On November 5, 2019, the 20-year-old American singer Conan Gray performed a sold-out concert at the Rebel Night Club in Toronto. I was one of the lucky people who was able to attend the show. I waited in the cold for a while before the show started, but it was worth it!
The show was opened by Umi, a 20-year old singer-songwriter. she started her set with a small meditation session which I thought was a quite interesting and a special way to start a concert. I did not know of her nor have I heard her music before the concert. Umi’s musical style is R&B; from what I’ve heard, I can guess that her musical style is heavily influenced by SZA, Frank Ocean or Jhené Aiko.
Conan came out 30 minutes after Umi’s set. He showed that he really can put on a show, and was accompanied by his guitarist and drummer. The 1-hour set was really fun and energetic. In between songs, he would talk about the songs, describing what or who inspired him to write the songs. He would also interact with the audience. He was able to show how relatable he is through his words and songs. That was, in fact, one of the things that made me become a fan of his: his lyrics made me feel less lonely than I thought I was. He performed an unreleased song called “The Story” about stories of his life that shaped him as a person. The performance was really emotional. It was only him and his guitar and the whole venue was completely quiet. Throughout the performance, the energy in the venue was crazy everyone was singing along and jumping especially during “Checkmate” and “Crush Culture”.
Overall, the concert was amazing. Conan Gray crushed all my expectations. I left the concert venue feeling happy and full of energy. I look forward to his debut album. If and when he comes back, I would 100% go again. I also had the chance to meet him before the show; it was an incredible moment and he was so nice. He even complimented my outfit!