I’ve been on three continents in the past two months and was beginning to wonder if seeing a concert was a thing of the past. Being stuck in Utah for the past two weeks didn’t improve the situation. As I was about to shut down my laptop on Friday afternoon, thinking about how I would occupy myself for the weekend a message in my email popped up that said “Don’t miss My Chem at the Great Saltair tonight. Tickets still available!” Two thoughts went through my head. The first was that I would finally get a chance to see the show that got away from me last year. The second was, is this really happening? The Great Saltair is a small dumpy venue out in the middle of nowhere on the banks of The Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City being such a conservative town I wondered if city leaders were trying to bait all of the freaks out to this remote location and then lock the doors behind them!
Having seen MCR twice before and comparing those experiences to this one, this show had a relaxed vibe, letting the music, instead of costumes or an elaborate set, take center stage. Early in the set, Gerard mentioned that they had were ending two years of touring behind The Black Parade but wanted to come out again before going home to do small venues. It felt very much like this was the for fans only tour and the crowd couldn’t have been happier. Here I was in the balcony, which is a private club (don’t get me started on the Utah liquor laws!) watching the kids go mad down below. There was a no cameras policy but I took a picture of the line of kids out the door waiting to get in with my phone. Like at Warped, I felt really old at this show standing with the parents, but once the music starts, who cares?
The setlist had a really different feel, starting a bit mellow with Sleep off of The Black Parade. It also included the big hits from Three Cheers, a few from the first record, some B sides, and almost every song from The Black Parade interspersed. The encore started with Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home, moved to Cancer and then ended with Helena. The only song they didn’t do that I wish they had was Cemetary Drive. I thought that barn of a building with its bad acoustics might fall down around us at some point during Helena. I’m sure the elders all the way in town could hear us.
The next day I went into work and I was asked by my co-workers how my night at the Hampton Inn was. I just smiled and said it was fine. Really, it was unbelievable and it had nothing to do with the Hampton Inn. They just wouldn’t understand. --J
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