This is it. My review to end all reviews. One of the first bands I ever fell in love with and now I’m on the list to review them! What an incredible full-circle moment. Welcome to my review of My Chemical Romance’s “Long Live: The Black Parade 2025 North American Stadium Tour.”
With stops in just eleven cities and only one Canadian date in Toronto, I was admittedly a little disappointed. I, along with a lot of people I talked to at the concert, were hopeful that the week gaps between concert dates would allow the band to add more stops to the tour based on ticket sales. While MCR did announce more dates for some of the more popular cities and added Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, there were no other new Canadian or North American locations added. The band did, however, announce a South American tour, a Southeast Asian tour, and two nights in London, so the tour did expand internationally.
I will be honest though, I have no legs to stand on. While there are a handful of bands and artists I will begrudgingly trek to Toronto for, there is only one band that I have flown across an entire ocean for, and I would do it again. I will admit with my whole chest that the second my calendar hit August, I had been waking up and immediately checking for an email letting me know if I would be invited to cover this tour stop. Naturally, in a way that is comically fitting for being a long-term emo, I received the email confirming my spot on the press list mid-therapy session. I sat up so fast and so stiffly that my counsellor asked me if I was okay. If I’d been clever or thinking at all, I’d have said “I’m not okay,” but instead all that came out was a stilted “no,” and then I immediately started happy crying. This will be a repeat performance because I have cried at every single MCR concert I have attended.
This is my third time seeing My Chemical Romance live. The first time was May 19, 2022, in Milton Keynes, where the band held up a flag with all the fans they’d lost during COVID before they could make it to the rescheduled tour dates. As a die-hard Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys fan, getting to hear “Goodnite Dr. Death” before “Vampire Money” blared out will probably stay with me as the best encore I’ve ever heard. It did, however, confuse the shit out of several Brits as to why the American National Anthem was suddenly cracking through the stadium. I don’t know if they were fake fans or just exceedingly unimpressed by Danger Days, but I lost whatever shred of voice I had left.
Naturally, as soon as I left The Reunion Tour, I was immediately scouring resale sites for a pit ticket for Montréal. I needed to see those men up close, I owed it to 13-year-old me, and I got barricade on September 2, 2022. It was honestly one of the best nights of my life, and I thought MCR were done touring, so it was a beautiful way to wrap up my love for them. Sweaty, extremely sore feet, diabolically hungry, eyeliner streaming down my cheeks, but also so peaceful and happy. So imagine my surprise when they resurrected The Black Parade.
With every band I love I have two favourite albums: the album that introduced me to the band and the album that I discovered on my own after I’d already decided I was a fan. For me, like many others, the album that I was first introduced to MCR with was The Black Parade and then the album that I picked for myself is Danger Days, which is hugely underrated in my humble opinion. Combining the two together for my concert look, I rocked up to Rogers Centre in all black, including my sunglasses, rotator cuff brace, a shaved head that was then bleached before being dyed with the Danger Days Killjoy spider, and Doc Martens, but lacking enough eyeliner to remain visible even after they played “Famous Last Words.”
To my horror, the emergency eyeliner that I always keep in my backpack was moved to my Osheaga bag and never replaced. A true emo emergency. I knew I could make it work, but it would take every single muscle memory I had. So I finished my late lunch with my great aunt (listening to The Phantom of the Opera on vinyl while I concocted my plan), then I took the bus to Broadview Station, tuck-and-rolled to Shoppers Drug Mart (live, laugh, love Ontario), bought a new and begrudgingly sharp eyeliner pencil, ran back to Broadview, tightlined my under-eye waterline between Broadview and Bloor-Yonge, transferred lines eyeliner in hand, and then did my upper lash line on the way to Union.
As chaotic as my transit was, I felt a bit like an animal at the zoo as people watched me do my makeup. By the time I exited Union Station, my eyeliner was perfectly smudged and I was ready to see what outfits and art all the fans had come up with, along with whatever cursed location-specific t-shirt the band concocted for Toronto.
I met so many cool fans and I was given so many phenomenal pieces of art! Two of which were “Summertime” and “Thank You for the Venom” bracelets. I’m not saying I’m the great decider, but I will say out of all the bracelets I received, every single one with a complete song title was played. Other notable bracelets include: Grank It, Gerald, Mikey Fucking Way, “Disenchanted,” a rainbow Killjoy, and Save Yourself. Along with friendship bracelets, I was also given a cool bracelet made out of pop can tabs, a swarm patch, a Michael Romance pin, a “Sleep” art print, a vampire teeth keychain, a Killjoy spider keychain (this was the first thing I was given by someone who saw the back of my head, screamed, ran over to me, and told me I had to have it), and two very cursed Gerard Way photo cards.
