Summer Music Series Return
(North Mississippi Allstars will perform at free show on July 7 on the 17th Street Stage at the Oceanfront.) By Jeff Maisey Summertime in Hampton Roads traditionally means outdoor concerts galore, and now that restrictions have been lifted organizers have been...
At Long Last, Naro Reopens!
(A scene from the must-see “In The Heights”) By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema After an unexpectedly long hibernation that began all the way back in March of 2020 with the mandatory closing of the theater, the Naro Cinema has finally reawakened and opened our doors for...
Juneteenth 2021 Celebrations
(Juneteenth now has an official flag) Compiled by Staff On June 19, 1865, Union Army general Gordon Granger announced all enslaved people in Texas were free as announced in General Order Number 3. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day, has...
Virginia Symphony Makes Outstanding Choice in Jacobsen
By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Symphony announced Wednesday that Eric Jacobsen, conductor and cellist, is the VSO’s new Music Director, the twelfth in its century-long history.. Jacobsen brings along an engaging smile and wit, a 1745 cello made by the...
Free Summer Concerts at Oceanfront include Blue Oyster Cult, Cracker &. more
(Blue Oyster Cult had radio-played songs like "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Godzilla.") BY JEFF MAISEY A series of free concerts will take place this summer on outdoor stages at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This mix of performers include classic rock greats Blue...
OPINION: High Tech Policing, Anyone?
By Dr. Jerry Gaines & Sue Rowdon Older sports fans will remember when football helmets had no face-masks. There was no instant replay to see whether the ball ever broke the plane of the goal line, or if the receiver actually got both feet down inbounds before the...
ESSAY: Fifteen Minutes a Day
By Tom Robotham Last December in this space I wrote an essay about my renewed interest in studying French with an app called Duolingo. I’d fallen in love with the language while taking it for two years in college and have always wished I were fluent. Alas, I...
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...
ART: Self-Exploration Through the Lens of Iris Wu
“Untitled (Us in the Field),” Iris Wu By Jeff Maisey Something caught the eye of John Lee Matney, the curator and owner of Linda Matney Gallery in Williamsburg — the photography of recent William & Mary graduate Iris Wu. Matney, a photographer himself who cut his...
Chris Thile: God, Community and the Mandolin
By Jim Morrison Chris Thile's first solo album started with a conversation with Bob Hurwitz, the former head of his record label, Nonesuch, backstage after his now-canceled "Live from Here" did a show focused on God. "He's like, man, I dig what happens when...
Falletta’s Finale
(Maestro JoAnn Falletta bids us farewell with Beethoven. Photo by David Beloff.) By Montague Gammon III Celebrating Beethoven by polishing off a couple of Fifths, JoAnn Falletta, formerly Music Director of our Virginia Symphony Orchestra and now appointed to the...
MUSIC REVIEWS: Runnin’ Shine/Chang3/Demons & More
Runnin’ Shine “Nowhere to Go” (Self-Release) Award-winning contemporary country band Runnin’ Shine have another excellent album to be proud of with the 13-song “Nowhere to Go.” Rockin’ country requires some upfront guitar and they are keen to deliver it on songs like...
EmiSunshine & The Rain Bring Brightness to Zeiders
(EmiSunshine and The Rain's "Family Wars" album. Photograph/Design by Alan Messer) By Ron Wray A huge band tour bus emblazoned with the name “Little EmiSunshine” pulled up outside the Crown Center Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, and out walks a small girl in a bright...
PREVIEW: Reliving the Music of Aretha & Whitney
(Aretha Franklin in1968) By Jerome Langston When the world lost its Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, on August 16, 2018, it felt, for many, like losing a beloved family member. The massive outpouring of tributes—many from fellow music artists, and fans who grew up on...
d’Art Center’s New Forever Home
(A separate gallery space is housed inside the former bank vault.) By Betsy DiJulio Slipping into the sleek and low-slung lobby of the Atlantic Permanent Savings and Loan Building on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk is akin to stepping onto the set of Mad Men or maybe...
Meet Holly Koons
By Jeff Maisey Last October, Christopher Newport University named Holly Koons as the inaugural executive director for its $60 million-dollar state-funded 83,000-square-foot Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center. The Torggler Center, named for the CNU Benefactor and...
REVIEW: Tony Vincent Delivers on Music of Bowie
(Tony Vincent superbly sings the Music of David Bowie while backed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and rock band Windbourne Music. Photo by Jeff Moore.) By Jeff Maisey Ground Control to Hampton Roads: Concerts are back. Saturday night’s “Music of David...
Vocalist Kenny Washington Keeps Jazz Standards Alive
By Jerome Langston Amidst the long overdue return to an active and vibrant local arts scene, comes the reemergence of serious jazz shows that are delighting both enthusiasts and casual fans alike. Earlier this month, we were treated to an outstanding...
Driving You to Drink: Beer Touring in Hampton and Newport News
(Members of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society gather for a pre-beer photo. Photo courtesy of Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Who is ready to get out of the house and visit a bunch of breweries? We’ve put together a little beer tour...
RESTAURANTS: Local Brands Expand
(Owner Bob Roberts has Redwood Smoke Shack expanding with a new Virginia Beach location. Photo courtesy of Redwood Smoke Shack.) By Marisa Marsey Some of our favorite homegrown eateries are expanding – opening a new location, introducing a new concept – making us...
A Coterie of Charcuterie
(Katie Huger, owner of Long Board Charcuterie, curates exquisite, customized boards to celebrate special events as well as every day.) By Marisa Marsey There’s a joke circulating at fromageries: “How do you irritate a cheesemonger? Ask for a charcuterie board with no...
NATO Festival Beer Brings People Together
(Brew Day at The Bold Mariner Brewing Company in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey In what has now become a Norfolk NATO Festival tradition — born five years ago — a collaboration beer pairing The Bold Mariner Brewing Company and NATO Headquarters will be featured at the...
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...
