The Fray Revives The Music in Me
by: Sandra Mae Laureano

Many of us has started hearing of a band called The Fray when “How to Save a Life” became somewhat of an anthem in American TV shows, most specifically in Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve never actually gotten into that show, but the TV station insisted on using that song as the official background music for the show’s commercial which irrevocably played every 15 minutes. Strangely though, it never got into my nerves like all the other repetitive mainstream music. If anything, it had a sort of soothing effect.

“Where did I go wrong,

I lost a friend,

Somewhere along the bitterness,

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life”

On their own, those words were always playing their music out in my mind. As poignant as the lyrics were, they didn’t sound mushy. The piano arrangement was so distinctive that I could recognize the song within a fraction of a second when it was played. Before I knew it, I was singing along to the lines with such familiarity and fondness that anyone who saw me would think I actually worshipped the band.

I guess that’s what The Fray is for a lot of us,  the band that can dish out a soft concoction of piano tunes, a fine arrangement of steady beats, delicately blended with a catchy mesh of memorable lyrics and further intensified by Isaac Slade’s falsetto. Their music, in all its simplicity and beauty, defines what it is to be human – the joy and sadness, the fragility and strength, the doubt and grace. Listening to each of their song is like drawing out an intimate fragment of your life and reliving it for a few minutes. That’s precisely how piercing their music is and that’s exactly what makes it impossible to turn away from it.

So who the heck is The Fray? Except for being the piano band with a bald vocalist, The Fray is now a multi-Grammy nominated band that has gone way beyond since releasing that influential single. Hailing from Denver, Isaac Slade, Joe King, Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki, have released three widely successful albums worldwide. Their debut album titled “How to Save a Life”, released in 2005, contained their renowned hits “Over My Head (Cable Car)”, “Look After You” and “All at Once”.  In 2009, they released an album simply titled as “The Fray” which featured yet another list of unforgettable songs such as “You Found Me”, “Enough for Now”, “Never Say Never” and “Ungodly Hour”. Their latest album “Scars and Stories”, released a year ago, slightly digresses from their first 2 albums by presenting heavier and louder harmonies which can be heard from “Heartbeat”, “Here We Are” and “The Fighter”. Their traditional mellow, however, was redefined with “Rainy Zurich”, “I Can Barely Say” and “Be Still” as it mixed with noticeably more melodic elements.

To be frank, I’ve seen quite a lot of awesome concerts over the year, but I still hold The Fray’s concert with the greatest expectation. Their music is just that good. If you haven’t listened to even one of their albums, I would highly recommend that you give it a try and see for yourself how easily it can turn to a guilty pleasure and a little life-saving moment.

This Grammy nominated rock band is set to perform live in Manila on November 10, 2012 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tickets are available at Ticketnet or call 911 5555 for ticket reservation.

PATRON VIP – Php 6,360
PATRON A – Php 5,300
PATRON B – Php 4,770
LOWER BOX VIP – Php 4,770
LOWER BOX REGULAR – Php 3,710
UPPER A VIP – Php 3,180
UPPER A Php 2,650
UPPER B (UB)- Php 1,590
GENERAL ADMISSION – Php 795

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