The Fray Is Back at Brooklyn Bowl

Denver soft-rockers The Fray are back—or so proclaims their recent EP The Fray Is Back—after a five-year hiatus and the 2022 departure of lead-singer Isaac Slade. To accompany their return, the group embarked on their first official tour in years and wrapped up in lead-singer Joe King’s new hometown of Nashville at Brooklyn Bowl on Oct. 20.

The pre-show playlist transported the crowd to mid-2000s greatness as The Killers and The White Stripes filled the room. In a recent interview with The Entertainment Magazine, drummer Ben Wysocki expressed, “There have been so many young fans that we didn’t really expect—fans that were certainly single digits, elementary school [age] when we came on the scene, which is just crazy.” While I admit to falling into this category, I was still surprised to see the diversity of the crowd at Brooklyn Bowl. A group of bubbly Belmont girls gathered near the barricade as guys in Pantera, Neck Deep, and Cannibal Corpse shirts walked by. Towards the back of the venue, a group that looked like they should have been at a Florida Georgia Line concert, sunglasses and all, scoped out a spot for the night’s show.

Opener Rett Madison took the stage in shiny, silver cowboy boots that would have stolen the show if not for her absolute powerhouse vocals. Her decidedly country sound was made more unique by her rich vocals and a bouncing rhythm that brought an almost R&B feel at times. It was utterly captivating, even if it wasn’t the sound I expected to accompany The Fray. She did a fantastic job setting the tone for the night, regularly interacting with the crowd, and explaining the stories behind her songs. She even managed to start an ongoing joke with a medic in the crowd that punctured her tales of figuring out her queer identity growing up in West Virginia. The challenge of any opener is luring in a crowd that isn’t there to see you, but Madison’s casual yet demanding stage presence did exactly that.

Between sets, the pre-show playlist shifted from driving indie to a more mellow soul, but the crowd must not have gotten the memo. A lady upstairs was physically shoving anyone out of the way who dared step in front of her, and downstairs, two women were escorted out by security after pushing their way to the front and almost causing a fight. Otherwise, it was calm as the crowd milled around and texted their favorite Fray lyric to the phone number plastered on the screen behind the stage.

The Fray went on at 9 o’clock sharp, opening with “Angeleno Moon” off their newest EP before launching into “Over My Head (Cable Car).” The crowd murmured as the opening notes were played, unsure that one of their major hits would appear so early in the set, but as soon King sang the opening words, everyone enthusiastically joined in. Watching King, it was difficult to imagine his stage presence before stepping up to the role of the frontman. He spent the night running around the stage, dramatically lifting his arms and guitar in time with the music, and yelling out to the crowd. At one point, he even ran into the audience, singing from the pit. While his energy was infectious, it drew almost all the attention his way, making me wonder how he ever managed to fade into the background before.

Inevitably, the other question on everyone’s minds was if Joe King’s vocals could live up to Isaac Slade’s. While certainly different, it quickly became apparent that the soaring melodies and soft bed of instrumentation are what really define The Fray. If you weren’t listening for it, you couldn’t tell the difference. King’s vocals reminded me of the Cold War Kids and comfortably situated him alongside popular indie rock groups from The Fray’s heyday, but his voice leaned a bit more tenor, noticeably lacking the warmth so characteristic of Slade. Over halfway through the set, it finally hit me who he sounded like—Matt Quin of Mt. Joy.

All of that is to say, that while King’s vocals are different, they still maintain the essence of what made The Fray so popular. Many of the group’s biggest hits were co-written by the entire band, and you can tell when they perform them. There’s a connection to the lyrics that’s essential in conveying them on stage and avoids the show feeling like a glorified cover gig. Any fears I had going into the night quickly melted away, and I found myself comparing King to Slade less and less as the performance progressed.

The set charged on with a collection of B-sides from their earlier records before playing a stripped-back cover of “Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez. Yet another unexpected moment from the night, the acoustic arrangement turned the song completely on its head. The crowd quietly hummed along, trying to place the song before the chorus gave it away. In a quite beautiful moment, everyone began to sing along louder than they had for any other song up to that point. Perhaps that was the intention because the crowd absolutely erupted for “Never Say Never” and “You Found Me” directly after.

As they played “You Found Me,” B-roll footage of dark cities played in the background, reminiscent of a transition scene in “Suits” or “Grey’s Anatomy” or any of the other primetime shows that seemed to define the soft-rock sound of the late-2000s. Partnered with the towering amber lights, the stage design was relatively simple. But it created the perfect nostalgic atmosphere for older fans, and new fans that long for an era they barely remember.

The band returned for an encore consisting of the lead single off The Fray Is Back, “Time Well Wasted,” and a cover of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene.” For the latter, the group gathered around a singular mic, brought out a trumpet and accordion, and sang along together. It’s a move that no matter how many times I see it, always manages to make me smile and break the grandeur of a stage show in the best way possible. They continued this intimate feel as King played the opening verse and chorus of “How to Save a Life” alone on an acoustic before the band joined back in. Everyone screamed along to the song they had been waiting for, and the band gathered for a final bow. If The Fray ever questioned how their comeback would be received, the scene of people sitting on the curb in front of a “SOLD OUT” marquee waiting for a ride home while still screaming lyrics from the night confirmed that fans, both new and old, are here to stay.

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