Conan Gray: A Stellar Concert in Review

Singer-songwriter Conan Gray finally made his way to MGM Music Hall in Fenway––his largest concert in Boston to date—for his tour Found Heaven on Tour. As a long-standing fan of his, I’ve always wanted to scream out his lyrics free of judgment alongside the rest of an excited audience. His music has been a pillar of my life since I was 14 years old and discovered his Kid Krow album, so grabbing two tickets for my roommate and I was an exciting occasion.

Despite being majorly rained on as the two of us waited in line (thank you Conan for letting us in 30 minutes early), this concert thoroughly exceeded my expectations as my second concert ever here in Boston. First and foremost, major props need to be given to Conan’s stage management, who created very high quality and elaborate sets for the night. This was the first thing that caught my eye. Clearly, a lot of detail had been poured into these sets since several of Conan’s songs had specific backgrounds that resonated with the emotions of his lyrics and encapsulated their meaning. For example, “Bourgeoisieses” made use of an elevated platform that Conan stood on while fans screamed below him—a nod to the meaning of the song which pokes fun at the arrogance of the materialistic and wealth-obsessed nature of society. The looming, neon-yellow star behind Conan highlighted his silhouette, painting an artistic shot of him as if the singer were an other-worldly being amongst the body of people. “It’s a song poking fun at rich people and how ridiculous rich people can be and how ridiculous that world is and how futile and useless of a show of luxury it all is,” Conan had said about the song previously in an interview with Rolling Stone in April of this year. Meanwhile, “Maniac” featured a bright, colorful background video reminiscent of an EDM set while lights flashed as people jumped and danced to one of his most famous songs. To end the night, Conan finished with “Alley Rose,” a soulful yet tearful goodbye, where he hit his classic high note as confetti burst into the air.

Conan Gray’s music and impeccable vocals were not the only thing that attracted audiences to come flocking to the MGM that rainy Thursday night. His social media presence had previously started at 15, where he made daily vlogs about his small-town life in Georgetown, Texas, and amassed a large following thanks to his sarcastic, dry humor. During his show, he often interacted with his fans, asking them to sing along and pointed out their decorated signs. It was reassuring to know that he hadn’t lost his honest personality despite growing at such a rapid rate as an artist. Conan has continued to stay true to himself despite the known toxicity of the pop industry, and it showed that night at Fenway.

Perhaps, though, the most magical part of the night was the unplugged ballads where Conan would either stand by the mic or sit on the side of the stage cradling his black guitar (which was plastered with its signature yellow star). These ballads were a stark contrast from the upbeat disco music—reminiscent of the ‘70s—that his latest album Found Heaven speaks to. They generally came from his older albums, such as Superache or Kid Krow, that were about the troubles and angst of growing up as a teenager. Some examples were “The Story,” “Family Line,” “Astronomy,” and “Heather.” Hearing these songs performed live was so nostalgic for me because I used to listen to these albums on repeat growing up myself. It felt like a very intimate experience, one between artist and audience that couldn’t have been captured in any other space, especially when the lights were dim and the only sound to be heard was Conan’s singing and his strumming.

I would say this is most definitely one of my favorite concerts I’ve been to despite the fact that I didn’t catch his Found Heaven on Tour necklace (I swear he threw it in my direction). I had such a fun time singing along to all of the albums I grew up listening to and dancing wildly along to his newest album. But even if you aren’t a Conan fan like my roommate, Emma, you can still have a blast. In fact, she can tell you herself that it was such a fun concert just because of what an amazing performer he is. So if you get a chance and can snag some tickets for Conan Gray’s Found Heaven On Tour, I can guarantee it will leave you starstruck.