ARTICLE: My Chemical Romance, Blink-182 crank up the sound

When My Chemical Romance and Blink-182 co-headline as part of the Honda Civic Tour, it undoubtedly will mark some milestones for both bands and their loyal legion of followers.

Reviews of the first few shows on the tour detail fans' rabid enthusiasm that is matched only by the enthusiasm of the bands themselves as they rock and roll through their sets.

"The line-up for the Honda Civic Tour over the last decade has featured some great bands," said My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way in a press statement in which he also praised Blink-182. "We're excited to be a part of it."

With both bands being A-list alt-rock members for years, they both pack plenty of new sounds in their arsenals. Blink-182 is currently touring behind their soon-to-be-released album, "Neighborhoods." My Chemical Romance last year released "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys," the band's first album since the Platinum-selling 2006 release, "The Black Parade."


The new album was a bit of a twist in sound for My Chemical Romance. Although the band's 2006 release, "The Black Parade" launched My Chemical Romance into superstardom, it also gave the band members pause because they felt they quickly outgrew the image.

"I wasn't that person anymore," Way said a few months ago, when he noted the bandmates have matured significantly since that time. "I don't think anyone in the band was that person anymore. We looked like a bunch of guys in black. A bunch of really tired guys in black."

Now the band has arguably tweaked its sound, embraced its past and revitalized itself into a true powerhouse as evidenced earlier this week when they performed "The Kids From Yesterday" on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Way was in seemingly top form as he and his band mates strutted through their performance in front of some worshipping fans who looked in danger of plunging from the balconies as they leaned over to get better looks. 

To hear Way tell it, he finds such adoration a lot of fun these days.

"It's definitely uncertain," Way told the Village Voice when asked about the future of his often changing hair color. "I have days where I love having it; it's the maintenance that's a pain in the ass. But it's funny... having just turned 34, and having people wanting to fit us into thirtysomething rock culture, my only form of rebellion left is to f*** my hair up and look like a 16-year-old. So, it's kind of all I got."

CREDIT: washingtonexaminer