Lily's Moved the Tables, and Boone's Punks Showed Up

Whether you’re behind the bar or in front of it, that moment when the lights go down and the sharp notes of sound check sweep through a filling room brings a twinge of anticipation that never gets old. I looked out over a crowd that summed up the beauty of an all-ages show. Faces I recognized from shows throughout Western North Carolina, new names and people, and plenty of hands slashed with black marker X’s.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of hanging out at Lily’s, then you know depending on the evening, you’ll be walking into a different scene. On Sunday night, the staff coming on shift, the early birds and ticket holders, and the tables and barstools getting shuffled out of the way all worked together to build a stage where a dining room had been. The flip of scenery reminds one of theatrical performances, assisted by prop masters cloaked in black, speaking to the DIY nature of creating the musical spaces one wants to see in their community.

Oliver Hunter, who has been booking shows for Lily’s since June, comes from a radio background with a heavy focus on punk and DIY publishing. I got a chance to chat with him amid the transition from snack bar to show venue. Since coming on, Hunter has wanted to bring more punk to Boone and put local acts in the spotlight. Destructo Disk had an inside track. Their manager, Grapes, is a former Boone resident and Lily’s employee, so it’s no wonder the Richmond trio found its way here. The turnout on a Sunday night made it clear the crowd is here in our mountain town. What’s missing is the rooms.

Rat tails, raccoon striped hair, and hand sewn patches on cut up jackets brought me back to piling into questionably running Camrys to see bands I’d never heard of in some basement a county over. As the above group filed out of their modern sedan equivalent, we exchanged compliments and excitements for the show while they piled up their cash to pay for their covers.

I leaned over the outdoor bar, smiling over the bouncer’s shoulder as they collected folded dollar bills from pockets.

“How excited are y’all for a punk show in Boone?”

“So excited! There’s not enough of a scene here,” my new friend in a green patched jacket said while holding out their hand for “X”ing. They paused to tell me about how back home, in Georgia, there is still a house show scene and how elated they were to have a glimpse of what Boone had to offer since moving to town recently.

Across the board, that sentiment holds major weight. And their concerns are not unfounded, with more and more of the musical community hightailing it out of the High Country. The past few years have been filled with bittersweet goodbyes, from the loss of the record store on King and The Awesome Space, to individuals who were holding up the scene as many townies once knew it. That being said, it does bring more appreciation and admiration for the spaces carving it out for themselves.

Lily’s regulars Admiral opened the show with a mix of originals and covers, bringing an indie/grunge sound to start the night. Local act Ellie K was next, and Destructo Disk, out of Richmond, Virginia, headlined, tying it all together.

Ellie K stepped up to the mic with a pink ribbon bow wrapped around it. In an era of alt country girl worship, Ellie K is singing a siren song. With punk and riot grrrl influences, Ellie K credits acts like Mannequin Pussy, Paramore, and Mitski as major inspirations for their sound. Over a cigarette between sets, Ellie and I talked venues and new projects.

Playing venues from Betsy’s Barn in Todd to college hotspots like Boone Saloon on King Street, Ellie lists Lily’s as the band’s favorite spot, citing its queer-friendly environment and loud allyship to the community. With a new album releasing this January and a Halloween headlining show at the barn, I’m excited to see what’s next for Ellie K.

Destructo Disk closed out the night with high energy and comedic samples, running a repeated “bruh” off the soundboard. It brings to mind another punk/ hardcore outfit out of Asheville, Falling Behind, whose samples range from top 100 radio hits to clips from “The Whitest Kids U’ Know”. They play punk the way a lot of us remember it, loud and fast, silly and unapologetic, and above all fun. Shaking ass and tuck jumping like those who influenced so many of us, from the likes of Mick Jagger and Eddie Van Halen to Courtney Love. 

We all help turn our communities into what we want them to be, even after we move away. Grapes did it from Richmond. The pandemic took a lot from so many, but from the alternative music communities in small towns like ours, it took house shows, something crucial to the scene. As Western North Carolina continues to pick up the pieces of the tragedy that was Hurricane Helene, the punks of Appalachia are rebuilding more than roads and roofs. They are rebuilding the scene they want to be a part of.

My new friend in the green jacket said there’s not enough of a scene here. On Sunday night, for a few hours, there was.