My Chemical Romance Will Get 'Key To Belleville' During Concert, Mayor Says

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Some of “Belleville’s favorite sons” will be getting a key to the township when they return to North Jersey for a highly anticipated concert this weekend.

Mayor Michael Melham said he plans to present a ceremonial “key to Belleville” to the world-famous rock band during their show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday. Each member will also get their own gold-coated keys mounted on plaques.

My Chemical Romance is playing one of their most popular albums, “The Black Parade,” in its entirety during their “Long Live the Black Parade” tour, which kicked off in June.

Lead vocalist Gerard Way and his brother, bassist Mikey Way, were raised in Belleville along with fellow member, Frank Iero. The fourth member of the band, Ray Toro, was born nearby in Kearny.

The mayor gave a nod to My Chemical Romance when he played “Welcome to the Black Parade” to kick off his 2024 state of the township address.

Belleville has also been home to other famed names in the music world. For example, there’s Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito and Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons, who had five No. 1 hits including “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man.”

• See Related: Belleville's Beloved 'Jersey Boy' Tommy DeVito Passes Away

Belleville also boasts of Connie Francis, who logged three number one hits, including the 1960 smash, “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” The iconic singer passed away last month.

• See Related: Music Icon Connie Francis Dies At 87; NJ Native Mourned

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