The Fray Headlines Utah, Jack’s Mannequin Steals Show

By Aaron Woods

USANA Ampitheater played host to The Fray, and Jack’s Mannequin on July 18. Despite an amazing show, and a packed venue, the headlining act played to a lackluster crowd.

Opening band, Meese played a mediocre set, consisting of unknown songs, from a relatively unknown band. Despite an entertaining stage presence, their set list lacked any originality. Without even knowing a single song from the band, it wasn’t hard to guess what type of song would be played next.

Special guests Jack’s Mannequin played the best set of the night. The crowd was definitely responsive. A large pogo pit of jumping fans formed inside the grass, much to the delight of singer Andrew McMahon.

The group played various hits such as “Dark Blue,” “La La Lie,” “The Mix Tape,” and “The Resolution,” before leaving the stage.

Before the sun was down, headliners, The Fray, jumped on stage, opening with their smash hit, “Over My Head (Cable Car), and continued the night with songs off of their new self-titled album, as well as tunes off of their multi-platinum debut, “How to Save a Life.”

Despite a highly entertaining stage performance and incredible live sound, the crowd didn’t seem to enjoy the band as much as they did Jack’s Mannequin. In fact, the majority of the audience sat down during The Fray’s performance, quite the opposite of the energetic display of affection for Jack’s Mannequin.

The encore consisted of a cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” which prompted the most energy, from a mostly lifeless crowd of their entire set.

The Fray definitely played a great show, but they were undoubtedly outperformed by Jack’s Mannequin, and the majority of attendees that night would definitely agree.