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: AC/DC – Hell’s Still Bellin’
AC/DC. Christ. What’s left to say? Everything’s been said, screamed, tattooed on someone’s bicep already. Doesn’t matter. That’s the whole racket, they never changed, never blinked, and more than fifty years later they’re still the loudest gang in the room.
Growing up, they felt ancient already. I am a 2001 kid. Turns out the joke’s on me: they’re still out there, riffing like it’s ’79, refusing to retire into legend status.
Princess Auto Stadium was packed with about 35000 attendees. Everyone was wearing red twinkling devil’s horns. To warm up the night, The Pretty Reckless started with one of the hits “Death by Rock and Roll.” Some support acts play like they’re grateful for the slot. Taylor Momsen played like she owns the stadium. The hair falling forward, somehow the less you can see of her face the more magnetic she gets. Stage presence isn’t something you learn. She’s just got it.
The band didn’t sound like an opener. Every riff landed with the swagger “Going To Hell” and “Since You’re Gone” kept it burning, and “About You” brought it down to something rawer before the lights cut. By the time The Pretty Reckless walked off, the audience were already screaming AC/DC! AC/DC!
Winnipeggers stood stunned through AC/DC‘s whole set. Angus Young, 71 years old still in that signature blue schoolboy uniform and yellow-and-blue cap, ran wild across the stage, duck-walking like no time had passed at all, genuinely, a dream come true to watch in person.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug stayed largely in the background, keeping the engine running for Angus and Johnson to tear apart.
The production matched the legend, “Hells Bells” arrived with an actual giant bell hanging over the stage. The setlist ran deep: “Thunderstruck,” “Have a Drink on Me,” “Shot in the Dark,” “Stiff Upper Lip,” “Highway to Hell,” “Jailbreak,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” Almost every song sounded just as good as the album version. The crowd tore their vocal cords apart singing along to “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “TNT.” “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” closed things out with cannons blasting into the night sky.
The house lights came up and nobody moved right away. Smoke still hanging over the stage, ears ringing, horns still lit up red across the stands. Bands this old aren’t supposed to sound this dangerous. They aren’t supposed to still mean it. But AC/DC never got the memo about slowing down, and honestly, thank God for that. I walked out hoarse, deaf, and completely satisfied.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
AC/DC
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
All Photo Credit: Nischal Karki
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Party On, Vancouver: Dogstar Sells Out the Vogue Theatre
The Vogue Theatre was packed wall to wall on September 16 as Dogstar rolled into Vancouver, and the excitement was impossible to miss. New York rock band The Backfires kicked things off with a lively opening set, warming up the room before Bret Domrose, Robert Mailhouse and Keanu Reeves stepped onto the stage. Naturally, hundreds of phones immediately went up when Reeves appeared, because Vancouver was not about to let this extremely Keanu moment go undocumented.
Reeves held down the bass, Domrose took on guitar and vocals, and Mailhouse powered the night from behind the drums. While one member may come with a little more star power, Dogstar quickly felt like a proper three-piece instead of a celebrity side project. The chemistry between them was relaxed and natural, with plenty of smiles, glances and little interactions that made it clear they were genuinely happy to be playing together. Reeves frequently wandered across the stage to jam alongside his bandmates, occasionally making his way toward the front and sending another wave of phones into the air.
Dogstar’s story stretches back to Los Angeles in 1991, when Reeves and Mailhouse first started making music together. Domrose later joined the band, and the trio released two albums before going their separate ways in 2002. More than two decades later, they reunited, returned to the stage and released Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in 2023. Now, with their latest album All In Now and another tour underway, Dogstar are giving this chapter of the band far more than a quick nostalgia lap.
The set began with “Siren,” immediately setting an easygoing alt-rock tone for the night. Their cover of The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” brought an extra burst of familiarity, while “Punch the Sky” landed with the kind of energy made for a full theatre. Rather than pausing for long speeches, the band kept things moving, letting the music and their chemistry do most of the talking. Domrose’s vocals stayed at the centre of the songs, Mailhouse gave them plenty of drive, and Reeves appeared completely locked into the groove on bass.
Yes, people cheered whenever Reeves moved closer to the edge of the stage. Yes, there was an undeniable thrill in seeing the internet’s favourite human casually rocking out a few feet away. But the attention did not stay on him alone. Domrose and Mailhouse were just as essential to the show, and together the trio delivered a performance that felt tight without becoming overly polished. There was still room for the songs to breathe, for the band to play off one another and for the night to feel a little spontaneous.
A fun surprise arrived during the encore with a roaring cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The band shared that they had only performed it live once before, making it a particularly unexpected way to close the night. The Vogue responded accordingly, singing, cheering and soaking up every last second before the trio left the stage.
More than 30 years after forming, and over two decades after calling it quits, Dogstar are back on the road and clearly having a great time together. That sense of fun was infectious, turning the sold-out show into something warmer and more memorable than a simple celebrity sighting. Vancouver may have arrived ready to see Keanu Reeves play bass, but by the end of the night, Dogstar had given the crowd plenty of reasons to stay invested in the whole band.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DOGSTAR
THE BACKFIRES
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle