You live in the same small city long enough, and it’s pretty easy to become bored with the same ol’ hangouts and the same ol’ activities. Last Friday was really a fun time, but threatened to end just like any other night, at our favorite dive bar, George’s. But that was before we decided to see if anything was happening at the warehouse.

If you’re from the area, you might be confused, thinking that I’m referring to The Warehouse nightclub that used to be The Closet Door. But this warehouse is actually the Industrial Arts Complex, where artists and craftsmen hang out and create crazy cool things, just down the road from the club.

On a Friday night, you might be wandering the streets, dangerously close to the infamous “other side of the tracks,” and hear music filtering through the alley way, beckoning you to discover its source. And if that happens, you might have found the warehouse of which I speak.

Sometimes you might show up and the place will be full of art supplies littered with beer cans, a full band set up, and lots of crazy dancing. Another night, there might be just one dude on the drums and a bunch of middle aged people drinking way too much. That’s how it was on Friday night before we arrived. Then we brought not only the funk, but a fun Italian to play on the bongos.

The great thing about the warehouse is that not a lot of people know about it, so it’s really special that it’s sort of a secret spot. There’s a crazy wide variety of people who might be there- different races and ethnic groups, ages and socioeconomic statuses, and wildly different choices of beer drinking, that’s for sure. Needless to say, I was really inspired by the community I felt while we were there, and even my friends from larger cities can’t stop talking about it.

Around this time last year, I was graduating from college, working in a cubicle, and feeling bored with my life. WMC Fest came at the perfect time, encouraging me with inspiration from other young creative professionals who were taking their own leaps of faith into living the life of their dreams.

Come on out this weekend to make some great connections, enjoy some amazing live music, and refuel your creative tanks. Hope to see you there!

Hope to see some of you out at The Warehouse for Canton, Ohio's First Friday tomorrow! You know how much I love Ashley Brooke Toussant, and I'm very excited to see Shivering Timbers for the first time. This show is bound to be excellent, and most likely, there will be a fun dance party or somethin' afterwards. And if you're not into either of those things (shame, shame, shame!), then you might want to stop by and check out the vintage clothing I will be selling.