Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.10, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # VEER Magazine :: Hampton Roads arts, culture, entertainment, beer, wine, travel, dining ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://veermag.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Top 40 Concerts of Summer](https://veermag.com/2023/06/top-40-concerts-of-summer/) - (Neo-soul crooner Anthony Hamilton headlines the opening night of Hampton Jazz Festival By Staff Nine-time Grammy nominated smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz recently told Veer Magazine the summer of 2023 will mark the true, post-pandemic return to form for the concert industry. We couldn’t agree more looking at the region-wide schedule across the spectrum of - [A-List Jazz Vocal Summit at The Z](https://veermag.com/2023/06/a-list-jazz-vocal-summit-at-the-z/) - (Jane Monheit will teach and perform over 3-day event focused on jazz vocalists) By Jerome Langston It is quite early in my highly enjoyable, recent phone chat with Jane Monheit, when the acclaimed jazz singer pays me a particularly flattering compliment. “You have a beautiful voice actually, like really beautiful,” she says, after I’d apologized - [Winning Big with Aloha State of Mind](https://veermag.com/2023/06/winning-big-with-aloha-state-of-mind/) - (Matt Topping enjoys the taste of success — and Hawaii — at COVA Brewing Company.) By Jeff Maisey It’s a big deal to win an award — gold, silver or bronze — at the World Beer Cup competition. For a brewery to garner consecutive golds for the same entry is nothing short of amazing. Such - [Dogs Come First at Pups and Pints](https://veermag.com/2023/06/dogs-come-first-at-pups-and-pints/) - (Wasserhund craft beers are to bark for at Pups & Pints in Virginia Beach.) By Marisa Marsey Woof, woof! Arf! Bark! Bark! That’s Sheepish Onyx, my seven-month-old Mini Sheepadoodle, tail wagging in prestissimo tempo because she’s at Pups and Pints. I’d better turn on Google Translate for Dogese – stat – as she’s eager to - [The Virginia Arts Festival Honors a Norfolk Jewel: Elbert Watson](https://veermag.com/2023/06/the-virginia-arts-festival-honors-a-norfolk-jewel-elbert-watson/) - Elbert Watson (center) in a photo by Jack Mitchell. “Three Black Kings”: Dudley Williams as Martin Luther King, Jr., Elbert Watson as Balthazar and Clive Thompson as King Solomon dance in Alvin Ailey’s paean to the three historic figures. The work was set to the last music composed by Duke Ellington. By Kate Mattingly When - [ESSAY: Distorting History](https://veermag.com/2023/06/essay-distorting-history/) - By Tom Robotham Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning public-college courses that “distort” historical events. When I read this news, I couldn’t help noting the irony. The American South, after all, has a very long track record of distorting history. This became especially clear to me when I moved to Norfolk - [GRC and TWBW Offer Lessons in How Non-Profits Can Help Each Other](https://veermag.com/2023/06/grc-and-twbw-offer-lessons-in-how-non-profits-can-help-each-other/) - By Joel Rubin A canoe and a Bevin’s Skiff look remarkably alike, but you row a skiff, you paddle a canoe. So says Tom Brandl, US Naval Academy grad, retired Marine Colonel, eight consecutive year summer student at a renowned boatbuilding school in Brooklin, Maine and since 2014, the full-time director and principal instructor at - [SWING TIME: New Releases from Jae Sinnett & Eddie Williams](https://veermag.com/2023/06/swing-time-new-releases-from-jae-sinnett-eddie-williams/) - By Tom Robotham Hampton Roads has long been home to some first-rate jazz musicians, and I can think of no better evidence of this fact than the superb quality of two recently released albums by musicians who live here: Commitment, featuring drummer-composer Jae Sinnett and his Zero to 60 Quartet, with special guest Randy Brecker, - [Focus on Modern Jazz Composers](https://veermag.com/2023/06/focus-on-modern-jazz-composers/) - Trumpeter Taylor Barnett will perform with local jazz musicians for “The Modernists” By Jerome Langston “I broke my finger 3 weeks ago while on vacation,” bassist Jimmy Masters says to me earlier this week, before we even start chatting about the latest show in the TowneBank Jazz series that he curates. He sounds disappointed... - [Beaching It with Alana Springsteen](https://veermag.com/2023/06/beaching-it-with-alana-springsteen/) - By Jeff Maisey Coastal Country is a thing, just ask rising music star Alana Springsteen, who was born and raised in Virginia Beach. “I’m a Beach girl through and through,” said Springsteen. “It made me who I am. It comes out in so many ways in the music that I write. I’m from a small - [New Realm Expands Virginia Beach Capacity](https://veermag.com/2023/06/new-realm-expands-virginia-beach-capacity/) - By Jeff Maisey In 2018, New Realm Brewing Company acquired the gigantic, short-lived brewing facility of San Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Co. in Virginia Beach. The brewing capacity at that time was 40,000 barrels/year. New Realm had only recently opened its Atlanta headquarters, however, its quick thinking ownership saw an irresistible opportunity when Green Flash’s - [ART REVIEW: Heart Pulsates with Fantastical Intrigue](https://veermag.com/2023/06/art-review-heart-pulsates-with-fantastical-intrigue/) - (Claudia Bueno’s fantastical art exhibition extends to the exterior of the Hermitage Museum. Photo by Lindsay Collette.) By Betsy DiJulio Born of shattering heartbreak and a deeply integrated process of healing, Echoes of the Heart embodies artist Claudia Bueno’s immersion in open-hearted, wholehearted living. The mesmerizing immersive experiences she and her team create through sculpture, - [Reliving the Music of Luther Vandross](https://veermag.com/2023/06/reliving-the-music-of-luther-vandross/) - By Jerome Langston “If you’ve never been to a Luther Vandross show, the real thing—we’re gonna be as close as you’re gonna get,” says singer William “Smooth” Wardlaw, during our recent phone chat about his upcoming tribute show honoring soul music icon, Luther Vandross, which will take over Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre during the - [The Story of The Dome Is a Must-See](https://veermag.com/2023/06/the-story-of-the-dome-is-a-must-see/) - By Jeff Maisey With “That Was Our Room: The Life & Times of the Dome,” Norfolk-based documentarian Paul Unger hones-in his skills as a storyteller. Unger, whose credits include “Hardcore Norfolk: The Movie,” is keen to set the stage with archival television footage and imagery brilliantly woven together. He digs deep in providing historical insights - [Bluegrass & Brews at American Theatre](https://veermag.com/2023/06/bluegrass-brews-at-american-theatre/) - (Steep Canyon Rangers) By Jim Roberts Mike Ashworth grew up in North Carolina with members of the Steep Canyon Rangers, but he didn’t officially join the band until 2013, the same year they won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. In the 10 years since, the band has released eight albums, including a live recording - [Queer America](https://veermag.com/2015/04/queer-america/) - By Tom Robotham The homophobes are at it again. Recently, so-called Christians in Indiana, Arkansas and elsewhere have been reviving the argument that businesses should not be obligated to serve gays and lesbians because such a requirement violates the business owners’ religious freedom. "Why should I be beat over the head to go along with - [Ganjacat to Play Point Break Festival](https://veermag.com/2026/06/ganjacat-to-play-point-break-festival/) - (Jesse Chong and Skanks front Ganjacat at the Point Break Festival on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Photo courtesy of Jesse Chong.) By Jeff Maisey Virginia Beach-based pop/reggae group Ganjacat has once again been tapped to perform at the highly successful Point Break Music Festival, a two-day event held June 20-21 at 8th Street on the - [Revolutionary Brews](https://veermag.com/2026/06/revolutionary-brews/) - By Jeff Maisey Many independent craft beer makers across Virginia have recently answered the call to brew a