Featured photo by Diana Street
Story by Kerstie Wolaver
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Ethan Campbell knew from childhood that he needed to be creative.
A love for music, painting and other art forms in his life led him not only to captivating crowds on stage, but to turning his home into the cultural center of live music for students at Middle Tennessee State University.
The North Carolina native began getting inspired as a 14-year-old, experimenting with making beats.
He spent his teenage years exploring different avenues of making music, beginning to play the guitar at age 18. But in college, he found a different slice of creativity when he turned his house in Murfreesboro into a venue, it became a prospering place for young creatives to perform for one another and host do-it-yourself touring artists.
An excitement about originality is exactly what inspired him to keep pushing with projects like Diana Street and his own music.
“This has become the sound of Murfreesboro,” Campbell said in reference to Diana Street while sporting a head full of dirty blonde curls and a Diana Street Hoodie. His head bobbing as his unreleased original music blasts around the room, a smile and a nod to the paintings and posters that deck the walls of the house turned music hotspot.
Growth inspired from artistry
As a musician, Campbell began releasing music on SoundCloud around age 15, marking his first step toward becoming an on stage talent and venue runner. He is the first to admit his improvement since those days as a teenager in Charlotte.
“It shows growth, but it’s so cringe,” he said on a sunny afternoon from inside Diana Street.
But from the moment he released his first song, he knew what he loved to do.
Other areas of his life have had an impact on his musical creativity as well. Painting and art keep him inspired, and he is always ready to create something new, Campbell said.
“Being able to start with nothing and make something is so cool,” he said.
From a house to a home
Diana Street, a house to Campbell and his two roommates located just five minutes from MTSU’s campus, quickly became a desired location for artists to gather and play for one another.
Over the last year, artists such as Chaz Crawford, Caroline Bowling, Aslin, Carter Elliott, sav. and many more graced the backyard-turned-stage that draws crowds from all over Murfreesboro and beyond to one central location.
Since then, Campbell and company have hosted a festival, Nightmare on Diana Street, which took place on the weekend before Halloween in 2023 and featured 10 local artists. The venue’s second festival, called Dazed and Confused festival, takes place on April 20, with 11 local artists on the bill.
Campbell always knew that he wanted to throw shows. From the moment he walked into the back yard, he knew a house venue was something that was within reach at Diana Street.
At first, it was merely Campbell and his close friends.
“We were bored so we took instruments outside and invited some people over.”
He often performs under the alias Treat Coastal, and with his band Under the Wind. Under the Wind has a solid set that they play often at live events, but none of the music is released. Treat Coastal however, has multiple projects out, and Campbell plans to put out one more Treat Coastal album in the future, saying that he wants to see where it goes.
Diana Street really gained traction in September 2023, snowballing into bands reaching out in hopes to play for the do-it-yourself crowd. Audiences of 30 to 40 people quickly grew to upwards of 100 in Campbells backyard.
“It’s really exciting to see the way Diana Street is run and how involved everyone is in it,” said Makenzie Jordan, a live music lover and Diana Street employee.
From its beginning last year, it only grew exponentially with local thrift vendors coming to set up and sell to guests, to being sponsored by Red Bull.
“The crew behind everything are not only equipped to handle logistics, but are very knowledgeable about how to run a venue of this popularity,” said Noel Musson, who has performed at Diana Street in the past and wishes to play again in the future.
Despite beginning with a few friends making songs and having fun, Campbell takes a certain pride in the quality of their creation and its impact.
People can often be seen dancing, singing, shopping and enjoying the company of friends at Diana Street.
“I’ve met some of my best friends through there.”
“Everyone is just there to have a good time.”
“It’s not only a great venue, but a great community overall.”
Where many find it a fun place to hear some local live music, it is a home that allowed Campbell to discover what he said was “the best music community around Murfreesboro.”
Artists, fans, and anyone else can find a musical home at Diana Street along with its residents. What began with a spark of artistry, can now be found in a shared love that is known all over Murfreesboro as Diana Street.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Instagram at MTSUSidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
