Behind the scenes of Harrisonburg's word-of-mouth music house – The Breeze

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Updated: June 5, 2024 @ 4:10 pm
Bands play for free at Crayola House and operate off a donation system from fans, according to Jo Sargent and Declan Leach. 

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Bands play for free at Crayola House and operate off a donation system from fans, according to Jo Sargent and Declan Leach. 
Descending into the heavily graffitied and Crayola House basement, a wave of heat and cigarettes overwhelms the senses. An electric crowd cheers in anticipation, squishing together, ready for a night of live music, dancing and hanging out with new and old friends. 
Part of a string of D.I.Y. houses — where individuals in the house serve as the point of contact for live entertainment — along the East Coast, the Crayola House has served as a downtown Harrisonburg hangout for those who’ve shared a love of music since the early ’90s, described by Declan Leach, a junior media arts and design (SMAD) major.
To many, Crayola is all about “having fun, finding new music, making new friends and having a safe space,” said Jo Sargent, a Harrisonburg teen who lives in the Crayola House and has been attending these shows for five years. 
Sargent said it’s the best part of the week, “experiencing awesome music with the people you love.” They first heard about the house through their mom, Sargent said, who used to attend when she was their age. 
Leach had a similar introduction to the house. He said many of his friends’ parents went to the Crayola shows back when it first started up.
Leach has been in Crayola House’s audience since he was in high school, but now he’s taking the stage. Leach is the drummer for Intrns — a student band that frequents Crayola House — which typically plays harder punk, with some indie rock influences.
“Crayola is something else when it cuts loose,” Leach said. “When it’s you behind the drums and you are kind of driving the boat, as it were, as far as people jumping around and moshing and causing trouble around in front of you, it’s a pretty weirdly powerful feeling that I am glad I have that outlet for. Not everything is like something else. I don’t know what to compare it to, but it is really cool. You definitely feel powerful and you feel like you’re … helping people have fun in a very active way.”
Intrns has been playing at Crayola for a year and a half, he said, and was first connected there because Leach already knew of Crayola and some of the people living in the house.
While the house is owned by Matchbox Realty, a local property management company, the hiring of the bands is mainly run by those living in the house — like Sargent, who booked their first band this past week. In line with the familiar, loving character of the whole house, bands don’t play for money but instead receive donations from the crowd throughout the night via a box in the basement, described as an honor system by Sargent and Leach.
This word of mouth isn’t only used for booking bands, but also for drawing people to the house. In fact, its exclusive use of word of mouth — a staple of D.I.Y. houses — is what sets Crayola apart from other late-night hangouts sought by college students. While all are welcome, Crayola House doesn’t post any information about its shows on social media, Sargent said. Instead, house members and previous attendees are the main points of contact. Through this method of communication, Crayola House can form a tight knit community in which almost everyone knows someone there.
Kay Berg, a senior Integrated Sciences and Technology (ISAT) major, has been attending Crayola since last fall and said she’s fallen in love with the music and acceptance the house brings. A fan of the heavy rock and metal bands at the house, Berg said she’s felt supported at Crayola. Able to wear whatever she wants, Berg said, “all slays are welcome.” 
During her first mosh pit, Berg said, she fell but was immediately picked up by people Sargent calls the “punk scene” of Crayola. 
“If you fall … people are going to pick you up immediately,” Sargent said. “You don’t let someone fall … You look out for each other making sure you do not get too badly hurt.”
Luke Scrogahm, a senior ISAT major, said the most important thing about Crayola is it’s a place to be who you want “in a judgment-free area.”
“At Crayola, it doesn’t matter what you look like, or who you are, what your sexual orientation or gender identification is,” Scrogahm said. “Everyone gets along. It’s a really accepting environment.” 
For the past three decades, Crayola House has been a cornerstone of local culture, impacting Harrisonburg residents’ and JMU students’ lives alike, introducing them to new friends and new music. The house is open to anyone who knows how to find it. 
“You are in one of the uniquely musical areas that I have ever been in,” Leach said. “Just get out there and take some of it in while you are out there … Don’t take it for granted while you are here.”
Contact Mary Soltys at soltysms@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

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