Boone Area Community Radio

When the lease was up for 641rpm Record Shop, owner Travis R joined forces with fellow music-lover Ellis F and established Boone’s very own independent, online radio station - Boone Area Community Radio. “What’s great for me is being able to play my friends’ music on air; it’s rewarding to hear that,” Travis told us.

Both Travis and Ellis came to Boone for school from the Raleigh area and, like most of us, couldn’t bear to leave. Ellis said “I first moved here, went on one hike, and that day I kept saying nothing smells like it does up here; the quality of air you breathe in is what changed me. This is it.”
Assisted by resident pupper Lou, Travis and Ellis operate the record shop upstairs while DJ’s (like @harmano.mario pictured here) rotate through the broadcast studio down below or broadcast remotely from their homes.

For this group, the station is more than just a cool place for boonies to catch up on tunes. “It meant alot to me when people came to shows at the record shop and said ’thank you for providing a safe space.’” says Travis, “I had never thought about space in those terms and it made me look at it in a different way.” BACR saw a need for a platform that empowered creators and organizers alike and joined forces with local organizations Black in Boone and Radical Kindred to create a more community-oriented space.
Travis looks forward to a post-covid “day when we can have the record shop open, Black In Boone having a meeting, Radical Kindred hosting a workshop, Dj’s in and out all day, people can hangout and just chill.”
For Travis and Ellis, the best part of the gig is getting to be a part of a growing community of boonies, after all “maybe you’re not from here, but you’re here and you’re not leaving. (And usually you’re weird.)”
Proud to be part of the “weird” Boone community, BACR is 100% boonie supported so if you want to show your support for the space and the tunes - check out some of their totally rad merch OR donate via their Patreon and keep Boone Area Community Radio here to stay! Listen online NOW!