The Boiler Room opens its doors on Irby Street in downtown Florence

A large group of teenagers mulling around a building in downtown Florence seems like a bad idea waiting to happen, but local artist Treifer Johnson is positive it’s a good idea.

“When I put an ad out, I started looking for artists for (Metamorphosis Art) Collective shows, and not just artists, but also bring musicians out. We haven’t had a steady rock venue in Florence in a while,” Johnson said.

The venue is The Boiler Room, located at 116 S. Irby St. Go looking for it now, and you’ll find an empty room, but last Friday it was packed. There was the ubiquitous feel of sweat and humidity in a curious duality. The popping, slapping bass as the Ensomnyacks sped through a song, while folks skanked in the middle of it all.

Like a fairy dance ... except loud

It was like a fairy dance, except with moshing and pushing. All of it was in good fun. There was not a bloody nose in the house.

Putting on the event was Brad Shivers, the booker behind the clandestine woody retreat for Pee Dee punks known as The Cootie Hut. The Boiler Room, Shivers said, was an attempt to bring something from the underground and into downtown Florence.

“Brad usually throws a lot of shows like this in another venue, but he hasn’t done it in a while, and he wanted a more central place,” Johnson said.

“I’ve been here 15-plus years, and there’s never been real music where bands come out of town. It’s always in the middle of the woods, and it seems like something the town should get behind,” Shivers said. “If the support’s there, every other week (we could throw something). It’s more up to Trei than me.”

Out of the woods and into town

The event drew bands from as far away as Cape Canaveral, Fla., and as close as our very own Magic City. Besides the Ensomnyacks, the event featured performances by Florence locals The Dirty White, Green Goblyn Project, The Bathory Boys and You, Me, & Us.

Shivers said the event is drawing kids from out of the woodwork, rather suburbs.

“Florence After Five is in the day time, and it’s for the older folks. This is for a younger crowd. You see kids that would never be down here, and they see it’s not that scary,” he said.