Here is everything you need to know about My Chemical Romance’s fictional world called Draag.
It only took two shows for My Chemical Romance fans to start putting together the puzzle pieces of everything that may or may not be hidden in the messaging onstage during the “Long Live”: The Black Parade North American Tour.
There’s a lot to unpack, not only when it comes to the band’s 25-song set each night, but also the theatrics, props and even the tags on their merch.
Oh, and the story seems to be ever evolving each night with slight changes sprinkled in to progress what happens to the band.
Everything You Need to Know About My Chemical Romance’s Fictional World, Draag
As you continue to scroll down this page, we’ll unpack the following about My Chemical Romance’s fictional world, Draag:
- Timeline Of How Each My Chemical Romance Show Has Changed
- What Is Draag, the Fictional World Created by My Chemical Romance?
- How To Decode My Chemical Romance’s Draag Language
- Does Keposhka Have 26 Letters Like The English Alphabet?
- Draag Message On Concert T-Shirt
- Who Is In Charge Of Draag?
- Demolished Version Of Draag Likely Appeared During Past My Chemical Romance Tours
- Why Is My Chemical Romance Back In Draag?
- Clues To Potential New My Chemical Romance Album
Timeline Of How Each My Chemical Romance Show Has Changed
Fans attending know they’re going to see The Black Parade played front to back, plus an entire second B-stage set culled from the rest of My Chemical Romance’s catalog.
It’s what happens between those songs that might be slightly less predictable.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
JULY 11 (Seattle)
At one point in the show in Seattle, “candidates” are led onstage for an “election.” The audience was simply asked to vote “yay” or ‘nay” using provided signs in the crowd.
The act ended with the “candidates” being mock executed. This has continued throughout every date on the tour/
JULY 19 (San Francisco)
The scene had a few subtle changes a week later during the second show of the tour at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Fans on Reddit said that Gerard Way said he “mixed up” the words “election” and “execution” during the previous show.
Eagle-eyed fans also noticed that Way sported facial makeup that was designed to resemble scratches on his face that night, leading some to believe he may have been fictitiously punished for not getting it right the first time.
This has led many fans to believe a popular theory on Reddit, suggesting that the band is “in a time loop and will eventually break free” from having to commit acts of evil.
JULY 26-27 (Los Angeles)
Another slight change to the scene was implemented when the band played shows at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 26-27. My Chemical Romance members chowed down on hot dogs while the mock execution unfolded.
During the July 26 show, a dictator character, who is now played by an actor instead of being a mannequin as he was for the first two dates of the tour, was also seen enjoying a hot dog.
The biggest revelation to come out of that night, however, was that the crowd saw Way physically fight back against the regime on stage for the first time. This provides some weight to the belief that the band will eventually break free of the dictator’s control at some point during the tour.
Some tour stops have featured slight variations that happen even before My Chemical Romance takes the stage.
Fans attending night 2 in Los Angeles were shown a completely different message on the video board inside the stadium compared to what was up there on night 1.
AUG. 15 (Philadelphia)
The mock execution scene took a more comical turn during the Aug. 15 show in Philadelphia. My Chemical Romance invited Philadelphia Phillies mascot the Phillie Phanatic on stage to throw cheesesteaks out to the crowd before voting took place.
Band members’ reactions to different events occurring on stage also seem to subtly change, hinting at a possible progressing storyline.
Way is eventually “killed” on stage as the rest of My Chemical Romance is hauled off. It took a few shows for Frank Iero to even notice Way’s body before he had a hood placed over his head as he was whisked away.
Yet another change was made to the “rules” before the start of the Philly show. Fans were asked to “disregard” rules from other stops on the tour as they entered the world of Draag.
AUG. 22 (Toronto)
The election/execution was changed yet again during the Aug. 22 show in Toronto. Fans attending the show were provided signs that said “chicken” or “fish” instead of “yea” or “nay.”
There was no real explanation why the change was made. Chicken ended up being the winner, but that didn’t stop a mock execution from happening on stage.
