My Chemical Romance Further Cement their Status as Emo Icons on their Reunion Tour
It’s official, My Chemical Romance are back and better than ever. Damn it feels good to say that! Originally announced and sold out in 2020, the emo punk icons finally embarked on their long-awaited Reunion Tour earlier this year, with North American dates kicking off on August 20th. We were lucky enough to catch their first of two sold out shows at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. Warning: setlist spoilers ahead!
My Chemical Romance have always been and remain an eclectic act in the scene, and that couldn’t be better showcased by their slew of various opening performers for this Reunion Tour. From long-time friends in Thursday to up-and-coming pop-punk stars in Waterparks to the explosive hardcore punks in Turnstile, it’s a tour that will go down in history as one of the largest and most diverse in the alternative music scene.
Lighting the torch for My Chemical Romance to take the stage in Toronto, ON was the up-and-coming “5D ROCK” star in Meg Myers and highly energetic trio in Waterparks. Myers set the tone of the evening with her incredibly impactful delivery of newest single “Children of Light II” and leaving the crowd wanting more with her timely cover of “Running Up That Hill.” While visibly nervous during stage banter, Myers let her booming voice carry her performance without a hitch, leaving a permanent mark on this listener – who was admittedly completely unfamiliar with her prior to this performance.
Soon after, the charismatic trio in Waterparks took to the stage to deliver their brand of sing-along pop rock. Despite only playing 9 tracks, Waterparks managed to give a varying taste of their recent discography, with new hits in “Numb” and “FUNERAL GREY” preparing fans for their setlist staples in “Telephone” and “Turbulent,” to follow soon after. Fans in Toronto even heard the unreleased anthem in “Real Super Dark,” a track sure to make waves upon release.
With an almost 20,000-person crowd warmed up and itching for the long-awaited return of one of, if not the most, iconic bands in the scene, Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Mikey Way, and Frank Iero finally took the stage in Toronto after 11 long years away. Slow droning filled the stadium as the lights revealed My Chemical Romance kicking into their new single “The Foundations of Decay” – the first new music from the band since 2014’s “Fake Your Death” – the only constant to the rotating setlist of the Reunion Tour.
My Chemical Romance - Opening 3 Songs LIVE in Toronto, ON
Being a sucker for looking up the setlist beforehand, we were impressed to find the band had not performed the same setlist once on the entirety of the Reunion Tour. Mixing new and old, hits and deep cuts, you never know what the band was going to have up their sleeve for your tour date. “The Foundations of Decay” took some time to grow on me but hearing it in this context – coupled with the general excitement of seeing My Chemical Romance for the first time ever – it’s a perfect addition to the band’s more chaotic back catalogue.
Without a second to catch our breath, the band exploded into the ever-iconic “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and the crowd in Toronto erupted right back with ferocious cheer. An infectious energy of pure joy and happiness filled that stadium from the first notes; it’s an indescribable experience you can only attain from seeing your favourite musicians perform the songs you grew up cherishing in your formative years. While some people could die happy having heard just this one legendary pop-punk anthem – myself included – My Chemical Romance still had another 17 songs on the docket.
Taking it way back, the band blasted through “Our Lady of Sorrows” before dipping back into Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge for the trifecta in “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid”, “The Ghost of You”, and “Thank You for the Venom.” Way’s vocals absolutely shined through this section of the setlist; from the cackling screams of their 2002 material to the emotionally soaring wails of their 2004 ballad.
After jumping along to the infectiously catchy “Na Na Na” and the only track from Conventional Weapons in “The World Is Ugly,” we were treated to the first cut from 2006’s The Black Parade. Arguably the most recognizable single note introduction to any song in history, the G note rung out and the crowd in Toronto answered with a thunderous boom, rattling the rafters and shaking the ground we stood upon. A song that made an entire generation of emo kids grab their skinny jeans and eye liner just to sing alone in their bedroom, “Welcome to the Black Parade” was cried and screamed for those miles away to hear.
My Chemical Romance - “Welcome to the Black Parade” LIVE in Toronto, ON
As someone who holds The Black Parade in their top 5 albums of all-time list, the remaining 9 tracks of the main setlist were the ultimate My Chemical Romance performance, with 6 of them coming from the pinnacle 2006 album. Following “Welcome to the Black Parade,” the band danced their way through “DESTROYA” before delivering the one-two punch that was “Teenagers” and “Mama.” Despite every member of My Chemical Romance performing at their peak on that stage, they may as well have handed the vocal reigns over to the crowd because the sheer volume during these tracks was insane. Dressed in a full skeleton onesie, Way commanded the crowd as a twisted ringmaster would command a circus.
Keeping the energy at an all-time high, the band took us back to their aggressive cuts in “Hang ‘Em High” and “Headfirst for Halos,” where Iero’s backing screams drew some much-deserved attention. This made us even more excited for his involvement in the recently announced L.S. Dunes project, who will also be touring this fall, as well as dropping their debut album.
Closing out the main set, My Chemical Romance inspired much crowd participation with fan favourites “Famous Last Words” and “Sleep.” Whether you were screaming to point of losing your voice, or throwing your body around in the mosh pit, everyone was involved, and no one was silent. That feeling of pure joy from the opening notes of “The Foundations of Decay” had carried us through to this point and they weren’t ready to subside just yet.
Stepping away from the stage for the expected encore break, the fans chanted “M-C-R, M-C-R, M-C-R . . .” until the band returned for at least one more anthem we still needed to hear. Returning with little to no time wasted, Way softly begins “Long ago / Just like the hearse you die to get in again / We are so far from you . . .” before the band crashed into the iconic instrumentals of “Helena.” But it wasn’t so long and goodnight just yet, as the band transitioned into their final track of the night in “The Kids from Yesterday.” Not quite as impactful as a set closer, but still an incredible track nonetheless. As Toro rang out the final notes of his solo, our hearts inevitably began to break, faced with the harsh reality that our time with My Chemical Romance had come to a swift end – I guess the post-show blues are hitting strong for this one.
Overall, it’s extremely difficult to put into words just how happy we are to have My Chemical Romance back recording and performing music again. They truly were – and clearly still are – the voice of an entire generation and their music remains as influential today as it did all those years ago. We want to give a massive thank you to the team at Live Nation and Scotiabank Arena for hooking us up with the opportunity to attend the show. We’re beyond thankful! You can catch My Chemical Romance on the remainder of the Reunion Tour through to October 17th.