Live Review: My Chemical Romance – Columbus, Ohio - US

Let me first start off by saying that I am not ashamed of how excited I get for concerts, because whether it’s the first time I’ve seen a band or the tenth, I still get that giddy adrenaline rush from waiting in line, suffering through the opening bands [though, in this shows case, there was no suffering with Drive-By and Billy Talent], and finally jumping around and singing at the top of my lungs; the post-show high isn’t too bad, either. And don’t dare try to make anyone believe you don’t feel it too. And this concert was no exception; if anything, it was a reminder of why I even started going to shows in the first place.

The May 4th show was my second time seeing My Chemical Romance, and it was quite an experience. First, despite all the talk of The Black Parade being ‘dead’, Gerard announced that they would be playing every song from that album, to make up for the previous show that was cancelled due to that horrible case of food poisoning that seemed to plague much of the band and their crew in early 2007. I was very happy to hear this, and judging from the excitement that erupted from the crowds around me, I wasn’t alone [though, according to Gerard, the Black Parade was ‘just a bunch of costumes and prancing around; you didn’t miss much’]. The band started off the show with ‘Dead!’, and seamlessly completed the entire album, but not without evoking every emotion in the book from the crowd.

After The Black Parade marched through, more of the classics were played, such as ‘Headfirst for Halos’, ‘Desert Song’, and of course ‘I’m Not Okay’ and ‘Helena’. Much to my surprise, b-sides ‘Kill All Your Friends’ and ‘My Way Home is Through You’ were also thrown into the mix. All in all, it was quite a show, and while I don’t have much to compare it to, my companions who have seen them a few more times have confirmed that it really is one for the record books.

Verdict: The show was amazing, but was anything less ever expected? I say if you ever get the chance to see these guys live, do it. You’ll be kicking yourself later if you don’t.

Megan