My Chemical Romance @ Kia Forum Night 2/5
My Chemical Romance continued their second sold show out of five at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA on a chilly Wednesday evening.
These 5 total LA shows are the final shows of their reunion tour & fans from all over the world traveled to see their favorite childhood band.
Dressing up for the occasion is not being said lightly. There were people dressed in marching band outfits, Helena from the Helena music video, and sad clowns, to name a few. They went all out with makeup - some had fake blood on their faces and drew X’s over their eyes (guitarist Frank Iero made this look popular in the early 2000s).
For openers, we had the Canadian rock band Dilly Dally start the night.
The second openers of the night are Cali natives from Oakland, Shannon and the clams.
The final openers of the night were LA natives - The Regrettes.
All of the openers brought out the energy & got the crowd excited and eager for My Chemical Romance to take the stage.
As the crowd waits in anticipation, chants of “M C R” are being shouted through the sold-out Kia Forum.
Finally, the moment EVERYONE has been waiting for..the lights turn off, the crowd roars, & the members of My Chemical Romance (Gerard Way - vocals, Ray Toro - lead guitar/backup vocals, Frank Iero - rhythm guitarist/backup vocals, Mikey Way - bassist, and drummer - Jarrod Alexander) take the stage.
Gerard comes out in a Princess Diana-inspired outfit and has been coming out in different costumes throughout this tour.
They start the show with their latest single, “The Foundations of Decay.”
Fans have been speculating that MCR will be playing an album a night, and it seemed so with their setlist on Wednesday.
Monday night’s setlist consisted of many songs from their first album. “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love,” and some of those songs have rarely been performed.
Wednesday night was a very heavily “Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge” filled setlist. They performed 10 out of 13 songs on the album, which included: Helena, I’m Not Okay (I Promise), Thank You For The Venom, It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Fucking Deathwish, I Never Told You What I Do For A Living, Give ‘Em Hell Kid, You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison, The Ghost Of You, Hang ‘Em High, and Cemetery Drive.
Throughout the set, Gerard Way would dedicate songs to random fans in the audience - one of which included a glow-in-the-dark skeleton!
Although it has been 8 years since their last tour, My Chemical Romance has not skipped a beat. They sound & perform exactly the same - giving it their all with each show.
The song that seemed to rev up the audience was none other than “Welcome To The Black Parade.” Everyone put their first into the air & shouted out the lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Mid-way through the show, rhythm guitarist, Frank Iero, whispered something into Gerard’s ear & in return, he encouraged Frank to say it out loud to the audience.
His words, “I can’t believe we’re almost done with this show….I wanna keep playing!”
Hit after hit after hit, they continued to play and give their audience a show of a lifetime.
My Chemical Romance ended the night with “Famous Last Words” & walked off the stage shortly after. Of course, the fans knew that it wasn’t over!
“M-C-R! M-C-R! M-C-R!” Chants are roaring through the crowds & moments later, My Chem returns to the stage to perform two encore songs: Helena & Desert Song.
As Gerard finishes his last lyrics, he waves a very kind goodbye to everyone, concluding the second Los Angeles show.
Fitz and The Tantrums @ The Greek Theatre
Fans gathered on a beautifully warm Saturday evening at the famous Greek Theatre to see Los Angeles natives Fitz and The Tantrums, Andy Grammer, and New Jersey native Breland.
Breland kicked off the night with his country sounds and got everyone feeling good.
Next up, we had Andy Grammer, who absolutely took the stage by storm. The audience sang along to almost every one of his songs and danced the night away. Andy Grammer’s songs and stories are heartfelt, relatable, and genuine. He made his way through the crowd and up and down the rows of concert-goers, and he also provided the audience with an encore.
Michael Fitzpatrick (Lead singer of Fitz and The Tantrums) joined Andy on stage to sing their newest song collaboration, “The Wrong Party,” which was officially released last Friday!
Finally, the moment had come. The lights went dark, the crowd screamed louder, and Fitz and The Tantrums (Michael Fitzpatrick – vocals, Noelle Scaggs – Vocals, John Wicks – Drums, James King – Sax & guitar, Joseph Karnes – Bass, Jeremy Ruzumna – Keyboards) made their way to the stage.
They started off with, “OCD” and continued to play hit after hit. James King took over for a sax solo during “Complicated.” There was not one still body in the audience and everyone was dancing, singing along, and having the time of their lives.
Michael Fitzpatrick never failed to mention how happy he was to be back home and how Fitz and The Tantrums have been working on a new studio album coming out this fall. They also performed their latest single, “Sway,” and brought a surprise guest on stage!
It was none other than Michael Fitzpatrick’s kid performing an amazing little guitar solo!
They played yet another new song performed for the first time called “MoneyMaker,” all while money confetti was being shot into the air.
Noelle Scaggs took the time to mention how her mom and grandma were in the audience and how important it was to her to diversify the stage. The audience roared with encouragement. Scaggs learned how to take care of herself and her mental health, and she dedicated the next song to anyone who felt like they were alone – not to be afraid and to say, “I Need Help!”.
Fitz and The Tantrums have been on the grind for the past 14 years, and they would play shows at the hotels down the street. They thanked everyone for their support, especially those who have been with them from the start.
As they were getting closer to the end of their set, James King’s kid showed up at the front of the barricade to support dad on the sax!
FATT finished off with their last song of the night and left the stage. Everyone knew they weren’t done just yet, and the crowd cheered for their return.
