Naro Minded: The Duo Who Defined a Neighborhood
(Tench Phillips and Thom Vourlas share a laugh and popcorn outside the Naro Expanded Cinema. Photo by Jeff Maisey.) By Jim Roberts Tench Phillips III and Thom Vourlas were featured on WTAR News in August of 1977—about two weeks before they opened the Naro Expanded...
RESULTS: 2026 VEER Music Awards
(The Last Bison and members from Tidewater Pipes & Drums perform "Switzerland") By Jeff Maisey BJ Griffin took home three awards during the 2026 Veer Music Awards at The NorVa in Norfolk. The America’s Got Talent contestant scored Album of the Year for...
ESSAY: Mind the Gap
Essayist Tom Robotham connects with Paris in an antique bookstore. By Tom Robotham This year, I’ll turn 70. What the fuck?! It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was sitting in my pajamas on the floor of my family’s living room in Staten Island, watching The Donna...
2026 VEER Music Awards Nominees Announced
By Jeff Maisey We are pleased to announce the complete list of nominees for the 2026 Veer Music Awards. The 757 region had an immensely diverse range of musical releases last year. In determining nominees, we looked primarily for bands and...
Music Video of the Year Nominees Announced
We received numerous music videos this year from 757 region recording artists. Following are our nominees for the 2026 Veer Music Awards in the Music Video of the Year category: BJ Griffin, “This Good?” Luh Mar1, “I Gotta Problem” The Revamps, "Fever" Red Weather,...
AI/Animated Music Videos of the Year Nominees Announced
The following are nominees for Best AI/Animation Music Video of the Year Starving Artists, “Talking Bible” Quicksilver Night, “Words” Jarrett Beeler, “Mergers & Acquisitions” Goldi, “Let Me In REMIX” Suburban Key Party, “Go Baby Go” Quicksilver Night, “The...
Live Photography Nominees Announced
We are pleased to share the 2026 Veer Music Awards nominees in the Live Photography category. Robbie Bruner, “Clover Stokes of The Band Monarch” Ryan Del Rosario, “Mean Jesus” Robert Peck, “Anthony Rosano” Katie Culver, “Sheezer at LAVA...
Posed Photography Nominees Announced
The nominees for the 2026 Veer Music Awards in the Posed Photography category are as follows: Cathy Hopkins, “Thru with Therapy” Will Clarke, “Emerald Beach” Katie Culver, “Community Witch Alternative Album Cover” Corijona Forlines, “Turncoat...
ESSAY: Reading As an Act of Love
By Tom Robotham When I was a young father, one of my greatest pleasures was reading aloud to my kids—often, from books I’d loved in my own early childhood: Blueberries for Sal, Curious George, Madeline, The Cat in the Hat, and many others. The riches of this ritual...
RESULTS: VEER’s 2025 Golden Tap Awards
By Jeff Maisey Maker’s Craft Brewery took home the 2025 Golden Tap Award by accumulating the most points in our annual region-wide competition. This marked the 10th anniversary of VEER’s Golden Tap Awards. Gold medals earned three points, silver received two points,...
Little Known Virginia History Comes Alive in Opera
(Jacqueline Echols McCarley will make her Virginia Opera debut in the east coast premiere of “Intelligence.” Photo courtesy of L2 Artists.) By Montague Gammon III Virginia Opera is “bringing a Virginia story home” with its January 30 – February 1 East Coast premiere...
The Superpower of Wait Until Dark
By Jerome Langston "Starting is always a difficult thing, in any walk in life, but with a play, it looks like this giant mountain to climb. But when you arrive, and as soon as the actors sit at the table... and you hear their voices, and hear the energy, you can start...
Discovering the Art of Samuel Kahn
Samuel Kahn. Raining Cats and Dogs. 2006-2007. Felt-tip pen on paper. ODU Gordon Art Galleries Self-Taught Art Collection. 2013.208.02 By Betsy DiJulio To say that Samuel Kahn (1927-2007) was a self-taught artist is accurate, but somewhat akin to saying Emily...
Muscarelle Museum Made Over
By Betsy DiJulio Ten months ago, a twenty-year vision came to fruition on the campus of The College of William & Mary (W&M). There, the original Muscarelle Museum of Art, designed by Carlton Abbott—opened in 1983 and expanded in 1987—boasted five galleries...
