Strict Night (DJ/live drum show)

The concept of this project is to offer audiences a 'night' of 'strictly' (pardon the pun) the best dance bangers, with the added excitement of innovative live drumming. Kevin strikes just the right balance of faithfully playing the source material and inserting his own artful takes on the songs. Crowds love the novelty of hearing timeless classics overlaid with creative live drum parts, as well as the invitation to use the extra space a band would normally occupy to dance and interact with Kevin as he takes them on a non-stop thrill ride through a night of music and visual spectacle, expertly curated for two purposes: to delight and surprise guests with a vast selection of music, and to keep them dancing as long as humanly possible.

Strict Night also employs a truly unique format in which the audience determines the music that gets played in the course of the night. Using a QR code that links to a live poll with options of over a dozen genres, guests can vote on "mini sets" of approximately 20 minutes in length that range in style from 80s pop to modern hip hop to funk to indie rock and many many more. During any given set, people can input their vote for the next one, when that set concludes, votes are tallied and the winning set is played, ensuring that no matter the audience and their preferences - there will be something for everyone. A type of guest engagement that is virtually unexplored.

Strict Night also provides a unique opportunity to clients looking to save money on their entertainment budget. Many people want to hire a band for their event but often, instead hire a DJ or a solo/duo acoustic act due to budgetary or spatial constraints. Strict Night offers everything you want from a live band for the price and space requirements of a DJ.

Kevin Fournier, the creator of Strict Night is a multi-instrumentalist/song writer/educator from Niagara Falls, ON.

Kevin grew up playing drums in the Niagara punk/metal scene and became a notable player in that realm by age 17. In 2013, he relocated to Hamilton, ON to study Applied Music at Mohawk College where he graduated with honours. During that time he played drums in a wide array of musical settings: jazz, funk, fusion, pop, dixieland, musical theatre and more. Following that, Kevin spent 2 years playing drums on cruise ships with Carnival Cruise Lines, where he had a unique view of what songs, in which genres, audiences seem to respond to the most. It was also where Strict Night was inspired. Kevin implemented a similar show on the Carnival Fascination in which he played the drums alongside the ship's DJ in the night club to overwhelming positive crowd reaction.

After COVID derailed the cruise industry, Kevin moved back to Niagara where he lives now, working as a freelance musician in addition to drumming in the highly acclaimed Niagara 90s tribute band "Stuck in the 90s". Kevin is also an experienced song writer and arranger, releasing original rock/punk music under the name Strict Month, which is where the name of this project "Strict Night" comes from.

Kevin lives with his partner Kelly and dog Zoey in Niagara Falls ON. He is a voracious reader of horror/science fiction and loves being active and outdoors.

What I'll need from you:
1) A flat, dry space with a minimum 6'x6' space with access to electrical outlets (extension cord if needed)
2) Canopy for outdoor performances where rain is a possibility
3) Sound system (for especially large venues, though I'm equipped for most spaces)

What I bring:
1)Compact drum set/mics
2) Sound System
3)Lights/Projector for visual components