Under the Table and Screaming
is a multi-volume series exploring the history and legacy of the local music scene in Charlottesville, VA. From literally underground shows in DIY basements to the racially suppressed hip-hop scene to thriving roots music on woodsy back porches to elegant recitals in restored theaters,
UTTaS
presents a full and diverse picture of this incredibly musical city, still largely known nationally only as the home of Dave Matthews.
In this first teaser volume, local journalist and radio DJ Erin O'Hare focuses on Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, an eclectic venue with an equally eclectic history and cast of characters. As a longstanding non-corporate and open-minded pillar of the Charlottesville music community, Tea Bazaar has for more than twenty years held shows ranging from the strange to the sublime. Full of the personal charm that characterizes Tea Bazaar itself (and a liberal dosage of f-bombs) O'Hare's writing perfectly emulates the ethos of this wonderfully weird, welcoming place.
Recommended for those who like sipping oolong or matcha while listening to avant-garde electronica, DIY hip-hop, earbleed rock, ambient folk, or a Southern Gothic Futurist haiku slam.