SATURDAY night in Newcastle, (for once), boasted a multitude of fine musical choices.
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You could have been trudging through the King Edward Park mud getting down to Angus and Julia Stone at The Drop festival, braving the rain at Live At The Foreshore listening to Aussie classics or "spinning around" at Bimbadgen as Kylie Minogue wowed her sold-out audience with three decades of pop hits and numerous costume changes.
Punters who passed on the aforementioned big-ticket shows were rewarded with an evening intimacy and poignant indie-folk songwriting from Julia Jacklin at the Cambridge Hotel. And dry feet.
There was no pulling the strings of nostalgia here, just plenty of heartstrings.
Last month the 28-year-old from the Blue Mountains released her second record Crushing, which surely will be battling for album of the year status come December.
It was Jacklin's second performance in Newcastle, following her Small Ballroom debut in December 2016 while touring her first record Don't Let The Kids Win.
More than two years of international touring have honed her craft. While no one would ever describe Jacklin as flamboyant, there was an air of confidence and control that didn't exist on the previous visit.
Jacklin's classically-trained voice was the dominant instrument on stage. It must be heard live to be truly appreciated.
It's fragile and powerful and dripping with a melancholic charm, that the likes of Joni Mitchell once employed.
READ MORE: Kylie wows sold-out Bimbadgen
There's a distinct difference between singing sweetly and using your voice to add emotional weight to your lyrics. The chorus of Turn Me Down was simply heartbreaking and proof Jacklin has mastered the art.
Her four bandmates never overplayed their hand, merely fleshing out Jacklin's melodies.
Unfortunately some of Jacklin's more subdued and introspective moments were blighted by loud conversations in the audience. Seriously mate, no one paid $43 to listen to you and your friend discuss a "hilarious" meme on Facebook.
Jacklin tried not to let the rudeness bother her, but she did direct a glare towards punters on the top level as she sang a solo acoustic version of Don't Let The Kids Win and at one point between songs she asked politely, "what's everyone talking about? What's the goss?"
You were left with the sense that Jacklin's music would be better appreciated in the more refined surrounds of a theatre, rather than a pub on a Saturday night.
Body, the opening track on Crushing, is the centre point of the album, but Jacklin was unable to convey the tension of the studio version live. It was the one and only misstep.
Some of the older songs were given minor reworkings. Motherland was slowed and its country elements accentuated and Don't Let The Kids Win was stripped back to further expose the melancholy of its nostalgic lyrics.
All except two tracks off Crushing were unveiled. Head Alone, and it's #metoo sentiment of "I don't wanna be touched all the time," attracted the largest response, followed by the main set closer, Pressure To Party.
The show was Jacklin's final Australian date before she begins a sold-out tour of the UK and Ireland next week. Following that, the rest of Europe and North America beckons.
It seems everyone is crushing for Julia Jacklin.