Disco's Revenge

Oct 28, 2025

Micah Salkind, a scholar, DJ, and author, dives into the fascinating world of Frankie Knuckles, the 'Godfather of House.' He discusses how Knuckles redefined music after the backlash against disco, creating a sound that resonated with marginalized communities. The conversation unpacks the impacts of Disco Demolition Night, explores the roots of house music in Chicago's underground, and highlights the significance of spaces like the Warehouse. Salkind also addresses the misremembering of house music and its connection as 'Chicago's musical Stonewall,' emphasizing resilience through creativity.

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ANECDOTE

Frankie Knuckles' Chicago Leap

Frankie Knuckles moved from New York to Chicago in 1977 and gave himself five years to try the job before returning home.
Within months he became central to the Warehouse scene and is now remembered as the godfather of house music.

INSIGHT

How 'House' Became A Genre

The name "house music" coalesced in late 1970s–early 1980s Chicago through venues, records, and local signifiers like juice bars and stores.
The sound also has deep roots in Black musical migrations and technological shifts like drum machines.

ANECDOTE

Disco Demolition As Cultural Bonfire

Disco Demolition Night was a public, destructive spectacle where Steve Dahl and fans blew up disco records at Comiskey Park.
Micah Salkind frames it as both racist and homophobic cultural destruction that marked a turning point for underground scenes.

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In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago’s underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago’s Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco’s heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We’ll explore how Knuckles’s artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco’s so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn’t just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances.

In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago’s Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs.

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