“Are you ready for some piano music?”Spoken by The Fray’s lead singer, Isaac Slade, when he sat down at his piano after the first few songs performed by The Fray Sunday night for SGA’s major fall event.

The show began and ended with “Happiness,” a track from the band’s second album. The first performance was shrouded in darkness and sought to build anticipation and momentum to excite the crowd.

They succeeded.

“As a fan of The Fray, I was already really excited about this concert,” said Jennifer White, an ETSU senior. “The quality of their live performance is just indescribable, and I was genuinely impressed with their musicianship.”

The Fray played around 14 songs, before an encore trio. The set list consisted of several of their mainstream chart hits such as “How to Save a Life,” “All at Once” and “You Found Me.”

The band also performed additional tunes from their debut and second albums, including “Absolute,” “She Is,” Never Say Never,” “Say When,” “Fair Fight” and “Syndicate.”

The Fray also performed “Ungodly Hour,” the only song sung by guitarist Joe King.

The band’s encore included a Kanye West cover of “Heartless,” and the crowd’s favorite, “Over My Head (Cable Car)” before the second rendition of “Happiness.”

The show also featured a spectacular light show that delighted much of the crowd. The various displays, speed and contrasting colors gave the performance an ambient atmosphere, providing the audience with a visual and emotional aid to the music. As the music continued to crescendo, brilliant light bulbs appeared to rapidly burst, or flames would shoot to the top of the screen. When the music was softer and primarily piano-based, brightly colored feathers would float across the backdrop.

“The light show was great,” said Jamie English, 22, an ETSU junior. “I loved all the red lights during the piano songs.”

We all dread hearing those first few, live opening chords of a band you enjoy for the first time.

Will they sink your stomach to your knees in mind-numbing disappointment, or will they thrill you to the core? Slade’s raspy vocals and light fingers did not leave me wanting.

Both bands performed well and enthusiastically, all while connecting with the audience.

“Sometimes I have clever things to say; tonight is not one of those them,” said Slade in between songs. “So, I’ll just play another song.”

During the final number, The Fray was joined by opening performer, Nathaniel Rateliff of The Wheel, where they performed “Happiness” again, and this time it had a relaxed, genial feel to it.

Slade and Rateliff harmonized flawlessly together, before being joined by the rest of The Wheel band. The camaraderie was especially noticeable when all members of both bands wrapped their arms around one another and sang the ending lines along with the audience.

“They sounded amazing live,” said English. “And, I had never heard of The Wheel until Sunday night, but I really enjoyed them. I loved all the different instruments.”

More “Fray” fans appeared to greatly enjoy the first act. Nathanial Rateliff and The Wheel were a motley, eclectic group but performed effortlessly together.

Rateliff’s smooth, distinctive voice had the power to intrigue and soothe you in the same moment.

The band featured both acoustic and electric guitar, percussion, keyboards, violin, an upright bass and even a metallophone, called a Glockenspiel.

“It was great,” said Rachel Vaughan, 32 and guest of an ETSU student. “I would definitely listen to them again.”

This was the first time I had personally seen the ETSU student body embrace an opening act with such rapt attention and energy before.

The band was hailed with a cell phone salute by the entire crowd that was later repeated during the combined performance of “Happiness” as the evening’s closer.

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