AUG. 29 (Chicago)
There was a lot to unpack from the Chicago show, much of which has helped strengthen the timeloop and prisoner theories that originally surfaced during the start of the tour.
At one point, Way was seen talking to the “clerk” character who continues to give the band orders throughout the show. A fan streaming from the rail caught audio of what appears to be Way saying, “Why do I feel like I’ve done this before?”
Both Way and the clerk were much more animated in their conversation on this night, possibly due to the lead singer starting to catch on to what was really happening to him.
There were a few other changes during the show that could be potential ripples in the timeloop. And fish was involved yet again.
During one scene, Way is provided with a dagger on stage. This had played out the same every stop on the tour until Chicago when he was given a fake fish instead.
Much like the chicken or fish voting signs in Toronto, no explanation was provided for the fish replacing the dagger in Chicago.
Another potential ripple in the timeloop could be Way’s undershirt choice for the Chicago show. Do these black and white stripes hint the band is potentially trapped in a prison?
SEPT. 7 (Boston)
Glitches and gore were the theme for the Sept. 7 show at Fenway Park in Boston.
The suspected timeloop may have become stuck or at least malfunctioned when the clerk character visited the band in the first half of the show. At one point, both the clerk and Way were seemingly stuck doing the same motions until they were interrupted by guitarist Frank Iero.
Later in the night, it looked as though Way and the clerk were stuck yet again. This time, we were holding on and shaking each other
Two other instances from the show could also be viewed as potential glitches in the timeloop. Both had to do with variations in the characters that appear on stage throughout the night.
The character of Marianne is now named Sylvia and has an eyepatch.
As with past changes in the show, no explanation was given as to why the switch happened. There was also no acknowledgment of how there ended up being two clerks on stage for the first time during the tour.
Then came what seemed like a major turning point for the first time during any of the shows. About three-fourths of the way through the night, Way found himself reading a publication called the Gemini Process Manual instead of his usual odd assortment of magazines (there was one about cats during the Chicago show).
When Way realized what he was reading, he began shaking and fell to the floor.
Did things suddenly become clearer as to what was happening to him in the band? Was this a sign of hope that they would finally escape?
Unfortunately, he was met with death at the hands of the clown (who is also likely the clerk) during “The End.” Only this time the clow looked as though he wanted to prove a point.
He used the blood from the fictitious stab wound to paint a smile on Way’s face. Sitting behind the lead singer, he then propped up his lifeless body and treated it like a dummy or puppet,
Was it disturbing? Yes. Was it punishment for Way starting to catch on that the band was trapped in a time loop in the fictional world of Draag? Maybe.
What Is Draag, the Fictional World Created by My Chemical Romance?
Draag is a fictional place that serves as the setting for the front half of My Chemical Romance’s set, where they play 2006’s The Black Parade in full.
The land is governed by a dictatorship that influences how the story unfolds onstage.
Imagery onstage and on video boards during the show illustrates the dictator’s extreme rule over the people of Draag. Only you might not catch on right away since it is mostly written in a language that is exclusive to Draag.
How To Decode My Chemical Romance’s Draag Language
Fans have been slowly decoding the Draag lettering system and translating the language to English on social media since the tour kicked off July 11 in Seattle.
Messages broadcast to fans have warned them to “behave” and also boasted “Long Live The Draag.”
So, how are they doing it?
Typographer Nate Piekos revealed on his website that he was allegedly contacted by MCR’s Gerard Way to design the font and language used during the “Long Live” The Black Parade Tour. The font is called Keposhka.
Piekos has shared some hints that allow for Keposhka symbols to be translated to English, but not enough to give the whole thing away.
Plus, Piekos says Way wanted to make translation challenging for MCR fans.
Does Keposhka Have 26 Letters Like The English Alphabet?
In addition to letters being a series of unfamiliar symbols that make Keposhka difficult to translate, Piekos and the band also intentionally used more symbols than there are letters in the standard English alphabet.
black-cat-bone via eBay
These, Piekos claims on his website, are the result of certain letter combinations in Keposhka creating completely new symbols when used together.
