ESSAY: Power
By Tom Robotham The one prudence in life is concentration; the one evil is dissipation:… You must elect your work; you shall take what your brain can, and drop all the rest. – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Lately, I’ve been feeling powerless. One reason, no doubt, is that...
REVIEW: Black Sabbath The Ballet Thrills in American Debut
(Now, in darkness, world stops turning…Hand of God has struck the hour. Photo by David Polston) Review by Jeff Maisey Photos by David Polston Fucking brilliant! These are words I spoke from the heart as the blood red curtain closed at the end of Act I of the...
ESSAY: On Masculinity
By Tom Robotham Male and female represent the two sides of the great radical dualism. But, in fact, they are perpetually passing into one another. Fluid hardens to solid, solid rushes to fluid. There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman. – Margaret...
ESSAY: Daily News
By Tom Robotham Recently, I sat on a panel—convened at Old Dominion University—to talk about the state of journalism. I was impressed by the students in attendance. They struck me as bright, and they seemed to be knowledgeable about current events. That said, they...
Revved Up Rick Mersel Has Book Ready to Go
(Rick Mersel shares some insights into his new book at Chicho’s Backstage Cafe.) By Jeff Maisey As you might imagine, Rick Mersel has lived an exciting life thus far. Born in Norfolk, Mersel has now spent most of his life in the music business, opening the popular...
Virginia Beach’s ViBe District Celebrates 10 Years in 2025
(Murals painted on the exterior walls of local business are a signature of the ViBe Creative District.) By Kate Pittman In April 2025, the ViBe Creative District will celebrate 10 years of as the creative heartbeat of Virginia Beach, a place where hundreds of local...
VEER’s Top 10 This Week Playlist
Check out this week's Top 10 playlist from 757 region recording artists
All Fired Up — Perry Glass Studio
Spectators (in the background) are entertained by the process of glassmaking by Cedric Mitchell in the auditorium of the new Perry Glass Studio of Chrysler Museum of Art. By Jeff Maisey Take your seat; the show’s about to begin. Light-tight mechanical black curtains...
Live it Up
By Tom Robotham Our total attitude towards art, was, like, get up and do something — quit sitting there whining. – David Johansen, on the spirt of The New York Dolls In 1982, when I was working as a reporter and music columnist for The Staten Island Advance, I got...
A year after opening, controversial Norfolk brewery closes
By Jim Morrison When Norfolk’s City Council approved the permit for the controversial Armed Forces Brewing Company over some neighborhood objections, several members said let the marketplace decide its fate. It didn’t take long. A year after opening its doors, Armed...
Top 50 Local Songs of 2025 (So Far)
By Jeff Maisey If you’re following our Facebook page, you’ve no doubt checked out our VEER Top 10 This Week playlist of new songs released by 757 region recording artists. We cover the full music spectrum including pop, hip hop, jazz, punk, folk, experimental,...
Playtime: Toys and Art
(Artist Clayton Singleton has some fun with his Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em Robots painting as part of the exhibition “Playtime: Toys and Art”) By Betsy DiJulio Toys turn adults into time travelers, telescoping us back to the people, places, and passions of childhood. For...
CONCERT PREVIEW: The Band Perry
By Jim Roberts The Band Perry had a remarkable start in 2010, releasing a self-titled album, selling 5 million copies of their single, “If I Die Young,” and winning three Country Music Association Awards. While the sibling trio went on to win a Grammy Award for Best...
Shining Light on Jazz Vocalists
(Jazz singer René Marie. Photo by Antonio Porcar.) By Jerome Langston In what has been a spectacular year for high level jazz concerts here in Hampton Roads, on both the Southside and the Peninsula — the 5th annual Vocal Jazz Summit returns next month to the Z in...
Sensational Samara
By Jerome Langston It is just a few days following his Carnegie Hall debut with twenty-something, jazz superstar vocalist, Samara Joy, that tenor saxophonist, Kendric McCallister, is chatting with me about their upcoming concert here at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall. One of...
Ace Frehley Brings 10,000 Volts & More
By Jeff Maisey Ace Frehley, best known as the lead guitar welding Spaceman character in the original lineup of glam metal band KISS, will plug in to the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts on June 4 for an electrifying performance of his solo hits like “New York...
Renée Fleming Gives a Great Voice to Nature
(Renée Fleming returns to Norfolk's Harrison Opera House for a June 1 performance. Photo by Andrew Ecclesdecca) By Montague Gammon III The most celebrated operatic soprano of our time, probably the most celebrated since the days of Maria Callas, comes back to Norfolk...
Dancing to Iron Man
("Black Sabbath – The Ballet" features music from the legendary British heavy metal band, Photo by Johan Persson.) By Montague Gammon III In yet another coup for the Virginia Arts Festival and its Perry Artistic Director Rob Cross, Norfolk hosts the American premiere...
Pickin’ Some Blackgrass with Swamp Dogg
By Jim Morrison Swamp Dogg's return to the charts he first cracked as Little Jerry Williams from Portsmouth is a zig-zagging journey through musical genres, accidental connections and his attraction as an underground legend. "I'm finding out all kinds of artists have...
Ripchord: Modern twist on “The Odd Couple” Coming to Virginia Beach
(Dress rehearsal of Little Theatre of Virginia Beach's production of "Ripchord." Image by J. Stubbs Photography.) By Jim Roberts When “Ripcord” opened off-Broadway in 2015, The New York Times compared it to classic TV sitcoms like “The Odd Couple,” “Roseanne” and...
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...
Big Ugly Celebrates Big 10
(Peake Lager remains a big favorite amongst Big Ugly Brewery fans) By Jeff Maisey Chesapeake’s first craft brewery will mark its first decade in business with an event being dubbed as Big Ugly Brewing: 10 Year Anniversary Tiki Party. The weather might be chilly...
ESSAY: Lost & Found
By Tom Robotham Last spring, I wrote an essay called “Leaving the Treehouse”—a reflection on my realization that it was time to vacate the apartment I had occupied for 17 years. I called it the Treehouse because it was on the fourth floor of an old building in West...
Here’s to 2025: Local distillers preview plans and products for the new year
By Jim Roberts “Good things come to those who wait.” This is especially true in the world of distilling–where some spirits have to age for years before they are sold and consumed. With this in mind, we reached out to the distillers of Hampton Roads to see what...
Dessert Beers and Beer Desserts
Words by Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Photo by Diane Catanzaro Beer, glorious beer. Is there anything beer can’t do? From appetizer, to main course, to dessert, beer has the culinary chops to enhance any part of your meal. Yet, beer is often overlooked for the...
Wines For The Season
By Jeff Maisey Caymus 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon California After our Fall Arts Preview issue featuring Virginia Opera’s 50th Anniversary on the cover, I decided to uncork my bottle of Caymus 50th Anniversary for a private toast to life and the...
A Tale of Two Sweeties
An international array of savory and sweet treats entice at Tous Les Jours. (Clockwise from left: coffee bun, kimchi croquette, Portuguese egg tart) By Marisa Marsey Two buzzy bakery-cafés – one on the Peninsula, a Hampton Roads inroad for a red-hot...
Start Spreadin’ The News…And The Schmears
(Baker's Crust Bagel offers a slice of New York with skyscraping sandwiches. Courtesy photo.) By Marisa Marsey Nostalgic for New York City? Haven’t yet gotten to Gotham? You could watch “When Harry Met Sally” or read some Meg Wolitzer for a fix. Better still, schlep...
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