commemorative release to promote the Commonwealth’s connection to America’s 250 anniversary and the vital role alehouses played in fermenting discussions and ideas of liberty. The history of brewing beer in the Commonwealth — the land - [Williamsburg Live with Grace Potter](https://veermag.com/2026/06/williamsburg-live-with-grace-potter/) - (Grace Potter will perform on the Lawn of the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Photo by James Mountford) By Jim Morrison Grace Potter is on the phone from her Topanga Canyon residence, but the restless rocker is about to head out on another cross-country road trip -- her ninth. The journeys started years back after she - [Juneteenth in Hampton Roads](https://veermag.com/2026/06/juneteenth-in-hampton-roads/) - (George “G-Man” Waters has Jazzteenth at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront ready to make its debut) Juneteenth in Hampton Roads By Jerome Langston Celebrating its sixth year as a federal holiday, Juneteenth — officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, will be feted throughout the Commonwealth, which is also celebrating Virginia’s iconic and essential role in America’s founding — the 250th anniversary this year of the - [VB Street Art Festival](https://veermag.com/2026/06/vb-street-art-festival/) - (Artist Kat Tines sits proud with her street art contribution. Photo by Lori Golding Zontini for ViBe Creative District. ) VB Street Art Festival By Betsy DiJulio Like a person’s identity, a city’s distinct character looks, feels, sounds, and smells like no other. But it is far from static. This amalgamation of distinct elements—geography, built - [Local Indies Rock Atlantic Park Restaurant Scene](https://veermag.com/2026/06/local-indies-rock-atlantic-park-restaurant-scene/) - Only at Renee's new Atlantic Park home features an open kitchen adorned with capiz shell windows. By Marisa Marsey You probably know that megastar Pharrell Williams backed Atlantic Park, the new mixed-use development encompassing more than 10 acres at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Maybe you’ve already soaked up the surf park’s beach-clubby core or tested - [ESSAY: Toxic Tech](https://veermag.com/2026/06/essay-toxic-tech/) - By Tom Robotham Recently I began reading The Anxious Generation, by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt—a book that explores the dramatic rise in mental illness among teens, beginning around 2010. He makes a compelling case that the chief cause is the proliferation of smart phones during that period. (The first iPhone was introduced in 2007.) The - [St. George Succession](https://veermag.com/2026/05/st-george-succession/) - (Tina and Scott Luers have big plans for The St. George Brewing Company in Hampton.) By Jeff Maisey Mid-April marked the 28th anniversary of The St. George Brewing Company, the Coastal Virginia region’s longest operating independent craft beer maker. Founding owner Bill Spence Sr. was clad in his well-pressed beige pants and matching shirt (tucked-in) - [Rolling Stones Fan? Drag Yourself to Catch Wilder Horses](https://veermag.com/2026/05/rolling-stones-fan-drag-yourself-to-catch-wilder-horses/) - By Jeff Maisey Unsuspecting audience members often do a double-take when Virginia Beach-based Wilder Horses take the stage. “Is that who I think it is?,” you’ll likely overhear. Or, “It couldn’t be.” No, it’s not, but, yes, singer Bobby Alderman is the spitting image, a dead ringer for The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. No - [New “Angel” Sought for Riverview Theater](https://veermag.com/2026/05/new-angel-sought-for-riverview-theater/) - (NOT OPENING IN 2026: The Riverview Theater. Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison The Riverview Theater was sold at a foreclosure auction Thursday back to the man who held onto it for decades, hoping a buyer would make it the theater jewel of the neighborhood. Richard Levin bid $600,000 for the theater, surpassing other - [Seamless: Art and Design](https://veermag.com/2026/05/seamless-art-and-design/) - Steve “ESPO” Powers, Struggle is My Business. Enamel on aluminum. Courtesy of the artist. By Betsy DiJulio Seamless was conceived as a companion exhibition to Nina Chanel Abney: The American Dream, and it does so both visually and conceptually. The pieces in both exhibitions are vivid, energetic, and current while Abney and the 15 Seamless - [POTSDAM: When Classical Music Set the Course of World History](https://veermag.com/2026/05/potsdam-when-classical-music-set-the-course-of-world-history/) - VSO Music Director and “Potsdam” director Eric Jacobsen. Photo courtesy of Virginia Symphony Orchestra. By Montague Gammon III Two classical musicians, Army enlisted men, helped the competent amateur pianist who was their Commander-in-Chief set the course of post World War II history. The occasion was the Potsdam Conference of three world leaders, July 17–August - [30 Years of Great Concerts in Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2026/05/30-years-of-great-concerts-in-virginia-beach/) - During the 2009 No Doubt reunion tour stop in Virginia Beach, Gwen Stefanie thrilled the audience on “Don’t Speak” and “Just a Girl.” Photo by Jeff Maisey. By Jeff Maisey Bruce Hornsby was the first act to take the stage at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. That was on May 15, 1996. Now entering its 30th - [Vai and Satriani Tagteam Guitar Wizardry](https://veermag.com/2026/05/vai-and-satriani-tagteam-guitar-wizardry/) - By Jim Roberts When you’ve played as many gigs as Joe Satriani, some of the memories blur—venues, crowds, even cities. But every now and then, something sticks. Asked for recollections of his time in Hampton Roads, he doesn’t mention a show. He remembers the ride there. The driver who picked him up at the hotel - [Hailstork Honored with Ovation Award](https://veermag.com/2026/05/hailstork-honored-with-ovation-award/) - By Jeff Maisey Composer Dr. Adolphus Hailstork was recently recognized by the Virginia Arts Festival with its prestigious Ovation Award during a private ceremony on the 6th floor of downtown Norfolk’s Slover Library. The Ovation Award is an annual honor presented by the Virginia Arts Festival to recognize the lifetime achievements of artists with - [Friends Keep Steep Canyon Rangers Climbing](https://veermag.com/2026/05/friends-keep-steep-canyon-rangers-climbing/) - (Steep Canyon Rangers are outstanding in their field. Photo by Jay Strausser.) By Jim Morrison Barrett Smith joined Steep Canyon Rangers in 2017, nearly two decades after the band formed as a group of friends attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. But he'd been a part of their community from the beginning. - [ESSAY: Colleges in Crisis](https://veermag.com/2026/05/essay-colleges-in-crisis/) - By Tom Robotham Now that another academic year has come and gone, I find myself reflecting on the future of American higher education. The challenges facing colleges and universities, after all, are formidable, and there’s every indication that they will grow more severe over the next few years. For starters, the rapid spread of AI - [Gilbert Domally Roars as Simba in The Lion King](https://veermag.com/2026/04/gilbert-domally-roars-as-simba-in-the-lion-king/) - (Gilbert Domally as Simba. Photo by Evan Zimmerman) By Jerome Langston “I love ‘Hakuna Matata.’ I love swinging out on that vine. It’s such a star entrance you know... to swing out and bust out those high notes,” says actor Gilbert Domally, who plays Simba, in the current North American tour of Broadway’s The Lion King. The actor, who grew up in Miami, recalls - [Dan Clemens on the Music of Queen](https://veermag.com/2026/05/dan-clemens-on-the-music-of-queen/) - By Jeff Maisey When the Virginia Arts Festival presents “Music of Queen — A Rock Symphony” May 15 at Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, much of the stage will be filled with members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a rock band positioned front and center featuring Virginia Beach’s own Powell Randolph on drums - [Virginia Beach Artists Receive Grants From City](https://veermag.com/2026/05/virginia-beach-artists-receive-grants-from-city/) - Virginia Beach Art Center resident artist Michele Barnes By Jeff Maisey The city of Virginia Beach has once again stepped up its commitment to artists. Earlier this year it announced 28 local artists would receive financial grants in support of their work. Seventeen of the grantees have their recent works on view at an exhibition - [Figaro!: The Governor’s School for the Arts alum Will Liverman modernizes popular opera](https://veermag.com/2026/04/figaro-governors-school-alum-will-liverman-modernizes-popular-opera/) - (Will Liverman. Photo by Jaclyn Simpson.) By Jim Roberts Few characters in opera are as widely recognized as Figaro. From cartoons to commercials, the rapid-fire “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” from “The Barber of Seville” has become one of the most recognizable moments in classical music. Now, Virginia Beach native Will Liverman is reimagining that iconic character—and - [Alana Springsteen Returns to Her Pungo Roots](https://veermag.com/2026/04/alana-springsteen-returns-to-her-pungo-roots/) - By Jeff Maisey Up and coming contemporary country music recording artist Alana Springsteen returns to her hometown Saturday, April 25 for a free show on the 24th Street Stage as part of Beachevents’ Oceanfront Concert Series. Springsteen will showcase a lot of new material from her sophomore album, “I Hope This Helps,” due to be - [Symphony Hails Hailstork’s Genius](https://veermag.com/2026/04/symphony-hails-hailstorks-genius/) - By Montague Gammon III Hampton Roads’ two most accomplished, most famous and finest (classical) musicians meld their talents April 30 at Norfolk State’s Wilder Performing Arts Center for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra's “Happy Birthday, Hailstork” concert. JoAnn Falletta conducts seven works by Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III, PhD, thirteen days after he turns a still creative - [At Redmill, Roast Rider Catches Another Wave](https://veermag.com/2026/04/at-redmill-roast-rider-catches-another-wave/) - At their second Roast Rider, Wayne Richmon points out Seth Lubaton's mural merging a coffee motif with a VABeachVA vibe and Lisa immerses herself in "The Monk of Mokha" which mentions George Howell, one of their roasters. Photo credit: Annabelle Xanthos By Marisa Marsey As Wayne and Lisa Richmon prepared to launch their second Roast - [Finding Resonance: Kayce Laine Brings Sound Healing Home to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2026/04/finding-resonance-kayce-laine-brings-sound-healing-home-to-norfolk/) - By Jim Roberts When Kayce Laine saw her face on the digital marquee outside Scope Arena in Norfolk, she cried. “Growing up there, I always saw myself as being like a pop star,” she said. “I wanted to be on these stages doing pop music.” She will realize part of that lifelong dream April 25 - [Chameleons Tour Glowing Arctic Moon](https://veermag.com/2026/04/chameleons-tour-glowing-arctic-moon/) - (The Chameleons play Richmond Music Hall on Monday, April 20. Photo by Helen Millington.) By Jeff Maisey By age 21, in 1983, I had absorbed the music of The Beatles as a kid influenced by teenagers on the dead end street I was raised on. From this impressionable point I was on to early ‘70s - [Reimagining Piece of Eden on Virginia’s Eastern Shore](https://veermag.com/2026/04/reimagining-piece-of-eden-on-virginias-eastern-shore/) - (Cast of Piece of Eden. Photo courtesy of Sheila Vera.) By Sheila Vera On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, history does not feel distant. Along this narrow stretch of land between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, many places carry Algonquian names like Nassawadox, Chincoteague, Machipongo, and Kiptopeake, each a memory of the people who came - [World Premiere Destined for Greatness](https://veermag.com/2026/04/world-premiere-destined-for-greatness/) - (Jordan Williams and Edwin Green bring Redd Foxx and Malcolm X to life. Photo by Beth Dedman.) By Jerome Langston “This one feels really special because I have a new Foxy this time. I have a new co-star. And this guy just happens to be one of my best friends,” says actor Edwin Green, who - [John Lennon’s Lost Weekend Captured in Photos](https://veermag.com/2026/04/john-lennons-lost-weekend-captured-in-photos/) - (May Pang surrounded by her photographs of John Lennon. Photo by Scott Segelbaum.) By Jeff Maisey Funny thing happened on the long and winding road just past Penny Lane en route to a Madison Square Garden concert appearance with Elton John— former Beatle John Lennon was having the time of his life for an 18 - [New Era of Art & Community at Virginia MOCA](https://veermag.com/2026/04/new-era-of-art-community-at-virginia-moca/) - By Betsy DiJulio Virginia MOCA didn’t build a new museum. They built a new structure to house the museum they have been building all along. This month, after some two-and-a-half years of planning, MOCA opens its doors to a sleek, 35,000 square foot, purpose-built facility on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU). This new - [WAVY’s Jeff Myers Just Worked his Fifth Olympics, Bringing the Spirit of the Games Back to TV Audiences Across the Country](https://veermag.com/2026/04/wavys-jeff-myers-just-worked-his-fifth-olympics-bringing-the-spirit-of-the-games-back-to-tv-audiences-across-the-country/) - (Wavy 10’s Aesia Tolliver and Jeff Myers) By Joel Rubin Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps competed in five Olympics, winning 28 medals, 23 of them gold. WAVY TV’s chief photojournalist and news operations manager Jeff Myers has never swum, skied, run or “luged” in any summer or winter games, but like Phelps, he’s also been to - [ESSAY: Burnout](https://veermag.com/2026/04/essay-burnout/) - By Tom Robotham We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake… by an infinite expectation of the dawn. – Henry David Thoreau As I approach the age of 70, I’m growing more acutely aware of my diminished capacities. The physical limitations are especially pronounced. I never really cared for running, even when I ran - [Compelling Storytelling at the Heart of Primary Trust](https://veermag.com/2026/03/compelling-storytelling-at-the-heart-of-primary-trust/) - (LeVonte’ Herbert as Sam (tan shorts with cigarette in hand) and Brenden Wrenn as Kenneth. Photo courtesy of NSU Theatre Company.) By Jerome Langston “And when it was done, and the rights became available — I saw it online... I think I was in Walmart. And I stopped shopping. And I immediately applied for rights,” said NSU Theatre Company’s - [The Unequalled All Things Equal Returns](https://veermag.com/2026/03/the-unequalled-all-things-equal-returns/) - (Michelle Azar portrays Ruth Bader Ginsburg.) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Arts Festival brings back to Hampton Roads, March 29, the most important play that anyone in local audiences will see this year, and perhaps for many years to come. “All Things Equal – The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” by Tony - [Kamikaze cabaret goddess Meow Meow returning to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2026/03/kamikaze-cabaret-goddess-meow-meow-returning-to-norfolk/) - This Meow Meow loves milk too. Photo by Nicholas Harmony By Jim Roberts Meow Meow may not be a household name in the U.S., but in the world of cabaret, she’s a legend with an international following in cities like Sydney, London and Berlin. The day before we spoke, an Australian critic described her as - [Beer Has A Seat At The Table](https://veermag.com/2026/03/beer-has-a-seat-at-the-table/) - (Panelists at the Seat At The Table event at Sojourn Fermentory in Suffolk. