Conan Gray’s “Wishbone” Tour Anchors in Fort Worth for a Hometown Celebration
- EC Stanzel
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by EC Stanzel
| Although the city is better known for rodeos than sea voyages, Fort Worth fans flocked to Dickies Arena in sailor caps, ready to embark alongside Conan Gray on his greatest adventure yet.
The 27-year-old pop singer-songwriter launched the first leg of his Wishbone World Tour after releasing his fourth studio album, Wishbone. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Album Sales chart, marking the highest charting release of Conan’s career to date. The tour also marks his first all-arena run, and despite being written almost entirely from his bedroom, the candid, diary-like album is having no trouble filling the space.
Fans arrived at the arena buzzing with excitement, tying red ribbons, snapping photos, and eager to hold onto the night before it even began. Australian singer-songwriter Esha Tewari welcomed the crowd with a relaxed performance. Her soft indie pop set had fans swaying to the beat and joining in on a call and response during “About Me,” from her latest EP, What Makes A Girl. Anticipation built with a pre-show playlist of nostalgic hits featuring Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry. Then, at the sound of Olivia Rodrigo's "bad idea, right?", the arena erupted into a sea of cheers.
The blue-lit, curtain-draped stage and sounds of an orchestra tuning revealed a dreamy, theatrical atmosphere. Act I, ‘a wishbone never breaks even’ began with "My World." Stage lights illuminated a countryside set and a lively band in matching sailor outfits. In a cinematic entrance, Conan Gray pedaled out on a bicycle, delivered letters to a mailbox, and climbed a stage-right windmill so he could get a better look at the fan-filled landscape before him. The crowd immediately began singing, jumping, and cheering as Conan greeted fans at every corner of the wishbone-shaped extended stage. The arena filled with excitement during upbeat performances of "Never Ending Song," "Care," and "Wish You Were Sober." Looking around, it became clear to me that Conan has a rare gift for turning the complexities of heartbreak into songs that still lift the mood and bring joy to the room.
The mood shifted in Act II, 'i got the short end of the stick,’ when the rolling countryside gave way to a moonlit sky surrounded by giant clouds. Conan took off his sailor coat to reveal a sparkly blue and white striped pajama set and settled onto a bed at center stage. He performed more introspective and emotionally heavy songs: "Class Clown," "People Watching," "The Cut That Always Bleeds," "Eleven Eleven," and "Nauseous." Although I wasn't overly familiar with Conan’s music beyond snippets on TikTok and a select few that made their way into my ‘Love?’ playlist, it didn't seem to matter. Conan’s lyrics and performance conveyed his message so clearly that the audience easily found words in his songs that reflected their own experiences and emotions. The uniquely shared feelings in the room were infectious and felt especially strong during "People Watching" when Conan ran down from the stage, sang directly with fans at the barricade, and listened to the crowd loudly echo back his words, "I feel love emotion.” Another heartwarming moment was during “Eleven Eleven” when a beautifully coordinated fan project lit up the arena like a sky full of thousands of lucky stars ready to be wished upon.
In a segment of Conan's Campfire, Fort Worth was treated to a special hometown moment with an acoustic performance of "Isle of Town," Conan’s debut single from 2017. The song is a tribute to his high school days in Georgetown, Texas, and he even called it "maybe the deepest cut of all deep cuts." Conan seemed genuinely surprised that many in the crowd knew every word nearly a decade later.
Act III, i took the long way to realization, saw Conan, now dressed in a pirate-esque flowing shirt, emerge from a rowboat on a lake. This part of the show included a more lightheartedly theatric performance of "Romeo" and a not-so-surprise performance of Conan's unreleased song, "The Best." The lyrics were displayed on the big screen behind the stage, but many fans sang along like they had known the song for years (a common theme throughout the show).
A highlight of the night was when Conan pointed out two special fans who were the first to line up at his very first show back in the day when he played a small 200 person venue in Dallas. He picked them to break the album-inspired wishbone and the winner got to choose between two songs: “The Exit” or “Lookalike.” After winning the bigger piece of the wishbone, the fans took a lighthearted moment to deliberate before excitedly picking “The Exit,” which was met by cheers from around the arena.
The show continued with the TikTok-famous song "Heather.” When introducing the track, Conan laughed at the possibility that the real Heather might actually be somewhere in the building that night. He joked that he was “sorry, but not sorry because this song is a banger!” The crowd sang along to the hit so loudly that their voices nearly drowned the singer out. Conan then returned to a more dramatic vibe with "Family Line" and "Connell," which reached a cinematic crescendo before transitioning into the final act.
In Act IV, i wished for love, and i found it, Conan brought the story home with upbeat performances of "Actor" and the widely-known hit "Maniac." He then ended the main show with "Vodka Cranberry," the lead single from Wishbone, transforming the breakup ballad about rejection into a hopeful anthem that ceremonially closed the night.
Moments later, Conan returned to the stage dressed in a decorated and dazzling captain's uniform. Unlike the previous performances, the stage no longer used an elaborate set design and instead looked like a true curtain call. After a full show of theatrical performances, Conan finished the night by enjoying a relaxed and fun sing-a-long of "Memories" and "Caramel" with the audience.
Confetti fell over the crowd. Conan's beaming smile lit up the arena. And with a final bow, the Wishbone World Tour in Fort Worth came to a close, leaving a lasting impression on all who were lucky enough to tag along for the journey.
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