Conan Gray is currently touring for his fourth studio album, Wishbone, which was released this past August. Whether you’re a dedicated fan or simply attuned to current popular music, you’re probably familiar with the album’s singles, “This Song” and “Vodka Cranberry.” “Vodka Cranberry” was the song that turned me into a fan, and upon listening to the rest of Wishbone, I quickly became obsessed. My sister also loves Conan’s music, so she got tickets to the fifth night of the Wishbone World Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark, and I got to come along!
We were lucky enough to get VIP tickets for the show and, in turn, lots of free merchandise. Our VIP tickets came with Wishbone World Tour tote bags, tour posters, passport notebooks, and stickers. After our early check-in, we also grabbed some hoodies and T-shirts from the merch stand inside before the lines got too crowded. The venue was easy to navigate, and we made it to our seats with plenty of time to spare.
If you’ve seen any videos or pictures from the tour online, you’ll know that the stage itself is shaped like a wishbone with both sides extending out into the audience. Our seats were on the floor, and we were only a few rows away from the end of the wishbone. While we waited for Conan, we watched the performance by the opening singer, Esha Tewari; though I was unfamiliar with her music before coming to the show, she was still an amazing performer. Her songs were relaxed but catchy, even on the first listen, and I’ll definitely be adding some to my playlists! Then Conan came onstage at 9 p.m., launching into a sequence of upbeat songs from a few different albums. The show was divided into four “acts” with costume changes in between each one. As he made his way through the Wishbone tracklist, his performance was full of energy, and he frequently walked the length of the stage to visit the crowd on both sides of the wishbone platform. During several songs, he reached the end of the stage closest to our seats, and it was truly a surreal experience to be watching from so close.
At every show, there is a break halfway through for “Conan’s Campfire,” or the acoustic surprise song set. At this point, there’s no band playing or flashing lights in the arena: only Conan, his guitar, and the fans. Our acoustic song was “Footnote” from his album Superache, which was a crowd favorite and an incredible performance. The campfire is not the only tour tradition, too; after a few more songs, Conan procures a fake wishbone and chooses a fan from the audience to break it with. Two song options then appear on the screen, and whoever gets the bigger half of the wishbone gets to choose the next song (but of course, he always lets the fan do it). Our chosen song was “Lookalike” from his very first EP in 2018. This part of the show is such a fun moment of audience engagement, and it’s so cool to get to hear songs from much earlier in his career that are only played at certain shows.
The concert concluded with the encore and a giant mass of blue and white confetti raining down from the ceiling. This night was such an amazing experience that I’ll never forget, and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to go! If you’re considering attending a Conan Gray concert at any point in the future, I absolutely recommend it.