Concerts Reviews
Long Live The Black Parade: My Chemical Romance’s Glorious Return to L.A.

It was an eventful evening at Dodger Stadium over the weekend. However, this was not due to a baseball game. Saturday, July 26th-July 27th, the ICONIC rock band, My Chemical Romance, took Dodger Stadium by storm, nearly reaching full stadium capacity of 56,000 seats. The sold-out show paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 4x platinum album, The Black Parade.
The New Jersey natives played songs 1-14 off of their album, starting in order with the songs: “The End.,” “Dead!,” and “This Is How I Disappear.”
With some help, on Los Angeles nights 1 and 2, indie rock and pop band The Wallows kicked off the show for Gerard Way and MCR. Los Angeles residents Dylan, Braeden, and Cole energized the crowd with songs from their 2024 album, Model, which reflects a heartfelt and authentic band expression.

The title ‘Model’ reflects the inherent imperfections of being a role model. Critics have praised the album as “a no-skip record“. The Model and More Tour continues from their previous world tour. The album features their biggest streaming debut for a single, “Calling After Me.”
The North American leg of the Long Live The Black Parade tour kicked off in Seattle, Washington, and will wrap up in Tampa, Florida, after eleven nights across the United States, spanning from July 11th to September 13th.
With interactive segments and beautiful instrumental interludes, Gerard Way, lead vocalist for the band, made sure to check in with the crowd in between songs, letting the fans know just how special this night was. After a 12-year hiatus from performing, the band was last together around this time back in 2022, touring for the same album, The Black Parade.
While waiting for the band to take the stage, I had a moment to talk to some of the fans, otherwise known as Killjoys. They were telling me about their techniques for getting to the barricade and how many times they’ve seen My Chemical Romance in concert.
The concert’s theatrics kept everyone engaged as the band depicted a tyrannical storyline. The tour takes place in the fictional world of Draag, where The Black Parade, once considered “dead,” has been “elected” as the dictator’s official band. Throughout the show, we see the Black Parade’s loyalty to the Grand Immortal Dictator wane and eventually lead to rebellion.

Growing up with an older brother shaped my musical preferences. Bands like MCR have been part of my playlist since elementary school. Tracks such as “The Black Parade” and “Dead!” blared through speakers at 7:00 a.m. on our way to school or played through shared earbuds during long drives. The evenings often featured intense, emotional moments. Known as their most sorrowful song on The Black Parade album, “Cancer” uses a metaphor by Gerard to express his battle with depression.
The strength of the MCR fan base lies in its inclusivity. The stadium was packed with fans eager for an unforgettable night. MCR’s music has always connected deeply with people across various generations and backgrounds. Many fans embraced the band’s iconic emo style, arriving in handcrafted cosplay that showcased different eras and albums.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
August 2, 2025 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field Special Guest: Garbage
August 9, 2025 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium Special Guests: Death Cab for Cutie and Thursday
August 15, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park Special Guest: Alice Cooper
August 22, 2025 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre Special Guest: Pixies
August 29, 2025 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field Special Guest: Devo
September 7, 2025 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park Special Guest: IDLES
September 13, 2025 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium Special Guest: Evanescence
More info here.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE







WALLOWS




All Photo Credit: Taylor Blazer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Bleachers Bring Big Energy to a Long-Awaited Montreal Return
On June 10th, 2026, fans packed into MTELUS for the Montreal stop of Bleachers’ Bleachers Forever tour. This is the second time the band has had in Montreal, the first being at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival back in 2022, which is the perfect place to build a Montreal fanbase.
Momo Boyd, a New York City based vocalist and songwriter, had no problem setting the tone for the night. With songs like “Cold Hands,” “Strong,” and even a cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, her set was filled with enchanting purple lights, beautifully deep lyrics, and captivating vocals. Although her performance was more “low-key” than a typical Bleachers performance, it had its moments of picking up, and was the perfect way to ease the crowd into the night, and left many audience members as a new fan.
As Bleachers took the stage, opening their set with “My Way,” there was no doubt that this would be a night to remember. The band, consisting of lead singer Jack Antonoff, Mikey Freedom Hart, Zem Audu, Mike Riddleberger, Evan Smith and Sean Hutchinson came out to the wonderful sound of saxophone played by band member Zem Audu, and though the first half of the song was slower, the energy built up shortly after through flashing lights, jumps and a roaring crowd.
The audience erupted in cheers and laughter as lead singer, Jack Antonoff spoke out about artists always skipping Montreal during their tours, saying: “They think they can play Osheaga and that’s enough?”, and “What’s with (bands) that think they can play Osheaga, which is like an expensive ticket, and not just come play a normal show.” As me, and many others in that room have traveled to Toronto to see our favourite artists when they skip Montreal on tour, I completely agree with this!
The night continued with back-to-back hits, including “you and forever,” “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” and of course, “I Wanna Get Better,” and closing the set with “Stop Making This Hurt.” They even played a cover of Margaret by Lana Del Ray, which they’re featured on!
Bleachers set an incredible standard of engaging a crowd and keeping a consistently high-energy audience. From the first note, to the emotional highs and lows, to the closing goodbyes, fans were cheering, singing and dancing the whole time! They even had a photobooth in the venue where you could take pictures before the show! This is certainly a band that will be in people’s rotation for years to come, so the tour name speaks for itself when it says, Bleachers Forever!
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BLEACHERS







