My Chemical Romance seemed poised to become the next Green Day in 2006 after the release of its third studio album, "The Black Parade."

That it has ended up being just another Good Charlotte is a major disappointment.

On Thursday, the New Jersey group, led by vocalist Gerard Way, did next to nothing to differentiate itself from the pack of bland emo-pop-punk acts out there during a sold-out show at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

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Walking onstage without fanfare, marching band uniforms, or fancy staging, the My Chemical Romance that kicked off the North American leg of its World Contamination Tour is far more straightforward than the prog-glam behemoth that brought us The Black Parade. Now a four-piece joined on this tour by drummer Michael Pedicone and keyboardist James Dewees, the Jersey-bred ensemble (currently residing, mostly, in Los Angeles) has morphed back into a polished punk-pop band, one that's scaled down its theatrics considerably.

That didn't stop singer Gerard Way from painting his neck bright red, or his blonde bassist brother Mikey Way resembling Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes at the peak of his androgynous powers. Mikey wore a sleeveless T-shirt declaring "Art Is the Weapon," while Gerard's only change in costume was to remove the jacket of his white suit toward the end of his set, and then return for the night's encore with it reinstated. The others looked almost disturbingly ordinary.

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Live Photos of MCR on Buzznet.com
Wednesday April 6, 2011 | Posted by: MCR

Check out the live photos of My Chemical Romance shot at the Seattle show by Buzznet.com.

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“Summertime” Acoustic At 98.7FM
Wednesday April 6, 2011 | Posted by: MCR

Check out the final instalment of MCR’s 98.7 FM’s acoustic session featuring “Summertime”. Watch now.

How superheroes and Duran Duran kept Gerard Way from an early grave. “I’m not injuring myself. There’s no death wish anymore.”



Gerard Way is older than he seems. He has boyish looks and hair dyed as red as horror-movie blood. The New Jersey native fronts punk band My Chemical Romance. He created a successful comic-book franchise, the Umbrella Academy. In the videos promoting his band’s latest, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, MCR sports superhero alter egos and ray guns. Surprisingly, Way turns 34 on Saturday 9. He has settled in L.A. with wife Lindsey and their two-year-old daughter, Bandit. It’s a remarkable lifestyle change for someone who says he once subscribed to the notion of “live fast, die young.”

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