My Chemical Romance-that amazing emo band from Newark, NJ-played in their hometown last night at the Prudential Center. The band has had a cult following from day one. After approximately 12 years they decided to give it a rest back in 2013 and then in 2019 made an announcement they were reuniting. They played shows in Australia, New Zealand and Japan and then the big “P” happened–a global pandemic hit–and their tour had to be postponed. A lot of their fans have waited three years for this show so you could imagine the excitement on their faces when they saw My Chem take the stage.

Prior to the show the crowd lined up as early as 8:00 in the morning and the line just keep getting longer and longer until the end was not en in sight. Most of them were decked out in their favorite emo gear and makeup. There was no doubt they were there to celebrate the return of MCR. I myself have only seen them once in the past with the opportunity to photograph Gerard Way on his solo tour and Frank Iero with his side projects after the breakup. My excitement was just as high as the crowds was which is a feeling that keeps me doing what I love to do.

The show started with a few minutes of just background noise with a large curtain covering the MCR backdrop. When the curtain dropped and the band emerged and the crowd went absolutely bat shit crazy–and so did the band. You could feel the energy in your bones and the whole arena shook with noise. The wait was finally over, everyone could now breathe and enjoy themselves.

1. The Foundations of Decay