Christian John Wikane and Khary Simon: A NIGHT AT THE DISCO

A Night at the Disco is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970-79. It's an unprecedented collection of photographs of more than 100 artists, paired with exclusive comments from the likes of Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps of "Disco Inferno" (who included Baltimore-area musician Earl Young), Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers.

And on April 15th at Bird in Hand, you’ll hear from author Christian John Wikane, as well as Khary Simon of Hearst Publications, as they bring the book to life.

From underground New York clubs to discothèques across the globe, A Night at the Disco illustrates how artists spanning soul, pop, disco, funk, jazz and rock defined nightlife during the 1970s and influenced popular music to the present day.

Order A NIGHT AT THE DISCO here!

Christian John Wikane is a NYC-based music journalist and essayist. Since 2003, he's interviewed more than 600 recording artists, songwriters, and producers, including Paul McCartney, Janelle Monáe, Donna Summer, Pete Seeger, Annie Lennox, Maurice White, Jimmy Scott, Carly Simon, and Kenny Gamble. He and filmmaker Sekou Luke currently produce the video series "Unscripted: Conversations with Christian John Wikane," which features his interviews with GRAMMY, Tony, and Emmy-winning artists, and have also produced "Unscripted Live" at the Apollo Theater, City Winery, and Lincoln Center (2024 "American Songbook" series). Christian's also a contributing writer for PEOPLE Magazine and was Contributing Editor for PopMatters online magazine from 2006-2023. He was also hired as a consultant for HBO's Emmy-nominated Tina Turner documentary, Tina (2021), as well as CNN's Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over (2021) and HBO's Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2022).

Christian's had the distinct honor of curating and moderating several events on the main stage of the Apollo Theater for Apollo Education's "Live Wire" series, including "Legendary: A Conversation with Dionne Warwick and Melba Moore," "Bold Soul Sisters," a panel discussion featuring Nona Hendryx, Ruth Pointer, Kathy Sledge, and Rochelle Fleming, and "She's A Rebel: An Interview with Martha Reeves, Sarah Dash, and Joshie Jo Armstead." He's moderated two events for the Brooklyn Museum, "From Studio 54 to Number One" (2020) featuring Alfa Anderson, Linda Clifford, and Cory Daye, and "The Soulfulness of David Bowie" (2018) featuring Carlos Alomar and Robin Clark, and led an all-star panel for Stevens Institute of Technology's screening of CNN Films' Luther: Never Too Much (2024). He's also conducted a live Q&A with disco legends D.C. LaRue and Felipe Rose (original co-founder and Native of Village People) for Queer/Art/Film's screening of Thank God It's Friday (1978) at IFC Center.

Since 2010, Christian has authored extensive liner notes for more than 200 album re-issues by major and independent record companies in the U.S. and U.K., including more than a dozen releases for the Estate of Donna Summer. He's also conducted interviews for several BBC Radio documentaries, Sirius XM's Studio 54 channel, Chase Bank ("Inside Access"), and hosted/produced more than a dozen concerts at Joe’s Pub (the Public Theater), the Blue Note, Iridium Jazz Club, and Wölffer Estate Vineyard. He's guest lectured for Barnard College's "Harlem Semester" Program (2017-2025) and has presented at EMP Pop Conference, the Parrish Art Museum, Apollo Education's "Master Class" Series, and NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Music. He's the sole author of Casablanca Records: Play It Again, a 50,000-word oral history that documented the 35th anniversary of Casablanca Records and co-author of A Night at the Disco (2026) and What the Band Wore: Fashion & Music (2023), published by ACC Art Books.

Khary Simon is Vice President and Executive Creative Director at Hearst, leading work across design, branding, and strategic communication. A specialist in brand strategy and narrative development, he has collaborated with global fashion houses, technology innovators, and Fortune 500 companies including Gucci, Saint Laurent, OpenAI, and Starbucks. His practice spans art and culture, from installations and experiential environments to shaping high-performing retail spaces. Beyond Hearst, Simon is recognized as a speaker and cultural thinker whose work contributes to the evolving conversation on branding, creativity, and the future of design.

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