A Merry Little Christmas Carol
(Actor Beatty Barnes Jr. will reprise the role of Ebenezer Scrooge) By Jerome Langston "I’m a therapist by day, and a theater director by night,” says Maryanne Kiley, very early in our recent phone chat, about her job as director of Virginia Stage Company’s A Merry...
An Enchanting Christmas with Sarah Brightman
By Jim Morrison Sarah Brightman's journey through dance, Broadway, international stardom and selling tens of millions of records began with singing at three with her family in England. So, her winter symphony Christmas tours take her back to that time decades ago....
Smooth Jazz Christmas with Dave Koz & Friends
By Jeff Maisey Smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz has made a successful seasonal career hitting the road for the past 27 years in the month leading up to Christmas Eve with his critically acclaimed Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour. When the 28th tour makes a stop...
The Hurrah Players prepare two holiday shows on consecutive weekends
(Santa and the starring cast of Hurrah for the Holidays. Photo by Elena Grace Photography courtesy of Hurrah Players.) By Jim Roberts Hugh Copeland has a simple piece of advice for anyone considering producing back-to-back theatrical performances: “Don’t do it.” Yet...
Nuts for Nutcracker Ballets
Ballet Virginia’s “Nutcracker” performance by professional dancers. By Jeff Maisey If you can’t get enough of the holiday season “Nutcracker” ballet, you’re in for a treat in Hampton Roads with several productions scheduled, each with its own unique...
Get Down with KC and the Sunshine Band
By Jeff Maisey The mid 1970s experienced a new pop culture fad that exploded in big city dance clubs and on the airwaves — disco was all the rage. Men wore extravagant outfits, silky big collar jackets, tight fitting spandex jeans, and unbuttoned shirts to show off...
At Atlantic Park: Surf’s Up…Order’s Up, Too
(An impress dinner at Mi Vida. Photo by Rey Lopez.) By Marisa Marsey A raft of restaurants at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront’s Atlantic Park, the Pharrell Williams-backed mix use development anchored by North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, is sure to...
Samichlaus Tapping at The Bier Garden
Words by Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones So, St. Nicholas’ Day is coming up on Saturday, December 6. How are you going to ring in that holiday? Traditionalists will have the kinder place their shoes or a special boot by the fireplace, to hopefully be filled with...
Beer Buzz in the 757
Razova Beer. Photo credit Kylie Posten. By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Here is a smattering of suds-based snippets and stories in the 757 to keep you in-the-know. The Garage Brewery in Chesapeake recently sponsored a collaboration beer in support of the 757...
Vegan Delight Where Cali Meets Colley at the Cantina
By Betsy DiJulio Vegan fare is perhaps not what one would go searching for in a Baja surfer bar in Ghent, but if that surf-hut-meets-urban-storefront happened to be Colley Cantina, that’s exactly what you should seek out. In fact, their website lists “Baja Cuisine and...
Oktoberfest 2025
By Jeff Maisey If beer has a national — make that multi-national — holiday then surely it is Oktoberfest. Celebrations abound, including right here in Hampton Roads. So how did it all begin? Way back on October 12, 1810, King Ludwig I married Princess Terese of...
Nourish Your Soul
By Betsy DiJulio As a longtime foodie, I have a somewhat vast collection of cookbooks. But there are only two that are housed in my kitchen, along with my quintet of recipe file binders: mine and Angela Phillips’. Admittedly, Angela is a close friend and favorite...
A Taste of Honey
By Jeff Maisey The St. George Brewing Company in Hampton has long tapped into the flavor of honey and earned national and statewide acclaim in beer competitions with its multi-award winning Honey Meade Lager, now called Honey Lager. The buzz around honey at the...
That’s Kosher!
(Yogev Kremisi brings much needed dining menu to Ghent.) By Marisa Marsey “Are you Charlie?” Yogev Kremisi gets that question a lot. The trim, swarthy 38-year-old chuckles as he clarifies he’s not. But he is the new proprietor and chef of Charlie’s, the venerable...
A Taste of Joy
Dallas Walton, of Cork & Bull, is among the top chefs whipping up delicacies to benefit Easterseals PORT Health's Culinary Connections. Courtesy photo. By Marisa Marsey Ashley Bruno, looking sharp in a royal blue chef’s apron and puffy white toque (yet...
For Valentine’s, I Present My New Love: “Easy Weeknight Dinners”
By Marisa Marsey Emily Weinstein makes no bones about not being a professionally-trained chef. It’s why the editor in chief of Cooking and Food at The New York Times is so good at her job. Most home cooks aren’t culinary school grads either. Skill levels vary wildly...
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