Morgan Higby Night
Encyclopedia
Morgan Higby Night is an American writer, director
, producer, and DJ. His notable works include; feature film Matters of Consequence, the award winning video for The Asylum Street Spankers, The Shim Sham Club, Devil's Night Radio and Hicksville Trailer Palace.
. His maternal Grandfather was a philanthropist, and founder of City National Bank
, Alfred Hart.
In 1998 Morgan had a radio show on the legendary Los Angeles Pirate Radio station KBLT, called "2 Martini Breakfast; The Show for the Aspiring Alcoholic". The show and station are featured in the book 40 Watts from Nowhere, by Sue Carpenter.
.
Associate Producer of his friend John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus
. Co-producer of the 1994 feature "Talking About Sex" starring Kim Wayans
and featuring a then unknown Mark Cuban
.
, Time, Wall Street Journal, Playboy
and GQ which named The Shim Sham Club as one of the top 10 bars in the world. Several bands came through there including The Cramps
, The White Stripes
, The Hives
, The Donnas
, Jim Carroll
, Lydia Lunch
, Rudy Ray Moore
, The Melvins
, The Breeders
and Sam Butera
. Los Angeles' legendary band X played the closing night of the Shim Sham and Night moved back to Los Angeles in 2003.
and the Blackhearts, Kim Lenz, Throw Rag
and the Webby Award winning video for The Asylum Street Spankers, "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on your S.U.V." There are several cameos in Night directed videos. John Doe
of X and Duane Peters
of U.S. Bombs
appear in "Androgynous". Selene Luna
appears in "She Don't Want To. She Don't Care." Mighty Mike Murga, Greta Valenti, Ainjel Emme
and Jesika Von Rabbit
appear in "Ragtime Man"
, College Humor, Video Gum and Funny Or Die
refused to post Morgan's music video for Charlie King's "Ragtime Man" because of its controversial nature. The video is a "Disney like" musical about a man who loves women during their menstruation cycle.
radio.
.com, KCET
online.
is described as a "Trailer Park Motel and Artist Retreat." It features vintage themed trailers, a world class recording studio, feature film edit bay, and several activities on the property. The property is also sustainable and run 95% on solar power. It has been featured on NPR
and on several websites including Thrillist
, Matador Travel Network and Brand X(L.A. Times).
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer, and DJ. His notable works include; feature film Matters of Consequence, the award winning video for The Asylum Street Spankers, The Shim Sham Club, Devil's Night Radio and Hicksville Trailer Palace.
Early life
Night was born in Canoga Park, California on August 15, 1970. He lost both of his parents at a young age due to heroin addiction. Known as a trouble maker, he was kicked out of various boarding schools from age 10-17 until moving out on his own at 17 in Sunriver, OregonSunriver, Oregon
Sunriver, Oregon is a private planned resort community in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. His maternal Grandfather was a philanthropist, and founder of City National Bank
City National Bank
City National Bank is an American financial institution headquartered in Los Angeles, California, owned by City National Corporation , with total assets of $21.8 billion . As of 2011, it is the 25th largest bank in USA...
, Alfred Hart.
DJ career
Morgan's DJ career started in 1989 in Chico, CA at the Shell Cove and has continued with notable venues including The Roxbury, Burgundy Room, Bigfoot Lodge, Shim Sham Club and currently at Bar 107 in Downtown Los Angeles.In 1998 Morgan had a radio show on the legendary Los Angeles Pirate Radio station KBLT, called "2 Martini Breakfast; The Show for the Aspiring Alcoholic". The show and station are featured in the book 40 Watts from Nowhere, by Sue Carpenter.
Film Production and Directing
Directed, produced, wrote and starred in his first feature film Matters Of Consequece at age 27. It was the first film to feature The Pussycat Dolls and won the "MovieMaker Magazine Breakthrough Award" at the New Orleans Film FestivalNew Orleans Film Festival
The New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in mid-October. The festival, nicknamed "Cannes on the...
.
Associate Producer of his friend John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus
Shortbus
Shortbus is a 2006 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by...
. Co-producer of the 1994 feature "Talking About Sex" starring Kim Wayans
Kim Wayans
Kim Wayans is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer and director. She is also a member of the Wayans family.-Early life:...
and featuring a then unknown Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
.
Shim Sham Club
Night moved to New Orleans, and opened The Shim Sham Club in 1999. Produced the burlesque show The Shim Shamettes which was one of the countries first burlesque revival troops. The troop was the only one in the country to use entirely live music from Ronnie Magri' s Shim Sham Revue. The troop and club were featured in various publications including USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Time, Wall Street Journal, Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
and GQ which named The Shim Sham Club as one of the top 10 bars in the world. Several bands came through there including The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
, The Donnas
The Donnas
The Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
, Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll
James Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
, Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
, Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore was an American comedian, musician, singer, film actor, and film producer. He was perhaps best known as Dolemite , the uniquely articulate pimp from the 1975 film Dolemite, and its sequel, The Human Tornado...
, The Melvins
The Melvins
The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...
, The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
and Sam Butera
Sam Butera
Sam Butera was a tenor saxophone player best noted for his collaborations with Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Butera is frequently regarded as a crossover artist who performed with equal ease in both R & B and the post-big band pop style of jazz that permeated the early Vegas nightclub...
. Los Angeles' legendary band X played the closing night of the Shim Sham and Night moved back to Los Angeles in 2003.
