“Welcome to the very first night of ‘Found Heaven on tour!’”
by Grace Gordon | July 11th, 2024
Thursday July 11th saw over 10,000 eager Conan Gray fans awaiting the opening night of his brand new ‘Found Heaven’ world tour at the John Cain Arena. This follows the release of his third studio album in April, earning him number fourteen in the U.S. Billboard 200, with the first four singles (“Lonely Dancers”, “Killing Me”, “Winner” and “Never Ending Song”) alone nearing 130 million streams around the globe.
Beginning by writing songs in his bedroom and posting covers to YouTube, Conan has quickly become a crucial voice for fans new and old, with hits such as “Heather” (now passing over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone) becoming Gen Z anthems. Fans all over the country have been awaiting Gray's triumphant return since his previous “Superache” tour in 2022, where he performed to a closeby sold-out Margaret Court Arena supported by Charlie Collins.
As fans filled Melbourne Olympic Park, covered in bows, sequins and ‘Found Heaven’ themed colors, the atmosphere was like nothing I had previously felt in Melbourne’s Olympic Park. The suspense to see what Gray had planned for his brand new tour was overwhelming.
As fans filled John Cain Arena, Kat Edwards played a half hour set to open the night. Containing original songs such as unreleased song “Damaged Goods” and covers such as Chappell Roan’s “Casual”, new fans gained a taste of this up and coming artists style and music. With audiences evidently falling in love, filling the arena with lit up phone torches and swaying arms.
Conan’s set opened with the title track from recent album; “Found Heaven.” The lights flashing dramatically before the curtain comes to a quick fall as Conan steps out to begin the first track. Of course, Conan was dressed in a stunning outfit to match the essence and overall vibe of the tour; a matching silver and black set consisting of pants and a crop top, of course featuring a star on the chest.
The overall production of this show was a step up from anything we have seen from Conan yet. From the elaborate curtain display that frames the band, to a platform that extends out of the stage, allowing for Conan to be elevated above the stage. As Well as a distinct improvement in production, Conan’s overall stage presence has virtually seemed to skyrocket over the last few years. Taking on his biggest headline show of his career to date with utmost confidence and high quality of stage presence, impressing his audience immensely.
The setlist was compiled of mostly tracks from the most recent album “Found Heaven”, though some old favorites such as “Wish You Were Sober”, “Memories”, “Heather” and “Maniac.”
The full setlist below:
FAINTED LOVE
NEVER ENDING SONG
WISH YOU WERE SOBER
EYE OF THE NIGHT
KILLING ME
THE EXIT
PEOPLE WATCHING
THE CUT THAT ALWAYS BLEEDS
JIGSAW
FAMILY LINE
THE STORY
ASTRONOMY
FOUND HEAVEN
BOYS & GIRLS
LONELY DANCERS
WINNER
HEATHER
MEMORIES
ENCORE-
BOURGEOISIESES
MANIAC
ALLEY ROSE
This setlist truly incorporated something for everybody, conan fans both young and old as it touches across all three albums (“Kid Krow, “Superache” and “Found Heaven”, yet excludes debut EP, and can favorite “Sunset Season.”
This tour truly incorporated something for everybody and includes some of Gray’s strongest work yet. If you’ve previously found yourself on the fence over attending or without tickets, I truly cannot recommend this experience enough to “find heaven” with Conan Gray.
