The Fray and Dashboard Confessional Bring Their “Summer Of Light” Tour to the Summer Stage

On Wednesday night The Fray hit Asbury Park to celebrate their latest album, A Light That Waits. They brought along Colony House and Dashboard Confessional to round out what is honestly, a perfect summer tour. The line to get into the Stone Pony was around the block by the time the doors opened, and walking up I knew it was going to be an incredible night.

Kicking off the night were Colony House. They are an indie rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, known for blending energetic guitars, infectious melodies, and heartfelt songwriting. Formed by brothers Caleb and Will Chapman alongside Scott Mills and Parke Cottrell, the band has built a devoted following through their dynamic live shows and a sound rooted in alternative rock with touches of indie pop and Americana. I walked into their set to see a sold out crowd dancing and smiling along with the band — the vibes were on point.

Dashboard Confessional *(Keeyahtay Lewis)*

Emo favorites Dashboard were the first to play at this double headliner show — I have covered them many, many times over the years and I am always so excited when I know they are on the show. Looking around beforehand it was clear by all the DC shirts in the crowd that I wasn’t alone in the excitement. Singer Chris Carrabba took the stage alone, all smiles, while the sun slowly set behind him. He stepped up to the microphone with his acoustic guitar and started with on of their biggest songs, “The Best Deceptions.” Four thousand plus voices sang with his and it sounded incredible. What an amazing way to start out their set.

This band has built an incredible fan base over the last almost 30 year career. Their set was packed with favorites like “Saints and Sailors” and “As Lovers Go.” Before launching into another favorite, Carrabba addressed the crowd and told everyone that two couples came up to him before the show and said that this next song was their wedding song:

“We are going to play this love song for you tonight, since you have stolen our hearts.”

The band then kicked into “Stolen” and you could feel the magic for sure. Dashboard Confessional have been doing this a long time and Carrabba has an incredible band backing him — easy to witness as they traded lyrics and smiles throughout the whole set. They ended with the classics “Screaming Infidelities,” “Vindicated,” and “Hands Down” as the summer light faded behind them. Nothing better than good music, a sunset, and Asbury Park.

At about 8:40, the stage filled with smoke and a bright light. The Fray came out one by one through the haze and the music started. They started up “A Light That Waits,” the title track to their new record. At first when the vocals started, singer Joe King was still not on stage. But by the time the chorus kicked in he slide out of the smoke to an uproar of screams from the audience. The song is super upbeat and it had everyone jumping immediately. That energy stayed throughout their 20 song set.

I can’t think of a better two bands to tour together for a summer spectacle, and The Fray picked up exactly where Dashboard Confessional left off. “Hurricane” and “Heartbeat” were up next, and the songs kept the energy high. But when “Look After You” started, it felt like the crowd collectively let go of the breath everyone was holding. There was a reason that the record “How To Save A Life” was so huge, and every song from that album felt like a memory forgotten.

The Fray have been together a long time as well — and you can tell that they love playing together. They tossed in the cover “You Get What You Give” and it just seemed like they were having fun up there together. It was great to see. For “My Heart’s a Crowded Room” King jumped over the barricade and waded to the back singing through the sea of people. I always love when an artist breaks down the separation of the stage and just gets sweaty with the people.

A lot has been written over the last few years about The Fray and the changes the band has gone through. It has been about 4 years or so since Joe King took over lead vocals from their original singer. I saw them last summer actually, and it was a highlight for me. This show was incredible too, but it felt different. For lack of better words, it seems like King has found his swagger. He looks fully comfortable fronting this band through their catalogue of hits, new and old. Seeing him this week, it felt like a different person than I saw last year. His confidence was apparent and the crowd clearly loved every second of it.

Of course they had to play “How To Save a Life” for the encore and you could hear the singing all the way to the beach outside the venue. That song will always be special and I will never get tired of hearing it live. The Fray brought Colony House and Dashboard Confessional out for the finale, a cover of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” The Beatles classic was a perfect way to end this summer night, with hugs and smiles from the stage to the sea.