Concert Review: The Fray at Moody Amphitheater
Review & Photos by Victoria Allen / GALLERY
The Fray is back on tour this summer to celebrate the release of their latest album, A Light That Waits. They brought along Colony House and Dashboard Confessional as openers for their Austin show and the crowd at the Moody Amphitheater couldn't be more excited! For many this performance was a nostalgic concert where many hit songs from the early albums were played and many memories were reminisced on stage for all bands.
Colony House kicked off the concert with a killer 30 minute set. They reflected on how their first major gig was to be played in Austin, Texas. Back in 2014, the band was booked to perform their first major music fest at the ACL Music Festival, but it was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. They look back and laugh at the whole ordeal now, but that event led them to writing the song "Waiting for My Time to Come."
They have truly made a name for themselves since that event as they have released many popular songs and are currently performing with the Fray for their summer tour. The group performed a nice range of music from their discography. They played their most popular song, You Know It, from their 2017 album Only the Lonely.
Out of respect to the late, great Glen Hansard, Colony House performed a beautiful cover ofhis song Falling Slowly. Glen Hansard was a very well known singer and songwriter that made a significant impact in the rock world and the music community. He inspired many musicians like Colony House.
They really transported the crowd back with one of their throwback hits, Moving Forward. The song was featured on their first album, When I Was Younger. The band released a new album this year titled "77." After hearing them play live, it's definitely worth a listen so be sure to check it out. The overall tone and energy of their songs really blended well with the bands playing for the night.
Moving onto the second act of the night - Dashboard Confessional! Stage props were rolled out and red spotlights were flashed across the crowd. They did a huge reveal to display a huge banner with their band name before diving into their set.
This concert was my first encounter with Dashboard Confessional and they definitely left a lasting impression. Many fans in the audience were sporting merch from previous tours in support of the band. They had a lot of dedicated people in the audience cheering as they walked on stage. They included many fan favorites and classics during their set. From popular songs like The Best Deceptions featured in their 2001 album, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most to earlier tunes like The Sharp Hint of New Tears on their 2000 album, The Swiss Army Romance. They had the perfect sample playlist curated for long-time fans as well as people being introduced to them for the first time. Fans were gasping about being very "surprised" to hear Carry This Picture on the set list. The niche song was from their 2003 album, A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar and was a special inclusion for truly dedicated fans in the crowd.
The band did a fantastic job hyping up the crowd before the Fray's performance with many people standing, swaying, and singing to the tunes throughout their set. My favorite moment came when the band got basically the entire amphitheater to wave their hands as they performed. People were enjoying the music from their seats at the start of the performance, but only a few songs in, they had everyone standing up and pumped!
Dashboard Confessional started in 1999 and is known for creating music that falls into the alternative, indie, and rock categories. The band understands their audience well and referenced how many of the songs on their set list took people back to their "emo" phase - It's never a phase! This holds true for many in attendance as they were cheering and singing along to many of the band's songs. Fans were excited to hear two major hit tunes played. Dashboard Confessional included Vindicated on their set list, which was featured as the main theme and ending-credit song for Spider-Man 2 back in 2004. They also performed their 2003 hit, Hands Down, which was hands down the highlight for many fans as screams and cheers erupted as the beat began. Overall, the band provided a fantastic set of music and did an amazing job with crowd work as they built excellent anticipation for the Fray's performance.
The Fray is a Christian rock band famously known for several major hits that fall into the alternative & indie music genre. During their nearly 2 hour long set, they played a mix of classic hits across all their albums as well as their newest album from this year, A Light That Waits.
The lights dimmed and fog engulfed the stage as the Fray mady their dramatic entrance. They launched their set with an extended intro to their high energy song, Hurricane! The song is from their 2014 album, Helios, and is super upbeat which was the perfect kick off to a night fueled by electric vibes and throwback soundtracks. They gave fans no breaks with this set list as they jumped right into Heartbeat from their 2012 album, Scars & Stories. The emotional song has a strong beat and beautiful lyrics that really hit people in the feels. Both opening tunes were immediately added to my playlist after the concert! Attending the concert made me realize my playlist was missing out on some absolute bangers!
