Concert Review: The Sailor Boy Overcomes The Storm as Conany Gray Dazzles Nashville
By: Dylan Basden
In his grand return to Music City, USA, Conan Gray packs out downtown’s Ascend Amphitheater, by far his biggest show in the city to date. First striking the 1,200 cap Cannery Ballroom in 2019, then the 2,300 cap Ryman Auditorium in 2022, Gray has now tackled the full might of the 6,700 cap Ascend. It’s an impressive and downright meteoric rise for the Texas singer. Since his debut in 2018, Gray has had an ever-snowballing career, slowly building to the juggernaut he is today. He’s now out in support of his latest album, Wishbone, which came out back in August.
Surrounded by the set of a rolling prairie, Conan Gray gracefully made his grand entrance on a bright red bicycle, a chipper and somewhat bittersweet entrance. Under the threat of lightning, the show has actually been moved up by over an hour to accommodate the full performance and ensure fan safety. Despite this setback (or more literally, set forward), Conan would go on to put on one of the best pop shows and vocal performances of the year. Massive set pieces, costume changes, and an endearing storyline loom over this show, yet never seem to take the spotlight from Conan and his musical talent.
Kicking off the night with “My World,” a charismatic and sugarcoated track from Wishbone. Gray bounces between the soft-spoken swagger of the verses and high-energy, danceable chorus with ease. It is an immediate hook. Like a fish on the end of the line, the audience is just along for the ride, unable to break away from Conan’s reel. Gray sets the tone with his performance, strutting the stage with exaggerated swinging motions and ensuring the spotlight remains firmly on him. Vocally Gray is simply incredible on this one, bouncing for various pitches with ease and maintaining perfect breathe control.
While technically out in support of Wishbone, this tour also serves as Nashville’s taste of 2024’s Found Heaven. “Never Ending Song,” the lead single from that project, showcases Conan Grey’s artistic range with its Bowie-esc, art-rock-tinged groove. It is a nice juxtaposition, reminding listeners of Gray’s early breakthrough in alternative radio ahead of his mainstream success. Heavy on the synthesizer, it draws on various 80’s influences and once again upon Gray’s ability as a frontman. Conan adds so much drama to this performance, each line lingering as a statement more so than a passing lyric.
“Bourgeoisieses” stays in this same lane, continuing with the bass and synth heavy production and Conan-first agenda. This one is largely anthemic, filling out the outdoor space and spilling into the street. The crowd is fully engaged by this point, they know every word and are bouncing back every bit of energy Conan gives them. Not only is Conan performing on all cylinders, it just feels like every part of Conan Gray is musical, with even his breathes being added to the beat is excellent fashion. It really cannot be understated how impressive his vocal ability truly is.
Setlist:
My World
Never Ending Song
Bourgeoisieses
Wish You Were Sober
Class Clown
People Watching
The Cut That Always Bleeds
Eleven Eleven
Nauseous
Romeo
This Song
Care
Heather
Family Line
Connell
Actor
Maniac
Vodka Cranberry
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Memories
Caramel
Conan Gray brings back a lot of that early-2010s showmanship that was seen across pop tours in the best possible way. I feel like it’s something that we’ve been missing for a little minute now, whether it be arena tours retracing old steps or large theaters and amphitheaters with little to no production or set design. It is so refreshing to see an artist put such care into their performance, crafting a whole story in their setlist and visual additive with their stage. On top of that, Gray is just a great performer, even as someone less familiar with his music, it was hard not to just sit back and marvel at his vocal ability and charisma. I would highly recommend seeing Conan Gray to anyone, especially those who love the theatrics of a great pop concert.
Conan still has a few dates remaining on the “Wishbone Pajama Show” tour. After that, Gray will take a brief pause before joining iHeart Radio’s run of annual Jingle Ball shows in arenas across the country. You can find all of Gray’s upcoming dates here.
Sep 26 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sep 28 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Sep 29 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Oct 1 – West Valley City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct 3 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct 4 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Oct 6 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct 16 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
Oct 17 – Guadalajara, MX – Auditorio Telmex
Oct 19 – Monterrey, MX – Auditorio Banamex
Dec 5 – Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome*
Dec 9 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena*
Dec 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
Dec 16 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
*iHeart Radio Jingle Ball
View the full gallery here.