Think back to 2007. Everywhere you went, it was impossible to escape the catchy, piano-rock driven melody of “How to Save a Life.”  

The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remains tied for the seventh longest charting single, alongside Santana’s “Smooth.” It has been certified platinum three times by the RIAA. The song is ranked as the 25th most downloaded song of all time on iTunes.

The song first gained popularity when it was featured on the show of the moment, “Grey’s Anatomy.” NBC comedy, “Scrubs,” jumped on the medical irony of the song, and played it on an episode a few weeks later. 

Immediately after, the song was heard on shows like “The Hills,” “One Tree Hill,” “Cold Case,” and even “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.” 

However, this past Friday night, it was not a sketchy MTV reality show where the megahit could be heard, but Villanova’s very own Pavilion, as alternative-rock band The Fray hit the stage for Villanova’s spring concert.  

Originally from Denver, Colo., the band typically tours on a larger scale, playing for large, packed stadiums. However, the band was excited at the prospect of playing to a new audience, and having an overall new concert experience. 

“There’s a totally different energy when you play for a college, especially when it’s a closed thing,” drummer Ben Wysocki says. “The students feel a sense of pride, as if the band has come to your college,  and to your world.  It’s something more special when you’re there, at the college.”

Wysocki contends that while the crowd may be smaller, this energy is just as exciting and much more energizing than the typical concerts that the band plays.

“It’s great to play at colleges, especially when you get to see all the students that have volunteered to help  with the show hanging around before the show,” Wysocki says. “It’s just so great when all the students are excited for the show. It’s a refreshing change to the typical jaded, middle-aged man that works at the stadiums.”

The band typically plays its normal set list of hits when playing at a college instead of a larger venue, However, Wysocki does admit that occasionally the band will use the fresh ears of a college audience to try out fresh material.

“As far as what songs we play, sometimes we use the chance to try out some new things and see how it goes over with the crowd.” Wysocki says. “It’s a cool opportunity.” 

However, many students passed on the opportunity to see the band, stating that The Fray’s piano-driven soft rock was not the type of music that they wanted to hear on a Friday night.

Sophomore Amanda Leggio, who did attend Friday’s spring concert, says of the concert’s attendance, “It seemed like there were a lot of high-school kids there.”

Katie Ledoux, also a sophomore, believes that a disconnect between what type of music Villanova students want to listen to on a Friday, as well as expensive ticket prices, turned students away from the concert.

“I wanted to support CAT, but $30 for a band that I don’t like is just too much for me,” Ledoux says.

Leggio believes that the quality of the concert was well worth the relatively high price of admission. “His [singer, Issac Slade] voice was clear, exactly like the CD. I think more Villanova students should have given it a chance.”