Music Video
Wrote and Directed several music videos including videos for Joan JettJoan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
and the Blackhearts, Kim Lenz, Throw Rag
Throw Rag
Throw Rag is a four piece punk rock band from the Salton Sea, California. Formed in 1993, Throw Rag has been fronted by Sean Wheeler aka Captain Sean Doe aka Diamond Boss aka Sun Trash since the inception of the band...
and the Webby Award winning video for The Asylum Street Spankers, "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on your S.U.V." There are several cameos in Night directed videos. John Doe
John Doe (musician)
John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
of X and Duane Peters
Duane Peters
Duane Peters , nicknamed "The Master of Disaster", is a punk rock singer/songwriter and professional skateboarder. Active since 1977, he is probably best known as the singer in the California punk rock band U.S...
of U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs are an American punk rock band, formed in 1993 in Orange County, CA. U.S. Bombs consist of vocalist Duane Peters, guitarists Kerry Martinez and Jonny "Two Bags" Wickersham, bass guitarist Wade Walston and drummer Chip Hanna. Vocalist Duane Peters is a legendary professional...
appear in "Androgynous". Selene Luna
Selene Luna
Selene Luna is an actress, comedienne, burlesque star, and model known for her roles on comedian Margaret Cho's reality TV series The Cho Show and in such films as My Bloody Valentine 3D...
appears in "She Don't Want To. She Don't Care." Mighty Mike Murga, Greta Valenti, Ainjel Emme
Ainjel Emme
Ainjel Emme is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.-Background:Born in Oakland, California, Ainjel Emme spent her early childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, and Venice, California before settling in Austin, Texas in 1991. She has maintained...
and Jesika Von Rabbit
Gram Rabbit
Gram Rabbit is a rock band based in Joshua Tree, California. The group consists of vocalist/keyboardist/bassist/guitarist Jesika von Rabbit, guitarist/bassist/programmer/vocalist Todd Rutherford, drummer Hayden Scott and guitarist/producer Ethan Allen. Their musical style has been described as an...
appear in "Ragtime Man"
Controversy
In 2009, several websites including Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, College Humor, Video Gum and Funny Or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
refused to post Morgan's music video for Charlie King's "Ragtime Man" because of its controversial nature. The video is a "Disney like" musical about a man who loves women during their menstruation cycle.
Devil's Night Radio!
Launched a radio station in 2006 called Devil's Night Radio. The format is described as "The Best Dive Bar Juke Box You've Heard in Your Life" and has become popular worldwide on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
radio.
Devil's Night Drive In
Drive In movie event launched by Morgan in Downtown Los Angeles. Started in 2006, Devil's Night Drive In shows cult classic movies twice a month during summer and once a month during winter. Event features FM transmitter, Car Hops, Concessions and Astroturf. Event has been featured in several publications including L.A. Times, NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.com, KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
online.
Hicksville Trailer Palace
Opened in 2010,Hicksville Trailer Palace in Joshua Tree, CaliforniaJoshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census, up from 4,207 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Joshua Tree is located in the Mojave Desert at ....
is described as a "Trailer Park Motel and Artist Retreat." It features vintage themed trailers, a world class recording studio, feature film edit bay, and several activities on the property. The property is also sustainable and run 95% on solar power. It has been featured on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
and on several websites including Thrillist
Thrillist
Thrillist is a leading men's lifestyle brand, currently reaching over 3 million subscribers in 19 local markets in the U.S. and the U.K.Best known for its irreverent tone, Thrillist delivers a targeted recommendation via one email each day to its audience of mostly young, well-educated, affluent...
, Matador Travel Network and Brand X(L.A. Times).
Awards
- 1998 - Winner Movie Maker Breakthrough Award - New Orleans Film FestivalNew Orleans Film FestivalThe New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in mid-October. The festival, nicknamed "Cannes on the...
- "Matters of Consequence" - 2007 - Official Honoree - Webby AwardsWebby AwardsA Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
- Music/Variety - "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on your S.U.V."
Cover-Me.org
A non-profit organization launched in 2010 by Night. They sell donated cover songs and use the money to buy blankets for downtown Los Angeles homeless.Filmography
- 1994 Talking About Sex (Feature Film) Co-Producer
- 1995 Skooled (Short Film) Producer, Writer, Director / Actor
- 1998 Matters of Consequence (Feature Film) Producer / Writer / Director / Actor
- 2005 Throw RagThrow RagThrow Rag is a four piece punk rock band from the Salton Sea, California. Formed in 1993, Throw Rag has been fronted by Sean Wheeler aka Captain Sean Doe aka Diamond Boss aka Sun Trash since the inception of the band...
- "She Don't Want To. She Don't Care" (Music Video) Producer / Writer / Director - 2006 Asylum Street SpankersAsylum Street SpankersThe Asylum Street Spankers, formed in Austin, Texas in 1994, was a band whose music was rooted in early 20th century American musical forms. In fall 2006, the band's anti-war satire video "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV", directed by Morgan Higby Night garnered 1,054,743 views on YouTube within...
- "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on your S.U.V." (Music Video) Producer / Writer / Director - 2006 ShortbusShortbusShortbus is a 2006 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by...
(Feature Film) Associate Producer - 2007 Joan JettJoan JettJoan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
& the Blackhearts - "Androgynous" (Music Video) Producer / Writer / Director - 2009 Kim Lenz & her Jaguars - "Zombie for Your Love" (Music Video) Producer / Writer / Director
- 2009 Charlie King - "Ragtime Man" (Music Video) Producer / Writer / Director