Conan Gray performed a satisfying mix of songs that showcased both his emotional depth and his animated personality during the Found Heaven tour at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Sept. 25.
Gray began his career by posting vlogs on YouTube as a teenager and quickly gained popularity with the release of his first song “Idle Town” in 2017. Since then, Gray has continued to write songs with strong lyricism, releasing the album “Kid Krow” in 2020 and “Superache” in 2022. His newest album, “Found Heaven,” was heavily inspired by 80s synth-pop, marking a shift from the indie pop sound of his previous albums.
Gray started off strong, appearing in a matching set of silver leather pants and a crop top amidst white jagged curtains hanging above the stage, opening with his upbeat song “Fainted Love.” He then jumped into performing “Never Ending Song,” and the lighting shifted to flashing laser beams in the iconic shade of yellow of the “Found Heaven” album cover.
The curtains came down during “Eye of the Night,” revealing a giant star outlined in bright colorful lights, which brought the 80s vibe to the stage. His next two songs, “Killing Me” and “The Exit” were both performed with the same dramatic intensity, despite having contrasting meanings. “Killing Me” expresses an anguish in not being able to let go of a toxic relationship, while “The Exit” is about wanting to hang onto someone who has moved on.
Conan Gray then took a break from singing to interact with the audience, where his sense of humor was on full display. He accepted a Capri-Sun that a fan brought, declaring the fruit punch flavor to be “a real delicacy.” After taking a sip of Capri-Sun, Gray said, “That’s the end of one of my favorite activities, which is people watching,” eliciting cheers from the crowd as he launched into his hit song “People Watching.”
His next song, “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” a soulful lamentation over not being enough for someone you love, slowed things down. The transition to his next song was jarring, with sudden strobe lights and Gray’s voice screaming “jigsaw, ah-ah, ah” over a forceful drumbeat. The song “Jigsaw” deals with a similar hurtful situation as “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” but with an emphasis on anger rather than sadness. This was followed by a performance of “Family Line,” a heartbreaking song that outlines Gray’s childhood trauma.
Gray then took a moment to emphasize his vulnerability, confessing that as a child he hadn’t been afraid to die because he felt like he didn’t have much to lose. “But then I started to get older, and I started to see the world and I started to make friends and open myself up to the possibility of being loved,” Gray said. He went on to say that he started to realize just how much he had to lose and how scared he now was to die.
“I wrote this song as a reminder to all of you who think you know how the future is going to go. I promise you, you don’t, and that’s the beauty of it,” he continued, before beginning to play “The Story.” Gray performed the song by himself on a guitar, illuminated by a single spotlight, which created an incredibly intimate atmosphere.
Afterward, Gray quickly bounced back to a fun and lively vibe with his songs “Found Heaven,” “Boys and Girls” and “Lonely Dancers.” He then sang “Winner,” another emotionally heavy song, followed by “Heather,” his most popular song with over 1 billion streams on Spotify. Gray introduced his next song, “Memories,” in a speech where he told the audience, “Unfortunately, this is my very last song. And I never lie.” When he finished the song, he took a final bow and ran offstage.
Evidently, he did lie, as Gray immediately ran back out wearing a black sparkly cape to sing “Bourgeoisieses” and “Maniac.” His actual final song, “Alley Rose,” was the perfect ending to the night, a cathartic song about a lost love. Gray left the stage to loud cheering, as colorful confetti rained down on top of an audience that truly “Found Heaven” at the concert.
