Since being introduced to Filipino-Australian artist, Grentperez, his discography and goofy personality has been a welcome whirlwind for the months leading up to his Melbourne concert. An overall wonderful show, bolstered by Perez, his phenomenal crew and fans’  energy , Perez shines on the promotional tour for his debut album Backflips in a Restaurant.

Arriving at the magnificent Forum Theatre, the line already stretched around the block. Fans decked out in Pinterest-ready outfits huddled excitedly, comparing concert gear and theorising the order of the set list. Upon entry, myself and my dear friend spent a solid few minutes just staring at the awe-inspiring architecture. With a wide domed ceiling painted a deep blue and imitation Greco-Roman sculptures framing the sides, Perez had chosen to serenade his audience under a gleaming night sky. The crowd glowed with anticipation, the mosh already packed to the brim, abuzz with spirited chatter.

The charismatic singer-songwriter, Dylan Atlantic, opened the show with a strong albeit brief set. Atlantic did a stunning job hyping up the crowd in the short amount of time they had. Their natural talent combined with an easy interactive approach to the crowd set the scene for the rest of the night, establishing their outstanding presence as an artist. Atlantic also took a moment to highlight Filipino pride. Since both Atlantic and Pete are Filipino, this was naturally a cause for a jubilant applause from the many other Filipinos in the audience.

In the intermission between Atlantic and Perez, the venue team Rick Roll’d the entire crowd. Big lol.

Welcoming us to “G’s Bar n Grill”, Perez kicked the show off with high energy bangers: ‘Nice to Meet You’ and ‘Headspace’. Accompanied by Ichi Tanabe on the drums and Timi Temple on the violin, guitar, and bass, each song was interspersed with a brief comedic bit. Loosely structured around a “restaurant” concept, Perez, Tanabe, and Temple bantered in lively sequences, finding an effective combination between Gen Z memes and wholesome shout-outs to each other. From the wholesome band energy of ‘Dandelion’, ‘Need You Around’ and ‘2DK’ to the crooning romance of ‘Movie Scene’, ‘12065’,  ‘Everest’ and ‘Reason Why’ every moment of the concert flowed together beautifully thanks to the skills of the performers. Tanabe’s mastery of the percussion solidified the dynamics of the show and Temple’s multi-instrumental talents left my jaw on the floor.

Perez is an utterly charming artist as well as a sublimely skilled singer. His down-to-earth personality balanced with his vocal virtuosity had the audience enchanted. One standout moment for me was when Perez invited a couple from the audience celebrating an anniversary to be serenaded with ‘Yours to Keep.’ The crowd went wild for older fan favourite ‘EGO’ as well as hits: ‘Silver Lining’ and ‘Cherry Wine.’ ‘When the Day is done’ was the perfect closer with its upbeat sound and heartwarming lyrics.

The set was a series of scribbles and drawn vignettes referencing Perez’ songs and the restaurant concept. The sound was super well managed and the combination of warm lights and adorable projections across the back of the venue was epic. A few moments in the show where the lights shone directly into audience members’ eyes closer to the back of the venue, like myself.

Notably, Perez took time throughout the concert to consistently display gratitude. From his band to his backstage crew, to the venue techs and his partner and of course the concert attendees themselves. It was thoroughly refreshing to have such a genuine performer onstage reminding his fans of the size of the village it takes to make music in our modern scene. 

The only criticism I have with the concert has nothing to do with the performers themselves but the audience. A significant portion of the crowd had their phones out for a solid majority of the set. This is a common trend across modern concert culture, one that has been criticised and called out to no end. Several members of the public around me insisted on filming practically the entirety of the concert including the intermission.

Why is this such a concern though? Well dear reader, I would prefer not to be spending a substantial portion of my time at concerts watching the performer through a stranger’s phone screen. Controversial, I know.

In terms of general concert etiquette, the vast majority of people acted with appropriate levels of decorum. The crowd was nowhere near as phone-heavy as I remembered. That being said, I still think my criticism holds up. Gen-Z gets a lot of flack for being addicted to our phones and frankly I am practically begging concert crowds to stop proving the haters right! I implore any reader to become more conscientious with their concert consumption. Amongst the many problems with our economy, concert prices have risen exponentially and I can’t help but question why one would pay so much money to be on their phone for two hours. Filming to capture the moment is understandable, but do not do so in a way that impacts the experience of the people around you.

Immediately, I knew that I wanted to go to another Grentperez concert. It was a truly wonderful night and I can’t wait to see what he does next.