Napping in the middle of a stage, pajamas galore, clown makeup and wishbones! At first, this might sound like a combination of words right out of a fever dream, but don’t be mistaken–The Wishbone Pajama Tour may include nighttime wear, but I can assure you it’s completely real. If you’re looking for songs to cry to, people to dance with, and amazing vocals, Conan Gray is the perfect musical artist for you (just make sure to keep a tissue box nearby)! “Join me for the night” as I walk you through the events of September 24th, the night I attended The Wishbone Pajama Show in Nashville, TN.
Before I go on, you may be wondering: who exactly is this musician? Conan Gray is an up-and-coming artist, but he’s been in the music industry for far longer than you may think. He was signed to a record label by the name of Republic Records in 2018 after releasing two singles, just before releasing his EP Sunset Season. While that didn’t get much traction, he would become a huge hit once he released the debut album, Kid Krow. You may recognize one melody in particular when you listen to the track list. Heather is one of his most popular songs to date, but he was still relatively unknown to the public until his most recent album, Wishbone– which has been submitted to 8 different Grammy categories. While he isn’t at all a stranger to touring, these shows in particular have a twist. It’s called a pajama show for one reason: pajamas are the dress code!
And so, two of my friends and I dressed accordingly, donning our pajamas and clown makeup (to match one of the tracks named “Class Clown”). We got there about an hour and a half early, and the queue was already halfway down the street. While waiting, we met other fans also dressed as clowns and proceeded to take as many pictures as physically possible. We didn’t get into the venue until after the sun had gone down, but we had a great view from the lawn section. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long for the show to start, and soon enough everyone was screaming while Conan Gray himself rode on the stage with his bicycle.
From there, it was around two hours of laughing, dancing, and plenty of tears. The setlist included a mix of songs; everything from the upbeat Bowie-esque tracks of his 2024 album Found Heaven to the slow sonnets of his 2022 album Superache. What was particularly unique about this concert, however, was the order in which the setlist was played. The songs were separated into acts, each title describing stages in his own life: A wishbone never breaks even, I got the short end of the stick, I took the long way to realization, and I wished for love and I found it. The way Conan showcases his personal connection to every song he writes is phenomenal, and each act represents his life experience through music: making him extremely easy to relate to. His ability to connect with his fans on a personal level is exactly why so many people were sobbing during songs like Family Line and The Cut That Always Bleeds.
Speaking of relatability to fans, Conan has a special section in his show based on fan interaction. Each night, he presents two bonus songs to choose from and then breaks a giant wishbone with a fan. The rule is, if the fan gets the long end, they get to decide which song he plays. On the night I went, the fan who was chosen to break the wishbone picked the song Care from the two he was presented with.
When all was said and done, the three of us left the venue and ended up in a random Waffle House in Elizabethtown at 12am, half-dead with streaky clown makeup thanks to both the rain outside and our tears. While we were all completely exhausted, dehydrated and starving, we could all agree that The Wishbone Pajama Show was an amazing experience, filled with memories that we wouldn’t replace for the world.
