12-07-2024 1:55am

Darnell Don't Like Citrus Rocks the Doors of the 109 in Downtown Saline

Christmas concerts don't get much louder - at least not in Saline.

Local punk outfit, Darnell Don't Like Citrus, put on a Punk Rock Christmas in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd at The 109, home of Saline Main Street.

They played punked up Christmas carols like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. They also played punk standards by Green Day and other bands.

Darnell Don't Like Citrus is Sam Scarlett (guitar and vocals), Jonathan Hoover (bass and vocals) and Aidan Hartman (drums). They are three local young men who worked together at Emagine Theater. Scarlett and Hartman have been friends since childhood

Scarlett said the concert at The 109 was a blast.

"I'm playing with my friends and having a great time," Scarlett said. "The 109 was perfect for what we needed. People from Saline came to support. The energy was there. The kindness was there. Everyone was receptive."

Live music has been part of the plan for The 109 since it was opened by Saline Main Street. The space serves as Main Street's office and a place for meetings. But part of the plan was to host art galleries and concerts like Friday's Christmas punk show.

Mary Dettling, executive director of Main Street, wanted to have a punk show at The 109 and pitched the idea to her board members. At the Oktoberfest appreciation party, she was talking with April and Jim Scarlett, parents of Sam, and happened to mention she was looking for a punk band. Sam had only recently formed Darnell Don't Like Citrus with Hartman at the best of Hoover.

The show lived up to Dettling's hopes.

"They were amazing. It was so much fun," Dettling said. "I wish more people could have experienced it, but the crowd was good. We were dancing and hopping and just have a good time."