Concert Review: Conan Gray (PNC Music Pavilion)

BY BELLA DISTEFANO

Despite the weather, Conan Gray’s ‘Wishbone Pajama Tour’ drew quite the crowd to the PNC Pavillion in Charlotte.

With thunderstorms on the radar all around us, I was nervous as I made my two hour drive, hoping and praying that the weather would hold. Thankfully, the venue made the decision to push the concert forward, taking advantage of the window we had before the storm grew. This did, however, mean that the lines to get in were incredibly long, as everyone rushed to get in early at the same time. I walked past many, many serpent-like lines, and arrived at the photo pit just as the opener, Hemlocke Springs, was arriving to the stage. Unfortunately, the crowd was still pretty empty, as they were all still trying to get in.

Hemlocke Springs brought a lot of energy to the stage, even though she was recovering from a cold. I was very impressed that even while recovering, she put on a show, from the fun outfit with layers of sequins and colors and ruffles, to her energy as she ran back and forth on the stage.

Thankfully, by the time Conan Gray made his entrance, it was clear that everyone had made their way into the venue. I turned to view a sea of people so large that I could not see the end of it. The fans were all dressed in their pajamas and nautical outfits, and paper sailor hats dotted the horizon.

Conan Gray emerged riding a bicycle and began his set. People were singing along, laughing, and some were sobbing and overjoyed to be in the front row. By his third song, ‘Bourgeoisieses,’ even the photographers were having a hard time not singing along.

It was an incredible night of crowd favorite songs, such as ‘Heather,’ ‘Maniac,’ ‘People Watching,’ etc. But the best song of the night was undoubtedly ‘Vodka Cranberry,’ which went viral after his performance of the song at the VMAs.

Even though it was raining and misting intermittently throughout the concert, that didn’t stop anyone from having a great time. It was one for the books.

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BELLA DISTEFANO

Bella DiStefano splits her time between Graham, North Carolina and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. While home for the winter, she spends her days enjoying family time and photographing concerts while her friends sing along in the crowd. In the summer when she escapes to the island, she works at a marina during the day and photographs portraits and engagement sessions during her favorite time, golden hour. When she isn't taking pictures, Bella enjoys reading, traveling, and creating wearable art.

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