The Fray tour hits U.S. campuses for fall 2009 dates

After just a couple weeks of late summer vacation, The Fray is preparing to head back out on the U.S. tour circuit just in time for the start of the fall semester. The Denver-based quartet will hit at least nine college and university venues across the nation during the month of September.

The jaunt begins September 8 at Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, NC, and concludes September 25 at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. Other stops along the way include a September 9 performance at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, and a September 21 concert at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA.

Despite the campus location of The Fray’s chosen venues, the tour dates also have tickets available to the general public after the conclusion of the initial student-only presales. Several shows are already on sale, and full ticketing details are available on the band’s official Web site.

Prior to their brief fall tour, The Fray is scheduled to take the stage at the New York State Fair on August 29. Based out of Syracuse, NY, the 12-day event also includes performances from the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Kenny Chesney, among others. Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace will open for The Fray’s Saturday evening set at the fair.

The Fray are currently supporting their self-titled sophomore album. The effort, released February 3, received mixed reviews from critics but had a strong initial showing on the Billboard 200 with a No. 1 debut that kicked Bruce Springsteen down to the second slot on the chart.

The upcoming trek will be the third U.S. leg for the piano-rock quartet this year. The Fray completed a brief slate of early 2009 concerts after the turn of the New Year, which they recently followed with a more extensive summer headline tour that wrapped August 7 in Spokane, WA.

The Fray itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)