ARTfull Pops Up for the Holidays
(Gail Juren returns to the Ghent retail scene with ARTfull exclusively for the holiday season.) By Jeff Maisey One of the unexpected gifts of the 2020 holiday season is the return of retailer Gail Juren. In late October, Juren popped-up with ARTfull in a familiar...
BONKO: And This Just In….
(WEATHER REPORT: Meteorologist Steve Fundaro joins WAVY 10. Photo courtesy of WAVY 10) By Larry Bonko Hello, Steve Fundaro. Welcome to our world of tolls and tunnels. And hello to you, too, Alex Littlehales and to you, too, Eugene Daniel. They are the three...
Now What?
BY TOM ROBOTHAM On the morning of Nov. 7, I was watching CNN, fervently hoping that they would finally call the election in Joe Biden’s favor. When they did, at 11:26 a.m., I let out a whoop that was likely heard throughout West Ghent. Van Jones—a CNN commentator whom...
Wasserhund to Open Chesapeake Location
BY CINDY MACKEY Wasserhund Brewing Company has leased 4,000 square feet of prime, street-level space at Summit Pointe, in Chesapeake’s Central Business District. The second location for the brewery, located at 510 Belaire Avenue, is scheduled to open in June 2021....
Rumble On
By Jeff Maisey Rick Rumble, host of WNOR-FM99’s mega-popular “Rumble in the Morning” show, recently celebrated 25 years at the radio station, and slathered a little extra icing on the cheesecake by signing a five-year extension. Several former interns,...
ROBOTHAM: See You at the Pub
(Columnist Tom Robotham was among the first to enjoy the patio when Taphouse Grill in Ghent reopened in late summer) By Tom Robotham Ten years ago, I wrote an essay in this space called “The Soul of the Pub”—my reflections on the appeal of pubs in general, and The...
ODU School of Music Tunes in Despite COVID
(Dr. Nancy K. Klein conducting Old Dominion University’s symphony and chorus. Photo courtesy of ODU.) By Montague Gammon III The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hit ODU’s F. Ludwig Diehn School of Music last March, when this descendent of the University’s 62 year old...
OPINION: Reparations, To Be or Not to Be
BY JOHN L. HORTON I just finished reading the latest issue of TIME Magazine (double issue, September 21/28, 2020). The magazine has a feature/society piece about the “Rosewood massacre” (circa 1923), where nine survivors and descendants have been awarded some...
The Myth of Individualism
By Tom Robotham No man is an island, / Entire of itself, / Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. ~ John Donne I didn’t watch this year’s Republican convention—I couldn’t stomach the thought—but I did see the opening montage, which...
ESSAY: Thoughts and Prayers
By Tom Robotham Let me ask you a question: Do you pray? If so, for what and to whom? I used to pray a lot. Throughout my childhood, I attended services at a lovely old Episcopal Church virtually ever Sunday, and for several years I served as an acolyte. In...
SURREAL: Pfac Goes Out on Top
(Peninsula Fine Arts Center Executive Director Courtney Gardner) By Jeff Maisey When the Peninsula Fine Arts Center (Pfac) presents Masters of Surrealism: Picasso, Dalí and Miró November 21 through December 20 it astonishingly marks the visual arts center’s...
MUSIC REVIEWS: Sinnett, Lucky 757 & More
Jae Sinnett & Brittany Burrell “All the Lights We See” (Single) (J-Nette Music) How do you cap off a year when your “Just When You Thought…” album continues to reel-in great reviews and remains high on jazz recording charts? When you’re Jae Sinnett, you drop an...
Judy Collins Virtually Live from Chrysler Hall
By Jeff Maisey Singing to an empty auditorium isn’t so hard if you ask Judy Collins. The Virginia Arts Festival recently commissioned a live concert featuring longtime folk music recording artist Judy Collins for a virtual performance from Chrysler Hall in...
MUSIC REVIEWS: Lori Creek, Koren Grace, Myra Smith & More
Myra Smith “Walking on the Moon” (Single) (Self-Release) With life during the pandemic heavy on her mind, R&B vocalist Myra Smith put her frustrations and depression into the best creative outlet available — her music — and release the cosmic “Walking on the...
Come Together at The Chrysler
(Marilyn Nance (American, b. 1953), Three Placards (Elijah Muhammad, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X), June 14, 1986, Gelatin silver print, Gift of Joyce F. and Robert B. Menschel, © Marilyn Nance) By Betsy DiJulio “We are there for our community,” asserts Lloyd...