But I think one of the coolest parts of my night happened by complete accident. While walking around making new friends, I bumped into someone who was working tech for the show who was looking for his friend. He was in a custom jumpsuit complete with a Draag patch on the right shoulder and front and back details. He told me that there were over 80 people on the tech team alone, which is when I knew the show would be even crazier than I predicted. I did ask if he had a copy of the setlist or any of the custom Toronto picks so I could get a little sneak peek, but of course he couldn’t give those out or carry them around. I jokingly asked if he could slide “Planetary (GO!)” on there for me and either I was given the gift of prophecy or I’m just incredibly lucky, but either way I am still grinning ear to ear!
After so many cool interactions with other fans and staff, I was ready to hear the entirety of The Black Parade (including my beloved “Disenchanted”) and whatever deep pulls were on the B Stage. And I was fed. I won’t lie, I am really chuffed with how much Danger Days was on the B Stage. I know Bullets and Three Cheers/Revenge fans are screaming, but as someone who’s waited 15 years to hear “Planetary (GO!)” live, I will be blocking out the haters and pretending that the high-pitch scream I’m sure could be heard in Montréal didn’t come from me. My pretty princess streak continues, as MCR have played one of my all-time favourite songs, “Summertime,” every single time I’ve seen them. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let’s start with The Black Parade. The show started off without a hitch. “Tonight You Belong to Me” by Patience and Prudence was played off of a tape before Marianne (Lucy Joy Altus) sang the official Draag National Anthem “Over Fields.” Then Gerard, Mikey, Frank, and Ray took the stage to open The Black Parade with “The End.” Followed by “Dead!” where it was announced that not only was The Black Parade back in action but that The Grand Immortal Dictator was in the stadium with us and that the show itself was brought to us by The Ministry of Complimentary Reconditioning (MCR) and the Draag Auxiliary Band.
“This Is How I Disappear” played next, and following the end notes of the song an official named The Clerk appeared on stage and handed Gerard a letter which he promptly crumpled and tossed away. “The Sharpest Lives” rang out next and before “Welcome to the Black Parade” could play, they wheeled a pulpit out for Gerard to stand behind. After “Welcome to the Black Parade” concluded came The Election. The level of theatrics and care put into the show was astounding.
In addition to resurrecting the country of Draag from the original 2006/2007 performances of The Black Parade, MCR also enlisted the help of typographer Nate Piekos to create a decodable font called Keposhka. This is seen on screens, camera equipment, advertisements, merchandise care instructions, and even setlists. There’s also an official Draag flag visible in the promo and the merch table in addition to an official Draag coat of arms which is visible in some of the advertisements and on the drum kit of The Black Parade. Draag’s authoritarian regime’s lore expands with each day of the tour.
Instead of YAY or NAY signs for the election/execution, Toronto fans received CHICKEN or FISH. This was only moderately explained by Gerard Way, who said, “What we are going to decide right now is what is better: chicken or fish? Who fucking knows? Who fucking cares? They’re gonna die anyway.” He did promise that there was a correct answer, but based on past tour dates the correct answer seems to be whichever option the crowd doesn’t select, regardless of the contents of the answer. The authoritarianism really pops out and grows increasingly obvious the longer the tour goes on for.
“I Don’t Love You” rang out before the howling of wolves, both pre-recorded and from fans and the band, signalled the beginning of “House of Wolves.” After “House of Wolves” finished, the onstage pulpit was removed, a second letter was given to Gerard who crumpled it again, but this time he threw it at the government official who promptly slapped him. After “Cancer” played, the haha button was pressed. I did not save my tears for the wheat, as was advised by the old Draag proverb that flashed across the stadium screens before the show started. I knew when the first note played that my eyeliner was toast.
Prior to “Mama” starting, Gerard removed his jacket and introduced us to a puppet named The Gentleman. During the song, there was a truly impressive amount of pyro. There was even a significant portion of the set aflame and a person fully ran across the stage, fully on fire. It reminded me of the “Famous Last Words” music video where all the band members sustained injuries. I could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics in the upper 100s where I was dancing, so I can’t imagine how hot it was on the stage. We were also treated to the “Dagger” outro with a guest appearance of Marianne the opera singer, which would later make a lot more sense when The Black Parade looped back to “The End!”
When “Mama” finished, Gerard sat down with The Gentleman and read a copy of Vogue. Before “Teenagers” started, Gerard was forced back into his official jacket complete with military awards displayed by The Clerk. Next came the speech before “Disenchanted” began about the button to launch the missiles being pressed which stated “our time has come, the button pressed, a simple act has meaning. A single word repeats across the stars and that word: greatness.”
Some fans are theorizing that the missile launched officially starts the analog/helium wars (2014-2015) that lead to Danger Days, but since it’s canonical that Danger Days takes place in 2019 and the band haven’t confirmed it, it’s fully just speculation at this point. I’m personally a fan of the theory that the band members are stuck in a time loop/being brainwashed, which is why they’re fighting back against the Grand Immortal Dictator a little more with each performance, and also why Gerard looks more and more dishevelled every night. I would like to personally propose that the helium wars have already started and ended (since again Danger Days is canonically set in 2019 California) and that this is a new war that leads to the formation of The Paper Kingdom, the long yearned-for and frequently discussed MCR5 album which should have been released but was scrapped when the group disbanded in 2013.
