Conan Gray brings back the vibrant 1980s aesthetic on his Found Heaven tour

Conan Gray performed a satisfying mix of songs that showcased both his emotional depth and vibrant personality during the Found Heaven tour on September 25 at MGM Music Hall in Fenway.

Gray began his career as a teenager posting vlogs on YouTube 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 lyrics and released the album Kid Krow. in 2020 and “Superache” in 2022. His latest album, “Found Heaven”, was heavily inspired by ’80s synth-pop and marked a departure from the indie-pop sound of his previous albums.

Gray started strong, appearing across the stage in matching silver leather pants and a crop top amid white ragged curtains and opening with his upbeat song “Fainted Love.” He then began performing “Never Ending Song” and the lighting changed to flashing laser beams in the iconic yellow shade of the “Found Heaven” album cover.

During “Eye of the Night,” the curtains were lowered to reveal a giant star with bright colored lights, bringing the 80s atmosphere to the stage. His next two songs, “Killing Me” and “The Exit”, were both performed with the same dramatic intensity, although they had different meanings. “Killing Me” expresses the fear of not being able to let go of a toxic relationship, while “The Exit” is about wanting to hold on to 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 had brought, calling the fruit punch flavor “a real delicacy.” After taking a sip of Capri-Sun, Gray said, “That’s the end of one of my favorite things, people watching,” drawing cheers from the crowd as he began his hit “People Watching.”

His next song, “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” a soulful lament about 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 “Puzzle, ah-ah, ah” over a powerful drum beat. The song “Jigsaw” is about a similarly hurtful situation as “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” but with an emphasis on anger rather than sadness. They then performed “Family Line,” a heartbreaking song that describes Gray’s childhood trauma.

Gray then took a moment to emphasize his vulnerability, admitting that he wasn’t afraid of dying as a child because he felt like he didn’t have much to lose. “But then I got older and started seeing the world, making friends and opening myself up to the possibility of being loved,” Gray said. He went on to say that he realized how much he had to lose and how afraid he now was of death.

“I wrote this song as a reminder to everyone who thinks they know what the future will be. I promise you you won’t, and that’s the beauty of it,” he continued before starting to play “The Story.” Gray played the song alone on a guitar, lit by a single spotlight, creating an incredibly intimate atmosphere.

Afterwards, Gray quickly returned to a fun and lively mood 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 in which he told the audience, “Unfortunately, this is my very last song. And I never lie.” When he finished the song, he bowed one last time and ran off the stage.

Apparently he was lying, because Gray immediately ran out in a black, sparkly cape to sing “Bourgeoisieses” and “Maniac.” His actual final song, “Alley Rose,” was the perfect end to the evening, a cathartic song about a lost love. Gray left the stage to loud cheers as colorful confetti rained down on an audience that had truly “found heaven.” at the concert.