Hey Insiders, Chris Douridas here.
School Night has always been a labor of love. But few people know its history.
Twenty years ago this April, the unthinkable happened to me and my family. My daughter, Marieke, died in a tragic accident. She was 14 years old. My world shattered. Life as I knew it came to a standstill. At the time, I couldn't fathom taking another step, let alone living another day.
Two things saved me:
My son.
Music.
Maybe a year later, because of what I'd been through, I was invited to work on a new film called Morning, written and directed by Leland Orser, and starring his wife, Jeanne Tripplehorn. The film follows a couple grieving the loss of their only child. I was the Music Supervisor and a creative consultant on the film. Working on the project became a way for me to process my grief. The Cinematographer on the film, Paula Huidobro, had a connection at a music venue in Hollywood called Bardot, where we subsequently held our post-production wrap party. At the party, the owner of Bardot asked if I would consider spinning at an event there someday.
I'd never really been a club DJ. It's kind of terrifying to consider after being a radio DJ for so long. In radio, you're putting together your sets alone in a studio. In a club setting, you have to be mindful of the crowd response and the energy of the room you're in.
Well, I decided to face my fear, and I agreed. We picked a date a few weeks out and chose a Monday since that was a night they were typically closed anyway, so we had very little at stake. I guess the sense was that a crowd of any size is better than no crowd at all. After all, it was only supposed to be one night.
Naturally, I wanted the night to do well, though, so I invited Valida, a DJ colleague, to join me, and recruited a young promoter, Matt Goldman, to help me build awareness. To help take the focus off me, I also invited a couple of bands to perform. Our first show was on April 12th, 2010, and we featured two bands, Dawes and The Like. Matt came up with the name, which seemed to fit since so many people gave us that excuse for not being able to come. "Sorry, I can't come... it's a school night."
School Night was born.
Our first-ever night featured Dawes and The Like. The second show we hosted featured Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Brett Dennen. Within a few months, Paper Magazine named School Night "America's Best Party." That honor led to our expansion to New York City, and later, to Toronto and other cities.
In the early days, I called in lots of favors with longtime friends. Lucinda Williams, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ben Folds, Rickie Lee Jones, Moby, and Neil Finn among them — and soon, our night at Bardot was the destination for first-ever-shows or early-plays among up-and-comers… many of whom have since come to define contemporary music: Billie Eilish, Hozier, Dua Lipa, Michael Kiwanuka, Doja Cat, Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, and so many others.
Khalid and Billie Eilish Backstage at School Night, October 10th, 2016
I have always felt that this precious event — this night that has hosted so many unforgettable performances — grew out of the powerful love my daughter brought to the world. It never would have happened without her.
Sixteen years later, School Night is still a thriving new music discovery series. Our new home is at The Airliner, the recently remodeled Lincoln Heights venue best known as the home of another long-standing and legendary club night, Low End Theory.
Always evolving, KCRW and School Night have partnered this season with DIY party starters Geoffrey Bywater, Steph Hanson, and Tim Chin of Make Out Music.
The result is a very cool happening.
Music is light!
P.S. Join us February 26th at The Airliner for The Undercover Dream Lovers, Pool Girl, and Stefan Thev! RSVP!
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