🎉 Band returns to MetLife Stadium on the Black Parade tour

🎉 New Jersey mayor comes on stage before the most anticipated song

🎉 Electric concert ends with a cover of "the New Jersey state anthem"


EAST RUTHERFORD — My Chemical Romance accepted a special honor during their sold-out homecoming show that shook MetLife Stadium and had a new generation of angsty teens singing along to every word.

It was a thrilling concert in the Meadowlands on Saturday. Opening acts Thursday, which is from New Brunswick, and Death Cab for Cutie set the energetic mood for 55,000 fans.

Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance performs in January 2012
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance performs in January 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
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Then, My Chemical Romance put on an impressive full performance of their acclaimed 2006 album The Black Parade. It's the first time the band has done the whole album in New Jersey since 2007.

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And that was before intermission, which featured a beautiful solo performance by Celloist Clarice Jensen. In the second act, MCR hit popular songs like Helena and I'm Not Okay (I Promise).

However, the most anticipated song came in the first act, which was rock opera-style. And it came with a Jersey preamble.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham presents My Chemical Romance with the Key to the City
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham, at right, presents My Chemical Romance with the Key to the City at their MetLife Stadium show on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 (Mayor Michael Melham's Office)
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My Chemical Romance awarded Key to the City for NJ town

After an intentional false start of Welcome to the Black Parade, the mayor of Belleville walked on stage.

He presented a Key to the City to the band, which formed in the North Jersey town of Belleville more than two decades ago. And the crowd roared and cheered.

The mayor of Belleville happily accepts a bundle of wheat from My Chemical Romance
The mayor of Belleville happily accepts a bundle of wheat from My Chemical Romance (Rick Rickman/Townsquare Media NJ)
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"It's long overdue, they deserve it, and Belleville couldn't be prouder of them," said Mayor Michael Melham. It's the first Key to the City that Belleville has given out, he said.

The band members, led by Gerard Way, accepted the ceremonial gift on their knees; they chose to stay in character and gave Melham back a prop fish and bundle of wheat.

After the gift exchange, Way began the piano intro to Welcome to the Black Parade.

Seemingly every person in MetLife Stadium, including teens who hadn't been born when the song was released, began singing along to the hit single that reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Gerard Way starts Welcome to the Black Parade
Gerard Way starts Welcome to the Black Parade after My Chemical Romance receives a Key to the City from Belleville (Rick Rickman/Townsquare Media NJ)
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Later, in the second half, after the costumes were put away, Way thanked the mayor with more heartfelt comments.

"He's a real sport, that was f***ing really amazing of him. Three of us are from Belleville, New Jersey," Way said.

Electric MCR concert ends with the New Jersey "state anthem"

Way sprinkled love to the Garden State throughout the performance. And the band closed with what he said, "may be the New Jersey state anthem."

My Chemical Romance played Bon Jovi's famous Livin' on a Prayer and had the whole stadium rocking out.

See video of the epic closer below.

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