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Chemistry from a mad scientist

My Chemical Romance / Alkaline Trio
Eagles Ballroom
Milwaukee, WI
Sept. 21, 2005
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance

Story by Phil Bonyata & Karen Bondowski
Photos of My Chemical Romance by Karen Bondowski
Photos of Alkaline Trio by Phil Bonyata

My Chemical Romance's rise to stardom has been fast and furious. Just three short years ago they were virtually unknown, until Green Day picked them up as their opening act. Now it's the cover of Spin and other major music magazines, featured on MTV's TRL, one of the main acts at 2005's succesful Vans Warped Tour to filling up venues as headliners everywhere they go.
My Chemical Romance Gerard Way with his slick, black hair, black jeans and vest was the first to enter the dark stage like a prowling black panther that appears from nowhere and surprising many in the audience. He stood with both hands gripping the microphone stand and let his head hang down towards the stage floor. This is where tonight's chemistry would be made. Streaming rays of light overwhelmed the stage as drummer Bob Bryar started jack-hammering his drums with a furious passion, while Ray Toro and Frank Iero seem to meld their guitar playing with a pure lust for the fast driving chord change. Keeping in sync with one another, Gerard let out a myriad of primal screams on "Venom" and the fans returned the favor with their own ear piercing shrieks. Gerard likes to preen and pose to the delight of the teenage girls. He slowly rubbed his extended ass and then spanked it suggestively. Cue the shrieks.
The night was colored favorably black with "Helena," "The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You," "The Ghost of You" and "To The End."
Returning for their encore, Gerard took this moment to thank all of their fans for the support they've received over the years. Then Gerard played up the slow start of "Vampires Will Never Hurt Us" with sexually suggestive gyrations as the band aggressively deconstructed it's core. This is a song that is rarely played live due to it's length and was a real treat for their fans. My Chemical Romance This was clearly a favorite among the band as the tune had it's body completely torn apart and the bodies riding the hands in the audience surely agreed. Their last battle for the night was the song that gave them the most recognition and even gave them a spot on TRL, "I'm Not Ok (I Promise)" finished off the night with enough juice to fry any inmate on death row.
Chicago area natives Alkaline Trio greased the stage very nicely with it's post punk energy and downright blustery set.
Matt Skiba's guitar playing was dynamic - bridging the soft chords with melodic transitions then unleashing some hellfire punk power chords on the turn of dime. The trio kept the assault neat and tidy. Simple yet complex at the same time - the band formed a formidable unit - tightly grounding the melodies behind highly percussive explosions.
Some highlights were "Maybe I'll Catch Fire," "Stupid Kid," "Cringe," "Private Eye," and the understated but intense "Mercy Me."
Their dark-yet-poppy approach suits them and their fans very well. Alkaline Trio is another Chicago area band that has recently hit the scene with a bang (including other area bands such as The Redwalls, Fall Out Boy, Disturbed, Lucky Boys Confusion and SundayRunners. The Chicago music scene hasn't been this vibrant and alive for many year now. Let's hope Chicago can steal some of the spotlight from New York, Omaha and L.A. and lighten in some of the giant shadows of Detroit's and Seattle's former musical legacies.

My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance

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