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones One of the many things we love about the craft beer community is the camaraderie among those who work in the industry, bringing well-brewed beer of diverse styles and historical traditions to - [Dreams Come True with Joseph](https://veermag.com/2026/03/dreams-come-true-with-joseph/) - (The cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.) By Jerome Langston “It’s really been a dream come true honestly. Getting to work on this show has been a long-time goal. And getting to dive into it these past couple of weeks has been a real joy,” says director/choreographer, Billy Bustamante, who is in Norfolk for a few weeks to direct and choreograph Virginia - [Dance Theatre of Harlem Reignites Firebird](https://veermag.com/2026/03/dance-theatre-of-harlem-reignites-firebird/) - (Ariana Dickerson and Micah Bullard. Photo by Nir Areli) By Jerome Langston "We are preparing for our tour to France, which is about to happen right now. And then we follow that up by coming to Lorraine Graves’ hometown,” said Robert Garland, the artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, much earlier this week and very early during our lengthy phone chat that occurred on a - [ODU Students Moving Forward with Art](https://veermag.com/2026/03/odu-students-moving-forward-with-art/) - Students take a quick break during a Professor Emily Culver's metal-casting class. Photo courtesy of John Roth By Betsy DiJulio “Students had to unlearn going to school in pajamas without leaving their bedroom,” recalls Peter Eudenbach, a professor of art at ODU who chaired the department from 2016-2022 during the height of COVID. Seconds current - [ESSAY: Winning Isn’t Everything](https://veermag.com/2026/03/essay-winning-isnt-everything/) - By Tom Robotham On March 25, the Yankees and the Giants will kick off the 2026 baseball season. The next day, the other 28 major league teams will join the action. Normally, I’d be excited about this. As I’ve noted in this space before, baseball is my favorite sport, by far. Over the last seven - [Roberta Lea Curates Too Much of a Woman Festival](https://veermag.com/2026/03/roberta-lea-curates-too-much-of-a-woman-festival/) - (Singer/songwriter Roberta Lea. Photo by AJ Elliot.) By Jeff Maisey Local singer/songwriter Roberta Lea, a winner of numerous Veer Music Awards, has programmed a dynamic new indoor festival in celebration of women in the arts, business, community leaders, poets, writers, and songwriters. Named after her 2024 album, “Too Much of a Woman,” the event happens - [ART: Focusing on the Future](https://veermag.com/2026/03/art-focusing-on-the-future/) - (Do Ho Suh, Specimen Series: Refrigerator, Apartment A, 348 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011, USA, 2013. Polyester fabric, stainless steel wire, glass display case with LED lighting; Edition of 3. Courtesy Gazelli Art House, LTD.) By Betsy DiJulio Recently, Lucas Matheson, curator at the CNU’s Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center, generously agreed - [Sensual BalletX Marks 20th Year, Opens 2026 Virginia Arts Festival](https://veermag.com/2026/03/sensual-balletx-marks-20th-year-opens-2026-virginia-arts-festival/) - By Montague Gammon III Sensual and athletic, classically trained and purposefully innovative, Philadelphia’s much praised contemporary ballet company, BalletX, joins the long list of exceptional dance troupes brought to Hampton Roads by the Virginia Arts Festival. Their March 5 concert at Chrysler Hall will mark the Connie and Marc Jacobson Opening Night Celebration of the - [RESULTS: 2026 VEER Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2026/02/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 “Elements,” Music Video of the Year with “This Good?” and Griffin won - [Little Known Virginia History Comes Alive in Opera](https://veermag.com/2026/01/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 of “Intelligence,” said company Artistic Director Adam Turner. Imagine a Civil War - [Balancing Brahms and Schumann](https://veermag.com/2026/03/balancing-brahms-and-schumann/) - Joshua Bell and Academy of St Martin in the Fields by Christian Meuwly By Jeff Maisey The world’s most in-demand violinist will lead the legendary Academy of St Martin in the Fields through a program featuring Brahms and Schumann March 7 at CNU’s Ferguson Center and March 8 at Sandler Center for the Arts. In - [The Dome By Rutter Mills Announced](https://veermag.com/2026/02/the-dome-by-rutter-mills-announced/) - (Brother Rutter announces his law firm’s new naming sponsorship with The Dome. Photo by Melissa Dawn.) By Jeff Maisey The Dome in Virginia Beach has a new name — The Dome by Rutter Mills — and an expanded mission. The original Dome, officially named the Alan B. Shepard Convention Center, has been memorialized for the - [Danish Swing Joins Grammy-Winning Jazz Vocalist](https://veermag.com/2026/02/danish-swing-joins-grammy-winning-jazz-vocalist/) - (Cecile McLorin Salvant. Photo by Ebru Yildi) By Jerome Langston As part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s deep commitment to presenting world-class jazz music, the current season of the festival features some wonderful jazz offerings; including vocalist Anais Reno with the John Toomey trio at the Attucks jazz club next month. Earlier this month Virginia’s own René Marie, who is - [“Come On In My Kitchen” with The Virginia Beer Company](https://veermag.com/2026/02/come-on-in-my-kitchen-with-the-virginia-beer-company/) - (Robby Willey and Chris Smith. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Christopher Jones Robert Johnson’s blues masterpiece “Come On In My Kitchen” is a metaphor for sanctuary. The wind is howling and it’s raining outdoors. The kitchen in the song represents a warm, safe haven of protection from the harsh elements, both literal - [Charlie’s Middle Eastern: That Cauli by Golly](https://veermag.com/2026/02/charlies-middle-eastern-that-cauli-by-golly/) - (Devine Cauliflower dish is a vegan’s wish come true. Photo by Betsy DiJulio) By Betsy DiJulio Are you like me: always looking for something interesting to order in a restaurant without having to omit everything that makes it order-worthy? We vegans have bounteous options in the many ethnic restaurants in our region but, otherwise, - [Cool Flames Café is a Winner](https://veermag.com/2026/02/cool-flames-cafe-is-a-winner/) - (Tikka Masala pizza is one of the signature Indian-inspired pies distinguishing Cool Flames Café) By Marisa Marsey Give me a Cool! Give me a Flames! Give me a Café! What have you got? A friendly, family-owned spot, opened last spring in Norfolk’s Best Square, sporting a curious name. But check it out, and you’ll see - [ESSAY: Furry Friends](https://veermag.com/2026/02/essay-furry-friends/) - By Tom Robotham When I was a child, I longed for an animal companion: a horse, a dog, or at least a cat. A horse was unrealistic because our suburban yard was too small, and—let’s face it—they’re expensive to care for. Plenty of our neighbors had dogs, on the other hand, but my mother wouldn’t - [Naro Minded: The Duo Who Defined a Neighborhood](https://veermag.com/2026/02/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 Cinema on Colley Avenue in Norfolk. “We feel like the - [The Superpower of Wait Until Dark](https://veermag.com/2026/01/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 to already see - [At Atlantic Park: Surf’s Up…Order’s Up, Too](https://veermag.com/2026/01/at-atlantic-park-surfs-uporders-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 sate a slate of appetites. The first four to open are stunning, charismatic - [Discovering the Art of Samuel Kahn](https://veermag.com/2026/01/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 Dickenson was a self-taught writer. It doesn’t begin to paint the whole picture. Both lived in intellectually - [ESSAY: Mind the Gap](https://veermag.com/2026/01/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 Reed Show with my sister beside me - [2026 VEER Music Awards Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2026/01/2026-veer-music-awards-nominees-announced/) - [et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text]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 musicians who officially released a single, EP, album, or music video. Throughout - [Posed Photography Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2025/12/posed-photography-nominees-announced-2/) - 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 Syndicate” Peter Slavov, “Tiara & His Precious Gemstones” Patricia Tsitera, “Nested For Rest” - [Muscarelle Museum Made Over](https://veermag.com/2025/12/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 and some 18,000 square feet of space. In