My Chemical Romance on Tour

During the 2000s and early ’10s, few rock bands displayed more concert power than My Chemical Romance, also colloquially known as MCR. The New Jersey emo-punk group was a ferocious live act full of intensity: Frontman Gerard Way was mesmerizing in the way he used dramatic, heart-on-sleeve gestures and vocal flourishes, while his bandmates slashed through songs like a powerful garage-rock band full of aggressive energy. During the peak of their popularity, My Chemical Romance toured with a who’s-who of rock and punk bands, including Rise Against, Thursday and Alkaline Trio. In 2005, the band performed on the inaugural Taste of Chaos tour, opened for Green Day and co-headlined the Warped Tour. Two years later, My Chemical Romance appeared on Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution tour alongside acts such as Placebo and Taking Back Sunday. Headlining gigs at festivals such as Reading and Leeds also followed in subsequent years.

In 2019, My Chemical Romance reunited after a six-year break, booking a show in Los Angeles that sold out immediately, plus 2020 festival appearances in Japan, New Zealand and Australia. MCR is on tour again in 2020 with dates across the U.S.

My Chemical Romance in Concert

My Chemical Romance formed in the early ‘00s with a lineup featuring brothers Gerard and Mikey Way — who sing and play bass, respectively — as well as guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro. After releasing their debut album, 2002’s I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, via small label Eyeball Records, the band inked a major-label deal with Reprise Records.

The 2004 album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge established My Chemical Romance as a commercial force, as both “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena” were MTV and alternative radio hits. The Queen- and classic rock–inspired 2006 concept album The Black Parade expanded their audience further — “Welcome to the Black Parade” even hit No. 1 on the modern rock chart — and introduced a theatrical element to the band, manifested in tailored costumes. Four years later, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys touched on an eclectic mix of sounds, including glam rock and synth-heavy pop.