The Recap: Conan Gray

If you stumbled onto the UBS Arena grounds at any point Saturday: fear not. Fleet Week has not arrived early.

Instead, the slew of sailors were there for Conan Gray’s Wishbone tour, making a long-awaited stop in Elmont, New York. Taking inspiration from his album cover art, fans were in their nautical best, in coordinating blue and white uniforms, jaunty caps, and trailing red ribbons.  

Gray’s initial rise to fame was quick, growing from playing NYC’s intimate Mercury Lounge to the storied, mid-size Bowery Ballroom to the iconic Radio City Music Hall in three short years. But the Wishbone shows are not the result of the flash in the pan success his debut single on YouTube saw – they’re instead proof of his dedication to honing his craft as an artist and building a strong, unwavering fanbase. 

Energy Levels

Akin to a karaoke night. 

My job is to review concerts. It’s fair to say I’ve been to a lot. None have had the caliber of singing-along that the UBS audience reached. At times, it felt the audience might know the songs better than Gray himself. There were multiple songs in the setlist that were surprises to fans, yet they didn’t let the unpreparedness slow them down, jumping right into the verses from the first chord.

The show really did feel like a cruise party that Gray was the captain of, and less so a concert where fans had shown up in adoration of their favourite popstar. Fans are up and dancing with one another, singing into half empty White Claw cans like microphones and recording flash-lit videos of their fun. Gray himself flits from either end of his appropriately wishbone shaped stage, acting every part the anchor of the night: entertaining fans, fostering conversations, and connecting strangers the same way any good host would.

Standout Performances

Nauseous: Closing out act ii of the show, “Nauseous” is off of the tour’s namesake album and therefore a newer addition to Gray’s repertoire. It’s a standout, though. The song dances with the fear of falling in love, the vulnerability both felt and needed for such deep connection. But it’s not a quiet, shy vulnerability sung in whispering acoustic. There’s a desperation to it, as Gray’s voice rises along with the orchestral instrumental. One of Gray’s talents is his simple yet incisive writing, which is on full display in “Nauseous” as he laments, “Your love is a threat/ and I’m nauseous/ Scares me to death/ how I want it.” What really levels up the song, though, is the audience singing along. In a song that deals with the fear of vulnerability with love, Gray can see the payoff of that vulnerability in real time. Maybe it’s not romantic, but his honesty with fans has certainly inspired quite the connection.

Winner: Performed “fireside”, i.e.: on an acoustic guitar and sat next to a plastic glowing fire complete with faux smoke, “Winner” was a surprise song chosen by Gray. The fireside song is somehow even more intimate than the preceding songs, as the acoustic remix and lack of Gray’s nautical backing band give the song room to sink in. “Winner” is a cathartic track, about finding freedom in acknowledging the harm someone has caused you. The campsite setting adds to it by removing Gray from the act of performing. The song deals with a level of personal acceptance one has to make, and the solo environment reinforces that theme of self-reflection.

The Best: If there was a single song in the setlist that defined Conan Gray’s fanbase, it was “The Best.” It’s another surprise song on the tour, technically, as Gray has yet to actually release it. That’s no deterrence to his fans, who already seem to know every word which is beyond impressive; seeing as the very first performance of the song was only nine days prior to the opening of the tour.

It takes a certain level of love from a fanbase to memorize a song that isn’t available, pouring over fan videos and social media until every fuzzy phone-recorded lyric is transcribed. It’s beautiful in a way – despite not knowing the song myself, I felt incredibly moved by it. Not just the bare, honest lyrics, where he croons about seeking closure from a past lover, but that his honesty has inspired this much from fans. 

Maniac: It was hard to definitively say which songs were fan favorites – each song on the setlist inspired fervid cheers and perfect unison singing. Of course, until “Maniac.” The already high, party energy of the show turned explosive along with the song’s upbeat poppy beat. Gray asserts his place as a leader for male pop stars. He’s just plain fun. UBS Arena might want to check for structural damage – all the screaming and jumping might have formed some cracks.

High Notes

Conan Gray paints quite the picture for fans – literally. The backdrop of the set are beautifully painted landscapes: tall grass blowing in the wind, a starry sky above a lit up barn, a countryside sunset. Accented with bales of hay and heavy velvet draped theatre curtains, every aspect lives up to its theatrical inspirations. 

The setlist is broken up into four acts, weaving deftly through Gray’s repertoire of yearning, desire, heartbreak, and newfound confidence. 

In his sailor uniform, Gray looks notably mismatched in such a visibly landlocked setting. But even that is a deliberate part of the story, as he sings through a setlist about feeling lost, out of place, but eventually finding a sea of fellow sailors through music. 

And isn’t that just the summation of Conan Gray’s journey, from his first song posted on YouTube to this very tour — an artist connecting strangers and building his own community.

For Fans Of

Catharsis.

This is exactly the kind of show one should attend if they’re looking to sing along to songs louder than their nosy apartment neighbors and their pesky newborn babies or yappy dogs might allow, and maybe even cry a bit. 

You’ll be joined by a chorus of fellow Conan Gray fans, in both volume and feeling. Whatever it is you might have felt: heartbreak, loneliness, loss, love; Gray has a song for you and your friends to dance it out too. Just make sure to pack your favorite jaunty little sailor cap.

Verdict

Male pop stars are unfortunately lacking these days, often shallow imitations of larger-than-life acts like Freddie Mercury or David Bowie in a glittering disco paintsuit veneer. 

Gray doesn’t need to worry about falling into this category. Though at times his sailor suit is sparkly, it doesn’t feel like something shiny to distract from his shortcomings. He’s not just a performer: every part of the tour is a deliberate choice, from the flow of the setlist to the costumes to the backdrops to the banter with the crowd. 

At one point Gray tells the crowd “I want you to know that that you got into your cars and came here, or took the train or took the bus, to see some random kid from Texas.” A fan in my section yells his reply: “You’re not just some random kid, you’re Conan Gray!” And that’s true: even if Gray himself still feels like that kid posting songs to YouTube, he’s not small or insignificant, and his music has inspired a whole lot of love. 

Conan Gray’s Wishbone tour continues through the U.S. in March, and across Europe in May. Be sure to follow Conan Gray on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for more updates from their tour.

For more concert recaps, see our review of TWICE’s THIS IS FOR tour in New York.