February of this year, the - [Music Video of the Year Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2025/12/music-video-of-the-year-nominees-announced-2/) - 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, “Fake Friends” Emily Fraser, “Backyard Getaway” Chris Brydge/Tim Seibles, “Little Star - [AI/Animated Music Videos of the Year Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2025/12/aai-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 Galactic Edge” Peppos-Jones Band, “Gotta Do’s” - [Live Photography Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2025/12/live-photography-nominees-announced-2/) - 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 Halloween” Aria Maisey, “Gabe Niles as James Brown” Daniel Simmons, “Spikepit at - [RESULTS: VEER’s 2025 Golden Tap Awards](https://veermag.com/2025/12/results-veers-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, and one point for bronze. The current 2025 calendar year was akin to - [ESSAY: Reading As an Act of Love](https://veermag.com/2025/12/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 were manifold. For me, it was an - [NEWS: Veer Magazine’s Golden Tap Awards Ceremony](https://veermag.com/2025/11/news-veer-magazines-golden-tap-awards-ceremony/) - The Golden Taps Awards ceremony will be held Monday, December 1 at 6:00 PM at Big Ugly Brewing Company in Chesapeake. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awards in nearly 40 categories including IPA, Stout, and Pale Ale to breweries in the 757 region. Admission is FREE to attend. Come out and strike up - [Laughter Divides Sorrow, Not People, on the Palace Theatre Stage](https://veermag.com/2025/11/laughter-divides-sorrow-not-people-on-the-palace-theatre-stage/) - Tony and Karla Robinson as George and Judy Kimball in Arts Enter Cape Charles' production of Send Me No Flowers. Photo credit: Chris Roll By Sheila Vera “Especially during a time when we’re so divided, we strive to find plays that draw the community together,” says Clelia Sheppard, director of Arts Enter’s latest production, Send Me - [An Enchanting Christmas with Sarah Brightman](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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. "Christmas has always held a special place in my heart. Since I was - [Samichlaus Tapping at The Bier Garden](https://veermag.com/2025/11/samichlaus-tapping-at-the-bier-garden-2/) - 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 candies, fruit, and coins by Ol’ St. Nick. - [A Merry Little Christmas Carol](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 Little Christmas Carol, the celebrated theater company’s long-running annual tradition, which reliably packs audiences into - [Smooth Jazz Christmas with Dave Koz & Friends](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 at CNU's Ferguson Center for the Arts on - [The Hurrah Players prepare two holiday shows on consecutive weekends](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 after 41 years of serving Hampton Roads, the Hurrah Players have built the talent, - [Beer Buzz in the 757](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 chapter of The Pink Boots Society’s “Inspiration In Every Pour” initiative. The idea - [Nuts for Nutcracker Ballets](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 presentation. “The Nutcracker” is one of the most beloved performing arts experiences of the holiday - [Get Down with KC and the Sunshine Band](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 their chest hair. Women favored sequined halterneck - [Vegan Delight Where Cali Meets Colley at the Cantina](https://veermag.com/2025/11/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 Vegan” as their specialties and I would concur. Shaping local - [Anita Bradley’s Wearable Art](https://veermag.com/2025/11/anita-bradleys-wearable-art/) - By Jeff Maisey Artist Anita Bradley has taken her vibrantly colorful abstract paintings in a whole new direction — literally from canvas to the fabric you wear out to dinner. The idea came to her four years ago after a long career in interior design and as a visual artist. “I thought my paintings would - [A Walk in the Woods](https://veermag.com/2025/11/a-walk-in-the-woods/) - 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. In the woods, is perpetual youth. – Ralph Waldo Emerson One of my great fortunes in life is that I grew up in the woods. There’s a sharp - [ART REVIEW: Intersections in Abstract Paintings](https://veermag.com/2025/10/art-review-intersections-in-abstract-paintings/) - James Williams, “On the Other Side of the Bridge No. 3,” Mixed Media on Canvas, 40” x 60" By Betsy DiJulio In our digital world, in which comparisons are often linked with the negative emotions around FOMO, here you are expressly invited to compare. Intentionally juxtaposed to encourage a kind of mental Venn Diagram, the abstract - [An Exhibition Celebrating the 150th Birthday of Susan Watkins & Other Lesser Known Women Artists](https://veermag.com/2025/10/an-exhibition-celebrating-the-150th-birthday-of-susan-watkins-other-lesser-known-women-artists/) - Susan Watkins (American, 1875–1913), Le Five O’Clock (Tea), ca. 1903, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Miles By Jeff Maisey Chances are you’ve never heard of American artist Susan Watkins. You likely had no idea she lived on Duke Street in Norfolk, died at age 38, and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. Some - [ESSAY: Future Shock](https://veermag.com/2025/10/essay-future-shock/) - By Tom Robotham Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about artificial intelligence and its potential impact on society. On one end of the spectrum is the grim scenario of robots taking over and either enslaving the human race or wiping us out altogether. This nightmare has long been the stuff of science fiction, notably in - [Smartmouth To Close Norfolk Location](https://veermag.com/2025/10/smartmouth-to-close-norfolk-location/) - (Porter Hardy outside the Smartmouth Pilot House in 2017) By Jeff Maisey On the eve of its 13th anniversary weekend, founding owner/president Porter Hardy IV announced Smartmouth Brewing Company would be closing its original location in Norfolk by the end of this year. The announcement came as a surprise to many commenting on social media. - [Soweto Gospel Choir Spreads Joy, Peace and Happiness](https://veermag.com/2025/10/soweto-gospel-choir-spreads-joy-peace-and-happiness/) - By Jerome Langston “I’ve been a fan of this music since I was a kid,” says Robert Cross, Executive Director and artistic director of the Virginia Arts Festival, referring to gospel music — which he became immersed in through the local scene of gospel choirs here in Hampton Roads, back in the seventies he tells - [Stockard to Shine in Ain’t Misbehavin’ Director’s Chair](https://veermag.com/2025/09/stockard-to-shine-in-aint-misbehavin-directors-chair/) - (Director Anthony Mark Stockard) By Jerome Langston “But ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ is a song I sang a lot, and it used to be my go to audition song,” recalls Anthony Mark Stockard, university professor and NSU Theatre Company’s producing artistic director, during a recent afternoon chat at Norfolk’s historic Wells Theatre. “Honeysuckle Rose” is a Fats - [Queen of Soul Gets Symphonic Boost](https://veermag.com/2025/09/queen-of-soul-gets-symphonic-boost/) - (Capathia Jenkins is sensational singing Aretha Franklin hits) By Jerome Langston "I have the best airport in the world. The busiest airport in the world, right? So I can get, almost anywhere, on a direct flight from Atlanta because it’s Delta’s hub,” says Broadway star, Capathia Jenkins, during the beginning of our phone chat, earlier - [Nourish Your Soul](https://veermag.com/2025/09/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 yogini, but I would want this cookbook at my - [ESSAY: A Bridge Too Far](https://veermag.com/2025/09/essay-a-bridge-too-far/) - By Tom Robotham Seven years ago, I wrote an essay reflecting on a sudden anxiety attack I’d had while driving over the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The attack was wholly unexpected. I’d driven over that bridge countless times, without