FORT WORTH, TX- There is a special energy in a room when everyone around you is just as dedicated to the music as you are. Getting his start on YouTube in the late 2010s, Conan Gray has a large, dedicated fanbase, including myself, that appreciates his art just as much as his story. On March 10, the Georgetown, Texas native made a stop in Fort Worth for the second leg of the Wishbone World Tour. The night consisted of new and old fan favorites from all five projects spanning the length of his career.
Conan Gray grew up in a military family, moving from place to place in his adolescent years, but he consistently refers to Georgetown, Texas as his hometown. Just 30 minutes north of Austin, Conan spent the majority of his formative teenage years here, eventually discovering his talent and passion for music. His early projects deeply resonated with me growing up, reflecting the mundane blandness of Texas suburbia. Much of the music I listened to as a teenager referenced a fast-paced city life that was very far from my own experiences. When I found Conan Gray, it was refreshing to listen to an artist who was living and writing about a background similar to mine.
I first discovered Conan Gray on YouTube in 2016. I fell in love with his quirky personality and lighthearted vlogs and cooking videos.
He frequently posted covers of his favorite songs and eventually began sharing his own work. After being accepted into UCLA, Conan moved to Los Angeles and released his first EP, Sunset Season, in 2018. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of following Conan as he has found his voice and grown into his sound and image. I very much feel as though I have grown up with him and his music, and it is easy to feel deeply proud of his achievements, knowing that his story and struggles are similar to my own.
At Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, I was astonished by the rural, country-like stage design and intricate lighting and production. To open the show, Conan Gray performed “My World” off his most recent album, Wishbone. Released on August 15, 2025, his fourth studio album captures the process of returning to yourself after heartbreak. I feel that this song perfectly encapsulates the album’s themes of acceptance and letting go. The fast tempo and high energy of the track were more than enough to bring fans to their feet, with Conan jumping and dancing along with the audience. To me, “My World” is about realizing that the unwritten rules of relationships and society do not have to apply to you. The defiance of simply asking “why?” is freeing in itself, setting a fierce tone for the night ahead.
Conan followed up the opening performance with “Never Ending Song,” the lead single from his 2024 album Found Heaven. Of all of Conan’s projects, Found Heaven stands out to me as the most experimental. The album feels reminiscent of ’80s new wave and synth-pop and conveys the feeling of unapologetically finding yourself. “Never Ending Song” describes the temptation of returning to old flames and bad habits, and how those feelings never truly go away. Conan’s performance makes the content of the song feel more uplifting, contrasting the lyrics with the lighthearted dance fans know from the music video.
Later in the night, Conan performed what I believe to be one of his most iconic songs, “People Watching,” from his 2022 album Superache. It describes the feeling of knowing you are meant for love but never having the opportunity to love or be loved in the way you see all around you. This song is always exciting to experience live because Conan often takes the opportunity to come down to the front barricade to greet fans and sing with them. I love the juxtaposition between the song’s frustrated lyrical content and his closeness with the audience in that moment. “People Watching” is an undeniable fan favorite. More than any other song, you could feel the connection Conan has with his audience.
From his debut album Kid Krow, Conan performed “The Cut That Always Bleeds.” In contrast to much of his music, this song was given a sort of second life years after its initial release in 2020. At first, it was not a standout single from the album, but it later found a home on TikTok in 2024. That attention resulted in a revival of its live performance. This song has always been a favorite of mine, even more so live, as it presents yet another opportunity for fans to scream their frustrations out. Conan took several moments throughout the song to point the microphone back to the audience, inviting them to fully feel the emotions described in the lyrics. It is moments like these when it is easy to forget that you are in a room full of people and not alone dancing in your bedroom.
When performing in his home state, Texas fans often have the special privilege of hearing some of his earlier music. At each show, Conan performs a different “campfire” song, an acoustic version of a track not on his regular setlist, typically from his older projects. Before playing the song, Conan described it as “the deep cut of all deep cuts.” Bringing us back to the beginning, he performed “Idle Town” from his first EP, Sunset Season. The song describes his hometown and finding small, magical moments even in dull familiarity. While the lack of change and new experiences can be mind-numbing, there is also comfort in it. The song ends on an optimistic note, hoping that they will all be okay and one day escape.
The first time I saw Conan Gray live, it was in a small room in Dallas, Texas with a few hundred people. It is safe to say that seeing him perform in an arena for thousands of fans was a very different experience. With that said, Conan has a unique talent for making every performance feel intimate. There is a universal understanding among his fans that although we may feel cast out in everyday life, in this room we are all connected by shared experiences. It has been such a joy to support Conan through every stage of his career. His achievements reassure me that people from my exact position can reach the highest levels of success and carry that success with grace.
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