The encore consisted of their hit songs, “HandClap,” “All the Feels,” and one of their most popular, “The Walker.”
WALLOWS @ Fox Pomona Theater
Hot off their Coachella performance, LA Native Alternative Rock band, WALLOWS, played a SOLD OUT show at the Fox Theater in Pomona, CA on Monday night April 18th.
WALLOWS fans brought the energy & gave the opening band, The Regrettes (who also played Coachella), a warm welcome & sang along to their catchy tunes. You would have assumed that The Regrettes were the headliners based on the audience’s engagement. They, without a doubt, warmed up the crowd & got them prepped for the sold-out headliners of the night.
Fans became antsy as the final minutes were approaching of WALLOWS starting their set. The music stops, the crowd roars, & members Dylan Minette, Braeden Lemasters, & Cole Preston make their way to the stage.
They opened up with “Hard to Believe,” and everyone went nuts! WALLOWS received a few bouquets of flowers from the crowd as they continued to perform their “coming of age” like melodies.
WALLOWS vocalist, Dylan Minette, did a fantastic job keeping the crowd amped & ready for more. “Quarterback” is the title of the 6th song they performed & Cole Preston (drums) took to the front of the stage & sang while Dylan (vocals & guitar) took over the drums. We love a band that can do it all!
The Regrettes vocalist, Lydia Night, was brought back on stage to perform “Permanent Price” alongside WALLOWS. Night & Minette are romantically together & this was their second time performing this song side by side. The crowd went wild when Lydia snuck some kisses on the cheek to Dylan before heading off stage.
As they finished their last song, “Pleaser” & thanked the audience for coming out, fans were not ready to leave just yet. Stomps started forming & the encore words of “ONE MORE SONG!” were shouted throughout The Fox Theater. You could almost feel the entire venue shaking, and a minute later, WALLOWS returned to perform their 3-song encore.
A very mild mosh pit was created & every gender joined in on the fun. Their second encore song was fan’s choice. It seemed that the audience expected this as signs arose from the audience & WALLOWS members were reading out which songs they should perform. They chose “Drunk on Halloween.” Fans were jumping, dancing, singing their hearts out, and even holding onto each other as they watched their favorite band perform.
WALLOWS performed their massive hit to finish the electrifying night, “Are You Bored Yet?” and everyone shouted the lyrics alongside Dylan Minette.
The energy was still flowing as they exited the stage and as fans dispersed.
Mother Mother @ The Regent 1.13.22
Canadian Indie Rock Band Mother Mother sold out DTLA’s The Regent Theatre with an hour and a half set on Thursday, January 13th.
A mixed-aged crowd eagerly awaited for Mother Mother to take the stage, and once the lights dimmed, a roaring sound of screams from excitement emerged.
Mother Mother opened with “Seven” and immediately, the crowd started singing along as the entire band performed with energy.
Lead singer & guitarist Ryan Guldemond stopped to engage with the audience a few times throughout the show, and an audience member shouted out a song they wanted them to play live. Ryan Guldemond promised that the next time they come back to LA, they would 100% perform that song requested.
Mother Mother also performed a brand new song called “Life” about acceptance. The theme of the night was all about acceptance.
All of the members, Ryan Guldemond (vocals, guitar), Molly Guldemond (vocals, keyboard), Jasmin Parkin (vocals, keyboard), Mike Young (bass), and Ali Siadat (drums), all came up to the front of the stage to perform a few of their songs together.
Before ending the night during their encore, Ryan Guldemond had kind words to say to their fans, “Hey, this has been one for the books, LA. New friends, old friends..this is what we need. Thanks for choosing yourself tonight and getting out of the house, doing something for you. It takes courage in these times. Thank you. It was so nice to see you, and we’ll see you again soon, not before long. We’re going to be coming back sometime this year, okay?” As the tune of “Burning Pile” slowly played in the background, the entire band joined in for the last song to complete the night.
Alaina Castillo @ The Roxy 11.19.21
A Friday chilly evening in LA brought together a multicultural crowd for Alaina Castillo’s performance (with supporting acts Naïka & Liv.e) at The Roxy on November 19th, 2021, for her Parallel Universe Tour.
Alaina Castillo brought together gender diversity and a range of ages to support her show in her new hometown of LA.
The Roxy, known for its intimacy, was a bit on the warmer side in terms of temperature, and the crowd had no issue being in tank tops, shirts, and shorts.
As the crowd became antsy, the curtains finally opened, and the headliner made her way on stage. The first thing your eyes are brought to is a giant neon sign in the shape of a teardrop with the words “Sad girl” written across.
Phones light up as the crowd is ready to record the first song of the evening.
Alaina filled the venue with her soft yet angelic voice, leaving no crumbs and singing with soul.
Though there were moments of feedback from parts of their sound system, that didn’t stop Alaina Castillo and her band from continuing with their performance without hesitation.
Alaina Castillo and her band performed hits such as Just A Boy, Pocket Locket, Ocean Waves, and a few songs from her upcoming album, Parallel Universe Part 2.
Her songs consist of intimate, raw, and emotional lyrics, and you can see that the audience felt heard, felt seen, and felt understood.
Alaina engaged with the audience, held a few hands, and continued to steal the hearts of many as a few men in the audience shouted, “Te amo!” To show their support.
As the show wrapped up, you can hear fans as they dispersed, discussing amongst themselves how great Alaina performed, and everyone left happy and content.