a thought. This time, I felt as if I were on the verge of passing out. The - [Oktoberfest 2025](https://veermag.com/2025/09/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 Sax-Hildburghausen in Munich, Germany. Citizens of the city were - [WAR Headlines Neptune Festival](https://veermag.com/2025/09/war-headlines-neptune-festival/) - By Jeff Maisey Many of you know the classic hit songs from the band WAR — “Low Rider,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Summer,” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” What you may not recall is the musical crossover group from Southern California known for weaving elements funk, jazz, Latin, rock and reggae was originally fronted by - [Last Stop on the O’Jays Love Train](https://veermag.com/2025/09/last-stop-on-the-ojays-love-train/) - By Jeff Maisey The O’Jays are one of America’s most beloved old school soul and R&B groups. You no doubt know the songs from radio play and television commercials: “Love Train,” “I Love Music,” “Use Ta Be My Girl,” and “Backstabbers.” Perhaps their 1973 hit, “For The Love of Money,” encapsulates their career looking back - [How Soon Is Now, Johnny Marr?](https://veermag.com/2025/09/how-soon-is-now-johnny-marr/) - (The Smiths’ iconic guitarist is coming to Norfolk. Photo by Heiko DeWees By Jim Roberts How much money would it take for Johnny Marr and Stephen Patrick Morrissey to reunite and tour as The Smiths? According to recent reports, $75 million wasn’t enough to get them back together. Marr, the band’s guitarist, confirmed the news - [Jaleel Shaw Opens Fall Jazz Series Season at The Attucks](https://veermag.com/2025/09/jaleel-shaw-opens-fall-jazz-series-season-at-the-attucks/) - By Jerome Langston When I reached jazz saxophonist Jaleel Shaw for our phone chat a few days ago, the Philadelphia native was navigating the running of errands around the city in New Jersey — and was especially zeroed in on the need to drop off a suit at a local dry cleaner, for an upcoming - [Z Creativity Honors](https://veermag.com/2025/09/z-creativity-honors/) - By Jim Roberts The Zeiders American Dream Theater—better known as “the Z”—is marking its 10th anniversary in 2025. To reflect on the milestone and what the theater has meant to the community, Veer Magazine spoke with founder and namesake Mike Zeiders. Veer Magazine: Your background is in business. What was your involvement in the arts - [Broadway Show Brings Beautiful Noise of Neil Diamond to Life](https://veermag.com/2025/09/broadway-show-brings-beautiful-noise-of-neil-diamond-to-life/) - Nick Fradiani as 'Neil - Then' (center) and 'The Noise' in “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.” Photo credit Jeremy Daniel. By Jim Roberts “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” ran for less than two years on Broadway, but a national tour featuring “American Idol” winner Nick Fradiani as “Neil Then” and Drama - [REVIEW: Laufey in Concert](https://veermag.com/2025/09/review-laufey-in-concert/) - Words by By Montague Gammon III Photo by Jeff Moore The jam-packed opening night Chartway Arena-Virginia Arts Festival concert called “Laufey: A Night at the Symphony with Virginia Symphony Orchestra,” provided this opera and classical music (and classic rock and ‘60s folk) fan with some revelations. There's many a pop or rock star who does - [A Taste of Honey](https://veermag.com/2025/08/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 brewery extends to its own beehives and various informative on-site demonstrations - [REVIEW: “Bitter Wine, Sweet Melons”](https://veermag.com/2025/08/review-bitter-wine-sweet-melons/) - By Montague Gammon III The recently released memoir, “Bitter Wine, Sweet Melons,” very appropriately subtitled “Suffering Loss & Savoring Life,” by my VEER, and formerly “Hampton Roads Magazine,” co-worker Betsy DiJulio, is a series of “largely chronological” essays related to the deaths of her husband of almost a quarter century, the surviving member of two - [ESSAY: A Message to My Students](https://veermag.com/2025/08/essay-a-message-to-my-students/) - By Tom Robotham As the fall semester approaches, I find myself thinking about what I want to say to my students on the first day of class. Typically, that first meeting is brief. I review the syllabus, talk a bit about the purpose of the course, then let them go. This year, though—given the weightiness - [ESSAY: The Geography of Intimacy](https://veermag.com/2025/08/essay-the-geography-of-intimacy/) - By Tom Robotham Recently, I mentioned to a close friend that I would characterize myself as an introvert, and he was surprised. Like a lot of people, he seemed to equate introversion with shyness, and I can be quite outgoing at times. To Carl Jung, who coined the term, it meant something quite different. Most - [An Evening of Songs, Stories and Wild Tales with Graham Nash](https://veermag.com/2025/07/an-evening-of-songs-stories-and-wild-tales-with-graham-nash/) - (Graham Nash’s 2013 autobiography “Wild Tales” is a fabulous example of his storytelling brilliance.) By Jeff Maisey No matter how simple or complex every song has a story behind it, and inspiration for its creation. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash were seemingly always been in tune with their surroundings on both personal and - [Still Making Sense of Remain in Light](https://veermag.com/2025/07/still-making-sense-of-remain-in-light/) - Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew revisit the classic Talking Heads album “Remain in Light” on the 31st Street Stage at the Oceanfront. Photo courtesy of Remain in Light By Jim Roberts The Talking Heads aren’t reuniting, but Virginia Beach is one of only seven cities in the U.S. that will experience the next best thing - [Wasserhund NFK](https://veermag.com/2025/07/wasserhund-nfk/) - Get ready Norfolk, Wasserhund Brewing Company is coming to town and plans to bed-down at the former District Pizza location on Granby Street in the Railroad District. “If everything works in our favor, Wasserhund will open in autumn,” shared Aaron Holley, co-founder and production lead of the brewery. “The concept will be a sour house, but - [Top 50 Local Songs of 2025 (So Far)](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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, R&B, country, metal, reggae….you get the idea. Following are our picks - [Glowing Native Glassworks](https://veermag.com/2025/07/glowing-native-glassworks/) - Angela Babby (Lakota, born 1964) Melt: Prayers for the People and the Planet, 2019 Kiln-fired vitreous enamel on glass mosaic on tile board, Image courtesy of Angela Babby, Photo by Angela Babby, © Angela Babby. By Betsy DiJulio With a title like Clearly Indigenous, the temptation is to extend the pun with descriptions like “groundbreaking” - [Blending Art and Life](https://veermag.com/2025/07/blending-art-and-life/) - (Artist Hunter Thomas) By Staff After some 43 years as a nationally acclaimed folk art institution, the Nancy Thomas Gallery has rebranded as aht ARTS with a tagline “Blending Art and Life.” “I have wanted to do it for a while but I just hadn’t had the nerve,” said Hunter Thomas, the daughter of Nancy - [New President and CEO for Virginia Symphony](https://veermag.com/2025/07/new-president-and-ceo-for-virginia-symphony/) - Shannon Kelly succeeds Dr. Andrea Warren as President and CEO of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO). Kelly joined the VSO in 2023 as its Vice President of Development. Previously, she worked in leadership at Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. “It is a tremendous privilege to lead the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as its next - [Virginia Opera Inks Schaefer and Turner](https://veermag.com/2025/07/virginia-opera-inks-schaefer-and-turner/) - After serving six months as Interim General Director, John-Paul Schaefer has been officially appointed General Director and CEO of Virginia Opera. “I am honored to be entrusted with this role at such an important moment for Virginia Opera,” said Schaefer. “Our mission is more vital than ever—to bring bold, relevant, and artistically excellent opera to - [Threatened by Rising Waters, Norfolk Museum Fights