After a long hiatus, the pop-driven Colorado rock band made a triumphant splash during its tour stop Friday at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. The review and photos at Local Spins.
Fans Didn’t Forget: The Fray enlivened a big crowd in Grand Rapids. (Photo/Tony Norkus)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY, SET LIST
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The Fray enveloped its audience Friday evening in Grand Rapids with a heartfelt musical package — and the pop-rock band got it right back with endearing cheers and sing-along anthems.
If it wasn’t a full house at GLC Live at 20 Monroe, but the 2,000 on hand made it the next best thing to it, as fans flocked to hear the band that only recently issued new music after a decade-long hiatus.
In fact the players took the stage and opened with “Angeleno Moon,” a driving song from their EP “The Fray is Back.” It’s been two decades since their national debut album and the band performed five songs from it.
Lead singer Joe King was all over the stage – and into the crowd before the night was done.
During “Hurricane” images of threatening clouds dominated the screen at the rear of the stage. That while King had fun with a fan’s cellphone taking close-up videos of band members before handing it back.
Emotional Night: The Fray on stage. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
The Fray features King, drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist David Walsh. Support musicians for the tour include bassist Dane Poppin and multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch, who added trumpet flourishes on “Heartbeat.”
King referred to their slow ballad, “Look After You,” the only real love song ever written by the band. A few fans sang along, but the house rang loudest with hits such as “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “You Found Me.” The latter was favored with big city nightscapes looking down from the rear stage screen.
That was The Fray’s exit song, with everyone in the house knowing they hadn’t yet played their signature, “How To Save A Life.”
The players returned to perform a brand new (and yet unreleased) song “Crowded Room.” King sang much of it from a perch on the concert floor.
But coming back to the stage, the lead singer introduced their best-known treatise as a song which has taken on a whole new meaning after 20 years.
Its bare keyboard notes led the crowd and voices joined together once again in the musical life-saving quest.
The Fray said goodbye after a 90-minute set with a cover of Simple Minds “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”
The band is poised for another successful run as the players, their music and their fans rediscover each other.
The evening was opened by the acoustic-based guitar trio verygently, which performed several songs from its recent EP “Fame.” Included were “Really Cool Dream” and the humorous “Jesus Girl.”
PHOTO GALLERY: The Fray, verygently at GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Photos by Anthony Norkus
SET LIST: The Fray at GLC Live at 20 Monroe
1. Angeleno Moon
2. All at Once
3. She Is
4. Closer to You
5. Syndicate
6. Hurricane
7. Look After You
8. Over My Head (Cable Car)
9. Heartbeat
10. Love Don’t Die
11. Never Say Never
12. You Found Me
Encore
13. Crowded Room
14. How to Save A Life
15 Don’t You (Forget About Me)
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