Chart-topping, alternative band The Fray rocked out the Hooper Eblen Center on Oct. 8. Augustana was the opening act for the sold-out concert.
Students, faculty, and the general public filled the floor, lower bowl, and parts of the upper bowl of the basketball arena to see the performances by the two bands.
“My favorite part of the concert was when all the students pulled out their phones and waved the lights around during one of their songs,” said sophomore student Wes Demirjian.
Debuting songs from their upcoming album, The Fray demonstrated their musical abilities with a 90-minute set, playing all of their hits and one encore with a one-of-a-kind, personalized Golden Eagle screech.
The Fray did not stop there when making the show unique to Tech. Group front-man Isaac Slade brought a ceramic eagle bust from the Tech women’s basketball office suite onstage for added adornment to the top of the band’s piano.
The men of The Fray were no strangers to playing in this environment.
“We do a lot of campus shows,” said Slade.
The Fray was partially formed while Slade and drummer Ben Wysocki attended the University of Colorado Denver. Slade said they played shows around their campus and still appreciate the college campus atmosphere these days.
The band members said they enjoy performing at college venues due to the high energy and crowd participation, despite not being in the same age demographic as students.
“They make us feel old,” said Wysocki.
Awesome Eagle entertained the crowd dressed as a doctor during the intermission between the two shows. Referencing one of The Fray’s most popular songs, Awesome tossed handfuls of LifeSaver candies into the crowd while holding a sign saying, “I know how to save a life.”
Each semester, the SGA forms a committee to assemble a list of bands on which the students vote. This decision determines the semester’s performance.
According to the SGA constitution Article XIV, section 3, the purpose of the S.O.L.O. fund is to “enrich and advance the quality of a complete college experience at Tennessee Technology University.”
The genre for the Spring 2014 S.O.L.O concert is currently being decided, and a ballot will be made available in the next few weeks.
