On their latest offering My Chemical Romance present two performances representing their stadium appeal (a concert in Mexico City) and their intimate barroom beginnings (a concert in Hoboken, New Jersey). Even after viewing the entire package, which includes the audio(Mexico City only) and visual elements of the concerts, I am still not convinced of the value of their music. To me they're carrying the torch of such theatrical rock & roll such as K.I.S.S. or Queen. However they don't match the fullness of groups such as Funkadelic, George Clinton, Parliament, Sun Ra, or the aforementioned, nor do they ignite the stage with innovation like Iron Maiden, Metallica, or  AC/DC; My Chemical Romance are just trying too hard to be exciting.

The crowd loves the group in Mexico City, as is evidenced by the abundance of LCD's littering the audience, but even through all the intensity of singer Gerard Way My Chemical Romance remain only fleetingly interesting. Granted, I am not a fan of the group - if you are this might be the show you've been waiting for. I don't feel much more than familiarity for the concoction of obvious rock and roll concert tropes: fireworks, dramatic illumination, confetti, guitar solos, a spinning drum set, and costumes. Live, My Chemical Romance seem hollowed out of all sincerity they might have had on their albums. I just don't believe Way, with his high-school acting faces. The other musicians perform admirably, which sustains the interest of the music.

In the Hoboken side of the DVD, the band foregoes the dress-up of 'the Black Parade', keeping the look modest but trying to deliver the same intensity on the small stage. The show is a good one, I just find Way breathing more than he is singing. His voice isn't a instrument in the first place, like Robert Plant, it sounds thin and resorts to lazy growls or half-slurred words filled with too much energy and not enough discipline. Of course, the band plays hard and enjoys the intimacy of the gig, but it lacks the dynamics of the Mexico City show.

If you're a fan of My Chemical Romance, I can't prevent you from spending the money to buy this album, nor to stop listening to the group, I just can't see this album and DVD being very repeatable.