MUSIC: Jason Cale, Jackie & Resa, Jones Brothers & Peppos
The Jason Cale Band “World of Wonder” (Self-Release) Look out — The Jason Cale Band is about to set the blues-fusion world on fire when this 9-song album -- "World of Wonder" -- is released on all platforms September 8. The opening “Made a Fool of My Heart” makes a...
A Family of Painters Shine at PFAC
By Betsy DiJulio Since 2008, Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities program—just one of their many initiatives supporting the arts—has offered to museums and nonprofit galleries worldwide entire exhibitions from the Bank’s extensive and diverse art collection...
ART: Murals of Love Pop Up in ViBe District
(Amber Robinson-Pierce’s mural expresses beauty from within.) By Betsy DiJulio There are some new faces in the crowd. Faces of color by people of color projecting love, healing, connection, and understanding when it is needed most. As racial protests roiled around...
A Soldier’s Play in the Open Air
By Jerome Langston Since being officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization back in March, COVID-19 has dramatically disrupted our society’s social norms—temporarily ending our unrestricted enjoyment of concerts and theme parks, indoor fine...
High Art from The Vatican
By Jeff Maisey Millions of visitors over the centuries have stood on the ground floor of the Sistine Chapel within Vatican City in Rome and marveled at the ancient frescos painted on the ceiling by Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti...
Smartmouth and O’Connor Among Best in Nation
By Jeff Maisey Norfolk-based O’Connor Brewing Company and Smartmouth Brewing Company each scored gold medals earlier this fall when the Brewers Association held a virtual version of the 34th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver. In total, 1,720...
HOLIDAY DINING: Feast Out (Or Get Gobbles To Go)
(Thanksgiving to-go includes delicious Edwards’ ham biscuits from Chef Kevin Sharkey at 1608 Craft House in Virginia Beach.) By Marisa Marsey I can’t blame infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci for squashing big family gatherings at home this Thanksgiving. Even...
The Rebranding of St. George Beer
By Jeff Maisey Knights, castles, dragons — oh my. I’ve always been drawn to the imagery, symbolism and concept of St. George Brewing Company in Hampton. From the prominent red cross on white background crest of St George and the weaponry of Medieval British...
Pandemic Brings Pizzeria to Norfolk Tap Room
(Vincent Ranhorn, Todd Craig, and Todd Leutner) By Jeff Maisey Back in the 1980s and ‘90s, I used to make my way up to New York City for concerts, shopping in SoHo and the Village, and an authentic slice of the Big Apple — pizza. When some old school music friends...
Saddle-up to the Coach House
(Dana & Kevin Kern bring delicious bistro fare to the north end of Colley.) By Jeff Maisey I pony my hungry self up to the Coach House, ask for a Soggy Dollar Painkiller to relax my mind a bit, and peruse the menu while I await the arrival of two amigos. It’s...
Well-Aged Williamsburg Winery
(Winemaker Matthew Meyer stands proud of his gold medal winning 2017 Petit Verdot Reserve. Courtesy photo.) By Jim Roberts In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 is turning out to be a vintage year for the Williamsburg Winery. In January the winery won 11 medals at...
Fall For Restaurant Wines
(At Voilà, delicious red wines from South Africa, Sonoma, and the Burgundy region of France pair perfectly with the ever-popular entree, Beef Wellington.) By Marisa Marsey When 2020 began, the biggest headaches in the wine world were tariffs and hard seltzer. Then...
757 Breweries Win Awards
(Elation Brewing Company of Norfolk scores a silver in the Fruit/Vegetable category) By Jeff Maisey Breweries from Hampton Roads scored medals in Richmond on Monday where the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild announced the 2020 winners in its ninth annual statewide...
Kings of Their New Realm
(New Realm’s canned beers are everywhere these days in the Hampton Roads region) By Jeff Maisey One year after opening its production brewery in Virginia Beach, New Realm Brewing Company conquered the Commonwealth by winning the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup when...
Meet New Sly Clyde Cidermaker Edan Valkner
(Edan Valkner is the new head cider maker at Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton) By Jeff Maisey There’s a new head cider-maker in town. By late August, Sly Clyde Ciderworks will introduce Edan Valkner as its new cider-maker, tasked with producing the award-winning...