Back](https://veermag.com/2025/07/threatened-by-rising-waters-norfolk-museum-fights-back/) - The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, sits at the culmination of The Hague, an inlet of the Elizabeth River. (Photo by Jim Morrison for the Virginia Mercury) By Jim Morrison When Erik Neil moved to Norfolk to become president of the Chrysler Museum of Art, he’d experienced the threat posed by the climate - [Sensational Samara](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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 the expected stand-out concert performances as part of the current season of our prestigious - [Playtime: Toys and Art](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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 children, though they may not be aware, playing with toys fuels - [CONCERT PREVIEW: The Band Perry](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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 Country Duo/Group Performance in 2015, they’ve been relatively - [ESSAY: Power](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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 I’m getting old, and I can’t help noticing - [REVIEW: Black Sabbath The Ballet Thrills in American Debut](https://veermag.com/2025/06/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 American debut of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s - [Shining Light on Jazz Vocalists](https://veermag.com/2025/06/shining-light-on-jazz-vocalists-2/) - (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 Virginia Beach. With 4 days of programming - [Dancing to Iron Man](https://veermag.com/2025/05/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 of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s surprising “Black Sabbath – The Ballet” May 30-31 - [Renée Fleming Gives a Great Voice to Nature](https://veermag.com/2025/05/renee-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 June 1, and to the very building in which she had her - [Ace Frehley Brings 10,000 Volts & More](https://veermag.com/2025/05/ace-frehley-brings-10000-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 Groove,” “Gimme A Feelin’,” and “Rockin’ with - [Pickin’ Some Blackgrass with Swamp Dogg](https://veermag.com/2025/05/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 Swamp Dogg as a hero," he says on a call to his Northridge - [VA Fest Chamber Music: Nine for the Ages](https://veermag.com/2025/05/va-fest-chamber-music-nine-for-the-ages/) - ( Zemlinsky Quartet by Ilona Sochorová) By Montague Gammon III A prodigy composer and piano virtuoso, a crusty old alcoholic and a middle-aged deaf musician who turned the musical world on its figurative and maybe literal ear, are all one colossus who still bestrides the world of Classical music 198 years after his too early - [ESSAY: On Masculinity](https://veermag.com/2025/05/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 Fuller, Woman in the 19th Century, 1845 Lately, I’ve - [Ripchord: Modern twist on “The Odd Couple” Coming to Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2025/05/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 “Frasier.” “It is indeed peppy half-hour television fare that most frequently comes to mind - [Three Dog Night Opens The Dome](https://veermag.com/2025/04/three-dog-night-opens-the-dome/) - (Founding singer Danny Hutton. Photo courtesy of Three Dog Night) By Jeff Maisey In 1993, hitmakers Three Dog Night were the last band to headline the Virginia Beach Dome, but don’t expect founding singer Danny Hutton to necessarily remember the venue. “If you showed me a picture of the back door I might remember it,” - [Punch Brothers Start Tour in VA Beach](https://veermag.com/2025/05/punch-brothers/) - By Jim Roberts Punch Brothers have performed all over Virginia—from FloydFest to Richmond to Wolftrap, but they’ve never been to Hampton Roads. That will change on May 13, when the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band performs at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach. Even Chris Eldridge, the band’s virtuoso guitarist, who grew - [L.A. Guns Blazing Again](https://veermag.com/2025/05/l-a-guns-blazing-again/) - By Jim Morrison Tracii Guns briefly was part of a marriage of Los Angeles bands named Guns N' Roses, but he left before fame arrived to found Sunset Strip sleaze metal group L.A. Guns. While he has been in and out of other groups over the last 40 years, he's always returned to the Guns, - [Very Peculiar Sounding](https://veermag.com/2025/05/very-peculiar-sounding/) - By Jeff Maisey In mid-May, post indie Brit-pop sensation Vinny Peculiar will release a new collection of songs under the album title “Things Too Often Left Unsaid,” but not before he vacations in Norfolk (Virginia) — of all places — to visit with friends. While in Mermaid City, Peculiar, sticking with tradition, will perform a - [In Deep with John Moreland](https://veermag.com/2025/04/in-deep-with-john-moreland/) - (John Moreland. Image by byAngelina Castillo.) By Jim Morrison For a decade, John Moreland pursued his dream. He'd evolved from playing in a hardcore band to a singer/songwriter who brought audiences to tears. He made a stunning appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Critics at The New York Times, The New Yorker and - [Ancient Musical Thrill with The Tallis Scholars](https://veermag.com/2025/04/ancient-musical-thrill-with-the-tallis-scholars/) - By Montague Gammon III Prime Virginia Arts Festival favorites, the British a cappella early music vocal group called The Tallis Scholars, returns to Hampton Roads for a 500th birth-year celebration — at Norfolk’s Christ and St. Lukes Episcopal Church — of the man who just might be the most influential composer of all time. They - [ESSAY: Daily News](https://veermag.com/2025/04/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 expressed their distrust of mainstream news organizations—a view that got me - [Revved Up Rick Mersel Has Book Ready to Go](https://veermag.com/2025/04/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 live band Virginia Beach club The Bayou, working - [A Foray into Fauré](https://veermag.com/2025/04/a-foray-into-faure/) - (A 1903 photograph of French composer Gabriel Fauré.) By Montague Gammon III A double-dozen dose of seldom heard music comes to the Larchmont United Methodist Church April 26 to honor French composer Gabriel Fauré with the closing concert of the Norfolk Chamber Consort’s 55th season. The occasion is Fauré’s 180th Birthday on May 12. The - [A Landmark American Opera](https://veermag.com/2025/04/a-landmark-american-opera/) - (Opera vocalist Flora Hawk) By Montague Gammon III The most important show to take the stage at the Harrison Opera House since the US premiere of composer Thea Musgrave’s Mary Queen of Scots in 1978 and the world premiere of her Christmas Carol in 1979, maybe even since Diana Soviero debuted as Violetta in Traviata - [VA Stage Closes Season with Every Brilliant Thing](https://veermag.com/2025/04/va-stage-closes-season-with-every-brilliant-thing/) - (Actress Anna Sosa) By Jerome Langston “Every Brilliant Thing is a play that I have seen more often than any other play that I’ve directed,” says Tom Quaintance, the Producing Artistic Director of Virginia Stage Company, during a recent phone chat earlier this week. It’s quite the striking statement from this long-time AD and theatre - [That’s Kosher!](https://veermag.com/2025/04/thats-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 little house on the corner of Granby and 18th Streets, long - [Visual Art Calendar](https://veermag.com/2025/04/visual-art-calendar/) - (On view at Chrysler Museum of Art: Greta Pratt (American, born 1955), “Juneteenth Celebration,” 2023 Archival pigment print © Greta Pratt) Compiled by Staff “Greta Pratt: Jamestown Is Sinking” Through July 27 Chrysler Museum of Art Greta Pratt’s photographic series Jamestown is Sinking explores the disparities and connections between climate change and colonialism in Virginia’s - [ART: Fun with Ceramics](https://veermag.com/2025/04/art-fun-with-ceramics/) - (Walter McConnell’s “Theory of Everything.” Courtesy of the artist and Cross