As you may have heard recently, we’ve taken on a big project. Our building at 125 W Market Street in Warren’s Courthouse Square includes a major piece of the iconic spot for rock and roll fans, the David Grohl Alley. The portion of the alley we take ownership of is the overpass. Spanning 86.5 feet long by 20 feet wide (as well as housing Modern Methods Brewing Co.), the alley overpass is dark even in the day, and it doesn’t provide contain art of the same quality as the rest of the alley. While strings of conventional lightbulbs grace the alley, they add minimal value to the aesthetic of the alley and they do nothing to light the alleyway and make it safer for pedestrian traffic. This is why we set out to change the alley.
Who is David Grohl?
David Grohl was the drummer for famous rock band Nirvana. Following the disbandment of Nirvana in the mid-90’s, David Grohl went on the start a new project. Initially a solo project, the demo David Grohl released for Foo Fighters proved popular and Dave turned the solo project into a band in its own right. Over two decades later, the Foo Fighters are a fixture in the modern rock community today.
What does David Grohl have to do with Warren?
Well, Warren was David Grohl’s birthplace and some of his family still lives in the area today! So in 2009, the Dave Grohl Alley Committee, a nonprofit fiscal agent of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, turned an inconspicuous alley in Downtown Warren into an homage to the famous rock musician. The space now serves as a place to showcase the works of local artists as tributes to David Grohl and his accomplishments in music, and the alley is even recognized as one of the top 100 places in the United States for rock and roll fans to visit – because who wouldn’t want to experience the World’s Largest Drumsticks in person?
What are you doing to the Alley?
We’re going to add an LED display and speakers to our portion of the Alley. The display will respond to music being played as well as be able to play simple videos. While being controlled by a kiosk in Modern Methods Brewing Company, the display will also be able to play music and videos that people upload during the brewery’s operating hours. Consisting of more than 25,000 individual LED’s, we hope the display will not only make the Alley well-lit and safer for pedestrians but serve as a public art piece that the community of Warren will be able to enjoy.
What’s next?
Before we can build and install the display, we’re fundraising the money we need to make it a success! Design and installation of the display is being done in-kind by Chromaticity Technologies of Howland. With help of community partners like the David Grohl Alley Committee and the Fund for Warren’s Future, we’re halfway to raising the $20,000 we need. As we only have $10,000 to go, we need the support of the community and local businesses to make the project a reality. If you are interested in supporting the project, you can do so here: GoFundMe.com/Dave-Grohl-Alley
