Chemical Explosion
Trevor Campbell
Daily Arts WriterSeptember 18th, 2005
A line of patrons ranging from hardcore punk-rockers to 13-year-old girls accompanied by their parents stretched for several blocks outside the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center at Saturday night's My Chemical Romance concert. The show culminated only hours after the Eastern Michigan Eagles 55-0 loss to the Michigan football team, yet the event brought both schools' students together with little confrontation.
Metal/pop/electronic/punk-fusion band Reggie and the Full Effect opened the evening. The crowd, eager to get their live music fix, seemed excited to see the act tear through their short set; however, it was difficult to find anyone actually singing along. Their set ranged their entire dynamic catalogue, including an electronic-fueled cover of the Slayer song "Raining Blood," which proved to be a crowd favorite and the climax of their set.
Next, punk staple Alkaline Trio rocked a technically sound set. Although they lacked a strong stage presence or a visual show, the group is impressively accurate while performing; they may be one of the rare bands who actually sound better live than on their albums. The band stuck to songs from its more recent releases, which disappointed some of the more devoted Alkaline Trio fans. At some points, the crowd seemed overly subdued - possibly because the average concertgoer was still in high school and Alkaline Trio's videos are seldom played on MTV.
Finally, headliner My Chemical Romance (who were recently shunned at MTV's Video Music Awards) started their set. The crowd was frantic, screaming at pitches whose frequencies neared dog-whistle range whenever a stagehand soundchecked a new instrument. The rabid fans' eardrum-shattering squeals filled the venue; it was hard to hear the music when the band finally hit the stage and began to play. The stage was built with two projector screens shaped like Gothic archways that projected stained-glass windows, so it seemed only fitting that vocalist Gerard Way took the stage costumed in priest's garb.
The audience was undeniably anxious as they sang along to the lyrics of each song, and several young girls waved an "I heart MCR" banner from the Convocation Center's upper balcony. Mixed in with the screaming girls was a group of guys in the middle of the crowd flicking off the band. Quick on his feet and unfazed by the hecklers, Way responded, saying, "To the guys giving us the finger: We can always wait outside for your girlfriends." The peak of MCR's performance was an ode to Way's deceased grandmother, "Helena." The crowd sang along, nearing the volume of the group of amplified musicians as they tried to blur the line between being fans and being part of the band. Guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro added a visual and interactive aspect to the performance, running around the stage, spinning maniacally and walking out onto the speakers to get close to the crowd.
For crazed teenage girls, My Chemical Romance's set was bliss. To the average concertgoer, it was moderately enjoyable. Bright lights, vivid colors and the Gothic cathedral-style stage sent out the same familiar vibes as the scenes depicted in the band's music videos. Apart from the mind-blowing siren of shrill noise of the teenage fanbase, the concert was equally pleasurable to the eye as it was enjoyable to hear. My Chemical Romance's solid, dynamic stage presence and creative set design make them an enjoyably theatrical live act and elevate them a step above the average band.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 26 May 2012 19:01:46 -0400