Check out this throwback article from CityHeART intern Fatima’s experience at Conan Gray’s tour this fall!
Written by Fatima Cruz, CityHeART’s Creative Connect Intern
Los Angeles and Heaven crossed paths on October 18th for Conan Gray’s Found Heaven tour. As someone who uses concerts as a form of self-care, I knew this would be a perfect concert to attend. What screams more self-care than attending a tour with Found Heaven as the title? What made this night so angelic was being able to enjoy a safe joyful space to hear live music alongside some of my closest friends.
My love for Conan Gray’s music began in the olden days (high school) with his first EP release, Sunset Season. His melancholic indie music is what first drew me in as his music resonated with me so much as a teenager. From his first EP release to his recent album release of Found Heaven, we can sense his growth throughout the years with his lyrics, musical elements, and his personal style incorporated into the album aesthetics. I was eager to hear Found Heaven live as it is so distinct from his past projects with the album consisting of a more retro-electronic 80s sound.
Even before Conan Gray went on stage, the atmosphere was vibrant throughout the venue. Everywhere I turned, I saw fans dressed in colors inspired by Conan’s Found Heaven color scheme. I saw stars, leather jackets, cones (a nod to the fan name: coneheads), and Dr. Marten boots everywhere. With everyone’s amazing outfits, it was no surprise to see lines forming to take pictures in front of all the various lyrics posted up on the venue walls, myself included. There was laughter and excitement in the air that is very difficult to replace. The sense of joy brought upon me from concerts is what helps me consider it self-care.
Just when you think that the atmosphere couldn’t get any better, Conan steps out on stage. Having already been fired up by the amazing opener, Maise Peters, the crowd was already anticipating more. He stepped out with his black and white leather outfit, starting off the set with “Fainted Love”. His set continued on with a mix of songs from Found Heaven and other fan-favorite songs from the rest of his discography. Some of the songs performed took on a brand new meaning for me when he would take a moment to explain the inspiration for some of his songs.
As mentioned before, concerts are one of my forms of self-care and outlets. For almost the entire day, I can forget all my worries as I sing my heart out to some amazing music. However, it goes beyond that. I get to share my love for live music with my friends whenever we go to concerts together. All the amazing details are only amplified when I get to share the experience with my friends. As we walk through the venue, we’ll take note and are in awe of all the fan outfits. We catch up and talk endlessly as we wait in line for photos. We scream and cheer in excitement for every song. Once the concert sadly comes to an end, we debrief our favorite moments of the night. Concerts allow me to enjoy music, a positive atmosphere, and time with friends. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a concert to find this safe space. You can do this from the comfort of your home, a park, a baseball game, anything!