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Meggers
Vintage Newbie


Eisley has a small mention in the Dallas Morning News' review of the show on Thursday.

The Fray, Dallas crowd mix well

12:38 PM CDT on Friday, July 13, 2007

By TARA CUSLIDGE / Staff Writer


Fans can forgive a certain amount of pretentiousness.

Fame, after all, has a way of making musicians seem a bit out of touch. But for a band as down-to-earth as the Fray, no apologies are needed.

The Denver-based group performed a solid show Thursday night to a crowd clamoring for the favorites – "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and "How to Save a Life" – but getting much, much more. By the end, it seemed as if the band could perform just about any song well, including an animated version of the Shakira song "Hips Don't Lie."

The 16-song set spanned over almost two hours. It seemed to end too soon, though, for a band that made the audience feel as if they were old friends.

Pianist Isaac Slade said Dallas is like a "second home."

The band paced itself through the night, mixing in recognizable favorites such as "All at Once" and "She Is" with songs that didn't even have a title. They mixed it up even more during the encore, playing a song from an earlier album.

Throughout, they kept it lively and personal, talking about previous area performances, throwing Polaroid pictures into the audience and generally demonstrating they are just plain nice guys.

When Mr. Slade looked into the audience and realized everyone was standing, he appreciatively thanked the crowd.

"You guys are amazing," he said. "Every single person is up on their feet."

There was no need to wonder why.

The fast-paced show covered pop-sounding tunes, a bit of rock, a little country, and even that previously mentioned bit of rap repurposed for drummer Ben Wysocki's Dallas debut as a lead singer. He happened to fill in on Shakira's parts, while Mr. Slade and guitarist Joe King did the rest.

New songs, including one about the band's Colorado hometown, flowed nicely with the rest of the set.

The highlight of the night came from Mr. King, who sang "Heaven Forbid" and a couple of other songs projected for the Fray's new album, which is expected to be released next year.

Though Mr. King's vocal style is obviously different from Mr. Slade's, the change was a treat for fans. Both vocalists were right on tune.

The only setback of the night came when the album's major-label, multiplatinum debut came almost midway through the set. The crowd roared, but the performance of "How to Save a Life" just didn't have the gusto and excitement of other songs.

Tyler indie-rock band Eisley was the first opening act, followed by Gomez from the United Kingdom. Eisley performed a strong set with songs from their upcoming album Combinations. The quintet hit a high note with the audience with its performance of the title track.

The Fray's encore, which turned out to be rather predictable, included an energetic version of "Over My Head (Cable Car)" accompanied by several audience members and "Look After You."

When Mr. Slade sang the chorus for the latter song, the emotion in his voice made it seem like he was telling the truth.

Dallas may not be the Fray's hometown, but they've definitely found a fan base here that proves Mr. Slade was right in saying it felt like home.

http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/overnight/stories/DN-fr ay_13gl.ART.State.Edition2.4366daa.html

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Joined: 02 Jul 2005 | Posts: 2880 | Location: Dallas
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crazeemunkeyz
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they didn't say anything about gomez, though.

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treetops12
Vintage Newbie


crazeemunkeyz wrote:
they didn't say anything about gomez, though.

Laughing

Cuz Gomez aren't American. Wink

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Caley
Lost at Forum


I cannot wait to hear the album just so I can listen to Combinations. It sounds so freaking amazing and lovely.
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crazeemunkeyz
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yeah, i'm mad that we didn't get to hear combinations at the houston show but, i think i can wait until the album.
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vivalaspopie
Vintage Newbie


I wasn't at the Dallas show, but I really didn't think The Fray gave off a down-to-earth vibe at all. And they certainly played a solid show, but I don't know about any of that mixing-it-up type business they were talking about. It was a solid pop-rock power block. The "country" song had a southern-style guitar riff, but most definitely did not stray from the usual.
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juan
Lost at Forum


treetops12 wrote:
crazeemunkeyz wrote:
they didn't say anything about gomez, though.

Laughing

Cuz Gomez aren't American. Wink


you people are so very over patriotic. Not that I'm complaining.

up the brits! Laughing

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