yes, I would be in town anyways. However, anyone who went to the concert can attest that the tickets were much more expensive than average. First level seats were going for up to four-hundred dollars, with GA going for up to six.
I scoured Ticketmaster and found a seat for under $200. After about an hour of consideration, I purchased the ticket.
That Sunday morning arrived, and I was beaming with anticipation and excitement. This only continued to grow throughout the day. Finally, by about seven o’clock, I was at the door of the arena.
The first opener, Meg Myers, was simply okay. Their songs contained generic platitudes and sounded more or less the same as most Y2K pop-punk. Imagine if you put all the emo bands of the 2000s into an AI machine and asked for a compilation — I imagine this is what you’d get.
The second opener, Waterparks, was entirely different. Their set was energetic and had the entire crowd singing and dancing along — an uncommon feat for opening bands, especially at venues as large as the Scotiabank Arena. Awsten Knight’s famously boisterous stage presence, along with his soaring vocals and support from the band, had the whole stadium captivated. While this may have been easier because many MCR fans themselves are also Parks fans, I’d argue this does not negate the impressiveness of their set.
After a 45-minute long wait that felt like eternity, MCR finally came on stage. The entire stadium was cheering for them. MCR fans are known for their intense love of the band, and they absolutely showed it. 11 long years of no My Chem live shows, seeing our favourite band appear on stage was a moment so perfect, it is hard to describe.
The set lasted for an hour and a half, and I have so much to say about it, this piece could go on forever. However, since I realize most people are not quite as dedicated to the MCR-lore as I am, I’ll break down the show into a series of highlights.
Highlights of the Show
The Sound
Gerard, Ray, Frank, and Mikey were all on point. They sounded tight and cohesive. Ray absolutely shredded several solos and Frank provided perfect support. Mikey was having a great night on bass and could often be seen with a massive smile. Gerard’s vocals were soaring and intense, and just SO good.
The Costumes
There were several nods to long-time fans, particularly regarding the band’s costumes. Gerard wore the skeleton onesie from “Life on the Murder Scene,” the 2006 documentary MCR released about their tour for their breakout album, “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.” Frank continued the tradition of wearing a silly number of layers on stage. Mikey wore what looked like a $20 black tank top with white block text, a nod to his “Mikey F**king Way” tee, which is now sold as official merch. And Ray, being Ray, wore a random metal t-shirt.
The Song
MCR played “Headfirst for Halos.” Due to it being a niche cult classic among diehard fans, many speculated whether they would include it. I am so happy that they did. Unlike how they used to play the song, Ray played the entire solo at the beginning (and of course completely shredded it). The entire song was performed wonderfully. What made it exceptional, however, was just how many from the crowd knew the words. The entire band could be seen beaming with the realization of just how popular they have become — a very endearing sight to fans like me. “Headfirst for Halos” is off their first record — a release on a now defunct New Jersey indie label, which received about thirty-thousand sales at the time of its release. 20 years later, and a stadium of almost that size can be heard singing the entire song with Gerard. Everything about HFH was perfect for fans.
The Merch
There is an entirely new merch line. While fans assumed it would be associated with their new single “Foundations of Decay,” it was instead a green, yellow, and black palette of merchandise with the phrase ‘SWARM’. The lack of connection to any current music has led fans to speculate if the merch is a method of teasing potential new releases.
Singing my favourite songs by my favourite band who I never thought I’d get to see live was exactly as magical as I expected, if not more. I cannot wait for this next chapter in MCR’s career. I am praying that this is only the beginning. If the new merch line is any indication, it just might be.