Chemical fans dig the lovefest

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE AND RISE AGAINST, Tuesday, E Center.

WEST VALLEY CITY — Adrenalized sermons of disenfranchisement, deliverance and determination, highlighted by images of death and darkness, unified a music-hungry audience at the E Center Tuesday night.

The messages were proclaimed by members of the New Jersey emo-laden rock band My Chemical Romance.

Along with an eye-pleasing stage show and a pretty clear sound mix, the band brought its concept album, "The Black Parade," to, uh, life.

Lead singer Gerard Way began the show singing "The Black Parade's" opening track, "The End," from a hospital gurney. The band then joined him from behind a parting black curtain on "Dead," the second track from the album. In fact, the band played "The Black Parade" in its entirety.

The mega track "This Is How I Disappear" was followed by "The Sharpest Lives," the dynamic "Welcome to the Black Parade" and "I Don't Love You."

Anthemic "House of Wolves," the thought-provoking "Cancer" and the cabaret-inspired "Mama" were other presentations of the evening.

Strobe lights, a rotating drum riser, gothic marching-band costumes, flame-shooting flash pots, explosions and a curtain of sparks highlighted the set. "Teenagers," the emotional "Disenchanted" and empowering "Famous Last Words" not only got the audience screaming along, but had the more restless fans creating mosh pits or surfing the crowd.

Way salted his soliloquies with rock-star profanity, but didn't patronize the audience. The other band members — drummer Bob Bryar, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro, along with Way's younger brother Mikey on bass and touring keyboardist James Dewees — provided the MCR trademark wave of sound.

After a short break, which featured a recording of the "The Black Parade" hidden track "Blood," the band re-emerged without the stylish costumes and revisited its punk roots with a set that featured "Helena," "I'm Not OK (I Promise)" and "The Ghost of You."

Opening the evening was the fist-pumping chug of Rise Against, who energized the already excited crowd for My Chemical Romance. Undoubtedly, Tuesday's concert will be talked about for years to come.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com