Social Studies presents: Scott Zacharias (Detroit)

On Friday, September 25th, we welcome a long overdue guest, Scott Zacharias. When we started Social Studies almost 15 years ago, the aim was to provide loft party sounds that were missing from Boston nightlife at the time. Bookings featured underground mavericks who played dance music—that is, anything that could make you dance. Finally, we have Scott Z who to us represents the pinnacle of that musical broad-mindedness.

Many know Scott from his magical wee-hour closing sets at No Way Back parties. These are intimate exchanges of improvised music from the deep crates in Scott’s head. Scott’s attunement of the music to the time and to revelers’ needs in those hours is profound.

For us, Scott is a legend who represents years of Detroit’s music culture and history. Active and respected since the 90s, Scott has played with, booked, and absorbed music from the underground dance music OGs everyone knows. He grew up listening to hours of radio—from renegade high school radio to the Electrifying Mojo. He played in thrash bands in high school, moving to space rock and eventually the jazz that opened his world to Detroit’s deep house tradition and DJing. He frequented (an incredible understatement) and worked in record stores.

And so, Scott’s genre-nonconforming reputation is shaped by the Midwest, a place with an exceptional concentration of good music education, where it’s possible to live outside of and between scenes. The result of all this: a record collection as well as musical curiosity that can’t be contained (that’s literal in the case of the records).

Today, Scott is one of North America’s most respected DJs. As one half of the Detroit chapter of Macho City (with Mike Trombley) he puts on Big Fun, an inclusive, queer, freedom-loving party with an emphasis on sleazy disco, choice edits, and underground Chicago house.

Scott threads the needle between all the musical stories he keeps. We look forward to the impressive, unpredictable, captivating tapestry he’ll weave on September 25th. Come early and stay late to experience every side.

We’re psyched to get bass support for the party from the dedicated sound experts @systemfailure617