Did anyone catch "SNL" last night? There were a few funny sketches. I liked the one with John C. Reilly as a blonde woman crying over her taquitos. And the bear-shark bit was good. It's interesting to watch "SNL" these days, in light of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

But the reason I tuned in last night was the band. My Chemical Romance has this new song, "The Black Parade," a kind-of-corny, kind-of-catchy ditty that reminds one of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." It's just as theatrical, operatic, anthemic. And the video's pretty watchable. I've read that their new CD, out this Tuesday, is a concept album about a man (The Patient) dying of cancer. And one of the tracks is even titled "Cancer." (I think that was the second song they played last night.) I hadn't been interested in MCR before hearing "The Black Parade," but that song stirred my interest, so I figured I'd see how their stage act holds up.

It didn't. Their first song was that biggie, of course, and they were all dressed alike, in those black-and-white alt-goth costumes from the video. That was to be expected. The things I didn't care for were A) the singing and B) the theatrics. The guy's voice just didn't cut the mustard. He was off-key, and not in a good way. And the theatrics, spooky wide eyes and gestures came off as so much posturing. The second song--which gets more specific about the man dying of cancer--was just as bad. I hadn't heard that one before, so maybe I ought to give it another listen, but the performance Saturday night did not make me want to hear it again.

Before last night I was thinking of buying the new album. Now I'm not so hot to. But then again, there are plenty of bands whose music doesn't work in live venues; it's dull on stage yet shines on CD. Maybe this is such a band.