By Jacob Pellegrino
Australian singer-songwriter grentperez is currently on tour in the United States and recently played a show at the Bronze Peacock stage in House of Blues Houston. The small room was packed with people excited for the show, which had sold out months prior.
The night started with opener FIG, a New York based indie pop musician. FIG was able to engage the audience throughout her set with her humorous personality and catchy, relaxing music. FIG’s sound is something that could easily be listened to while kicking back. She involved the audience in her show, asking general trivia questions and awarding those who got them right with free merchandise. FIG was able to keep the crowd moving and getting into her music, even as much of the audience had not heard her before.
grentperez opened his set with “When The Day Is Done,” the last track on his debut full-length album. He kept the show going with a mix of banter and music, at one point telling the audience that, at twenty-one, his voice has gotten a bit deeper recently, leading him to question some of the highest notes in his older music. Despite this new difficulty, he was still able to perform the songs well.
The crowd was invested in the performance throughout, with one member of the audience gifting Perez a crocheted cardigan with his last name emblazoned across the back. Perez sang “Happy Birthday” to an audience member when he saw on a sign held up that it was their birthday. The increasing expectation of audiences to get personal interaction from performers can often be obnoxious and distracting, but, at least at this show, it added a personal touch to the night.
After a few songs, Perez announced that his band had to take a flight to another gig and would unfortunately have to leave. This led to a set of three songs performed solo, including “Us Without Me,” where he brought up a fan to sing with him. After the songs performed solo, Perez faked a phone call in a bit and announced that his band’s fictitious flight had been canceled and that they would be able to return for the remainder of the show.
Lit by a disco ball, the small venue was perfect for grentperez’s laid-back sound. Ending the night with his debut single, “Cherry Wine,” Perez delivered a night to remember for the crowd rapt in attention to his music.
