Whitest Kids ‘U Know - A History

The Whitest Kids began in 2000 when Trevor Moore, a young comedian from Virginia, transferred to New York’s School of Visual Arts film program. Having previously produced a local TV sketch-comedy show, The Trevor Moore Show, back in Virginia, Trevor decided to start a comedy troupe with the eventual goal of replicating his earlier success on a national level.

After making the rounds at local New York City comedy clubs, he eventually met fellow SVA film student Sam Brown from Massachusetts and SVA Graphic Design student/actor Zach Cregger, also from Virginia. By chance, all three attended the school, and they also all lived in the same dormitory. According to an IFC interview, Trevor Moore says that the group’s name originated during a freestyle rapping session on a subway, when one of their friends said, “You guys are the whitest kids I know.”

Much of The Whitest Kids U Know’ early history was spent as an officially sanctioned club at School of Visual Arts, which meant they had to accept, more or less, any SVA student that wanted to join. During the early years WKUK included Jon Kovel, Oliver Lyons, Anthony Edwards, and Tina Tiongson. Timmy Williams also joined in late 2001 and was the only member at the time who didn’t attend SVA. Unofficially, however, the core trio of Moore, Brown and Cregger tried to keep the group as lean as possible. At its peak, the group had ten members, but almost all sketches were written by one of these three.

The Whitest Kids U’ Know held near-monthly free shows at SVA’s amphitheater, which would frequently fill to capacity. Finally, in 2003, as Moore approached graduation, the group separated officially from the school, and all but Moore, Brown, Cregger and Williams left the troupe. Darren Trumeter, an actor and filmmaker who had worked previously with Cregger, was then added that same year.

Starting in 2003, the reinvented troupe started touring the various comedy venues in New York City, concluding in early 2005 with a well-attended show at Caroline’s, the famous club in Times Square. The group still regularly performs at Pianos in the Lower East Side and Rififi’s in the East Village.

-via Wikipedia