Thirteen years ago, I began a search. I was looking for something while, at the same time, not knowing what I wanted to find.
I found a link to Red Light Center. I downloaded it and logged into this new world. I did so with questions and uncertainty. What would I find? Would it be worth $20 a month? Would it be worth a second $20 the following month?
We all came to Red Light Center for different reasons. We all came seeking different answers. We all came with different life experiences. However, I truly believe that we all stayed for pretty much the same reason.
We found family. We found friends. We found a community. We found love.
I’m going to take that even one step further and suggest the reason we stayed here—the reason why, for many of us, our time in Red Light Center is measured in years going on decades—is that we found people. As humans, we seek the company of others.
As you reflect on your time in Red Light Center, think about why you remain here. It is not because of the fashions, the clubs, or the music. You think about the people, the friendships you have made, and the memories you now cherish.
Should there come a time when, for whatever reason, you must leave Red Light Center behind—or should there come a time when the lights are finally turned out and Red Light Center is closed—what you will miss most are the people you have met here.
We often speak of “real life first.” But if you are like me, Red Light Center is very real for you. The friendships you have made here are real. The love you have known here is real. The memories you take away from here are real.
In Red Light Center, the clubs, the events they hold, and the music we hear give structure and give us a reason to come together. For centuries—for eons, for thousands of years—humans have used music as a means of sharing stories, celebrating friendships, uniting communities, and facing fears.
Taz and I are embarking on a new endeavor. We are launching Crafters Warehouse.
For us, Crafters Warehouse is not simply a club where people come to hear music, dance, and party with others. Crafters Warehouse is a venue where we can share our memories through music.
Before there was radio, before the first songwriter made a dollar from writing a song, before there were recording studios and millions of dollars to be made in the music industry, humans shared their stories through the songs they sang and the music in their hearts.
Personally, I never felt that I had the ability or the creative talent to write a song or express myself through music. Lately, I have learned that, through the power of artificial intelligence, I can write music. I can express myself through music. With this tool, I am able to say things I never knew how to say before. So often, the things I want to say are about the friendships I have, the love I feel, the community I share, and the love in my heart.
At Crafters Warehouse, we want each and every member of the Red Light Center community to know that, should they have a story to share, a memory they cherish, or something they want to say, there is a place on our stage for them to express themselves through the music they have created.
At Crafters Warehouse, we acknowledge that each and every one of us is very real. We all have our stories. We all have something we want to say.
We do not want Crafters Warehouse to be simply someplace where you spend two hours of your day on your journey to the next event or the next day.
Every life has a song, and at Crafters Warehouse, we want to hear your song.