It was yet another Saturday night in Sydney and the stroke of eight saw 58 Enmore Road, Newtown, open its doors to a small line of people. The said night’s events were being presented by local collective Party Catchers alongside sponsor Telstra, with a bill boasting The Lost Valentinos, Purple Sneakers, Matt Van Schie, Anna Lunoe vs Kato, Beni and a surprise international guest. There was a small yet identifiable buzz that existed amongst those already inside.

This wasn’t to say the club was packed, pulsating and positively ready to explode when Purple Sneakers assumed the decks. Making the most of their initial fifty-minute set, the infamous party starters dropped a variety of indie-electro-pop for which they are famous. However most of the punters seemed content to stand on the periphery and lurk amongst the shadows – their behavior having more in common with a church sermon rather than the described event. As Purple Sneakers drew to a close, a slight but steady flow of revelers had found their way into the club and even a few (this reviewer included) had begun to make use of the previously sparse dance floor.

I had been particularly excited to see local-Sydney-group-gone-successful The Lost Valentinos, and as they took the stage a short applause followed a smattering of disco rifts with the lead singer singing confidently as familiar melodies and chords began to reign throughout the spaces. There was, however, still the issue of atmosphere, which seemed to stem directly from the amount of people present. This in turn most likely had something to do with the early hour rather than the quality of the acts present. Needless to say, The Lost Valentinos played with great enthusiasm

Next, Matt Van Schie, from Van She, took to the stage and continued the night in bass-rolling head-bopping fashion. It seemed, by this point, that people were perhaps finally ready to show some enthusiasm for the evening at hand. Finally, Anna Lunoe vs Kato arrived, and suddenly the scene was miraculously transformed. A quiet intimate gig now merged with what the DJ’s of the night deserved – a club night. Their music was entertaining and a restored energy within the gig was in evidence. From bouts of house even bordering on the progressive, they would continually bring it back to more playful sounds, and the crowd seemed to like being kept guessing. With Anna glancing over her decks and smiling cheekily, she encouraged the music and the crowd along with the infectious beats.

Time was drawing to an unfortunate close and so Beni and surprise international act Tommy Sunshine, took to the stage where the mood had been well lined with anticipation and patience. I have seen The Kitsune Maison Collective’s Ben at previous gigs throughout the country in times past and knew his capabilities surrounding the destroying of dance floors. I was ready. The crowd was ready. And he arrived. And seemed very much at home behind the decks. Certainly some tasty house – perhaps at times even experimental – and the style for which he is well known for, rocked the dance floor.

A thanks to Telstra and Party Catchers is most defiantly in order for the night that was planned. The organization of the quality line up, the free photo prints from a temporary photo booth that became more and more popular as the night went on and with caterers onboard made it a grand night indeed. All in all, the night was a very tasty way to begin May in 2010.