Under the Table and Screaming

In volume five, local journalist and radio DJ Erin O'Hare tells the story of Magnolia House, The Southern Café and Music Hall, and The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative. For years, all three venues-especially Magnolia and The Bridge-welcomed the genres and crowds that otherwise had little space in Charlottesville, from punk to hip-hop to goth to out-there experimental. And The Southern, though linked to the commercial music business, has often used its resources and bigger platform to boost the profile of local acts and support ongoing community traditions. Recommended for those who like multi-band shows on Halloween with costumes encouraged, learning about the most wholesome and hard-core DIY punk crowd around, or eating grilled cheeses made by rubber pigeons while computer music plays.