I made my first venture to the newly opened The Standard near Taylor Square to see Jonathan Boulet in a one off performance before the release of his debut album. The Standard is a breath of fresh air for the Sydney music scene with its industrial feel, open area and most importantly, the perfect ratio of live venue to bar.

I arrived just in time to see Cabins who played a solid set, which was broken up nicely between lighter and heavier tracks. “Catcher In The Rye” was a favourite with the crowd and showcased the band’s beautiful melodies. Unfortunately the band was at their best when playing a cover of Edwyn Collin’s “A Girl Like You” with its dirty guitar notes and slides. The lead singer’s gruff voice suited the song perfectly but had me wishing that this was what Cabins’ songs sounded like, rather than a cover.

Finally, it was Jonathan Boulet’s turn. Jonathan Boulet’s namesake and his other band Parades vary starkly in both tones and live performance. While both are incredible to watch, Parades is much more subdued while Jonathan Boulet is outgoing and lacks self-consciousness. Jonathan Boulet truly engaged the audience – a group of people in particular who thought it necessary to make feigned attempts at crowd surfing amongst one another - with their infectiously bouncy tunes. The percussion driven set pushed the audience into frenzy as the floor shook with the rhythm.

Even pneumonia couldn’t stop me from having a boogie.