Photo by: Destiny Wilson
In the past year, The Fray, nominated for two Grammies has secured a place at the forefront of popular music while winning many awards and breaking record sales.
It was no surprise that on a Saturday night an odd mix of tweens, college students and Budweiser-drinking thirtysomethings flocked to Vail’s Dobson Arena to support the band. Hundreds of die-hard fans braved blistering winds and freezing temperatures to see the newly famous hometown heroes.
While getting to the venue was a daunting task, once there it proved to be a great place for the show. Most arena shows tend to be an overcrowded, overwhelming experience, but this show was different. The Dobson Arena’s relatively small size allowed for a very intimate feel uncommon in such shows.
No strangers to the difficulty of achieving success, The Fray chose local band Meese to open the show. Formed by brothers Nathan and Patrick Meese, the band has been gaining increasing attention as one of Denver’s up-and-coming bands. Since being dubbed one of Westword’s Movers and Shakers for 2006, Meese has built a solid fan-base across the state and the country. The band has repeatedly opened for close friends such as The Fray as well as many other local acts.
Meese’s performance Saturday was outstanding. The catchy lyrics and power-packed piano-driven songs definitely captivated the audience. All of the band members projected an energy only found in bands on the brink of success. They were enthusiastic about having the opportunity to play and continually reiterated this sentiment to the audience. Their interaction with the crowd made them fun to watch and enjoy.
However, many fans commented on the close similarity of Meese to The Fray. Structurally, the two bands are very much alike, yet each band’s sound is quite different from the other. Meese’s pop-rock sound complemented the more melodic alternative sound of The Fray in a dynamic combination.
After winding down their set, the boys of Meese threw the audience for a loop by revealing a bet within the band which would require Nathan Meese to tattoo Vail on his backside. Band members explained that they only had 100 CDs left to sell, and if they sold out by the end of the night the tattoo would be done and shown on Myspace within the coming week. This threw fans into hysteria before Meese launched into its final song “Millionaire.” Overall, the set sparked the interest of many fans before the announcement and the finale.
Once The Fray took to the stage, the fans had worked themselves into an anxious frenzy. Not surprisingly, the band began with the hit single “Cable Car” even before launching into more material from the band’s How to Save a Life album. Each song found the crowd singing every word, dancing and cheering. The band’s sound met the standards set by the studio-produced CD. The powerful vocals and crisp piano cords resonated through the arena. Lead singers Isaac Slade and Joe King captivated the audience with their unique and mesmerizing harmonies.
The music truly captured the exact essence found on the CD, but unfortunately, it lacked a little in the performance department. King and Slade only spoke to the audience a few times, which detracted from the quality of the show. It almost felt as if you were listening to a live version of the CD really loud instead of actually experiencing the music live.
Nevertheless, The Fray redeemed itself by covering Weezer’s “(Undone) The Sweater Song” with Meese. While the tweens glanced around in confusion, the older crowd came unglued for the thrashing cover. When the band returned for a three-song encore, including the title-track, “How to Save a Life,” the crowd went absolutely crazy.
Fans were also given a sneak peek of the new album with the performance of three new songs. Tonally, two of the songs sounded very much like the signature Fray style of music. However, one of the songs, which Joe King wrote for his wife during the first monumental blizzard of this year, sounded quite different. It possessed a twang factor, which lent it the feel of an alternative country ballad rather than the usual Fray tune.
Overall, The Fray put on a great show that was well worth the drive, the elements and the hotel fees.
Whether or not this song will appear on the new CD remains a mystery. And when will the new CD be out? Their web site states that the band will be very busy in the coming months on tour both internationally and at home. Yet, they plan to hit the studio some time late this summer. The new album will definitely be one to look forward to.
