At Kemba Live on Friday, September 30th, Conan Gray performed for his Ohio fans. After selling out the venue, the area was packed full and excited to listen to Superache, Gray’s new album, live.
The opener for the night, and the rest of the North American tour, was Bülow, a female indie pop German-Canadian singer. Songs that she sang for the crowd included “Don’t Break His Heart” and “Anxiety”. At Kemba, she connected with the crowd by making fun of the “worm” like dance moves she’d do onstage. The crowd took to affectionately mimicking those moves with their arms while she sang, even making Bülow laugh while she was singing.
By 9:30 the crowd knew it wouldn’t be long until Gray made his appearance and they weren’t at all disappointed when he did. His eventual arrival was dramatic and well done. Curtains drew back to reveal him on the stage’s platform with an immediate start to his song “Disaster”. The crowd was beyond ecstatic and immediately started singing along. Some songs on the set list include, “People Watching”, “Family Line” and “The Exit” from Superache, “Maniac” and “Heather” from Kid Krow, and his singles “Telepath” and “Overdrive”.
Gray also proved himself to be a great performer throughout the set. During multiple songs he added impressive runs that showed off his vocal range and ability, and each time the crowd would cheer as a result. He was energized on stage and moved according to the music. During his slower and more emotional songs he played an acoustic guitar at a standing microphone and when the songs would be upbeat and fun he danced around and interacted with the crowd.
In terms of speaking with his fans, Gray did a relatively good job. Before the show, he had a Q&A but during the concert itself, he also made an effort to speak to the audience and make the night fun. At one point he even took a BeReal for one of his fans. Between songs, he would ask questions, give backstory to what he would sing next, and make jokes.
An example of a joke Gray made was telling the crowd he was performing his last song when he really went on to sing “Memories” as an encore. This song was the perfect way to end the night since it was highly anticipated by many and a catchy song anybody in the crowd would know every word to. Though it was bittersweet to have the show end, it was a great experience through and through and Gray showed off his true talent in the music industry.