By Lila Trochlil, Arts, Culture and Sports reporter
Lizzy Jacobs built Blacksburg Hardcore from the ground up, bringing bands and fans together through a growing DIY music community.
After experiencing hardcore scenes in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Roanoke, Jacobs decided to bring one to Blacksburg. Her initial plan was to create a student club, but she quickly shifted to an independent scene with the help of other local students. Since its debut in August 2025, Blacksburg Hardcore has gained 2,068 Instagram followers, with more than 200 people attending its first show. The organization has since hosted 28 bands throughout the East Coast at various shows and fundraisers. Jacobs has created a largely DIY operation that relies on community support to create an exciting and welcoming space for all hardcore fans.
[Edited for clarity]
What inspired you to start a hardcore scene in Blacksburg?
I first got into hardcore in high school, when I didn’t have a lot of friends. I had transferred from a private to public school after moving to another part of Maryland, so I didn’t know anyone. My school was also really small, and everyone was pretty cliquey. Since I didn’t have many friends, I started going to shows in the area, and that’s how I met people. What I love about hardcore shows and alternative scenes is how open and welcoming the people are. I didn’t have friends, and then I met so many cool people just by going to shows. I saw people having fun at shows in Maryland and thought, “Why don’t we bring it down here? I don’t see why people wouldn’t have fun with it here, too.”
What do you think makes hardcore different from other music scenes?
I think the culture definitely stands out. A lot of people are familiar with punk culture, which is very similar to other alternative scenes, but there are slight differences between genres, which I think are all awesome. The basics are politics, fashion and music, along with a shared ideology. Alternative culture started as anti-establishment, and decades of DIY culture have continued that tradition of going against the establishment. Hardcore is also a safe space for people, especially communities that have faced discrimination, such as queer people and people of color. It’s really important to maintain those safe spaces while also preserving the history of hardcore.
How would you describe the community experience at hardcore shows?
It’s different in the sense that it’s not just a show that you attend for music. Yes, you’re there for the music, but people also go to hardcore shows to meet alternative and like-minded individuals, socialize and mosh. Moshing is a big aspect of it; you can’t have a hardcore show without it. That’s not to say you couldn’t have similar experiences at other shows, but I think the hardcore and alternative scenes are more of a hangout and social experience instead of just being about the music. I don’t typically have those same experiences at certain other concerts or shows.
How did you start building the Blacksburg Hardcore scene?
Something I’ve always been interested in is logistics and management, which is why I’m studying project management. So, the logistics of organizing events have never been that hard, but finding a venue is always difficult. I think a lot of people tend to discriminate against the hardcore genre because they hear “hardcore” and think moshing, so they get scared that their belongings will be stolen or destroyed.
We’ve also had to figure out how to host events without any money because we don’t make or keep any money. All the money we make goes to the bands and venues, so after a show, we’re broke. We have no money for future venues. So you’re probably thinking, “How is this sustainable? How are you able to afford other venues and shows?” The answer is that we do a lot of DIY and pop-up shows in random places. Luckily, we can still pay bands through donations from people who come to the shows. If people go to a free show, they’re very willing to donate to the bands, which is really awesome.
How did you manage to build an audience?
I made a poster promoting Blacksburg Hardcore and our Instagram account and started placing them all over Blacksburg. If you were in Blacksburg during the summer of 2025, you would have seen the posters everywhere. We also talked with a lot of downtown store owners, and many liked the idea of a hardcore scene and put the posters up in their stores.
We gained a ton of followers from the posters alone, and more than 200 people attended our first show. We actually had to turn people away at the door because we had reached capacity. I didn’t think that many people would show up. I always expected the scene to be somewhat small and niche, but I’m really glad it’s grown. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that their first hardcore show was one of ours, which is so cool. It’s great to think that Blacksburg Hardcore has opened a lot of people’s eyes to the hardcore scene in general.
How do you decide what bands you want to host at your shows?
I love giving anyone who wants to play a chance. Whenever I hear from new bands or people who may not have as much credibility but are really excited to work with us, I’ll always hear them out and take a chance on them. I want local bands to feel comfortable playing for us. As long as they fit within the hardcore genre or a similar alternative genre, we’ll let them play.
I also really like bringing out-of-town bands to play for us, even if they’re just from Roanoke. I feel like the Blacksburg music scene can get repetitive quickly since it’s often the same mix of bands playing every weekend, so it’s nice to bring in new people and have a refreshing lineup. And, to be honest, I love the Roanoke bands that play for us. They’re super awesome and always willing to help us with our DIY shows. We’ve even had bigger bands drop out at the last minute, and Roanoke bands immediately filled their spots. They’re always down for anything and really supportive of us.
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