Alhambra has built a well-deserved reputation in the last few years for its consistent booking of quality house acts. Marshall Jefferson, Andy Ward, Neil Pierce, Karizma and a whole swathe of quality DJs have graced Alhambra’s decks in recent years, and local residents such as Coolhand Luke, DJ Freestyle, Kieron C and Gavin Boyd have ably stepped up too, making Alhambra – in my humble opinion – the place for house heads in Brisbane. Last Friday’s event backed up my bold claim, as headlining was yet another master in the form of US DJ/producer-cum-musician Chuck Love.

Alhambra’s Friday night crowd was small but dedicated, which meant there was no trouble getting drinks and ample room to move on the dancefloor. Around midnight Chuck stepped up behind the decks, and what a performance it was. In short, the one-man band laid the club out, and the small but up-for-it crowd were treated to an awesome display of bumpy, percussive house intertwined with live vocals and instrumentation from Love himself.

Hailing from Minneapolis, he’s had a strong relationship with San Francisco imprint Om for quite some time. He first released his debut Bring Enough To Spill Some on the label in 2007. The Om imprint really showed during his set. There were plenty of deep grooves, sexy sax interludes and emotional basslines – quintessential West Coast house – and it was clear Love himself was, ahem, loving it as he bounced up and down throughout.

Highlights included his own tracks Something Right and _Back In My Life _, which drew loud applause from the crowd. He also dropped tracks by Brisbane’s own DJ Freestyle, which pleased the local legend – who was in attendance. Perhaps most impressive, though, were Love’s abilities as a musician. When he wasn’t mixing in tracks he was laying down deep vocals over them. When he wasn’t doing that he was blowing away on his trumpet, or flute, or playing his organ – and it really made it a set with a difference.

There was a nice vibe doing the rounds at Alhambra throughout the evening. Friendly staff and fantastic music always go well together, and the club could tick both those boxes on this occasion. Chuck Love did an outstanding job considering the numbers he was working with, and all were clearly impressed with his far-reaching talents and passion for his craft. So, who’s up next at Alhambra?