The Tivoli is a great music venue.

It’s big enough to feel like a proper concert but small enough to feel connected to what’s happening on stage.

When set in the round, as it was for Husky’s performance on 20 September, the Tivoli takes on an even better vibe for the audience!

Starting with a superb support act in Alice Skye, the night was off to a great start.

Skye comes across as shy with her in-between-songs banter but when as soon as she starts a song, she’s a confident musician who conveys all the right feels.

I particularly loved her candid words with the audience about mental health – the only way we can beat the stigma of talking about the unpalatable is for musicians like Skye, and other public figures, and all of us actually, is to let it out into the open!

Thanks Alice for a gorgeous set.

Husky is a slick band.

Playing mostly new works, the super fans (who reminded me a bit of the gang who follow Darren Hanlon around – am I crazy?) were picking up everything that was being put down, and the rest of us, seemed to be loving it too.

There was a funny moment when we were asked to film them, not their usual schtick as they always seem more ephemeral than that but for those of us who dutifully whipped out our phones and pressed record, the song did take on new meaning.

Not only were we hearing it for the first time, but we were conscious of recording what we were hearing too.

The killer finale – an acoustic Bob Dylan sung from the balcony – was just the icing on the cake for this concert.

A gorgeous final moment reminding us all that even without mics, amps, lights and theatrics, Husky is a band of talented musicians who can tug our heartstrings with just a guitar and three-part harmony. Bravo!

I have never been to The Tivoli before for a music event, and I really enjoyed the venue.

It had a great feeling of comfort with the big couches and chairs surrounding the stage on all sides.

Given the look of the place, I expected the sound quality to be poor but it had definitely exceeded my expectations.

The band was very enjoyable to listen to, the soundscapes they produced were interesting and the vocals were very smooth and on point.

All around I’d definitely go see them again.

Walking into The Tivoli, was like walking into a secret house party.

There were mismatched couches, arm-chairs and coffee tables sprawled across the stage and around the venue, occupied with people drinking red wine and chatting in the semi-darkness before the start of the gig.

At the centre of the venue was an incredible pop-up stage, that offered a full 360-degree view of the musicians.

It was The Tivoli as I’ve never experienced it before, and it made me excited for the chill and dreamy tunes that I knew were promised by Husky.

When Husky took to the stage and strummed the first few notes in their opening song, all the worries in the world seemed to drift very far away.

The set was a mix of upbeat crowd-pleasing favourites and their new album, which they performed for the first time.

I loved hearing them perform a few of their more upbeat and well-known songs, ‘Late Night Store’ and ‘I’m Not Coming Back’.

The tracks from their new album definitely felt mellow, more aligned with the vibe of ‘Tidal Wave’, from their first album.

I felt the set would have benefited from further refinement, as the set hit a little bit of a lull towards the end of the evening.

This could have been resolved by limiting the number of tracks or swapping out one of their low-key songs for one of their more upbeat tracks.

I wish they had left me wanting more. At the end of the set, Husky took an acoustic guitar and played a cover of Bob Dylan, from the balcony of the Tivoli.

This was a beautiful moment, that I felt elevated the energy of the set again.

All in all, it was a great night.

Husky’s relaxed stage presence and folk genre would best suit fans of Boy and Bear or Angus stone.

As a long-term fan of #1 Dads and Big Scary, I found myself struggling to fully sink my teeth into No Mono.

It wasn’t until I saw the outfit perform live that I fully appreciated their brilliance.

Live, every moment had time to resonate, elevating each sound to ethereal and mesmerising heights.

This, paired with impeccable sound and entrancing lighting, as well Snowden’s captivating command of the space, all contributed to this teleportative experience – never was the vision of Islands clearer.

Upon learning of the Tivoli in the Round series, I was immediately intrigued by the logistics: surely restructuring one of Brisbane’s most iconic venues was no small feat.

Suffice to say, the experience was teleportative.

Upon entry, audience members in various states of recline were sprawled across the venue, surrounding a space-age, glowing cube.

The entrancing sounds of opening act Anatole – lush soundscapes reminiscent of James Blake and Jamie XX with notes of jazz – emanated from the stage, fostering palpable energy that persisted throughout the evening.

The atmosphere was unlike anything I’d ever experienced at the Tivoli.

Perhaps the key contributor to the show’s energy was the fact No Mono members Iansek and Snowden were visibly enjoying themselves.

Their final performance as No Mono, for now, they expressed how unique this experience had been, and how grateful they were to have brought us into the world of Islands in such a profoundly intimate way.

Each year, Brisbane Festival dominates our cultural calendar with a plethora of eclectic shows and experiences city-wide.

But where they truly make their impact is in the redefinition of familiar spaces – from Arcadia and Theatre Republic, to ‘the Round’ – that encourage you to fall in love with your city anew.

It will be difficult for a gig to top this experience any time soon.

Being hump-day Wednesday, I was a little worried when NO MONO’S support act Anatole started so gently, making me feel like I needed to be face down on a massage table somewhere smelling essential oils or doing some down dog yoga poses in the rainforest.

But the build came to pep me up (or maybe it was the Espresso Martini) and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his layered, complex and intricate, pop electronica.

Great opener. Now onto NO MONO!

After their hauntingly beautiful collaboration via #1 Dads, the combining of the two Toms in NO MONO is a match made in heaven, so I was very excited to see them perform last night, and they did not disappoint.

Loved the Tivoli ‘in the round’ stage which allowed you to get up close and personal from all angles for a unique, immersive experience.

Tom Snowdon’s distinctive, sensual voice paired with Tom Iansek’s organic arrangements, contortionist melodies and intense beats with just the right amount of mountainous build commanded the attention of the crowd from the first song.

Their minimalist, ambient, yet striking sound, combined with Snowdon’s quirky, interpretive dancing had me mesmerised throughout the entire gig, which seemed to be over way too quickly.

Their encore cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game was stunningly beautiful, then to finish with #1 Dads’ Return To was the icing on the cake for me.

Absolutely loved it.

This is one band that needs to be experienced live to be really appreciated and I’m very grateful to have done so at their last performance together, so thank you Brisbane Festival.