Those songs were followed by the smash hit, Look After You, from their first album which is a fan favorite. They gave the audience a taste of their new soundtrack with Tasted Glory. I think the band did an incredible job including their nostalgic tunes into the set with their newer music.
The crowd seemed to believe the same cause shortly afterwards they played Over My Head (Cable Car) from their first album. This song never fails to make me sing along as it stands at #1 on my top three list for the band. Now picture thousands of fans singing along to the tune live and you have an idea of how the incredible night went.
Fans were stunned when they heard the band perform a beautiful rendition of Mazzy Star's song, Fade Into You. After performing for over 2 decades the band has definitely mastered crowd work and how to balance entertainment into their show. Fun surprises like this were weaved throughout their set.
The theme for their latest soundtrack and tour is light. The band played into it by featuring a wide array of color lighting that mimicked light refracting through a prism. The art on their newest album reflects this, but it was extremely awesome watching them incorporate this special effect into their set. During their new song, A Light That Waits, Joe King jumped on a platform and held up a giant prism sphere to a spotlight aimed at center stage, which reflected the light in various directions in the amphitheater. The stunt left everyone in awe, including myself - Glad I managed to get a picture!
The Fray performed a jam-packed set and I'm not just referring to the audience packed into the venue. The band featured emotional tracks like She Is from their first album as well as upbeat tunes like Love Don't Die from Helios. They made sure to set the scene and keep the energy high as they mixed in newer songs such as Wherever You Reach for Me. The song, which is from their latest album, feels very cinematic and opens with a sweet melody played on piano. The Fray is known for making emotional hits that really connect to people and this song is not an exception.
The best part of the night was when Joe King jumped over the barricade to walk through the crowd, ironically during their new song My Heart's A Crowded Room. Within the span of the 3 minute tune, King managed to make his way from the front barricade section to the far back lawn where fans were excitedly jumping for joy on beach towels and blankets. In a very fun (and mildly chaotic) scene, King came running back to the stage for the next song followed by security, a tour photographer, and the venue bouncers all while fans cheered him on!
Like the song "Over My Head," the tune "You Found Me" is yet another fan favorite that made the set list right after this moment. Both songs have lived on the top of my playlist for well over a decade and hearing so many of their hits live brought back so many memories. I wasn't alone in that feeling, many fans wore tour shirts from the band's first tour and brought along merch from previous tours. The support for the Fray is far from gone, with many fans singing along with the band the entire night.
They fooled some folks in the audience after the song ended, when the light dimmed and the band walked off stage. People slowly gathered their stuff and headed to the exit with many pausing as King walked back on stage with just his guitar. He performed one last tune from their new album titled, Sea Level Drive. It's a slower paced song which led many to believe it was a soft way to end the night. Many didn't notice the rest of the band members reappearing on stage until they heard the iconic cords from their global, chart-topping song, How to Save a Life. Those that were attempting to beat traffic by making an early exit came RACING back to their seats. The entire amphitheater erupted in cheers as everyone sang along with the band - Lyric for lyric!
Some of you youngsters (I'm early Gen-Z BTW) may be unfamiliar with their #1 song How to Save a Life, but with over 1.7 billion streams on Spotify alone - I doubt it! The song was released with many other well known hits on their breakout album, How to Save a Life, back in 2005. It's incredible that more than 20 years later, the band is still very active and putting out fantastic music! The band decided to save the best for last with the song showing up as they closed out the set.
The Fray gave multiple loving remarks about Austin and all their fans. They had the members of Colony House and Dashboard Confessional rejoin the stage in one final farewell song. Along with the two earlier bands, they were joined by friends and family. Together, they sang a very playful cover of The Beatles' song, "With a Little Help From My Friends." With Joe King and Dave Welsh on guitars and Ben Wysocki on a singular drum they played a very fun rendition of the tune with the help of friends on vocals and supporting instruments. It was a beautiful and special way to end their concert.
The Summer of Light Tour will continue until their last show on August 29th. The Fray will continue touring internationally for the Autumn Light Tour beginning October 27th. Don't miss your chance to sing along with the band! The Fray is well aware their music stands the test of time. With attendees fully engaged and focused throughout the entire performance, their concert is definitely a must see! Don't wait - Step into the light before the tour wraps up!