Conan Gray delighted fans at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, where attendees stayed cozy in pajamas for the 12th stop of the “Wishbone Pajama” tour.
Gray dazzled audiences with a 90-minute journey through his latest album, “Wishbone.” The concert’s set design reflected the rolling hills and plains of his Texas hometown.
I wore a blue-and-red pajama set with a matching sailor hat that coordinated with my roommate’s outfit. Many KU students in attendance wore similar color-coordinated costumes.
The stadium went dark before a blue light flooded the stage. The words “A wishbone never breaks even” were projected, signaling the first act of the show. Gray then took the stage on a bicycle, opening with one of his newest songs, “My World,” and engaging the audience by hopping around.
Gray went on to perform fan favorites from his previous albums, including “Never Ending Song” and “Wish You Were Sober.” The crowd sang and danced along, leaving our vocal cords destroyed.
The next act, “I got the short end of the stick,” consisted of more emotional ballads with songs like “The Cut That Always Bleeds” and “Class Clown.” Fans continued to sing along as they did in the opening section. Gray was an expert in crowd work, timing fan chants and switching between harmonies for the best fan reactions.
During the song “Eleven Eleven,” members of the audience raised their flashlights; Gray said the lights “look[ed] like sprinkles!”
Act three, “I took the long way to realization,” slowed with heartbreaking melodies in songs such as “Family Line,” “Heather” and “This Song,” which featured a colorful fan project where audience members held colored slips of paper to their phone flashlights, creating a scattered rainbow in the crowd.
During this section, Gray performed the ritual of breaking a wishbone with fans he selected from the crowd, letting them choose between two song options. Kansas City’s options were “Astronomy” from his second album, “Superache,” and “Sunset Tower” from “Wishbone.” The two fans chose “Sunset Tower.”
Gray concludes act three with a fan-favorite moment called “The Connell Crash Out”, during which he intimately performs “Wishbone’s” ninth track, “Connell,” sending fans into a frenzy.
The final act, “I wished for love, and I found it,” lifted the mood with hits such as “Maniac” and “Vodka Cranberry,” during which fans enthusiastically sang along with Gray hitting a high G5 note. Gray shared that it was his last song and, with sarcasm in his tone, said he would definitely not be back.
The lights went out at the end of the song, only for Gray to return in an outfit change for an encore of “Memories” and “Caramel.”
Overall, this was my favorite concert I’ve ever attended. From his on-stage energy to his vocal skill, Gray kept the audience engaged and excited throughout the set. The atmosphere of the fandom was just as incredible, and it was a joy to be surrounded by people who enjoy his music as much as I do.
