You can feel the excitement of the crowd at The Van Buren in Phoenix on October 9th as fans waited eagerly for the comeback of The Fray on their highly anticipated tour, The Fray Is Back. You couldn’t blame fans from all over the metro valley since the last time the band visited Arizona was 10 years ago. With the music venue filled with anticipation, the night kicked off with a soulful set from the opening artist Rett Madison.
Madison’s songs set a perfect tone for the evening. Her beautifully haunting voice resonated throughout the venue, drawing the crowd in with tracks that featured songs with themes about love and loss of loved ones. Tracks like “One for Jackie, One for Crystal” and “Pin-Up Daddy” connected really well with the crowd because they showed how emotive her tracks were. The crowd was in for a tear-jerking treat as she performed her song “Flea Market” which is about the passing of her mom that she explained in the beginning of her performance. Madison’s charisma and how she connected to the audience was emotional and heart-warming, making her a standout opener.
As the stage was set for The Fray, crowds cheered in anticipation to see the return of the band after their long hiatus and since the announcement of Isaac Slade’s departure from the group. Slade was noted to have left the band in 2022 because he wanted to prioritize his mental health and pursue his dream of having his own record store in Washington.They started their show with the song “Angeleno Moon”, a song off of their latest EP The Fray Is Back which kept the crowd in their toes.
Despite the roster change, Joe King, the band’s long-time guitarist and now full-time frontman and vocalist, never ceased to treat the crowd with delight as he mesmerized them with his angelic voice and the band’s blend of introspective ballad and piano-driven melodies. Hits like “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “Look After You” showed evidence why the fans loved them so much as they sang to every track to their hearts’ content. With Isaac not in the band anymore and Joe taking over the lead vocal duties, the keys were taken over by Kai Welch who also provides backing vocals for them.
The setlist was a great blend of their old and new songs that showcased their band evolution. They performed songs like “Not Now” and “Same Thing” from their new EP which they just released last month. One of the highlights of the evening was when the band performed a cover of Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me” that sent the crowd into an emotional ride. It was a perfectly poignant cover which fit perfectly The Fray’s musical style that resonated really well with the band’s fans in attendance.
GALLERY: The Fray at The Van Buren in Phoenix (October 9, 2024)
