The show begins with singer Gerard Way wearing a hospital gown and being wheeled on stage on a stretcher. He slowly climbs off the gurney as he sings “The End,” eventually tearing off the gown to reveal that he’s dressed in a marching band outfit that matches the garb worn by the rest of the band.
From there on out it’s a high energy show as the band performs The Black Parade in its entirety with the addition of “The Black Parade is Dead” and show closer “Blood.” The only quiet moment during the pyrotechnics and strobe light-filled show is when Way sings the poignant “Cancer.”
The second concert was filmed in a small club in Hoboken, N.J. just a couple of weeks after the big Mexico City finale, and MCR again performs mostly songs from The Black Parade. The band is in street clothes for this one, and the relatively small stage doesn’t leave them much room to move around, let alone provide for a light show.
But Way and his band have the crowd thoroughly charmed without the bells and whistles. Way uses “Cancer” as the closing number and leaves the stage to obvious adulation. A CD of the Mexico City show is also included.
Grade: A
The Black Parade is Dead is currently available.