By. Jordan C.
Yesterday was one of the weirdest days of my life. But last night...last night made it all absolutely worth it. I never win anything in life, so naturally when I received the news that I was chosen for the Tour Reporter position, I nearly died out of shock. For all of April and the first of May, my mind was consumed with the concert. All I could do was fantasize about going to my first show, having great seats, AND meeting my heroes!! By the time May 10--the concert date--rolled around, many of my friends were sick of hearing me talk about it. It seemed all that came out of my mouth was "Concert, concert, concert!" I was so excited, but so nervous. I asked a few of my Killjoy friends, Tori, Cat, Anay, Magenta, and Ayslin what MCR concerts were like, and those that had attended before told me it would change my life. How correct they were.
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I could write a novel on how much I love My Chemical Romance, how they've changed my life, given me inspiration, and made me feel special. They’re my HEROES for goodness sake! And if it wren't for the Tour Reporter position, I wouldn't had even been able to attend the concert. I had been given an incredible oppurtunity, and I wish I had a way to thank them for everything they've done for me, but all my brain could come with was fan art. I spent a month preparing a piece of art for the band and felt like it was my way of saying "Thank you for everything."
As the time got closer and closer to the doors opening, we began to become discouraged, fearing the Meet & Greet would be cancelled due to the band running out of time. But we constantly reminded ourselves that there was no way My Chemical Romance would let their fans down like that. We kept up hope, and soon enough, we were taken back to meet the band. As we were led to an alleyway outside with all of the band's equipment, my heart began to pound. Once outside, my new friends playfully teased me, along with the security guards, because I was so nervous. When I heard Gerard's voice near the door, and watched the band file outside to meet us, my knees began to buckle and I burst into tears. "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." One beautiful moment that is absolute proof in how amazing the band is as PEOPLE, was watching them talk to Ryan. Ryan had a handwritten letter to give the band and was telling them about his friend who tragically took his own life last year. The look on Gerard's face was unforgettable. It was true empathy, sorrow, and completely genuine. I could hear him telling Ryan how sorry he was that it happened, and it touched my heart.
When I met the guys, I was crying my eyes out, and the picture I drew for them I practically threw at them, simply because my brain wouldn't work properly. I thanked them for everything they've done for me, and they are some of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I have ever met. I wanted to ask, "Do you guys know who you ARE??" But that was apparent went they gave me the classic "Hi I'm Gerard...I'm Mikey...I'm Frank." Sadly, Ray Toro was not at the Meet & Greet. I MISSED YOU RAY!!!
Fast forward to the show. I was still shaky from meeting them. I can't even describe how it felt to meet them. As I made my way to the front to take the photographs, you could sense the excitement in the air. And when I heard, "Look alive, sunshine..." over the speakers, I couldn't believe what was happening. The way Gerard, Mikey, Frank, and Ray interact with the fans is incredible. Here I was, creepily taking pictures of the band, while I was so close to Gerard that if he tripped up and fell I was a goner. The smiles I caught the guys throwing my way made me shake, but I had a job to do, so I pretended to act professional, when inside I was freaking out.
During the rest of the concert, I had third row seats. I screamed so loud to each song, I lost my voice. The passion of the band, as well as the fans, was immense. The badn put everything they had in them to make it a great show. Whether it was Gerard howling like a wolf, or Frank spitting into the crowd, every bit of it was purely amazing. When you hear that the MCRmy are the most dedicated fans in the world, I know for a fact its true. Everyoen was so into the music, they didn't care how hot it was, how hurt we were getting in the pit, or that some of us had school the next day. All we cared about was soaking every bit of MCR in like a sponge.
If I had to pinpoint the parts of the show that affected me the most, it would be extremely hard. One phenominal part of the show was when Gerard called out Ryan's friend who had killed himself, and dedicated the next song to him. They then played a little song where Gerard held his hands out and repeatedly sang "When you go" and then the went straight into "Welcome to the Black Parade." It brought me to tears. They care about their fans so much, and no Killjoy should ever doubt that. Their performance of "Cancer" brought the whole club to tears. "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Vampire Money" had the whole club screaming as loud as they could and dancing like maniacs. It was insane. Choas. Maddness. But it was the most amazing moment of my life. Of course the sunburn I recieved wasn't pleasent, and the wait was agonizing (since we could hear the soundcheck, it made us all extremely anxious), once we got into that club, everything was perfect.
If you ever have a chance to see My Chemical Romance live, take it. Don't have a second thought. Money for tickets might seem expensive at the time, but once you go and experience to true love that MCR has for their fans, it will change you life. I'm crying while I type this, and my hands are shaking as I reflect on last night. I can't wait for them to come back so I can do this all over again. Because they are the best band in the world. And they give all they have into their shows. Every song is amazing. Every beat from the drums, every note on the keyboard, every guitar riff, every bass chord, and every single lyric are truly perfect.
If MCR is ever with 100 miles of you, GO. You will never regret it. I will remember this until the day I die. I wish I could write more about just how this show has affacted me, and how the guys are such amazing people and musicians, but every article must come to a close. So maybe I'll end on a lighter note.
Frank, you Tweeted that you wouldn't shake anyone's hand yesterday because you didn't wash your hands. You shook my hand. I was Newarked.