show review: My Chemical Romance in Portland, OR
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance.
My Chemical Romance fans are insane.
Now I don’t say this in a negative way whatsoever, but MCR fans are insane in a “start queuing 24 hours before doors-know every single word to every single song in their impressively extensive discography-show up in the most creative, jaw-dropping outfits and make-up ever” kind of way. They’re insane in arguably the best way, and this 100% has contributed to My Chemical Romance’s success both pre-breakup to today, nearly ten years later.
Fans queued all day to secure their spots on barricade.
Last night marked the first time MCR has played Portland in almost 11 years and the show felt practically sold out with how packed to the brim the arena was from the crowded GA pit on the floor to the 300s balcony. Having been one of the most influential emo bands of the last two decades, it’s safe to say that My Chemical Romance knows how to put on a good show, and that’s exactly what they did.
All it took was a few light bulbs flickering and the faint sound of buzzing for restless fans to start gearing up, ready to experience the show of a lifetime (and some kids in the crowd literally did wait a lifetime, this is your reminder that kids born in 2013 are almost 10 years old now). Give it one, two minutes and My Chemical Romance had taken the stage, frontman Gerard Way taking the lead as they instantly jumped into playing The Foundations of Decay, the band’s newest single (from the year 2022 and that fact alone is crazy. This song really embodied a similar sound to some of My Chemical Romance’s earlier work, a perfect mixture of classic emo and a bit of grunge and everything you could possibly want in an MCR song vocally.
The fun didn’t stop there though as My Chem broke into Danger Days hit Na Na Na, riling up the crowd (and admittedly me too, singing along while taking photos is harder than one would think when it comes to standing right in front of the entirety of MCR with a camera in hand) even more, setting the standards for energy in the crowd high from the start, absolutely on par for a show like this.
As it turns out, guitarist Frank Iero (with the help of bassist Mikey Way) supposedly writes the setlist each night, and if there’s one thing he likes to do, it’s keep us on our toes. Not one night this tour has had an identical setlist and Portland was no exception. Though the band obviously still played their collection of classics such as Welcome to the Black Parade, I’m Not Okay (I Promise), and Teenagers, they made a point of throwing in some lesser-played songs (not that fans mind this, you should see what goes down on Twitter each night as each song is played) such as The World is Ugly (preluded by a very brief tangent about butterflies), an apparently extra unhinged Sleep, and Desert Song. Mix and match their radio hits, fan favorites, and surprise songs each night and you have an incredibly unique experience for each city, though in my opinion, no night is complete without a Ray Toro guitar solo (which I know Portland got, thankfully).
Fans going crazy during Na Na Na.
MCR’s Portland Setlist:
Really, seeing My Chemical Romance is live is less of an experience and more of a milestone. Before this tour, how many teenagers could say they’d seen MCR live? (The answer to that is very few, which is crazy on many levels). That being said, I urge literally everyone to utilize any opportunity you may run into to see this band live. Who knows if another tour is going to happen anytime soon? (Though fingers are crossed with the release of The Foundations of Decay and all of the Swarm imagery possibly hinting at an upcoming EP or album!)
Full photo gallery posted below.