I think MCR could have easily breathed new life and new lore into the concept of the album during the decade they’ve been sitting on it, especially with Gerard’s slip-up on the B Stage when he said they were back in the studio before making a bunch of computer noises. But I’m willing to put on the clown nose and makeup if I’m wrong.
“Famous Last Words” played next and was accompanied by alternating happy people of Draag propaganda and military schematics and codes. It felt very, very similar to Soviet Bloc propaganda during WWII and The Cold War, and I was delighted that my historian brain was right when I read Nate Piekos’ inspiration for Keposhka. I could bore you all with the wheat, authoritarianism thinly covered by the declaration of socialism, dancing and brutalism comparisons and analysis, but this review is already over three pages, so instead I’m going to dive back to the music.
MCR looped the album back with a “The End!” reprise, but this time with a Pierrot clown who only Gerard seemed to be able to see, which would make sense since they’re a symbol for putting on a mask to hide your own feelings and put on another face. The clown proceeded to stab Gerard while the band continued to play. Once the other members realized what was happening, Ray ran over to see what happened to Gerard and a Draag official worker tried but failed to get a hood on him. Frank was grabbed by multiple personnel while Mikey ran off stage. After all the band members were gone, the clown danced along to the recorded bonus track “Blood” until he revealed that there was a bomb strapped to his chest and he blew up the stadium.
There was an intermission between the resurrection of The Black Parade and the beginning of the B Stage set. Clarice Jensen, a phenomenal cellist, played her song “From A to B,” which really made it feel like an operatic performance. Then the band came out and introduced themselves as My Chemical Romance in plain clothing, looking like a ragtag rock and roll band. I knew we were in for a fantastic second act. They somehow made Rogers Stadium feel like a small venue.
The first few notes of “Boy Division” had people screaming, and I realized about halfway through this review that it’s not a standard part of their show and I was just lucky enough to have heard it every time I’ve seen them. Honestly, yeah: “it better be black and it better be tight, and it better be just my size.” Next up was “Thank You for the Venom,” a fan favourite that was dedicated to a fan named Jeanne who had met the band earlier that day.
Next was “Summertime,” which both me and Gerard share an affinity for, and it was heartwarming that I got to keep my streak of hearing it at every MCR concert. But once the first few notes of “Planetary (GO!)” hit my ears, I let out an involuntary scream and my soul left my body. The fact that it was followed by “The Ghost of You” slammed me back into my body just in time for them to start “SING.” Mikey ended up throwing his pick to a crying fan midway through the song, and so he ended up finger-plucking his bass, which was so outrageous to Gerard he not only giggled but he also announced what was happening to the entire stadium so that they could laugh along with him.
“This is a song off our second record, fuckin’ ultimate summer jam, get ready” — and then My Chem ripped into “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” as the crowd went crazy. Then a truly deep cut from their discography came when “Kill All Your Friends” from The Black Parade B-side was played next. Although fewer people in my section knew the words compared to other Black Parade songs, everyone was still jamming along.
I did see several people visibly deflate when Gerard announced that there were only two songs left for Toronto, and I have to assume that they were hoping for more songs off I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love or Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, or maybe they just never wanted the concert to end. The penultimate song was “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” which is always fun to scream along to, and of course the last song of the night was “Helena,” which I think is a phenomenal way to close the show due to the nature of the lyrics.
The overall theme of the Toronto B Stage was mostly Danger Days and jump-around-and-dance songs, minus “The Ghost of You,” but a man’s got to breathe so I’ll allow it (I also love the song). I will be honest, before the show even started I was already having a fantastic time. Thank you again to everyone who made my night so, so, so, so special. MCR, their staff, their fans, and the music they make! Honestly, I’m surprised I made it till the first few notes of “Cancer” before I started crying, because MCR fans are so nice and I was so overwhelmed with happiness.
Also Mr. Toro, if you happen to read this, please tell me what hair products you use on your curly hair to make it so luxurious and my life is yours! I may have walked into Rogers Centre looking like Terminator Barbie, but I left looking like a drowned raccoon. I still wouldn’t trade it for anything. Until next time, “so long and goodnight.”
- Tonight You Belong to Me – Patience and Prudence (pre-recorded)
- Over Fields (B Stage) – The National Anthem of Draag sung by Marianne (Lucy Joy Althus)
- The End. (Main Stage)
- Dead!
- This Is How I Disappear
- The Sharpest Lives
- Welcome to the Black Parade
- I Don’t Love You
- House of Wolves
- Cancer
- Mama (with Marianne on the B Stage)
- Sleep
- Teenagers
- Disenchanted
- Famous Last Words
- The End. (Reprise)
- Blood (pre-recorded)
- From A to B (B Stage) – performed by Cellist Clarice Jensen
- Boy Division
- Thank You for the Venom
- Summertime
- Planetary (GO!)
- The Ghost of You
- SING
- I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
- Kill All Your Friends
- Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
- Helena
Review – Ashtyn Turner
Photos – Lindsey Byrnes
