Chris Owen
Google
Last I visited Brooklyn Standard was in 2014 - the very year this funky little basement dive opened its doors. Ten years on, I was pleased to see it’s still the same New York-inspired haunt, pulsing with live music every single night, every genre imaginable crammed into a small, wild space.
A quick trip down the stairs, and you’re plunged into a cosy room that’s part jazz den, part late-night hideaway. There’s seating, but on a Saturday night it’s a rare commodity, and don’t expect quiet conversations - this is a place for the music, for dancing, for letting go. The dance area? A churning crowd, bodies pressing close, and you’ll lose track of how many times your toes get stepped on as people surge toward the stage.
But it’s the crowd that’s the real thrill - a beautiful mess of humanity thrown together; mums and dads off the leash for a night, wide-eyed travelers, hipsters, rockers, uni students, NRL stars, grizzled old barflies, and slick city suits, all losing themselves in the music and the moment. It’s electric, chaotic, and strangely perfect. One night here, and you’ll know why it’s a Brisbane staple.