The last time The Fray came to Cleveland I didn't go to the show. For some reason I was convinced that they would not be a good band to see live. Last night I found out how wrong my assumption was. The Fray exceeded all expectations I had of them. It was an amazing show. I definitely didn't give them the credit they deserve.

Jack's Manequin performed before The Fray last night. I'm so glad we made it to the venue in time to see their entire set. What an energetic performance. Before going to the show I was a fan of the band but now I'm an even bigger fan. I'm not sure I've ever witnessed a man with so much energy as Andrew McMahon (lead vocals). He was jumping on the piano, jumping off the piano, jumping on the drums, he was all over the stage. They played a great set and ended with a cover from Tom Petty.

The Fray took the stage a little before 9:30. After a musical intro of "Happiness" they dramatically started playing "Over my Head". The backdrop was full of small changing lights that lit up the stage. I immediately knew this concert was going to be much better than I anticipated.

Anyone that knows me already understands that nothing compares to the feeling I get when I see The Killer's in concert. However, I unexpectedly got a very similar feeling from The Fray last night. The songs are emotional, the venue was perfect for them, the vocals were clear and the sound seemed flawless. It was a perfect package.

Isaac's voice just grabs you and sucks you in. Once you're trapped you're definitely there until the show is over.

I won't list or go into detail about the set list. If you're a fan you can probably guess what they played. Along with "Over My Head" the list included "You found me", "How to Save a Life" and "Never Say Never". Isaac also briefly sang his own version of "Cleveland Rocks".

The crowd last night seemed to consist mostly of pre-teens. The fans seemed to consist of 12 and 13 year old girls. (Maybe I am just getting to old) The Fray deserves better than that in my opinion. I'm sure artists appreciate fans no matter what their age is, but I wish more adults would appreciate and show support of these bands. I couldn't live without music like this. No matter how bad or frustrating my day is music can almost always make me feel better. The show last night made my week that much better and because it was such a great show it will make next week better as well.

For the encore Joe King was the first member back onto the stage. King performed a solo of "Heaven Forbid". Honestly I have never heard this song before, but thought it was great. After that was "Heartless". I was dying to hear this live and keeping my fingers crossed that it was going to be played. Whether "Heartless" is sung by Kanye or The Fray it is a great song. The performance was incredible. Any band that gives me goosebumps during a performance has to be considered as one of my favorites. Definitely one of the best shows I've seen in a while and I honestly wasn't expecting it to be on that list. I guess when things are unexpected it makes it even better.

Read more about me at http://candishecking.blogspot.com

iTunes: All Your Music, All In One Place