Born from two friends who sought a change in the local music scene, Shred Boone is a live music initiative focused on supporting local artists and fostering culture in the High Country.
Co-founders Harrison Cash, chief executive officer and sophomore interdisciplinary studies major, and Evan Smith, chief financial officer and junior economics major, endeavor to bring a large indoor music venue to Boone. While they have not fully realized their dream yet, Shred Boone has become a prominent upstart in promoting and marketing for a myriad of local bands, hosting energetic and entertaining shows in collaboration with local businesses such as Summit Pickleball and Center 45.
Cash said the largest problem Shred Boone is working to address is the lack of a physical place for local artists to take root and expand in Boone.
“Once local artists really develop solid talent, they are basically forced to leave Boone to make any money just because of the lack of a large indoor space,” Cash said.
With this problem in mind, the pair set out to develop a team and a business that would close this gap in Boone.
However, balancing a business such as Shred Boone while being students has been a challenge for the team. Cash attributes much of their success to the support they have received from App State’s Center for Entrepreneurship and the Association of Student Entrepreneurs.
“They’ve been incredible. It started out as just me and Evan, but it quickly became just an incredible team of people working to make this happen,” Cash said.
Samuel Chapple, a freshman business management major, joined the Shred Boone team this year as the chief operations officer and is encouraged by the support from their community at App State.
“There are constantly people helping out or willing to lend a hand. That’s the biggest thing,” Chapple said.
According to Cash and Chapple, Shred Boone’s mission is to grow in Boone and offer guests an establishment that is inclusive and fun.
“We want everyone,” Chapple said. “We want everyone to come and enjoy the shows, we want every band to play because that is the biggest way to connect Boone, just music and everyone expressing themselves.”
To do this, the team at Shred Boone is dedicated to ensuring safety at their shows for all guests and workers. During initial planning, Cash said he and Smith sat down with App State Chief of Police Johnny Brown and Boone Chief of Police Daniel Duckworth to determine what safety and legality look like for an 18-plus music venue. Despite the high, fast-paced energy at their events, the team refuses to let the well-being of attendees be neglected.
“I mean, we have so many layers to make sure everyone’s safe. If we notice you at a show and you’re not doing well, that’s immediate steps; we’re not gonna walk past you,” Chapple said.
Shred Boone aims to meet what they see as a need in the Boone music scene while uplifting other local businesses.
“We, of course, want to grow, but it’s not a ‘we grow, and people stay below us,’ it’s kinda like as we grow, other businesses in Boone grow,” Chapple said.
Beyond the economic hopes for Shred Boone and its local partners, the team hopes that the greatest gain from Shred Boone’s existence is joy.
“To bring that to any community, let alone the Boone community, would be freaking awesome. Just making sure everyone is benefitting and happy, in our eyes, there is so much good that this brings,” Cash said.
