“The Wishbone Pajama Show” is the title that was given to the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Conan Gray. The first night of the tour was held on Sept. 11. The opener for this tour is artist Hemlocke Springs.
I attended the show held on Sept. 14 in Tinley Park, Ill. I was naturally excited for this concert, being that I am a massive fan of Gray and his music.
I had never heard of Hemlocke Springs outside of the context of this tour, and was pleasantly surprised by how she performed. She offered a high-energy experience, commanding stage presence and maintained exceptionally unique vocals throughout the course of her act.
In between the two artists, the venue was playing songs, presumably to fill the silence. Closer to the entrance of Gray, Olivia Rodrigo’s song ¨bad idea right?” from the album ¨GUTS¨ played throughout the venue. During the song’s chant-esque verse, specifically the line ¨I know I should stop,” the song abruptly stopped playing, and the “Wishbone Pajama Show” began.
Gray then rode out on a bike as his song “My World” began to play; he then proceeded to grab his microphone from a mailbox labeled “Tinley Park, IL 9/14/25.” This marked the beginning of “Act I: a wishbone never breaks even.” This act was phenomenal and featured songs that I didn’t expect to hear on the setlist, with two songs from the album “Found Heaven:” “Never Ending Song” and “Bourgeoisieses” as well as “Wish You Were Sober” from the album “Kid Krow.” Specifically at the beginning of the bridge of “My World,” Gray sang the whimsical, spiraling sound that sent the crowd into spontaneously vibrant cheers. I absolutely enjoyed this act and felt it was a good move by Gray to include some of his more upbeat songs in the first act of the show to raise the energy and excitement of the crowd.
“Act 2: I got the short end of the stick” delved into Gray’s more desperate songs: “People Watching,” “The Cut That Always Bleeds,” “Eleven Eleven” and “Nauseous.” This act featured some of my favorite demonstrations of lyricism by Gray, conveying his desire to be loved as much as he loves. During the song “Nauseous” the crowd screamed the iconic lyric: “And maybe that’s why I feel safe with bad guys, because when they hurt me I won’t be surprised,” displaying Gray’s ability to emotionally connect to his audience. This act evoked such raw emotional catharsis within the audience; I felt terribly amazing and overwhelmed with the emotions Gray was able to convey.
“Act 3: I took the long way to realization” boasted some upbeat songs: “Romeo” and “This Song.” The act also included the surprise song of the night: “Sunset Tower” and incorporated the heartbreaking ballads “Heather (Lost Verse Version),” “Family Line,” and “Connel.” This act may have been my favorite of the night because of its blend of whimsy and emotional release. It was also the first time Gray had ever performed “Sunset Tower” live. “Heather,” being indisputably Gray’s most famous song, was unique because it seemed to have the loudest audience reaction in regard to singing along. “Family Line” has always stuck out to me as a song because of its theme. Hearing this song live not only allowed me to genuinely witness the meaning of this song through body language, but also made me even more sympathetic towards people in this situation. On top of this, seeing the emotional reaction caused by “Connel” and the emotional release it provided to Gray was absolutely astonishing.
“Act 4: I wished for love and I found it” consisted of the songs “Actor,” “Maniac” and “Vodka Cranberry.” Although Act Three was likely my favorite, Act Four contained my favorite moment of the entire show: the “Vodka Cranberry” high note. This high note, which was first premiered live at the MTV Video Music Awards, was the pinnacle of my whole concert experience. During the bridge of the song, Gray beautifully delivered an awe-striking note that had my jaw floored; the crowd erupted into joyous cheers. This single sustained note displayed the growth in Gray as an artist and his vocal prowess.
At the end of this act, Gray hinted at an encore for which he eventually came out to sing “Memories” and “Caramel;” both of these songs follow the theme of making memories. The encore was fantastic and felt like a natural conclusion to the show. “Memories” was a great final emotional connection, and “Caramel” was a fantastic song, rhythm-wise to end the night with.
“The Wishbone Pajama Show” was a euphoric experience, and I was so happy to witness the theatrical performance style of Gray. That night meant so much to me, and I cannot help but re-live it in my head over and over again. It was undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating nights I have ever experienced.
