This week on the Lectures and History podcast, California State University Fullerton professor, Eric Gonzaba,

explores the rise of evangelical nightlife and Christian nightclubs in 1970s, California.

According to Professor Gonzabah, one of the most notable venues, Right On, which opened in the early 1970s on the Sunset Strip,

was the first Christian nightclub in the nation.

Known for its bold neon sign declaring that Jesus Movement is Here, the club offered a welcoming

space for families and individuals to gather and enjoy what it called the Lord's Music.

Professor Gonzaba earned his PhD in American History from George Mason University in

2019. His research focuses on African American history and LGBT culture, and he's currently

finishing a book on the politics and culture of gay nightlife in the U.S. since the 1970s.

This episode was first posted in November of 2022. And a note to our listeners, with the academic year

now wrapped up,

lectures and history will pause new episodes until September. Over the summer, we'll feature

some of our most compelling past lectures and other history-related episodes. Professor

Gonzaba's lecture begins after this. Thank you all. Hello, everyone. Hello to my class.

Hello to the American Studies Department here at Cal State Fullerton.

Hello to mom and dad. If they're watching at home, I love you very much.

I am honored to get to speak here today to my American Nightlife students.

And also, this event is doubling as the fall 2022 grad faculty colloquium in the American Studies Department here at Cal State

Fullerton. It's a tradition here in the American Studies Department for faculty to talk

about some of their present research and to talk about some of the research strategies

that we have, perhaps some of our research foibles as well. And as you can see from my opening

slide, I've already given away what my talk is actually going to be about today, which is Christian nightclubs in California.

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