Photos and review by Jenny Li
@jennyli.photos

It’s been nearly 25 years since The Fray debuted in 2002, and it continues to uphold its reputation for creating captivating music that delivers strikes to the heart. Currently making their way through North America on their Summer of Light Tour, The Fray returned to the San Francisco Bay Area on July 23rd to play at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, their first time at this venue.

Openers Colony House and Dashboard Confessional officially kicked off the evening. Colony House described themselves as “a friend of a friend” who’s joining the party and gave a heartfelt thanks to The Fray for bringing them on tour. Following the four-member indie rock band was Dashboard Confessional, who had many fans attending that night as well. Lead singer Chris Carrabba came out with a smile on his face that never really disappeared, bringing a bright energy to the band’s set. The audience even got to contribute to a live recording of “No More Bad Days,” as Carrabba encouraged them to belt out parts of the chorus during the performance of this new song.

After the first two bands wrapped up their sets, the sunlight began fading faster. The drums in the intro of “A Light That Waits” echoed throughout the venue, signaling the start of The Fray’s performance. From the fog emerged The Fray’s current frontman, Joe King, one of the two original founders of the band. Whatever you imagine when you hear the phrase “stage presence,” King embraces the definition one hundred percent. During nearly the entire first song, he strode back and forth across the width of the stage, confidence and strength in every step. From the crooning chorus of “Heartbeat” to the tender verses of “Look After You,” he instilled his heart and soul into each performance. The set list consisted of more than twenty songs, but King never broke stride. His endless energy was particularly evident during “My Heart’s a Crowded Room,” when he leaped offstage and made his way to the very back of the theatre, weaving through the crowd and climbing up the steps through dozens of rows as he high-fived his fans. It was only after he returned to the stage that he stopped to take a breather, grinning up at the sky.

The Fray became one of my favorite bands in middle school around the early 2010s, and I noticed many people around my age attending the show that night. But I was also pleasantly surprised to see older generations with their young kids, as well as college-age students, the diversity of fans in attendance reflecting the universal and lasting appeal of the band. The Fray made it easy for the audience to fall naturally into the energy of each song, whether it was jumping in rhythm to an energetic rock track like “Love Don’t Die” or swaying along to an uplifting ballad like “Wherever You Reach for Me.” The band performed both hits from their latest album, A Light That Waits, as well as nostalgic fan favorites, including “You Found Me,” “Over My Head (Cable Car),” and their finale, “How to Save a Life.” During this last performance, it seemed as if every single person in the venue was belting out the lyrics to this song from two decades ago, a reminder that the music and legacy of The Fray continue to live on.

For all the latest news and tour information, go to @thefray and www.thefray.com