Conan Gray performed at Blossom Music Center Sept. 11 for the opening night of his “Wishbone Pajama Show” to celebrate the release of his fourth album. “Wishbone” is a heartfelt, emotional album, written over the course of two years, many of the songs being written in his bedroom and during tours, and they were later brought to producer Dan Nigro. 

Gray said that this album is his most vulnerable work yet, and was influenced by 90s pop-rock and grunge music, along with 90s country music his mom played for him growing up. Gray also found influence in coming-of-age stories in teen movies. 

International fans have been anticipating a world tour announcement, and on Oct. 20, Gray announced a world tour. Esha Tewari, a 19 year-old indie folk singer-songwriter, will be opening for all 42 shows. The world tour features 16 shows in the U.S. and across Europe and Asia. This is his fourth world tour, with one for each of his previous albums. 

Fans were highly encouraged to dress in pajamas, with many wearing light blue or white as well as sailor hats and wishbones. Most people were wearing matching pajama sets or flannel pants and a tour t-shirt. I noticed fans wearing themed costumes based on song lyrics, with some sporting clown makeup, after the song “Class Clown.” 

The opener was Hemlocke Springs. I had only heard one of her songs prior to the concert, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was very impressed. She sang a total of eight songs, and my favorite by far was the last one, “sever the blight,” which featured incredible vocals. Later, I found out that she sews all of her tour outfits herself, which made me appreciate her dress and performance even more.

Gray kicked off the show by riding in on a bike matching with many fans wearing bedazzled light blue pajamas and a sailor hat and singing “My World,” a song from his newest album. Fans enjoyed dancing, jumping around and singing along to the fun song. After this, he played some more upbeat songs from his third album, “Found Heaven.” 

A highlight of the show was about halfway through the concert with a surprise song. Conan asked a fan in the crowd to break a wishbone with him to decide on the next song he would play, with a choice of a faster song, “Fight or Flight” or “Astronomy,” a slow song that is a favorite throughout the fans. The fan picked “Astronomy,” and everyone put up their phone flashlights during the performance, which led to a lovely heartfelt moment. On Oct. 4 at San Diego, Conan’s friend Olivia Rodrigo showed up to break the wishbone with him, which excited many lucky fans who got to witness this sweet moment. 

After the surprise song, Gray performed his most streamed song “Heather,” which fans continued with their flashlights. He played some more of his slower, more emotional songs, then performed some more songs from his new album and a fan favorite, “Vodka Cranberry” which features an impressive high note and left many fans with goosebumps. 

Following “Vodka Cranberry,” Gray left the stage and changed into a sparkly black soldier-type outfit for the encore, which included another fan favorite, “Memories.” He finished the show with one of my favorites from the new album, a lyrically-impressive song titled “Caramel.” Fans were in awe after he left the stage, and Gray’s vocals and songs resonated with me and many other fans long after leaving the show.