MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE + Thrice + Circa Survive @ Stade Uniprix

By Hallie Seline - 11/29/2005

Going to see My Chemical Romance at the Stade was like being in a packed stadium filled with double personalities. When these people are hanging out before and after the shows, they are mostly entirely normal human beings, clad in dark, anti-this and -that clothing, and moody makeup. However, as soon as the music starts, the floor becomes a battlefield and it’s every man for himself. Of course, if you can’t handle the mosh pit, then stay out of it. However, it is apparent that one’s primitive need to be in the front has begun to get a little out of hand when someone is bashing into little girls’ ribs with his elbows just to get him and his girlfriend up to the front of the stage — especially when the said person is twice the size of those around him. Normally I salute the rules of the mosh pit; push, shove and go crazy, but if one man’s down, help him up. I’ve been noticing this type of lack of respect growing in many concert scenes lately, and the arrogance is tending to get worse. Bottom line, if you are fortunate enough to have missed the vertically-challenged gene, and you can see perfectly fine, please do not go punching out a five-foot-nothing female to be closer.

Aside from getting caught up in the politics of the mosh pit, for the most part, the show was hard-hitting, aggressive and wore its black little heart on its sleeve. At the beginning I, along with others I had talked to, were quite disappointed with the first band, Circa Survive. There was nothing enthralling or even remotely interesting to their bland screaming/singing vocals, and overdone riffs and drumbeats. Thrice, however, definitely picked it up from where Circa Survive had dropped the ball. Being the crowd-pleasers that they are, they incorporated the old and the new and amped up their listeners, preparing them for the band of the night, My Chemical Romance.

After a painfully long wait, the familiar poignant vocals and brooding instrumentals pierced through the pre-show chatter, and a wave of excitement consumed the crowd as the curtains dropped, revealing the faces of the music: Gerard Way, Ray Toto, Frank Iero, Matt Pelissier and Mikey Way. From that moment on, the show reached a high note and remarkably stayed there. I had seen My Chemical Romance once before and had enjoyed them, but hadn’t held much of a memory of their show. However on this night, they seemed to grab the heart of the crowd as we passionately joined in with the cynical, humorous and emotional lyrics. Way’s powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence pleased the crowd and the rest of the band was just as strong with their hard-hitting blend of guitar, bass and drums. Most, if not all, songs from their second album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge were featured, quite a few from their first album and a brand new song dedicated to a girl in the audience, which felt fresh but with the same great MCR vibe. Aside from a few technical glitches with the sound system, the entire show went very well, ending in an encore performance and a blast of red and silver confetti — as all concerts should end.

[Hallie Seline is a first-time freelance writer for CJLO.com; Emo is her big bad boyfriend. Also, this review does not in any way reflect the opinions of CJLO as we love the sound of elbows crashing into little girls' ribs.]