My Chemical Romance famously sang the line “darken your clothes or strike a violent pose,” and the emos of Los Angeles did just that at the annual Ghouls’ Day Out event.
Since 2021, the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown has been home to the My Chemical Romance (MCR) fan event, where thousands of guests show up each year in their darkest attire. Though it has no affiliation with the event’s organizers, the iconic church where Ghouls’ Day Out takes place was the filming location for MCR’s 2005 music video “Helena,” which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The music video currently has 240 million views on the band’s YouTube channel, and fans went all out to celebrate.
The Ghouls’ event featured an endless sea of black button-down shirts paired with red ties, which is an ode to the band’s attire in the “Helena” video. Artist and cosplayer Jonathan Maya donned skeletal face paint and a spooky marching band uniform in reference to the cover art for MCR’s 2006 album, The Black Parade. Showing true dedication to the cosplay, Maya stood silently at the entrance to the event and ignored virtually everyone who spoke to him.