“I’m not going to reveal those combinations here,” Piekos wrote. “Gerard and I would rather you have fun figuring this stuff out on your own.”
Piekos is currently auctioning off original artwork featuring early concept drawings used when creating the font and language with Way.
Listings on eBay have already topped $1,000.
Draag Message On Concert T-Shirt
Draag’s influence stretches far beyond what you see onstage. It’s even on the merch being sold at each stop on the tour.
And we’re not talking about the message on the outside of T-shirts either.
Fans have shared photos on social media showing a message from Draag where the manufacturing and care instructions would typically be on the inside of T-shirts.
Reddit user MistressBlackleaf decoded the message to read:
100% wheat
Grown under gloom,
Transported by livestock
Milled in Draag with broken fists.
Wash cold, do not bleach.
Long live The Black Parade.
Who Is In Charge Of Draag?
We know a dictator is ruling over Draag, but there also appear to be several “ministries” in charge of different aspects of the land.
This structure so far includes:
- Ministry of Menial Tasks
- Ministry of Complementary Conditioning (printed on some of the band’s setlists given to fans)
- Ministry of Operatic Relations
A user on X (formerly Twitter) has been keeping a running thread of all of the ministries that have popped up at different times during the tour.
Demolished Version Of Draag Likely Appeared During Past My Chemical Romance Tours
Many My Chemical Romance fans are being sent down a deep rabbit hole of Draag lore for the first time during this run of shows, but the world actually might have been part of past tours without fans realizing it.
A fan who attended a show during MCR’s 2022 tour believes a demolished version of Draag could be seen on the band’s backdrop while they were onstage each night.
This theory has some weight to it when looking back at the music video for “Welcome to the Black Parade.” The parade route is seen traveling through the ruins of a city.
Why Is My Chemical Romance Back In Draag?
Draag should still be in ruins. Not to mention, The Black Parade was “dead” as of the band’s final show playing the album in Mexico City in 2007.
So why is Draag thriving again?
My Chemical Romance announced the “Long Live”: The Black Parade North American Tour in November 2024 with a fully produced trailer shared on their official YouTube channel.
The 79-second video shows the dictator being led to a window to look down upon thousands of cheering fans scattered around Draag.
The description posted with the video says the tour is set 17 years after The Black Parade (My Chemical Romance’s alter ego) had been sent away.
“In that time, a great Dictator has risen to power, bringing about ‘The Concrete Age;’ a glorious time of stability and abundance in the history of Draag,” the description reads. “His Grand Immortal Dictator wishes to celebrate our rich and storied culture, fine foods and musical entertainments by welcoming you to these great demonstrations of power and resolve.”
(You can connect the dots to figure out if that sounds a little too familiar to anything happening in real life at the moment. )
To mark the occasion, the “work privilege” of The Black Parade was “reinstated” as they will serve as the dictator’s National Band.
Clues To Potential New My Chemical Romance Album
If the band does break free of the suspected “time loop,” we may know what they are about to do next thanks to additional hints included on one of the stage props.
Way busts out a large flask during the show with writing on the side using the Keposhka lettering. Fans have decoded it as saying
MCR
G. Way
101386
The number listed does not represent Way’s birthday, which is April 9, 1977. It also isn’t the birthdate of anyone else in the band.
This has led some to figure out the 1986 calendar matches up day-for-day with the 2025 calendar so that Oct. 13 is a Monday in both years.
And somehow, this has led to rumors of new My Chemical Romance music dropping on that day.
During the July 26 show at Dodger Stadium, My Chemical Romance worked an unreleased song called “War Beneath Rain” into their show for the first time. The song was part of the band’s second set, it plays on the B stage.
“War Beneath Rain” wasn’t played during the second night at Dodger Stadium.
The “Long Live”: The Black Parade North American Tour continues Sept. 13 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
A complete list of tour dates can be found at the My Chemical Romance website.
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