Every City Needs a Café Oto

On the importance of small venues for a healthy alternative music scene

The editorial of The Wire’s current October issue is dedicated to “microspaces” – small-scale music venues that sometimes barely accommodate 30 people. For underground music scenes in China or Brazil, these microspaces have proven to be important hubs, reminding us of the long-standing tradition of living-room style gigs in New York, London or Tokyo.

I l…