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.
We interviewed an avid fan named Ary, who attends the event yearly in an elaborate black-and-white dress, a ghostly blonde wig, and gas mask, which is inspired by the character Mother War from the hit video for “Welcome to the Black Parade.” A self-described “huge” MCR fan since 2011, Ary shared with L.A. TACO what the band’s music meant to her as a teenager.
“For me, personally, it helped me feel less alone. I was one of the weird kids growing up, and I felt like their music really spoke to me and helped me find a community.”
Another fan named Laisa, who dressed as a “Black Parade version” of Hatsune Miku (a Japanese virtual idol), spent several days putting together her costume, which consisted of a wig styled in Miku’s signature pigtails, black thigh-high boots, and detached sleeves fashioned out of a pair of old jeans. Laisa told L.A. TACO that she’s been a fan of MCR for thirteen years and their July tour dates at Dodger Stadium will be her fourth time seeing the band.
“I just love their style. They’re very individualistic,” Laisa said. “They [helped] me through really rough times with their music.”
Ghouls’ Day Out attendees spanned a wide range of ages, from crying children to adults in their 40s and 50s. One fan we interviewed described themselves as “an old school goth girl from the ‘80s” who attended the event with her daughter as a “Mother’s Day present.” The youngest person we spoke to was a 14-year-old named Nicolas who was accompanied by his mother (also an MCR fan.)
Donning red eye makeup and black eyeliner inspired by the band’s lead singer Gerard Way, Nicolas told L.A. TACO, “I [felt] like this music spoke to me because I’ve always been into more of that horror stuff, and I like that you’re allowed to be more [expressive] in femininity and stuff like that.”
In addition to the “MCR church” being decked out in goth decor and replicas from the music video, meet-and-greets with the actress who played “Helena,” and ghoulish photo ops, the event also hosted its annual Ghouls’ Market. Held outside in the church’s parking lot, the market featured a variety of spooky goods, clothing, and treats from local artists and small businesses. Emo tribute bands played songs from MCR’s discography, in addition to throwbacks from bands, such as Green Day, AFI, and Fall Out Boy.
The dates have not yet been announced for the next Ghouls’ Day Out, but the event organizer SpooksieBoo confirmed on their website that the event will be held again in 2026.
