Quiet roads, rolling hills, horse and buggies and… hip hop? It’s not what you’d expect in Millheim, Centre County.

“It’s just the town is just so great and so friendly.  I’m really a fan of Millheim,” said Count Bass D.

Count Bass D is a DJ  from Atlanta. He found himself in Milheim thanks to Erin and Josh Mckracken. They’re the new owners of the Bremen Town Ballroom in downtown Millheim.

Josh Mckracken said “we operate under the assumption that just because we live in a rural place, it doesn’t mean that things can’t happen. It doesn’t exclude all the possibilities.”

Josh did all of the renovations to the older building. He says he saw potential in the crumbling dive bar.

“I don’t think we were daunted by trying something,” he continued. “You know we knew that there was potential and that we, if we worked at it, we could make it something.”

Together Josh and Erin renovated, refurbished and redecorated the space and use it for events and performances. They also started ‘ecovents’. Ecovents are events created with no waste – from the planning process to hosting.

Erin said, “there was something that happened when I moved to this valley. It seemed like anything was possible and that is a benefit of rural communities.”

Erin and Josh aren’t the only ones bringing new and different things into town. They say a number of venues have embraced the music scene. There is some competition, but it’s all friendly. 

“Everyone’s trying.” Josh adds, “Everyone has something that they want to try and it’s a passion.”

A passion to keep an old farm town alive through new music.

Ecovents is hosting “Creekside Concerts” a summer concert series at the millheim pool. For dates and times check out their Facebook page.