The Fray in Zurich

Another night, another concert, this time it was The Fray in Zurich, playing to a sold out Komplex 457. The band from Denver, Colorado, got together back in 2002 and became one of the biggest pop-rock bands of the 2000s, with songs like Over My Head (Cable Car), You Found Me and, of course, How to Save a Life.

Things look a little different in The Fray camp these days. Original singer Isaac Slade left the band in 2022, and guitarist Joe King, who had co-written most of the band’s songs and already sung lead on a few of them, stepped up to the mic. Did that keep the fans away? Not at all. The show was sold out, and the room was packed long before the lights went down.

The Two Romans Warm Up the Crowd

First up was local band The Two Romans, who had the job of warming up the crowd. And they did exactly that. By the end of their set, the room was buzzing and more than ready for the main act.

Concert Photos: The Two Romans

The Fray in Zurich Was a Happy Surprise

Then it was finally time for The Fray. I had never seen them live before, so I was excited to see what they had in store for us. Honestly, I didn’t really have any expectations going in, but I walked out of the room with a big smile on my face. I was 100% positively surprised.

The fans, on the other hand, knew exactly what they were getting, and they were excited for sure. The energy in the room was great. Everywhere I looked, I saw happy people singing along like there’s no tomorrow. But what I loved even more was the energy on stage. Joe has an incredible stage presence, and the whole band seemed really tight. The set was also a bit more on the rock side than I expected, with the guitars and drums giving even the older hits a little extra punch.

Rainy Zurich, Quite Literally

It was fun to hear Rainy Zurich in Zurich while it was literally raining outside. You can’t plan that kind of timing! I also realized during the show that I knew way more songs than I thought I did. Sure, I was looking forward to How to Save a Life (obviously…), but I ended up enjoying pretty much every song of the night.

Joe Joins the Crowd

One of my favorite moments was when Joe came down into the crowd for a song (I think it was My Heart’s a Crowded Room). Photographer Szonia Nemes (@simplythetinydragon) followed him, and it still blows my mind how she managed to jump over the barricade with all her cameras. Like, girl, I would have crushed at least one camera first, then tumbled over the barricade and landed flat on my face. 😀

With a Little Help From Their Friends

Another really cute moment came at the very end. For the last song, The Fray brought The Two Romans back on stage to sing their closing song, With a Little Help from My Friends, together. What a lovely way to wrap up the night.

All in all, another great show. I would definitely go back to see these guys the next time they stop over in Zurich.