101010s ACROSS THE BOARD x WLW OPEN MIC
10/1/22
Fun fact about me: I love to sing and perform. The last time I sung at an open mic was before the quarantine soooo yea it’s been a minute. Not only is this my 1st time performing solo in a long time, but it’s the 1st time I performed at WonderlikeWander. WLW is a Black-woman owned business founded in 2017. It originally started as a boutique and expanded into becoming a studio and venue space, hosting events like Blkpplchurch and their monthly WLW open mic. Whether you’re looking for a cup of coffee, clothes, or just a new network of cool people in Houston? WonderlikeWander is the place to be!
The look:
I found this dress at a Rainbow shop back home (and the brown dress underneath). I used to try to avoid pink growing up, but now I’m starting to embrace that its versatility and range as a color. Now, pink has a strong spot in my closet. Aside from the color, it reminded me of a 70s lava lamp—an easy addition to my cart!
Ain’t no way you’re from Texas if you don’t have a pair of cowboy boots! At this point, my cowboy boots are my new everyday sneaker. My lavender boots are the pair that I wear the most. It’s a flexible color + shoe to style. I have a hot pink pair, but I wanted to balance out the amount of pink in my look with a complimentary color.
A key element to any Janaya look is a statement purse. This purse is designed to look like a jacket on a hangar, which fits my “fashion gworl” lifestyle perfectly. It wasn’t a piece that I chose specifically for this look, but I felt it gave the look more flair.
The performance:
I chose to sing 4 of my original songs: Nice Guy, New Kicks, 3rd Semester, and Wish (Janaya’s Breakdown). I rarely perform my own music, but I needed to blow off some steam real real bad. I finally claimed my stage name, Janaya the Militant 🤪.
I was lowkey nervous because I was performing my own music, but it ended up being very freeing. I had a blast and I remembered why I love to perform and entertain.
Don’t be mad at me, but I haven’t formally dropped any music 🧍🏾♀️. I’ve been on some songs for a friend. I impulsively dropped music on my Soundcloud. Noooo full project drop though—not even a single lmaoooo. I have my reasons and I’ll tell you about them all in a whole ‘notha blog post, chile🥴.
Aside from that, the people at the event were so encouraging and supportive. I left motivated to pursue my music again. A shorty (me) almost weeped on the cool LOL.
It was great to be able to be back in a creative space and to show love to the other performers. I’d perform there again and again.
I 10/10 recommend WLW for everybody. If you’re looking for a venue space, a great event, or a place to create/perform in Houston, please tap alllll the way in! Follow them at @wonderlikewander and @wlwopenmic on Instagram. Learn more about the space at wonderlikewander.com
Warmest,
Janaya the Militant.
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Dress: Rainbow
Boots: Shu Deal
Wig: Amazon
