After witnessing the tragic events of 9/11, frontman Gerard Way founded My Chemical Romance and took the rock scene by storm. 

They gained success and popularity with the release of their sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004. It’s both tragic and romantic, with a violent take on loss and love. Inspiration is drawn from the loss of both Way and bassist/ younger brother Mikey Way’s grandmother. 

Filled front to back with amazing track after another, it went certified platinum in the first year and has sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone.

On October 23, 2006, “The Patient” was born, and the world welcomed the The Black Parade with open arms. 

Produced by Grammy Award Winner Rob Cavallo ( Green Day, Paramore), The Black Parade focuses on “The Patient” who is dying of cancer. We witness the story through his reflection on his own life, before death comes to him in the form of a parade, and the experiences he faces in the afterlife. 

The bone-chilling beeps of an EKG machine echo at the beginning of the album in “The End,” setting the tone for My Chemical Romance’s masterpiece.

This album, yet again, is filled with dark and bloody killer song after killer song, with tracks like “Mamma,” “Dead!,” and “Cancer.” 

Way’s insane lyrics and vocal ability are met with guitarist Ray Toro and Frank Iero’s incredible guitar riffs any fan of the rock genre can get behind. 

Songs like, “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “Famous Last Words” took My Chemical Romance to the top, debuting the album at number two on the Billboard 200. It sold 240,000 copies in its first week and as of January 2018, the album had sold over three million copies in the Untied States.

Queen’s A Night at the Opera, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars have been cited as heavy influences for this record. Way made this especially apparent during their live production of the album in the months that followed.

During The Black Parade World Tour, the five members of the band wore black marching uniforms, often compared to the ones worn by The Beatles for the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The marching uniforms signified the bands part in the Black Parade, fronted by the stage-dramatics of Way.

“Welcome to the Black Parade” is arguably a new generation’s new “Bohemian Rhapsody;” an operatic beauty that will be sung in car rides and basements for years on end. This album will undoubtably stand the test of time for many generations to come as the Black Parade continues to carry on.

The post Thirteen Years of The Black Parade appeared first on Red Roll.

Unfortunately that’s what the media portrays it to be, but in all reality drugs and music have been lifelong dance partners. I really want to resolve this misconception because those who truly love the scene know there’s something more to it than that.   

What makes EDM so special isn’t the craziness or the drugs; but the it’s the environment it creates.

What consists of this environment life, you may wonder?

1) PLURR

PLURR is more than an acronym, the environment of a rave and the credo ravers stand by.

1. 1. 1. PEACE
         • Peace comes when you experience that moment of “Wow, I truly wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.” You know what I’m talking about, it’s is a priceless feeling.
      2. LOVE
         • Love is everything from being welcoming and appreciative of complete strangers, to leaving your perfect spot in the crowd because your friend has to pee. Treating others how you want to be treated is the key to finding love.
      3. UNITY
         • Unity means we’re all share something. It might not be our age, our color, or our background; but what we all do share is this moment. Raving helps you focus on the now, and in this day and age, becoming more present is important as ever
      4. RESPECT
         • With a strong sense of community comes respect. “I don’t belong in you, you don’t belong in me” is one of my favorite sayings about respecting others’ differences. You are not there to impress anybody, and nobody is there to impress you, so all there’s left to do accept and respect.
      5. RESPONSIBILITY
         • Be responsible for your actions, words, and to your body. Yes, alcohol and drugs are apart of this scene, which I’ll get to in a second. If you choose to partake you, that doesn’t mean you suddenly aren’t responsible for your actions and words. Be responsible, know your limits, and look out for each other.
           

2) It’s a place to be yourself

Raves are a judge-free zone, that is ironically constantly getting judged! Unlike this hypercritical world raves are a place where expressing yourself is valued. Dress how you want, dance how you want.  You don’t have to worry about doing anything ‘right’ because anything is right.

When was the last time you stopped worrying about the way you present yourself around people? Nowadays, it seems we are always putting on a front depending on who we are surrounded by. Raves are a place where you can completely drop the facade and just be yourself. Be weird, be sporadic, be loud, be proud, be you & people will love it.

3) It’s a place to boost your happiness

It is scientifically proven that music is directly linked to happiness! When the  Australian Unity Wellbeing Index anonymously surveyed 1,000 participants, the findings revealed that engaging with music led to higher self well being than for those who did not.

Also, individuals attending can get high on the music alone! A study done by McGrill University in Canada proved that music actually releases dopamine in our brain. The same chemical we get when we satisfy our basic needs.

4) It’s a place to make new friends!

By being apart of something bigger, you are now connected to so many individuals. You have an excuse to go up and talk to anybody, and anybody has an excuse to talk to you. It may sound extremely extroverted, but meeting new people is apart of life. It opens so many doors to new memories, new opportunities, and new relationships.

