My Chemical Romance brought The Black Parade Tour to New York City for an evening with Scottish indie rock veterans Franz Ferdinand.
Citi Field was certainly the place to be on a steamy yet beautiful summer evening as thousands lined up outside the stadium, with great anticipation and excitement for what was to come. Concertgoers were dressed the part, as if they were part of the show. Many did it up the whole nine with women in blood-stained dresses and top-notch make-up work, and the guys in suits making the Black Parade evening surreal.
Kicking it all off at 7 PM sharp were the indie rock vets Franz Ferdinand, taking to the stage and wasting no time jumping right into “The Dark of the Matinee” from their 2004 debut self-titled album, which was well-received by attendees. The familiar guitar riffs immediately cut through the stadium while the spot-on rhythm section supplied the propulsive pulse that has defined the band for several decades.
Alex Kapranos took full advantage of the time and controlled the stage with his high energy and charisma, and, of course, swagger as the band blasted through their ten-song set. The band’s sound was very effective within the stadium as Alex knows when to let the music do the talking and when to step forward and pull thousands of people into the moment. Moving forward into their 2025 track “Night or Day” from The Human Fear album, helped demonstrate the band’s ability to balance its newer material that established its reputation while maintaining their modern edge.
The biggest reaction for Franz Ferdinand was inevitably reserved for “Take Me Out.” When those opening guitar riffs rang through Citi Field, the place erupted. It’s wild to think that more than two decades later, the song still holds that strange combination of dance floor rhythm with a post-punk attitude. Performed live, it remains one of their most effective weapons. The performance was tight, energetic, and remarkably direct. Rather than trying to compete with the sheer scale of the venue through excessive production, the band relied on their musicianship and songs to carry across the stadium, and it paid off.
The biggest compliment that can be given to Franz Ferdinand is that they never felt like a disposable opening band, but more like a headliner in an opening slot.
My Chemical Romance brought a blistering performance to the sold-out Citi Field in New York for their U.S. opening date, celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Black Parade. The anticipation was certainly at a high, as if this was more than a concert, and more like a cultural reunion. The moment the lights went down, the reaction from Citi Field was immediate. The roars were enormous as the band made their way onto the stage.
The band wasted no time, jumping straight into “The End,” the first track off their 2006 release The Black Parade, as Gerard Way instantly took control of the stage, while the masses sang along to every word. The energy was overwhelming throughout their entire set as they performed the album in its entirety, and the fans were locked in for the ride. As the opening notes for “Welcome to the Black Parade” triggered one of the biggest reactions of the night, the stadium was a sea of people singing together, which was just an incredible sight to witness.
My Chemical Romance brought an outstanding theatrical show with a crafted production that blended music, theater, and nostalgia, as the small skits and interludes between songs made you feel as if you were a part of the show rather than an onlooker. The psychedelic visuals were an intense part of the production, as well the copious amount of strobes and pyrotechnics, which helped to crank the “Awesome” meter up to 10/10.
Gerard Way has a gift when it comes to engaging with the audience as he constantly reinforced that sense of collective participation. During the song “Cancer,” one of the most emotionally resonant performances of the night, the whole stadium turned on their phone lights and held the red teardrop-shaped paper that they were given on front of their lights, bathing the whole venue in red light, giving the atmosphere an extremely intimate feeling. They continued through the rest of their set on the main stage and wrapped it up with “Famous Last Words” as the entire stage was engulfed in flames, which was absolutely mind-blowing as it was something that had to be seen firsthand. This was followed by “The End” as Gerard Way killed the clerk on a gurney with a dagger while massive amounts of blood sprayed. It was glorious in every way.
After a brief break, My Chemical Romance made their way to the second stage, which was located in the center of the stadium, for the encore. They crushed it, giving fans an even more intimate experience up close and personal, almost like a club show in a giant venue. They played a ten-song set to finish off the evening with other hits such as “I’m Not Ok (I Promise)”, “Na Na Na,” “Bury Me in Black,” and “Helena,” which were all received with tens of thousands singing out loud.
Overall, My Chemical Romance killed it. Their performance was extremely tight from start to finish. Their following is stronger than ever, and understandably so. Be sure to catch them on this tour, or you’ll surely regret it as it’s an experience, not just a show.
PHOTO BY: Jesse DeFlorio
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
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