Arguably, the most seminal album to come out of the emo music scene is My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. The album shaped the emo movement and changed the lives of so many fans. It has now been 20 years since the album was released, and MCR has graced the fans with The Black Parade 2026 tour, playing the album in its entirety. Emo fans descended upon Petco Park in San Diego, CA, many fans dressing as the characters from music videos, album covers, and past tour outfits that the band has portrayed. You could feel the love for the band and the album as fans were making new friends left and right as we were all there to celebrate a game-changing musical movement.

A unique thing about this tour is that every single show has a different opening band. For San Diego we got to enjoy the kawaii metal stylings of Babymetal. This was a fantastic choice as when the band opened with their song “BABYMETAL DEATH,” you could hear fans singing across the stadium. Su-metal, Moametal, and Momometal captivated the crowd with their singing and J-pop choreographed dancing, all backed by a heavy metal instrumental section. People who were just discovering this band for the first time were quickly becoming fans by rocking out and discovering that even though we do not understand the lyrics, as they are in Japanese, emotion and feeling through metal music is universal. Babymetal was an amazing band to start the night and get everyone excited for what was to come.

What was to come next with our headliner wasn’t just a concert. We were in for a full narrative theatrical experience. My Chemical Romance had transformed Petco Park into their fictional dystopian country of Draag, and we had entered its prison. The band was marched out as performers there to entertain the crowd, but more importantly, entertain the Dictator.

For this theatrical production, MCR used their album The Black Parade to tell the story of revolution and breaking free. Vocalist Gerard Way was our guide as he performed in the story and guided the audience through its movements. Characters were brought in to help move the story along, such as generic prisoners sneaking on stage and violently being removed. There was the Clerk, handing messages off to Gerard Way throughout the show with instructions straight from the Dictator. And the Opera Singer, who was a guest of the prison to act as a more elegant performer for the Dictator.

My Chemical Romance started out as obedient prisoners but used the moment of their music to rally and break free from their prison, instigating a revolt and attack upon the prison staff and its control. The story culminates with Draag setting off a nuclear weapon, with Gerard Way fighting, and ultimately dying, to redirect the missile at Draag itself, blowing everyone to smithereens. As the stage went dark and a musical overture played across the speakers, you would think the show was over. But we merely hit the intermission.

As cellist Clarice Jensen serenaded us with her own song “From A to B,” a second stage in the middle of the stadium was quickly set up with a drum set and keyboard layout. My Chemical Romance then walked through the crowd to get to this B-stage, where the second set of our headliner’s show could begin.

Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way had switched into more casual clothing, and on this smaller stage the second half of our show was performed in the round. Where the main stage was The Black Parade in its entirety, this second set was like hitting randomize on the rest of their discography. My Chemical Romance would change the songs performed during this set each night, so you never knew what you were getting. Our night included hits like “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” “Thank You for the Venom,” “It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Fucking Deathwish,” “The Ghost of You,” “Zero Percent,” “Planetary (GO!),” “Our Lady of Sorrows,” “Helena,” “Vampire Money,” and ending with “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).”

Whether you were right up next to this second stage, or in the upper deck seats, this felt like MCR stripped away the gloss of their show and just played the music for the fans. The ones that have been with them since day one. The ones that found them through every new album release. And the ones that discovered them while they were on hiatus, never knowing if the band would really return. The music was performed by the band, but the music felt like it belonged to us.

My Chemical Romance played for over two hours and with energy that felt like they could go on all night, and I know we the fans wished they would have. But the show must come to an end, and there was a bittersweet energy to the culmination of the show. We couldn’t believe how big a production this show was, and we were fortunate enough to be in the crowd for such a spectacle. But there were still so many songs we wish we could have heard the band play live. Regardless, this was a concertgoing experience no attendee could ever forget, and we hope the band returns again soon.

Photos by:  Bryce Hall