Violet Hour: A Night at the Disco
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NYC-based music journalist Christian John Wikane is on a 30-city tour to launch his book, A Night at the Disco, and will be coming to Montreal on Tuesday, June 30. The book is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–’79, and features the stories and photos of more than 100 artists who sparked the global phenomenon, including Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers.
Christian will be interviewed by Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo about what it was like to meet and speak with these legends, and the place that disco has played in his life and in gay culture. The event take place at De Stiil Bookstore (351 Av. Duluth E), beginning at 7 PM.
/// ABOUT THE AUTHOR ///
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 credited 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 Sis-ters," a panel discussion featuring Nona Hendryx, Ruth Pointer, Kathy Sledge, and Ro-chelle 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 Stu-dio 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 ("In-side Access"), and hosted/produced more than a dozen concerts at Joe’s Pub (the Pub-lic 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 pre-sented 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 Cas-ablanca Records: Play It Again (2009), a 50,000-word oral history that documented the 35th anniversary of Casablanca Records and the co-author of What the Band Wore: Fashion & Music (2023), "A Top 20 Pick of the Year” by The Wall Street Journal, and his latest book, A Night at the Disco (2026).
www.christianjohnwikane.com / IG @christianjohn.wikane
Christian will be interviewed by Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo about what it was like to meet and speak with these legends, and the place that disco has played in his life and in gay culture. The event take place at De Stiil Bookstore (351 Av. Duluth E), beginning at 7 PM.
/// ABOUT THE AUTHOR ///
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 credited 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 Sis-ters," a panel discussion featuring Nona Hendryx, Ruth Pointer, Kathy Sledge, and Ro-chelle 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 Stu-dio 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 ("In-side Access"), and hosted/produced more than a dozen concerts at Joe’s Pub (the Pub-lic 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 pre-sented 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 Cas-ablanca Records: Play It Again (2009), a 50,000-word oral history that documented the 35th anniversary of Casablanca Records and the co-author of What the Band Wore: Fashion & Music (2023), "A Top 20 Pick of the Year” by The Wall Street Journal, and his latest book, A Night at the Disco (2026).
www.christianjohnwikane.com / IG @christianjohn.wikane
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Where is it happening?
De Stiil Books, 351 avenue Duluth Est,Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherViolet Hour
