Maisie Peters and Conan Gray teamed up to deliver a euphoric set at MGM Music Hall. For both artists, it came after monumental success. In April, Peters celebrated her sophomore album, The Good Witch (Deluxe), with a vinyl release on Record Store Day 2024. The vinyl, limited to just 2500, slowly became one of the event’s most sought-after items. In August, Peters joined one of her musical inspirations, Taylor Swift, with a coveted spot as an opener for her historic The Eras Tour, playing to an audience of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. In April, Conan Gray established himself as a pop powerhouse with his experimental 80s album, Found Heaven. The album was clearly well-received by fans, reaching number 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart and debuting at 14 on the Billboard 200. Standout tracks “Lonely Dancers” and “Never Ending Song” boast deep resonant vocals and memorable synth-driven beats, while songs like “Alley Rose” display Gray’s knack for creating relatable ballads. In support of his third full-length, Gray embarked on the North American leg of Found Heaven On Tour this September, making stops across the globe.
On a brisk and lively evening, fans lined up down Lansdowne Street for the first of two shows at MGM Music Hall, some having queued in line since sunrise in hopes of securing a front-row spot. When doors finally opened at 6:30 pm, fans rushed in and extended the merchandise line up three flights of stairs. Designs included lots of star motifs and the cheeky phrase “I found heaven on tour and all I got was this t-shirt.” Guests began to buzz with excitement, dancing along to preshow playlist tracks “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde” by Charli xcx and “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Singer-songwriter Maisie Peters skipped into the spotlight in a white crop top with a red convertible on the front and a black mini skirt covered in white bows. Peters dove into her euphoric set, smiling ear to ear and waving to fans in the audience. She opened with the explosive track “You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man)” to an attentive audience. Her command of the crowd was palpable, with fans singing along to every word. Towards the middle of the setlist, she performed an impromptu cover of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” to celebrate playing in Fenway, across the street from the stadium Kahan recently sold out. She then performed “The Last One” as the night’s highly anticipated surprise song–Peters decided to select a different seventh song every night on the tour to create further excitement for her set. The delivery of the conversational song created an intimate connection between her and the audience, creating the illusion that she was talking directly to you, in a crowd of thousands.
Peters held the energy high, moving into a healing performance of “There It Goes” with the line “I’m doing better, I made it to September” acting as a form of catharsis for the audience. She ended her set with two empowering fan-favorites. “History Of Man” and “Lost The Breakup” are Peters’ most popular songs on Spotify at the moment and a testament to her ability to articulate female rage and pride. When the song ended, she stopped to thank everyone for coming and Gray for having her before waving goodbye and escaping backstage.
A curtain featuring the Found Heaven star and teardrop logo dropped in front of the stage, piquing everyone’s intrigue. When the lights dimmed again, the crowd released deafening roars, jumping and squealing with excitement. The bass rumbled, and Gray appeared on a platform, wearing a metallic blue and silver leather set and matching fingerless gloves. His corset vest and pants were meticulously customized, with bedazzled teardrop stars, blue alligator print trim, rhinestone fringe, and the album title “Found Heaven” bedazzled onto the fabric. Gray’s energy was infectious while he jumped around the stage and effortlessly hit all the notes to the catchy Found Heaven track “Fainted Love.” Gray filled the stage with expressive movements, a testament to his stamina and stage presence.
About midway through the setlist, Gray stopped to look at some fan posters, including one that read “Boston fruit review when?” referencing his humorous videos where he reviews fruit from different places. Gray then transitioned into the slower portion of the set, with fans waving their flashlights along to “The Cut That Always Bleeds.” He sat down to deliver an emotionally raw performance of “The Story,” a track he introduced by sharing a heartfelt story about the importance of fostering genuine connections with others and finding a support system. The speech displayed his openness to vulnerability, further strengthening his bond with the audience. He played the song on a custom black guitar with a yellow star on the body.
As the set progressed, Gray’s energy never dwindled. He constantly scaled the stage and showed off his moves. After pretending to perform his “last song,” he returned for a three-song encore, changing into one of the comedic tank tops he sports for the fan-favorite song “Bourgeoisieses.” Tonight’s tank read “That one song I can’t spell” in reference to the track, eliciting giggles and excitement from the crowd. He selected “Alley Rose” as the final track of the night, with fans singing along as if it was the first song. As custom confetti shaped in the teardrop star logo fell around the venue, he shared his genuine gratitude for everyone who came out, wished everyone a “wonderful rest of the year,” and shared his excitement for night two.
Found Heaven On Tour enables fans to experience their favorite tracks from Peters and Gray in one night. The production, fashion, curated setlists, and crowd interaction created an unforgettable night for everyone in the audience. Gray pieced together a unique and identifiable aesthetic for Found Heaven and ensured he incorporated that into every ounce of the tour. Whether it was the large star light rig on the stage, his instruments, his outfit, or his confetti, Gray put intention behind it. Make sure to catch Peters and Gray live before the North American leg concludes in October. Buy tickets here.
Check out all of Samantha’s photos from the show below.
