ESSAY: About Face(book)
By Tom Robotham A strange thing happened to me a couple of months ago: I woke up one day and had no desire to open Facebook. For many people, that wouldn’t be noteworthy. I have a number of friends who rarely look at the site. But for me it was significant....
VIEWPOINT: Jim Crow 2.0
(John Carlos,Tommie Smith, Peter Norman during 1968 Mexico City Olympics medal ceremony) By Jerry Gaines & Sue Rowdon When I realize I am older than the majority of Americans living today, it seems strange. In 71 years and seven months, a person can see a lot...
LET US DO SOMETHING SPECIAL BY UPLIFTING AND EMPOWERING YOUNG BLACK MALES
By John L. Horton “My head is bloody, but unbowed. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” (“Invictus Poem”) (S) William E. Henley “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats it children.” (S) Nelson...
ESSAY: The Call of the Mountains
By Tom Robotham In the woods…a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson The older I get, the more I appreciate the approach of springtime. It is heartening, as I sit here on a...
Virginia Arts Festival Leads Arts Return
(Americana artist Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers performs April 12 at Bank Street Stage to open the 2021 Virginia Arts Festival) By Jeff Maisey You know the old proverb “necessity is the mother of invention”? Turns out to be true yet again. The folks at Virginia...
NATO Discussion
(General James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, served as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from 2007-09 and as Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration. Photo courtesy of NATO ACT.) By Jeff Maisey In the spring of 2015, French Air Force General...
The New Phoebus
(Interior view of Fox Tail Wine Bar. Photo by Michael Fernando.) By Jeff Maisey “I felt like the type of experience we’re offering did not exist in this neighborhood and there was an opportunity to bring something new, fresh and exciting to a community that was...
NEWS: Phoebus Rising
(Mango Mangeaux is nationally famous and a hotspot on Mellen Street.) By Michael Curry The historic town of Phoebus is in the midst of another resurgence and revitalization. There is a palpable sense of excitement and progress in the air, and it's infectious! Some say...
High Praises for WVEC’s Janet Roach
(WVEC’s Janet Roach is a multi award-winning newscaster. Photo courtesy of WVEC.) By Larry Bonko Janet Roach, co-anchor of the WVEC Monday through Friday "13 News Now" at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. has won another award. Yep. Another award. She has a house full of them. ...
One Man’s Story About Overcoming Racism
By John L. Horton Now that Black History Month is once again upon us and race relations are being put forth as a serious topic of discussion, and as the “Village Griot” and “Family Patriarch,” I have a story to tell and experiences to share. Please lend me...
LOCAL MUSIC: New Releases Reviewed
Demons “Ravage” (Single) (Spartan Records) In advance of the April 30 national release of Demon’s full-length album “Privation,” the Norfolk-based quartet unveiled “Ravage” as a lead-off single. As the song title implies, “Ravage” is an unrelenting assault on the...
Two Times Four for the Brentano Quartet
By Montague Gammon III The elegance of chamber music brings a socially distanced relief from the arts starvation of the COVID ravaged world when the Brentano Quartet performs at the Virginia Arts Festival’s new Bank Street Stage and at the Sandler Center. Since...
MUSIC: The Ballad of Duane & Nakia
(Nakia Madry-Smith and Duane Smith) By Jeff Maisey There are probably 100 different ways I could tell the story of Duane Smith and Nakia Madry-Smith. The dynamic duo have shared a young life of love and adventure through music and education. Sitting with the...
VA OPERA: From Norfolk State to National Stages
(Norfolk State University alumna Symone Harcum stars in the upcoming Virginia Opera/Virginia Arts Festival co-production of Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti ) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Opera outdoor co-production of Leonard...
THEATER PREVIEW: Giving Voice to August Wilson
(The late August Wilson) By Jerome Langston “Of course everybody knows that one and two-person shows are the easiest way back, with social distancing and safety...” says Anthony Stockard, NSU Theatre Company’s producing Artistic Director, regarding the decision to...
ART: Spanish Influence
(Mary Cassatt, Offering the Panal to the Bullfighter, 1873, oil on canvas, On loan from Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute) By Betsy DiJulio Though most of us aren’t going much of anywhere right now, you can take the Grand Tour to Spain by way of Norfolk...
