American singer-songwriter, Conan Gray, released his album, “Found Heaven,” this past April, and began his tour on July 11 in Melbourne, Australia. He performed at Arizona Financial Theater on Oct. 20, 2024, attracting crowds of fans clad in handmade star themed clothing. The album features a mix of energetic and emotional tracks, with music and cover art reminiscent of the 1980s. This album stands out from Gray’s discography, with synth-filled, upbeat songs about a breakup, instead of his usual moving ballads.
The indie artist, Maisie Peters, opened the concert with her dreamy tunes. Although I wasn’t present for her performance, I could hear her pure vocals and energy radiating throughout the theater. Her jazzy, soft rock was beautiful to listen to and I can’t wait to listen to more of her music.
Whilst the opening act was performing, I was waiting in a seemingly endless line for tour merchandise. My friend and I spent nearly two hours in line, which wrapped around two floors. The merchandise selection included the standard t-shirts, posters, and hoodies from Gray, along with a couple of shirt selections from Peters. Waiting in line was by far the worst part of the night, but my efforts didn’t go to waste. I went home with a tour t-shirt, tote bag, poster, and necklace with the Found Heaven emblem.
Despite the agonizing wait, my friend and I hurriedly rushed back to our seats, just five minutes before Gray arrived on stage. A large cloth marked with Found Heaven’s star inside a teardrop symbol was draped across the entire stage, with fans buzzing in anticipation for the singer’s appearance. As the song “Found Heaven” began to play, the room dimmed, lights flashed, and the cloth dropped, revealing Gray on a rising platform with star-themed decorations. He quickly transitioned into “Fainted Love”, with lighting perfectly synced to the catchy beats of the song. He then performed “Never Ending Song”, amping up the crowd with dancing yellow spotlights. The lighting shifted to purple and blue on the ragged curtains that framed the singer as he stood on the platform and sang “Wish You Were Sober.” Gray showcased his impressive vocals with runs during the song. He sang a couple more dancy tunes, “Eye of the Night” and “Killing Me,” before moving into his emotional song “The Exit”.
The stage dimmed to highlight Gray as he sang ballads from his albums “Kid Krow” and “Superache”. His performance of “Jigsaw” featured a guitar solo from one of his band members and the crowd screamed along. He strummed his guitar as he sang “Family Line”, which hit close to home for many members of the crowd who were left in tears by his moving performance.
Before performing “The Story”, he gave a heartfelt speech about his painful childhood and his journey to get where he is now. In the middle of Gray’s performance of his newly released single, “Holidays”, the sound system went out. Members of the audience passed time by singing “Hot-to-Go” by Chappel Roan until the singer entered the stage once again to resume his show.
The technical difficulties were quickly forgotten as energetic songs like “Boys & Girls” and “Lonely Dancers” were sung. Gray performed his hit song “Heather”, which everyone in the crowd had been eagerly awaiting to sing.
He finished off with “Memories”, telling the crowd “This is the very last song, and I never lie” with a smile. Gray rushed off stage and just a few minutes later, the opening notes of his catchy song “Bourgeoisies” began, and the singer dressed in a dramatic, sparkly black cape and white tank top ran on stage. He also performed “Maniac” and “Alley Rose” for the encore, before thanking the audience as teardrop shaped confetti rained down.
After Gray had completed his encore, everyone was left in awe in their seats. I looked over at my friend after the concert’s conclusion, who had tears streaming down her face, like many other fans after Gray’s jaw-dropping show. The singer’s stage presence was unlike any other artist I’ve seen, commanding attention whether he was singing an up-tempo anthem or moving ballad. His crowd interactions were thoughtful, including every section of the theater and even directed a “Happy Birthday” for an audience member’s 16th birthday. Attending this concert was an absolutely priceless experience I will never forget.