Who knows, you may meet the love of your life, I know I did! My boyfriend and I met 2 years ago when I was surrounded by an uplifting energy acting outrageously myself. It’s never been ‘weird’ because he already saw the real me from the very first day. 

I understand why people have hesitations, and I get this isn’t for everyone, but you guys I promise that if you attended one of these events you wouldn’t regret it. I’ve brought many first-timer’s, I’d be more than honored to take you to your first one, cause every single one has left with a euphoric look on their face. One person actually said to me, “A place like this actually exists?” And that spoke volumes me. There’s a reason why people are so passionate about this scene;

In a violent world exists a place of peace.

In a judgmental world exists a place of love.

In a divided world exists a place of unity.

And in a cruel world, exists a place to respect.

Your mind and heart would be opened to a different way of life, and even if it wasn’t your thing, you still get an experience of a lifetime.

I hope you consider seeing what all this hype is about!

Thanks!

All the love,
Katy

The post Why You Should Try Going to A Rave! appeared first on Red Roll.

But why?

Although “The more, the merrier” is usually the theme when it comes to massive festivals like Electric Forest, the reduction has a purpose.

For 8 consecutive years now, this summer being the 9th, the Double JJ Resort has been the home to forest-goers from all around the world. The land got a break in 2010, but in 2008 and 2009, a festival called Rothbury was held there hosting more rock and jam bands before being taken over by Electric Forest.

In 2017 and 2018, the land had expanded the festival to two. back-to-back weekends. These weekends were wildly successful, but came with a cost. The clean-up took weeks longer than anticipated.

Fox News found the lengthy time upset locals, resident Randy Smith stated, “Now that the people are gone there’s just a lot of debris everywhere. I see crews picking it up, but it’s a big task.” To keep the community content & the magic of the forest alive, festival organizers decided to treat the land the way it treats us; with love.

The expansion was reduced back to one weekend because protecting and curating the grounds are vital to the festival’s longevity.

On top of the conservation of the grounds, the reduction was also put in place so that they could go through with expansions and improvements. According to an email blast sent out by the Electric Forest Team, the plan includes new things like upgraded landscapes, areas with new grass, infrastructure additions, and more! Sounds like a win-win to me.

Due to the reduction, this left a very limited amount of tickets available. Which resulted in the festival SELLING OUT in less than 2 hours after regular GA tickets went on sale. You can join the Official EF Ticket Exchange, go through a third party websites, such as StubHub and TicketMaster.

While this leaves thousands of people upset or excited, this decision will ensure success for the festival overall and more importantly, ensure preservation for the years to come. See you in the Forest <3

The post Why Did Electric Forest Go Back to One Weekend? appeared first on Red Roll.

The show was an initially unplanned stop that finished their touring period in America for the time being, as part of Q101’s No Dough Show compilation. As opposed to their regularly scheduled venues, the setting was small and intimate. “I miss playing shows like this,” lead singer Matty Healy told the crowd after a few songs. The genuineness of the statement was clear in the way the band performed—high in energy, and soaking in every ounce of vitality that the small group had to offer.

The band stayed fairly faithful to their tour setlist, opening with the upbeat “Love Me”, transitioning into the equally catchy “Ugh!”, and so on. Healy’s normally animated performance was particularly prominent and eccentric on such a small stage. “We’re going to play more songs. We’re having a lot of fun,” he announced mid-set. A fair mix between hits from their debut self-titled album and their newest album kept the crowd loud and engaged until the end. Excitement climaxed in the final two songs, where Healy surfed above the heads of the first few rows during the bridge of “The Sound”, and led the audience in closing out the show with screaming their lungs out to a popular first album single, “Sex”.

Simply put, The 1975 come ready to deliver under any circumstance. Official part of the tour or not, their performance at Durty Nellie’s was far above average, exceeding any subpar expectations that may accompany the implications of a free show. This band is one that thrives off of what they produce—a lethal combination of their intricate lyrics, impeccable live instrumentals and the stamina of their dedicated audience.

The post In Review: The 1975 at Durty Nellie’s appeared first on Red Roll.

With heavy hitters Funtcase, Dirtyphonics, and Habstrakt headlining it’s truly a bass addicts dream. What made this stop  extra special is that it was held at such an intimate venue. With a max capacity of around 500, attending an event at the Miramar gives a unique experience.

Opening up the night was locals Apple Country and Siphonic and as always they brought great energy to the room. What followed was a perfect example of how if you bring the right artists together, you can create an event that will stick with you forever.

It was beyond relieving to hear 3 unique bass heavy sets since a lot of DJs nowadays are playing recycled sets. Wisconsin was blessed with a b2b2b with all of these remarkable artists. Seeing them play back to back was a unusual display of camaraderie that is not usually seen on tours like this. I can’t imagine a better way to start this legendary tour and cannot wait to see its future stops!

Photos by Tanner Heitz Photography.

The post Neck Breaker Tour Milwaukee Edition – 4.13.16 Photos & Review appeared first on Red Roll.