Musicians, artists and supporters are coming together Friday for a fundraiser for David Grohl Alley.
The party starts at 5 p.m. at the Warren Parking Deck, 140 Franklin St. S.W., which is adjacent to the lobby named after the Foo Fighters' frontman, who was born in Warren. If the weather cooperates, activities are planned on the top level of the deck; if rain is in the forecast, everything will be set up the next level down.
''This thing literally fell together overnight,'' according to Paul Clouser, a downtown resident and business owner working on the project through Main Street Warren.
About a month ago, Marty Cohen and Ken Haidaris, promoters of Saturday's Rocktoberfest at the Warren Community Amphitheatre, offered the alley supporters a chance to do something in conjunction with that event. Rather than do something earlier in the day, they decided to create an event the night before.
''Main Street jumped right on it and so far so good,'' Clouser said.
Bands scheduled to perform include Larry Long Jr. & the Backsliders, Jones & Company and Shotgun Willy along with a special jam session.
Pat Galgozy, director of Trumbull Art Gallery, said several area artists will be selling Grohl-themed work with a portion of the proceeds going to the project, and collaborative works by local artists will be auctioned off to raise money. David Grohl Alley T-shirts and shot glasses also will be sold.
Admission is free, but organizers will be accepting donations throughout the evening and hope to raise money through beer / wine cooler sales and art / souvenir sales.
Money will go to the continued renovation and upkeep of the alley and the efforts to create a permanent home for the World's Largest Drumsticks, which were unveiled in July at the Warren Community Amphitheatre, where they remained for the summer.
Downtown Warren councilman, resident and business owner Greg Bartholomew said current plans call for putting the drumsticks at the Main Avenue S.W. entrance of the alley with concrete bases and metal arms to hold them in place.
If that is where the drumsticks are displayed, that end of the alley will be closed to vehicle traffic. Bartholomew said they still are awaiting final approval from the different city departments, but right now there doesn't appear to be any objections to the proposal.
Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership secured a $2,000 grant through the Ohio Art Council to help finance the project, which includes increased lighting, benches and additional art work in the alley. Tentative plans also call for putting a large banner at the North Park Avenue entrance recreating the full page ad Grohl placed in the Tribune Chronicle thanking the city for the alley and the drumsticks.
Both Bartholomew and Clouser said the alley already is drawing visitors from several states. Clouser said he met someone in the alley from Denmark who was visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and made the trek to Warren after hearing about the alley.
''If everything comes to fruition, it will be a very cool place to visit,'' Clouser said.