Last Saturday at INVY Nightclub was a night full of surprises, great music, and a whole lot of dancing.
DJ Fate started the party out. A 22 year veteran of the Indianapolis electronic music scene, she is known for finding those fresh, groovy beats to make you move your dancing feet. I’ve heard it said, “You always know when Fate is playing, because your feet are tapping.” Her two hour set at INVY was no exception. She gave us the first of the night’s surprises and started her set with some fun, bouncy disco house; including one of my favorite remixes by Disco Incorporated of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. But she didn’t stop at disco house, she incorporated funk, tribal, dance, and tech house into her set. Fate is a performer who clearly understands the role of an opening DJ and how to set the vibe for the evening.
Uriah G. brought us the second surprise of the evening going back to back with special guest Dustin Sheridan! This last minute addition was announced on Facebook only a few hours before the show.
The Chicago native is in high demand and has been taking Chicago dancefloors by storm. Dustin Sheridan is known for his high energy, straight- from-the -heart, tech house. The chemistry between Uriah G. and Dustin Sheridan was paplitable. They seamlessly played off each other, and it’s no surprise. Dustin Sheridan is not only one of Uriah G.’s major influences, but also his mentor. They both draw mutual inspiration from artists like Bad Boy Bill, Paul Johnson, and Green Velvet. They played a show stopping remix of the Guns N Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle” that had the crowd absolutely tearing up the dancefloor.
It was the kind of moment at a show that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end. When the beat dropped the entire club exploded into dance.
To say that J.J. Flores is a legend would be an understatement. Artist, producer, DJ, sound engineer, J.J. Flores is an incredible talent that has left an indelible mark on house music. His set was reflective of his versatility as an artist, a mix of soulful, jazzy tech house, jackin’, and Chicago house. Energetic and flawlessly smooth J.J. Flores is a master at infusing the dancefloor with energy. Then, for the third time in the evening, another surprise. J.J. Flores was joined by both Uriah G. and Justin Sheridan. Together, the three of them turned the party up another level.
All the artists that performed that evening, from open to close, displayed a true passion for their art and that energy was communicated throughout their sets. At the end of the night I had an opportunity to meet J.J. Flores. I was moved by how humble, kind, genuine, and down to earth he was. This was the kind of vibe that endeared me to the scene years ago, when I was just a wide eyed teenager.
With the lights on and staff closing up DJ Fate, her fiance, and myself started to make our way out; but not without one more hug from J.J. Flores along with well wishes for safe travels. As we turned to leave once again one the INVY security guards insisted that he walk us all the way to our car door in the parking garage. In all of my time doing coverage for clubs and DJ’s or accompanying my DJ friends to their gigs, this is the first time I have had someone do this. Earlier in the evening I noticed INVY installed a metal detector at the entrance in order to keep all attendees safe. I also made note of a female security guard that was stationed between the men’s and women’s restrooms, making sure that the ladies were safe and had their privacy. Going out and dancing is supposed to be fun. For many of us, it’s an outlet. a place where we can share a moment with our friends and sweat out our worries, and leave life’s problems on the dance floor. However, that experience can be marred by others with nefarious intentions. I want to give a big “Thank You” to the people over at INVY for taking these measures to keep everyone’s party safe and fun.
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