In this moment, the players didn’t resemble a group of big-time rock stars as much as a gathering of old friends, ones who still enjoy each others’ company and get a kick out of goofing around on their instruments. It’s an old trick (one, not surprisingly, favored by Coldplay), but one that paid huge dividends for the Fray. The Fray then decided to mix things up and moved to a stripped-down acoustic setting, as the band members huddled together at the front of the stage. Then the Fray had the fans waving their Nokias in the air as the group delivered its signature number, the debut album’s tuneful and heartfelt title track. Yet, the quartet – which also features drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist Dave Welsh – made us forget about the sound system woes as it charged through the dramatic rocker “Fall Away,” which features the type of steady build that made Coldplay a household name. The volume, which appeared to still be set on “11” from Thursday’s Ozzfest, was much too loud for a pop-rock show and the bass was so distorted that it wrecked several songs. That would explain the awful sound mix, which was a thorn in the band’s side throughout the night. If that’s true, then there might be some type of family feud taking place.
He also told some humorous stories, including one about how his most embarrassing moment in the music business occurred when his voice cracked while singing on a Bay Area morning radio show, and talked about his family – one member of which, he said, happens to run Shoreline. “We’ve got a whole layer of people behind the layer of people.” “Whoa!” he exclaimed as he peered out into the night. Slade proved quite comfortable in the role of front man, after he got over the initial shock of seeing so many fans in attendance. The sound, centered on Slade’s Martin-esque piano work and Joe King’s shimmering Edge-style guitar, could be as friendly as an Eagles ballad or touch upon the regal side of Radiohead. Slade’s voice was a comforting, low slur, pitched frequently by high notes, which brought to mind Dave Matthews, Adam Duritz and (of course) Coldplay’s Chris Martin. It’s clear that the fans at Shoreline number among the 2-million-plus who have bought the album and it’s obvious that they have not let their copies collect much dust.Īs the band continued to pick through the new album, initially moving from “All at Once” to the pining love song “She is,” the music felt instantly familiar, even to those who aren’t regular Fray listeners. Instead, the four band members seemed like seasoned entertainers, injecting the show with equal parts humor, grandeur and drama and always giving the impression that they were following a well-thought-out game plan.įollowing sets by opening acts Eisley and Gomez, the Fray leaped onto the stage (and into its namesake) as it hit the crowd with its anthem love song “All at Once.” Vocalist-pianist Isaac Slade’s fifth line was “All at once the crowd begins to sing” and, indeed, you could watch the majority of audience members mouth out the words to each song. The set lasted some 90 minutes, which was a lot to ask of a band with only one album, yet the Fray never came across like it was stalling for time.
Popularity aside, the Fray proved on Saturday that it was artistically ready for the move to large-scale venues. Amazingly, the disc ranks as the best-selling digital album in history.
It’s also why “How to Save a Life” has gone double-platinum and been such a huge hit in the download format.
The Fray may be rock’s next big thing – The Mercury News