In keeping with the theme of the tour, “From the Razor to the Rosary,” My Chemical Romance offered up a pseudo-religious musical experience to their mass of devoted fans at the Eagles Club Sept. 21.

The hyperactive antics and tuneful screams of the frontman backed up by the solid proficiency of the other band members made for a bootleg-worthy performance.

My Chemical Romance took the stage to the eardrum-shattering screams of hundreds of pubescent girls and boys, many of them wearing Sharpie-decorated My Chemical Romance T-shirts.

My Chemical Romance opened with a short prelude of Radiohead-esque brooding and then shifted gears into the pedal-to-the-metal hardcore semi-punk sound that dominated the rest of the concert.

Dressed in all black with black fingerless gloves, lead singer Gerard Way looked the part of a high-testosterone demigod of a frontman. The best part was that this persona did not stop at his appearance. He immediately forged a bond with the adoring crowd by leading them in hand-clapping and having them echo short melodies back to him.

He kept up the feverish pace of his drama and showmanship while still managing to sing on key and pull out a number of metal-style screams. Several times Way invoked the “church” theme of the tour when inciting the crowd to levels of obnoxiousness that were offensive, or at least perplexing, to the many parental chaperones, who managed to appear simultaneously bored and hawk-eyed.

Twice Way requested middle fingers or “Jersey love” from the crowd. He also asked them to scream out the most disgusting thing they could think of. This exercise served as “confession.”

Aside from Way’s antics, the skills of the lead guitar player, Ray Toro, set My Chemical Romance apart. His untamed mop of curly hair brought to mind images of Slash or, maybe more familiar to the average attendee of this concert, Justin Guarini of American Idol notoriety.

Together with another able guitar player, Frank Iero, and the vigorous bass of Mikey Way, My Chemical Romance produced an impenetrable wall of sound punctuated by the standard-issue booms, thumps and crashes from the drum set. Drummer Bob Bryar’s basic no-frills style was easily outshone by the more dynamic and masterful drummer of the opening act, Alkaline Trio.

The first encore was a bit of a departure from the straight-up hardcore of most of the rest of the set. It was slower, with a sexy dragging feel to the beat. Toro’s guitar playing jangled rather than pounded, creating a more light-hearted style.

The second encore was a deliberately chosen bona-fide crowd pleaser. Gerard Way’s vocal chords got a break as he did the robot while the crowd sang his lyrics to him. For the grand finale, glittering confetti sprayed from the stage, putting the finishing touch on the Fat Tuesday atmosphere that reigned that night.

The concert opened with the high-energy, semi-skilled thrash of Reggie in Full Effect. Mercifully, they left the stage after a half-hour.

Alkaline Trio followed with their characteristic harmonies, reminding the world just how fun and even melodic hardcore punk rock can be when it is performed by a band as talented as Alkaline Trio.

> Comments