Conan Gray played his largest Florida show when he performed at the Kia Center for the Orlando date of his “Wishbone World Tour.” During a 90-minute set, he played songs from all four of his albums, eliciting screams and emotional responses from fans. This tour is the most elaborate production of Gray’s career, with multiple sets, costume changes, and special surprises. The “Wishbone World Tour” is the second Conan Gray show I have attended, so I have all the details on his growth over the years.
The OutFits
Despite being a solo artist, Gray was not alone when starting his concert. The pre-show playlist features his best friend Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” with a mid-song interruption by the band and Gray’s entrance on a bike. The first outfit of the night was a white sailor outfit — just like the one on the album cover — with red ribbons trailing from the hat. This sailor hat is a fan favorite accessory and could be seen in various iterations throughout the crowd. Concertgoers replicated other Conan Gray outfits, such as his VMAs Romeo look, or alluded to album-era colors, donning blue-and-white pajamas, lace tops, or starry pants.
Gray himself wore several outfits during his performance. Stylist Katie Qian developed pieces that best reflected the album, while also providing him with different iterations of similar pieces for unique combinations every night. Apart from the sailor suit, Conan Gray wore his navy blue striped sparkly pajama set, an embroidered white flowy shirt, and a captain outfit complete with a massive wishbone design and silver epaulettes. These clothing choices align with Gray’s prior statement on men’s fashion, as he routinely challenges gender norms by opting for flashier androgynous pieces.
The Acts
Conan Gray’s concert was a story in four acts. These divisions in his set represent different stages in experiencing romantic feelings, telling a tale of love and heartbreak. The acts are “a wishbone never breaks even,” “I got the short end of the stick,” “I took the long way to realization,” and “I wished for love, and I found it,” and they are perfectly titled, evoking emotions with a simple title card before the music even begins to swell. Local concert photographer Jim Leatherman captured the first of these cards beautifully while documenting the beginning of the show.
The Surprise Songs
Gray included two surprise songs during his 90 minutes on stage. With four full-length albums, an EP, and a handful of singles, it is impossible for him to perform every song every night. As such, Gray decided to take a few minutes for a unique and personal moment at each tour stop. The first of these surprise songs was performed at the end of the second act as an acoustic cover. He chose a “deep cut” for the Orlando show, “Generation Why,” a song from his debut EP, which he has not performed since 2019. Gray fumbled the chords in a charming slip-up, before singing an emotional stripped-down version of this early single as the crowd chanted along.
Only a few minutes later, the second surprise song was announced; this time, with the help of a fan. Conan Gray created a wishbone-breaking ritual for this tour, where he breaks a wishbone with a guest. Traditionally, the person who gets the largest side wins, but Gray quickly switched pieces with the fan, allowing them the choice between “Astronomy” and “Lookalike.” This was the fifth time he presented “Astronomy” as a possibility, but it finally won. I heard him sing this song at the House of Blues almost four years ago during the Superache Tour, but I was still equally moved. Easily one of his best songs, “Astronomy” deserved a permanent spot on the setlist.
His last surprise of the night was a performance of “The Best,” an unreleased song that I hope to stream soon. The set was pared down as Gray sang this song alone in the middle of the stage. Against a sunset backdrop, he displayed the lyrics, allowing fans to sing along as he passionately pleaded for the ability to move on from his emotions. “The Best” is one more wonderful entry into Gray’s repertoire of sad songs.
The Recap
The concert was a gorgeous event that allowed me to reflect on Conan Gray’s growth since I became aware of him. My middle school best friend introduced me to Gray’s music and YouTube channel in 2018, so I have been following Gray’s career for many years. I was shocked and proud to see him sell out the Kia Center, an 18,500-capacity venue, after first seeing him in a place that barely fit 2,500 people. His music soundtracked my high school experience and will forever be a part of me, so I felt proud of his success. I am so grateful to have witnessed him in concert once again, and to now own some Conan Gray merch. I was young with no disposable income the first time I saw him, but nowadays, I like to spend my adult money in the merch line for the occasion; I purchased the bandanna covered in imagery from “Eleven Eleven.” All of the items on sale were cute and tastefully designed, making this one of my favorite collections from a tour.
Conan Gray has cemented his place as the pop boy of our generation in my eyes. “Wishbone” is another heart-wrenching yet comforting narrative, and it made for a great concert. He belted, danced, and cried as the audience screamed along with him. While the U.S. leg is almost over, the “Wishbone World Tour” will continue over the summer as Gray ventures to Europe and Oceania. I am excited for this stage in his career and am eager to see Conan Gray continue to grow in his artistry.