Live at Last: Virginia Symphony Brings Bach Back
(Violinist and guest conductor Cho-Liang Lin) By Montague Gammon III Bach’s Brandenbug concertos are like embraces from the Mona Lisa. Some are spritely and flirtatious, some dignified, languorous and tender, some passionate, but all are sublime and wonderful. Each...
ART: Rosenbaum’s Folkloric Journey on Display
(Art Rosenbaum, Howard Finster with Couple and Fire) By Betsy DiJulio Art and Margo Rosenbaum have spent their careers and marriage traveling across different media and modes through various states of space and time. Trained and active in painting, they have, for over...
ART: Orchid Fascination
(Jennifer Angus, Floriography) By Jeff Maisey Flower lovers will no doubt rejoice when experiencing Orchids: Attraction & Deception, the second temporary exhibition presented by the Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University. “The work included in this...
Art and Food Pair to Nourish at MOCA
(Richard Nickel, “Pea Pod Family,” 2020, Ceramic and low fire glaze, 46 x19 x15 inches, Courtesy of the artist) By Jeff Maisey Since the beginning of the pandemic, visual art museums and galleries as well as the food and beverage cultures of Hampton Roads have...
Fox Tail Wine Bar Adds Flavor to New Phoebus
(Interior view of Fox Tail Wine Bar. Photo by Michael Fernando.) By Jeff Maisey “I felt like the type of experience we’re offering did not exist in this neighborhood and there was an opportunity to bring something new, fresh and exciting to a community that was...
COASTAL FERMENTORY: New Brews in the ‘News
(L-R) Coastal Fermentory’s Mike Reppert and Brandon Samuels. Photo by Diane Catanzaro. By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones “I’m goin’ to Newport News, mama, gonna catch a battleship across the doggone sea.” The Memphis Jug Band immortalized the ‘News in their...
Foodie Destinations: Fuller’s, El Diablo, Deadrise, and Kismet are making a statement
(Joe Illes, Gary McIntyre and John Ledbetter) By Jeff Maisey Phoebus is going to be the next Ghent. That’s what local businessman/real estate tycoon Richard Levin has been saying for a few years now. He put his money where his mouth is by purchasing numerous buildings...
Celebrating Irish Beer
By Jeff Maisey Once upon a time in America — think 2010 and before — there were basically two choices of beer to consume in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day at local restaurants and bars: Guinness Extra Stout (draft or bottle) and mass produced lagers infused...
The Baker’s Wife Bistro + Bar: A Cinderella Story
(Phillip and Dana Epstein opened The Baker's Wife, a casually-upscale, French-inspired bistro and bar in Phoebus, in January. Photo courtesy of The Baker's Wife) By Marisa Marsey Once upon a time there were two chefs... Ugh! Sorry for that saccharine start. But in my...
Reaver Beach Brewing Opens Norfolk Location
(Reaver Beach Brewing Co. taps will flow in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey Get ready for some award-winning hoppy and sour beers on North Colley Avenue in Norfolk. Reaver Beach Brewing Company is set to open its second location on Friday, February 19. Operating as Reaver...
DINING REVIEW: NOLA in Ghent
(Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo) By Jeff Maisey In 1960, Norfolk-born singer Gary US Bonds had a hit single titled “New Orleans,” on which he sang the lyrics: “Well come on ev’rybody/Take a trip with me/Well, down the Mississippi/Down to New Orleans.” It’s fair...
New Ghanaian & Turkish Dining in Norfolk
(One of the most requested Ghanaian meals at Yendidi Restaurant is Beans Stew and fried sweet plantains AKA “Red Red or Gob3.” Photo courtesy of Yendidi.) By Marisa Marsey Opening a restaurant is tough. Harder still in a pandemic. Near impossible when your menu might...
1865 Brewing Company – Freedom Starts Here!
HISTORIC BREW: (L-R) Whitteney Guyton, Randy Jones and William “Billy” Comer. Photo credit Diane Catanzaro. By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones The Phoebus section of Hampton oozes charm. Cruise down Mellen Street at the intersection with Mallory and you get the feel...
Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week Begins
(Brick Anchor Brew-House offers a variety of pub fare and healthy options) By Jeff Maisey From January 17-24, Downtown Norfolk will be presenting its winter Restaurant Week. This year, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, it is a welcomed promotion for restauranteurs...
