What is the Beat?

The Beat was a popular hang out spot in downtown Indianapolis for Black and Brown same gender loving, GLBT, queer folks to hang out on the weekends and would really get poppin after the clubs closed. We could talk, dance, make friends and meet lovers until the ironically named Cultural Trail came through and put an end to well culture here in Naptown. Let's keep up the conversation!

This blog aims to cover a wide range of topics for Black and Brown same gender loving, GLBT, queer folks here in Indianapolis.

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Welcome back to the Beat!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Fashion Forward Indy's show Way Black When 2/28/2015 - A Review

You just can't outdo Black people!

The beat was present last night for Fashion Forward's show titled Way Black When at the Show Room off west 38th street and chile let me tell you, I was so glad to see something like that happen in my hometown.

Naptown done woked from her slumber and brought together local designers Kandis Nickole Yeakey and another sis as well as local models, photographers and fashionistas. I pulled up a little late to the show and came upon a packed space. The Show Room isn't a big so I would say filled, I would put the numbers at about 60 to 70 people.

The show opens with our host from Fashion Forward explaining the show away and what we would see. Next she introduced a sax player who was a little man who played a Jazz song from Duke Ellington, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing" to start us off and catapult us back to the 1920s.

It was hot! That kid could play and really warmed the crowd up. 

Then we moved through the different eras with the local Indy models showing off their works. Between the different eras there would be a break while the models were preparing for the next time period it would be mingled with our lively host who would entertain us with music and folks to come up and present poetry. My favorite was the poetry piece to introduce the Black Power section of the '60s. I got my life and so much strunff off that!

The show ended with a Modern African Garb section which I loved! I am really shopping online to get myself a dashiki to sport while I'm shopping for my groceries at Aldi's. 



For Indy's up and coming fashion scene it was great! There is always room for improvement like the transitions between the eras could have gone more seamlessly and weren't so long. I talked to the DJ some who was just getting back into it from a hiatus and she did a great job! I would love to see her out on the club and fashion circuit more! And dammit if our host wasn't trying to get us to have more fun. She had kids come up and do modern dances for us like the Dougie and Nay Nay. So I would ask of my fellow Naptown folks to loosen up a bit too and get out that shyness. This show truly ushered in a new era. 2015 is all about Naptown waking up from her nap. Nap time's up Naptown