MOMO BOYD



All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Alex Warren Finds Family on the Road at Rogers Arena
One year ago, Alex Warren was playing Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre. On Sunday night, he walked onto the stage at Rogers Arena in front of nearly 20,000 people for the Vancouver stop of his Finding Family on the Road Tour.
That kind of jump can expose an artist’s weaknesses. Plenty of performers who thrive in clubs and theatres struggle once the rooms get bigger and the production gets larger. Their personalities get lost somewhere between the video screens and the confetti cannons, yet Warren never came close to that problem.
Before he appeared, opening act Nat & Alex Wolff warmed up the crowd with a short but engaging set. The New York brothers leaned into their easy chemistry, mixing indie-pop hooks with plenty of crowd interaction. Still, the anticipation in the arena was unmistakably for Warren.
The show opened with touching home videos from his childhood projected across the giant screens. It felt like both sentimental and a mission statement. Family, both the one Warren lost and the one he has built around himself, remains at the centre of everything he does.
He wasted little time launching into “Troubled Waters,” immediately sending excitement through the arena. From there, he rolled through early highlights including “Bloodline,” “The Outside,” and “First Time on Earth.”
What stood out wasn’t the production, though there was plenty of it. It was Warren‘s command of the room. For someone whose rise began on social media, Warren understands live performance remarkably well. He knows when to joke, when to tell a story, and when to step aside and let the audience take over. Throughout the night he read signs, spoke directly to fans, and delivered the kind of spontaneous interactions that can’t be programmed into a production schedule.
The audience responded to every moment. Many were young fans who have followed his life for years, and the relationship between artist and crowd felt unusually personal for a venue this size.
Vocally, Warren continues to silence anyone who still sees him primarily as a former content creator. Songs like “The Outside” and “Eternity” showcased the power and clarity in his voice, particularly when he pushed into his upper register. During “Eternity,” a massive sing-along broke out across Rogers Arena, with nearly every section joining in.
The emotional core of the evening arrived during the B-stage portion of the set. To get there, Warren left the main stage and made his way through the crowd, high-fiving fans, stopping for selfies, and turning the walk into an event of its own.
After reaching the smaller stage in the middle of the floor, Warren stripped away much of the arena spectacle and focused on the stories behind the songs. Before performing the unreleased “Same Stars,” he asked fans to put their phones away and experience the moment with him rather than recording it. He then spoke about losing both of his parents and the loneliness that often comes with grief. He reminded the audience that people die twice: once when they pass away and again when their stories stop being told. You could hear a pin drop as phone lights illuminated the arena.
It’s a difficult balance. Warren‘s music often deals with grief, loss, and healing, and there are moments where the emotional weight borders on overwhelming. At times, the show asks a lot from its audience, who ended up in tears several times. Yet those moments never felt manipulative. They felt genuine, even when they were uncomfortable.
“Fine Place To Die” was one of the strongest moments of the night. Sitting alone at the piano, Warren delivered the song acoustically after explaining that everything heard throughout the show was being performed live by him and his musicians. Before starting, he joked, “If I fuck up, post it on TikTok,” earning one of the night’s biggest laughs. Alongside “Heaven Without You,” the stripped-back performance highlighted Warren‘s songwriting and emotional delivery.
The final run of songs shifted the mood back toward celebration. During “Getaway Car,” Warren took a moment to introduce each member of his band, giving the musicians their own chance to shine before launching back into the set. “You Can’t Stop This” and “Burning Down” brought fresh energy into the arena before “FEVER DREAM” exploded into one of the night’s biggest singalongs, complete with confetti cannons and enough excitement to shake the building.
The final run of songs shifted the mood back toward celebration. “Getaway Car,” “You Can’t Stop This,” and “Burning Down” brought fresh energy into the arena before “FEVER DREAM” exploded into one of the night’s biggest singalongs, complete with confetti cannons and enough excitement to shake the building.
Warren explained that the confetti button is normally pushed by his wife, Kouvr, but since she wasn’t in Vancouver, the honour went to fellow musician Cameron Whitcomb, who had just finished performing at the FIFA Fan Festival earlier that day. Whitcomb’s excitement was impossible to miss as confetti filled the arena.
With the encore came the moment everyone had been waiting for. As the opening notes of “Ordinary” rang out, Rogers Arena erupted. The Billboard-topping hit has become Warren‘s defining song, and hearing nearly every person in the building scream the lyrics back at him was one of those rare concert moments where the scale of an artist’s rise becomes impossible to ignore.
A year ago, Alex Warren was proving he belonged in theatres. On Sunday night, he proved he belongs in arenas. More impressively, he managed to make Rogers Arena feel a lot smaller than it actually is.
After the final notes faded, Warren returned to the B-stage one last time to take a bow. Beside him was a young girl who had earlier asked to push the confetti button herself. He gave her something even better. It was a small gesture, but it perfectly captured the spirit of the night: a massive arena show that never lost sight of the people in the room.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Wednesday, June 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Friday, June 19 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Sunday, June 21 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Tuesday, June 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Thursday, June 25 – Atlanta GA – State Farm Arena
Friday, June 26 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Saturday, June 27 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
Monday, June 29 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Thursday, July 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Grand Casino Arena
Friday, July 3 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Sunday, July 5 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Tuesday, July 7 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
Wednesday, July 8 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Friday, July 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Saturday, July 11 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Monday, July 13 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Wednesday, July 15 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Find out more information about the tour here.
