Having sold more than 4 million albums since their Clowes Memorial Hall debut in 2005, The Fray has made a name for itself in the music world and created a lot of buzz.
On Sept. 16, The Fray will return to Clowes. Only this time, instead of opening for Ben Folds, they are headlining their own show.
Kyle Wehr, head of Student Government Association’s program board’s concerts committee, said he was thrilled to have the band back, especially since they have evolved with their music and added a new level to their sound and performance.
“It’s a whole new ball game,” Wehr said. “I’m ecstatic to have them back now that they have achieved more hype.”
Wehr said The Fray wanted to return to Butler because of the welcoming audience at their last Butler performance.
More than 700 student tickets have been sold. That means there are plenty left, and the committee wants those tickets to go to the students, not the public, Wehr said.
“The public interest [in the concert] is very high,” Josh Lingenfelter, director of marketing at Clowes, said.
“The Fray has over 2 million fans on Facebook, and they are only playing three shows. One is at the Ryman in Nashville, then Clowes, followed by a huge music festival in Milwaukee.”
Lingenfelter said the band has not been back to Indianapolis since 2009 when they performed at White River State Park.
In order to choose an artist, the committee has to follow a process. Co-chairs sit with their advisors to brainstorm and create a master list that must receive approval from the administration, Wehr said.
Once the list is approved, the committee begins to formulate offers and send them to different bands.
“After that, it becomes a waiting game,” Wehr said.
But the committee members did not have to wait on The Fray. Their offer was quickly accepted and Wehr said the band accepted less than the original offer.
“That’s how much they love Butler and Butler students,” he said. “This show is for them, and it’s going to be awesome.”
Student tickets are available for $20 at the Clowes box office.
