Backflips at a Restaurant at The Tivoli: Grentperez Concert Review

It’s my first time seeing Grentperez and I’m astounded. The line for The Tivoli is wrapping itself around the block, the longest I’ve ever seen it. I’m a little disheartened that I might not have the best view of the show, but the sense of community strength from the fanbase is incredibly heartwarming and encouraging to a relatively new fan. To me, Grant’s music is amorous and gentle, emphasising soft guitars and his romantic voice. I’m definitely a Cherry Wine type of girl, and excited to sample more of Grant’s varieties tonight, especially from his debut album, while feeling very lucky I even got a ticket with the reception he’s receiving.

This is what happened at Grentperez’s Backflips at a Restaurant show at The Tivoli on November 9^th, 2025.

DYLAN ATLANTIS and The Aliens

Before the restaurant was open, we met with Dylan Atlantis for pre-drinks. Dylan is a young, Filipino-Australian artist from Western Sydney. They really do it all, playing multiple instruments, producer and songwriting. Tonight, we have a chance to see Dylan as a performer with her backing band, The Aliens. The band are fresh and fun, abundant with energy, best seen through Dylan’s on-stage enthusiasm, but with a timeless coolness that traverses genre with RnB and jazz influences. Their music is made for late nights driving in the city, enjoying the skyline and the lights without the pressure of conformity. Their debut album, It Starts Again, is a great introduction for new listeners!

Fave song: Satisfy

GRENTPEREZ

The crew were quick to turnover the stage for the evening’s main course, transforming The Tivoli’s stage into an intimate Italian restaurant, with walls covered in adorable cartoons referencing the songs and lyrics of Grentperez and the namesake album of the tour. Not too long after, the lights of the theatre went down as Grant’s band took to the stage, perfectly on schedule for a delicious evening. An absentee lead singer caused some concern for the band, who searched for him amongst the crowd, allowing Grentperez to make a triumphant introduction during Nice To Meet You and Headspace. His live rendition has a lot more of a rock n’ roll punch to it than the sweet melody of the original, which definitely sets an exciting tone for the evening and the performance Grant has in store.

Keeping with the theme, Grentperez introduces the evening’s chef, bassist Timi, and bartender, drummer Ichi. The trio serve up tasty tracks, like Dandelion and Clementine. The catchy choruses and relatable sense of yearning have audiences hooked, singing every word. Grant is brilliant at tapping into a nostalgia that most of his audience didn’t know they could feel, crafting a romantic vision of the bittersweetness in loving so much that it hurts. It evokes memories of romcoms that rely on IM instead of texting and running through busy city streets to get to your lover’s taxi in time to stop them from leaving. It’s cinematic and emotional, with Grant’s charisma and enthusiasm turning him into a plucky protagonist that anyone will root for. The rhythm and flow of Need You Around accentuates this nicely.

And then we dip into the RnB influences that come through strongly on tracks like 2DK and Peace of Mind. Grant is laidback and cool, with a nice sense of groove in his music. Then, he switches it up just as quickly by opening the restaurant for his on-stage guests, a gorgeous couple celebrating an anniversary who are seated at the dining table. The audience is treated to Timi on violin, complementing Grentperez’s acoustic rendition of Yours To Keep. The moment receives a collective sigh as the couple on stage kiss. It’s incredibly theatrical and a testament to how essential music is in helping us feel deeply. After staying at this level with 12065, our guests depart the band is back to a full stage performance. He speeds things back up without losing the sweet nothings in his lyricism with Everest.

As the set begins to advance too soon towards its conclusion, Grentperez amps it back up and gets the audience from swaying to jumping in the crowd with Ego. The fast pace reinvigorates the crowd and the catchy chorus unifies everyone and guides them kindly to Cherry Wine as Grant and Timi taste the restaurant’s house wine (Ichi was snubbed!). Throughout the set, Grant has done great work at balancing the audience’s energy, allowing us to lean into his slower, classic-feel ballads before increasing the pace and with crowd-favourite sing-alongs Fuzzy Feelings and When The Day Is Done, which ignored the bitter and emphasised the sweet, sweet feeling of seeing a band or singer you love perform live in front of you. We imagined that person we were going home to when the night would be done as we sang with Grentperez, cheers and thunderous applause taking over as he gave his last thanks and goodbyes.

I’m hoping it won’t be long before we’re standing together again under the chandeliers of The Tivoli, or Fortitude Music Hall perhaps, singing along to Grentperez’s incredible voice and enjoying on-stage antics with Timi and Ichi!

Fave song: Dandelion

SOUNDS GOOD?

Grentperez is one of a new generation of romantics, characterised by rich vocals and nostalgic beats. If you want to see a concert where you can dance to the groove, jump and sing along to the hits, and then turn to your lover and sway steady like a heartbeat, you’ll love Grentperez and probably also adore these acts too:

Budjerah – Coming from a musically-inclined family in Fingal Head, Budjerah astounded me with his gorgeous vocals and emotionally evocative songs. He’s great at bringing you on an emotional journey and converting a crowd into loyal listeners.

Ruel – Having collaborated with Grentperez on Dandelion, you’ll probably already know of this Sydney-singer with a retro-aesthetic and a catchy beat to dance to. His gripping discography lends itself beautifully to a live music moment.

Chiseko – If you love the RnB beats and casual cool presence, you should definitely add Chiseko to your next playlist. He has the same incredible stage presence and ability to quickly connect with a crowd, as well as a delightful catalogue of songs indicative of a rising star.