A time machine opened up over New York City’s Rooftop at Pier 17 on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
On that warm, late summer evening, The Fray headlined a cozy show to a crowd of adoring 20-to-60-somethings reliving their car ride playlists from 2005. The Denver band, now on their ‘How To Save A Life 20th anniversary Tour,’ rolled through hit after hit with the crowd screaming every lyric with frontman Joe King.
The energy was pure nostalgia. Groups of friends wrapped around each other, couples swayed in sync, giving the night a sense of rare, unfiltered joy, the kind that can only come when your entire teenage soundtrack is playing live in front of you.
Personal highlights included the chills-inducing “How to Save a Life,” emotional ballad “Look After You” and endlessly catchy “Never Say Never” that had the whole crowd belting “Don’t Let Me Go” in unison.
King, now on lead vocals, lit up the stage (when you could see him through the intense fog machine). The smoke was doing a little too much at times, but hey, dramatic effect, right?
Mid-show, the 45-year-old singer made his way into the crowd, singing shoulder-to-shoulder with fans and tossing out roses from the band’s flower-filled set. It was clear how much the showman and his backing band still love performing live and how much they love the loyal fans who’ve stuck with them every step of the way.
And, speaking of the aforementioned “Look After You,” The Fray brought out their other special guest, Landon Barker, to lend a hand on the emotional classic. Yes, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker’s son assisted The Fray, delivering a raw interpretation of the beloved single. It was equal parts magical and thrilling. What a rush.
They ended the night by bringing out their opener, The Strike, and the whole tour crew for a cover of Hank Williams’ “I Saw The Light” that felt like a genuine, full-circle moment.
In regards to the venue, for my money, Pier 17 remains one of NYC’s most magical venues, a rooftop stage with the skyline and bridge as your backdrop that never gets old. Every artist I’ve seen there calls the space a favorite, and, as a frequent concert-goer, I can confidently say it’s one of the finest places to catch a show in the City. It’s smaller, it’s more intimate, and the crowd is actually respectful.
If you’d like to catch The Fray live, tickets are available for the remainder of their ‘How To Save A Life 20th Anniversary Tour.’ At the time of publication, the sensitive rockers have 20 concerts remaining on their 2025 calendar.
That includes a one-night-only stop at Atlantic City’s Caesars on Saturday, Sept. 27.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about The Fray’s 2025 ‘How To Save A Life 20th Anniversary Tour’ below.
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets to see The Fray live in ’25 can be found here:
While on the road, The Fray will take a break from headlining their own shows to take part in Ocean City, MD’s annual Oceans Calling Festival, which goes down Sept. 26-28.
Fellow headliners on this year’s stacked bill include Green Day, Noah Kahan, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and Vampire Weekend to name just a few.
Wanna go?
Single and multi-day Oceans Calling passes can be found here.
On top of Oceans Calling, The Fray are also slated to rock Omaha, NE’s Shadow Ridge Music Festival on Sept. 5.
Bush, Fuel and Lit round out the one-day musical extravaganza’s lineup.
If this sounds like the fest for you, click here for single-day Shadow Ridge Music Festival passes.
Intrigued by The Rooftop at Pier 17?
Well, in that case, we recommend swinging by and checking out an act or two these next couple months while it’s still warm out.
Click here to find The Rooftop at Pier 17’s complete 2025 calendar, which includes exciting headliners like Dropkick Murphys (Aug. 9), Fitz and the Tantrums (Aug. 14), Rilo Kiley (Sept. 5), Sierra Ferrell (Sept. 6) and Jesse McCartney (Oct. 4).
Plus, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty will be there on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Now, that’s neat.
According to Set List FM, The Fray performed 19 songs on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Pier 17. We’ve listed them below in chronological order:
01.) “She Is”
02.) “All at Once”
03.) “Look After You” (with Landon Barker)
04.) “Fall Away”
05.) “Little House”
06.) “Dead Wrong”
07.) “Trust Me”
08.) “Heaven Forbid”
09.) “Hundred”
10.) “Vienna”
11.) “Over My Head (Cable Car)”
12.) “How to Save a Life”
13.) “My Heart’s a Crowded Room”
14.) “Hurricane”
15.) “Heartbeat”
16.) “Dreams” (The Cranberries cover)
17.) “You Found Me”
Encore
18.) “Never Say Never”
19.) “I Saw The Light” (Hank Williams cover) (with The Strike)
For those not familiar with The Strike and Landon Barker, you’re not alone.
Thankfully, we’re here to help introduce them to you. Below, you’ll find both artists’ most-streamed song on Spotify.
The Strike: “Nothing New”
Landon Barker: “Friends With Your Ex”
Need even more live music in your life?
Honestly, same.
Here are just five of our five our favorite acts with Fray-like sensibilities we can’t wait to see live these next few months.
• Maroon 5
• Train
• Oasis
Who else is hoofing it this year? Take a look at this list of all the biggest alternative artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change