Despite Shinedown and Dierks Bentley only recently leaving their marks on campus, Music Maker Productions plans to bring in yet another powerhouse concert to Mississippi State University. Indie-rockers The Fray, along with electro-alternative rock band Mute Math, will take the stage at Humphrey Coliseum Jan. 30 in what the organization considers the most popular musical act to hit the campus in years.
“This is big,” said Daniel Hicks, publicity director for Music Maker Productions. “We’re excited because right now The Fray is one of the biggest bands in the country.”
Hicks credits the band’s newfound level of fame to its exposure on the ABC TV drama “Grey’s Anatomy” and success in music and video charts.
“Their exposure on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ shot them through the roof because every girl and their mom watches the show, and there are a ton of guys who like them too because of ‘How to Save a Life’ and ‘Over My Head,'” Hicks said.
The Fray has earned further distinction through feature spots on “Scrubs,” “What About Brian,” “NCIS,” “One Tree Hill” and “Bones,” according to the band’s Web site.
The Denver-based group is currently sitting at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its single “How to Save a Life,” which previously peaked at No. 3.
Lead vocalist and pianist Isaac Slade’s impassioned vocals and musicianship have helped give the band its own distinct mark.
“They’re frontlining a growing trend in music of what’s become popular over the past two years for indie bands,” said Brad Burton, student director of Music Maker Productions.
“They’re very cross-genre,” Hicks said. “It doesn’t matter what [music] you like, a lot of people will like The Fray.”
Burton said the idea to bring the band to MSU was originally entertained by the student committee, but serious consideration began when members found that they could actually bring the band in.
“Several members of our committee are pretty decent fans of The Fray,” he said. “We started thinking about actually bringing them and realized they are really popular on campus.”
New Orleans-based Mute Math will open the concert. The up-and-coming quartet gets its sound from a range of influences, from DJ Shadow to Bjork to The Police, according to the band’s Purevolume.com profile.
The group has performed at popular jam and rock festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Warped Tour and V Festival in 2006 alone. Mute Math’s self-titled album was released Sept. 26.
Burton credits an increased budget for being able to bring the acts in.
“We’ve gotten a significant budget increase, and getting it has put Music Makers back to where it was originally intended to be,” he said. “Years ago Music Makers had a pretty large budget, and they brought in acts like this once every other month. Then the budget disappeared, and so did all the bands.”
Tickets for the 3,700-seat event will be available Nov. 17. Tickets cost $17.50 for students and $27.50 for non-students. Student tickets will be available at the Bryan Athletic Building, and non-student tickets will be available online at www.ticketweb.com.