My Chemical Romance triumphant at MetLife Stadium homecoming

An opera buffa to a Bon Jovi sing-along — this one had it all.

Did we mention a clown stabbed My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way at the Saturday, Aug. 9, band’s homecoming show at MetLife Stadium and then blew himself up in a flash of blinding and deafening pyrotechnics?

We’ll get to that later.

First, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham came on stage to present rockers with a ceremonial key to Belleville a few songs into the show. Way and his brother, bassist Mikey Way, were raised in Belleville, as was guitarist Frank Iero.

Lead guitarist Ray Toro is from Kearny.

My Chemical Romance performs “The End” & “Dead!” followed by “This Is How I Disappear” at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford during their “Long Live the Black Parade” tour on Aug. 9, 2025.

It was a bit surreal. The band’s Long Live the Black Parade tour features the band’s 2006 hit album “The Black Parade” performed as a conceptual theatrical presentation about a dystopian fascist country called Draag. The band members didn’t break out of character when Melham gave them their ceremonial key.

They bowed to him. Gerard Way then gave Mayor Melham a bouquet of wheat and what was referred to as a fish wrapped in paper from Draag.

Gerard then called for a mock execution on the stadiums B-stage because they’d how they roll in Draag. Gerard later in the show said that Melham was a good sport for going along with the performance.

As for the show, the not-so-benevolent dictator was seated mysteriously in the middle of the stadium eating spaghetti while the band played “The Black Parade.” The dictator liked what he saw and heard — he was shown clapping. Indeed , My Chemical Romance, artifice aside, thoroughly rocked the swamps of Jersey.

Toro delivered a dazzling lead guitar run on “Dead!” and the band drove the sounds into another stratosphere on “Teenagers.” Gerard is no Ronnie James Dio, but his nasally vocals has the it factor – he’s able to convey deep emotion with his voice. Or unleash a maniacal laugh or sneer when called for.

My Chemical Romance performs "The End" & "Dead!" followed by "This Is How I Disappear" at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford during their “Long Live the Black Parade” tour on Aug. 9, 2025. — My Chemical Romance performs “The End” & “Dead!” followed by “This Is How I Disappear” at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford during their “Long Live the Black Parade” tour on Aug. 9, 2025.

There was a lot of that on Saturday, along with the pasta.

The aforementioned clown came out at the end of “The Black Parade”-Draag saga and proceeded to stab Gerard, who bled fake blood profusely and crumbled to the stage floor. The clown then blew himself up.

Cal it opera buffa. Or maybe opera absurdist? Whatever, it was a rock ‘n’ roll spectacle on another level.

The band returned to the B-stage in the audience for another 45 minutes of hits and rarities. A young female fan in front of me was so excited hear the rare “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” that she squealed and spun around in front of her seat. A mosh pit formed for “Helena.”

Then, a very faithful to the original “Livin’ on a Prayer” closed the set. The 60,000 in the sold-out audience sang along.

“Being from the East Coast, New Jersey, I learned to survive you need Jersey vibes,” Gerard said. “And in saying that, we’re going to play you guys what may be the New Jesey state anthem. Frank (Iero) requested this song because he saw me do it at karaoke.”

Sets from Death Cab for a Cutie and Thursday of New Brunswick preceded My Chemical Romance. The show was Thursday’s debut at the stadium.

Thursday’s 2003 album, “War All the Time, “ was the first to bring mainstream attention to the emo rock scene, of which My Chemical Romance would soon emerge.

“I just want to make as note of something, I have to say that I can’t believe that we made it to MetLife before My Chem did,” joked Thursday lead singer Geoff Rickly. “Technically. I’m not saying they should have practiced more or anything like that. I’m just kidding.

“I have to say we go way back with those guys and most of us started playing basement shows in New Jersey for three dollars and a can of soup,” he continued. “There wasn’t anybody in the music industry who wanted a band like My Chemical Romance to be as big as they are right now.”

My Chemical Romance is now only the third Jersey band to headline MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford after Saturday’s show. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Bon Jovi are the other Jersey bands to headline the stadium, which opened in 2010.

Upcoming, My Chem plays Friday, Aug 15 at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. The Jonas Brothers, who hail from Wyckoff and Little Falls, begin their JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown tour Sunday, Aug. 10 at MetLife. They’ll become the fourth Jersey headliner at the stadium.