How The Fray Turned Me Against Isaac Slade

 
I'll preface by saying this is less of a review, and more of a rant...

I wasn't forced to see The Fray in Houston last Saturday; I'll just say it was strongly suggested.

I am not a particular fan of the Fray's music to begin with, but don't mind hearing a song or two in the background while I'm at work. However, reflecting on the evening, it's a little ridiculous for the droning noise in the background at the office to be headlining a show.

There is a reason The Fray makes great background music - there's a pleasant formula applied to every song that is soothing in small doses, but will put you in a musical coma if forced to listen to for more than fifteen minutes. Each ballad by the band starts out with this slow pulsing beat, sometimes intertwined with a moaning vocal riff by lead singer Isaac Slade, eventually culimating in faster pounding piano - pause - and then back to the slower pulsing. This might actually be prefereable if you're say studying, taking a nap, or talking to friends over coffee. But as a live show, the music was painfully monochromatic - just like the black and white live performance video on either side of the stage.

In addition to disliking the music, I was annoyed by Slade, belting out the same musical riff over and over again, coaxing the audience to join him. I don't like to be told what to do, and if you are actually a compelling artist, I'll sing with you on my own.

Not only did I feel no appreciation toward his bleating vocals, Slade's little inspirational quips interspersed throughout the performance made me want to projectile vomit on the camera obsessed teenagers sitting in front of me (they are a topic for a whole other post). I don't really need a guy who stands on stage for a living to tell me to "hang in there if you're looking for work or hate your job," or to muse that, "the closer you are to someone, the easier it is to get hurt." If I wanted to be preached to, I'd go to church. Seriously, Isaac Slade can just shove it.