Iconic Emo Band Pays Tribute to Bon Jovi During New Jersey Show originally appeared on Parade.
There was only one way for My Chemical Romance to end their show on Saturday. For vocalist Gerard Way and the rest of MCR, the concert in East Rutherford, NJ, was more than a “show”—it was a homecoming. The emo/punk icons famously formed in the nearby town of Belleville nearly twenty-five years ago. So, how could they not close out the night without a nod to their fellow New Jersey icons, Bon Jovi?
“I’m proud to be from New Jersey,” Way told those there. “Being from the east coast of Jersey, I learned how to survive….You need Jersey bones to survive. And in saying that, we’re gonna play you guys what may be the New Jersey state anthem.”
In footage of the Aug. 9 concert, Way and the group lead the tens of thousands gathered at MetLife Stadium in a rendition of “Livin’ On a Prayer.”
Though Way did his best to replicate Jon Bon Jovi’s vocals, he acknowledged how the chorus was “so [explicative] high” to sing. No one seemed to mind, as the audience was happy to sing along.
Earlier in the evening, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham appeared on stage to present MCR the first-ever key to their hometown. Melham also ran down the town’s music history, noting how Frankie Valli and the recently deceased Connie Francis have ties to Belleville. Way, his brother and MCR bassist Mikey Way, and guitarist Frank Iero grew up in the town.
Ahead of the concert, Iero posted how he had “a very vivid dream” in 2017, about how MCR, who “hadn’t really spoken much in about 5 years” at the time, got back together and “headlined a sold out show at Giants stadium.”
“The next day, I created a group chat and texted everyone about the dream I had,” wrote Iero. “It was so real that I knew it must be more than fantasy. It was ‘our density’ (sic), so to speak, and I had to put it out in the universe.”
Iero said that because of this group chat, MCR started “talking more, joking around, reminiscing,” which ultimately led them to play music again.
“Tonight,” Iero wrote on Saturday, “That dream I had in 2017 comes true.”
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Iconic Emo Band Pays Tribute to Bon Jovi During New Jersey Show first appeared on Parade on Aug 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
