This past week I was privileged enough to get a ticket to the Conan Gray concert at the Prudential Center for the Wishbone World Tour. I went with my sister and best friend, and we truly had the best time ever. I’m here to tell you a little about my time at this show, and why Conan Gray is and will always be my favorite artist.
So to begin. I recommend going to concerts at the Prudential Center and becoming friends with the ushers. My group and I decided to purchase these tickets slightly later than usual concerts, so our seats were pretty high up. We didn’t mind because we love Conan and just wanted to be in the room. We were happily taking the escalators all the way up and purchased our merchandise tour t-shirts. When we got to our seats, we started chatting with the ushers and just being friendly. Next thing we know, we are being escorted downstairs and handed paper tickets. The tickets read “side stage view” row 4. So naturally, we freaked out. We got upgraded to the front row of the Conan Gray show. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but ever since then, I have been thanking my lucky star.
Next is the album. I urge you to listen to Wishbone by Conan Gray if you haven’t already. This album is everything, truly. If you have gone through a breakup, gained or lost friends, worked through hard times, and got through it all, this album is for you. It explores themes of heartbreak, self-discovery, and friendships that mean a little more than friendships. Conan Gray knows exactly how to vocalize extremely specific moments in a 20-something’s life. Going through breakups and the pain of the first heartbreak are discussed throughout this album as well. You can literally hear Conan finding himself track by track. He is vulnerable in songs like “Care,” confessing that “I won’t miss being your lover, I’m still losing a friend.” Like wow. To me, this is a very underexplored truth when it comes to breakups. When all is said and done, some people are just not meant to have that kind of romantic relationship. But either way, it is hard to lose a friend. I might even argue it is harder to lose the friendship aspect of a relationship than the romantic part.
This album resonates so loudly with so many people. The room was electric. We screamed and sang and danced and had fun and cried and felt all the emotions. Before the concert, we were discussing why each song is so important to us and talking about specific lyrics that we relate to. This concert was a really special one. Being able to get upgraded right next to the stage for the show was an experience that I’ll never forget.
The drive home from this concert was historic. We were talking about the show, repeating the same shocking story of getting upgraded and having the best night ever. I would take a concert over any other activity at night. Going to a show, especially a show that’s by an artist you love so much, like Conan Gray, is just an amazing privilege and experience.