MacKenzie Gallery.) By Betsy DiJulio From the shelves of the local dollar store to the rarefied environs of the world’s most prestigious museums, ceramics run the gamut and are ubiquitous features in our lives. But, other than potters or collectors, most people don’t think - [A Cultural Revival](https://veermag.com/2025/04/a-cultural-revival/) - By Jerome Langston It was on a very recent Friday morning, when the great Wynton Marsalis told me, during a Zoom call, that I have “a young sound. If you’re older, congratulations. You found the fountain of vocal youth.” I mean... that compliment will likely stay with me for the remainder of my days. - [Virginia Beach’s ViBe District Celebrates 10 Years in 2025](https://veermag.com/2025/04/virginia-beachs-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 artists are showcased, and dozens of diverse events take place - [VEER's Top 10 This Week Playlist](https://veermag.com/2025/04/veers-top-10-this-week-playlist/) - Check out this week's Top 10 playlist from 757 region recording artists - [GRAMMY Winner Curates and Creates Music](https://veermag.com/2025/04/grammy-winner-curates-and-creates-music/) - By Montague Gammon III One of the most acclaimed of contemporary composers, the 2024 GRAMMY winner for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Jessie Montgomery, who’s also a prime instrumentalist and who just happens to have a real, albeit distant, familial Norfolk connection, takes the stage April 15 at the Virginia Arts Festival’s Downtown Norfolk home for - [MOMIX Alice: Technicolor Masterpiece for All Ages](https://veermag.com/2025/03/momix-alice-technicolor-masterpiece-for-all-ages/) - By Montague Gammon III Virginia Arts Festival’s entrancing presentation of MOMIX: Alice hits all the marks for dance and theater fans, for people who delight in beauty of all sorts, for parents who want to entertain offspring – provided mom and dad do not mind being begged for dance lessons for days and days to - [All Fired Up -- Perry Glass Studio](https://veermag.com/2025/03/all-fired-up/) - 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 seal the windows as the house lights completely dim. The floor level - [Bach to the Future and Jupiter Too](https://veermag.com/2025/03/bach-to-the-future-and-jupiter-too/) - Flutist Demarre McGill will solo on C.P.E. Bach’s most famous flute concerto. Photo by Carlin Ma. By Montague Gammon III A genuinely out-of-this-world little symphony begins each concert in the March 28-30 series of Virginia Symphony Orchestra performances in Norfolk, Newport News and Virginia Beach. Led by VSO Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins, the concerts - [ART REVIEW: Smooth Sailing on the Plastic Sea](https://veermag.com/2025/03/art-smooth-sailing-on-the-plastic-sea/) - Duke Riley, Cob Dock & the Red Hook Lady Fliers (detail), 2017. Wood, tin, roofing tar, latex paint, slip cast ceramic pigeons and performance ephemera from Fly by Night. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Nye’ Lyn Tho Photograph By Betsy DiJulio If you search online for “Duke Riley,” the first person who pops up - [ART: What She Wore, What She Bore](https://veermag.com/2025/03/art-what-she-wore-what-she-bore/) - By Betsy DiJulio This is the story of how the contemporary art trope of the “empty dress,” symbolizing both presence and absence, connected three high school juniors and an ODU professor through a shared passion for women’s social justice. The students—Adaline Scott and Ella Stufflebeem with assistance from Olivia Kohler—are all Global Affairs Fellows - [Live it Up](https://veermag.com/2025/03/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 word that David Johansen, founding - [Come Together Over Little Shop of Horrors](https://veermag.com/2025/03/come-together-over-little-shop-of-horrors/) - REHEARSAL SCENE: Audrey Seymour (Cree Carrico) and Urchins (Nikki Wilson, Jhayda Washington, ShaaNi Dent) Photo by Samuel Flint By Jerome Langston Arriving at the Wells Theatre on a recent Friday afternoon, I spotted theater artist Melissa Mowry, who directed Virginia Stage Company’s clever and highly entertaining, feminist production of Dracula, just a few months ago - [A Taste of Joy](https://veermag.com/2025/02/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 unconventionally stylish thanks to sleek purple eyeglasses) deliberately slides a spatula under a - [Cancer Survivor Sam Hunter Has Brought Open Faced Goodness and Healthy Drinks to Summit Pointe](https://veermag.com/2025/02/cancer-survivor-sam-hunter-has-brought-open-faced-goodness-and-healthy-drinks-to-summit-pointe/) - Samaria Hunter By Joel Rubin Toastique Gourmet Toast and Juice Bar (www.toastique.com) is a 21st century breakfast/lunch place. With hearty helpings of such ingredients as avocado, smoked salmon, lump crab, peanut butter, Tuscan tuna, and ricotta atop healthy sourdough and other breads, plus filling bowls called Mango Tango, Cocolada, PB+B and OG Acai, seven - [50 Years of Arlo On Your Radio](https://veermag.com/2025/02/50-years-of-arlo-on-your-radio/) - (Arlo working the board before his 10 AM to 3 PM mid-day shift in February 2025. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey “The enormity of the importance of Mike Arlo in our lives can best be described by imagining what the past 50 years would have been like without him: as unimaginable as life - [2025 VEER Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2025/01/2025-veer-music-awards-2/) - Some info for those attending the 2025 VEER Music Awards. The event is this SUNDAY, February 2 at Elevation 27 in Virginia Beach. TIME: Doors open at 5 PM. Show starts at 6 PM sharp. The program generally runs 3 hours. PARKING: The large Wal-Mart parking lot across the street is available. The venue has an - [2025 Veer Music Awards Results](https://veermag.com/2025/02/2025-veer-music-awards-results/) - By Jeff Maisey A capacity crowd was treated to a memorable night at Elevation 27 where local musicians were recognized and 757 region bands paid musical homage to the legends who performed at the original Virginia Beach Dome. Here are the final results. Album of the Year WINNER: Jared Farrell, “The Lunatic Messiah” Honorable - [Saxophones Take Center Stage for Attucks Jazz Series](https://veermag.com/2025/02/saxophones-take-center-stage-for-attucks-jazz-series/) - (Steve Wilson. Photo by John Abbott) By Jerome Langston “That was my first time really getting to know him,” says well-known saxophonist, Walter Blanding, about interacting with jazz pianist John Toomey, during the rehearsal for the newly formed Attucks Jazz Orchestra, back in May of last year. Organized and directed by Jazz at Lincoln Center’s - [Williamsburg Symphony celebrating 40th anniversary](https://veermag.com/2025/02/williamsburg-symphony-celebrating-40th-anniversary/) - (Michael Butterman conducts the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra. Image by Kim Kiely Photography.) By Jim Roberts Dr. Jon E. Krapfl was a loyal subscriber to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 20 years. So loyal, in fact, that even after he moved to Williamsburg in the late 1990s, he would fly back to the Windy City for - [ESSAY: Sounds of Silence](https://veermag.com/2025/02/essay-sounds-of-silence/) - By Tom Robotham For the last decade or so, I’ve been in the habit of turning on CNN first thing in the morning, and letting it run for hours until it was time head to campus for afternoon classes. Often, it was background chatter while I prepared lectures, graded papers or attended to various household - [Money and Love, Class and Deceit: It’s Comic Opera!](https://veermag.com/2025/02/money-and-love-class-and-deceit-its-comic-opera/) - (Soprano Keely Flutterer in a past performance of Rinaldo, Armida. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.) By Montague Gammon III The post-Valentines Day Virginia Opera production of Così fan Tutte, Mozart’s comic tale of tested love and strained fidelity, harkens not just to the roots, but to the very first sown seeds of Virginia Opera. Stage director - [Sisters Light Up VMT Annie](https://veermag.com/2025/02/sisters-light-up-vmt-annie/) - (Rainier Treviño as Annie and Georgie as Sandy. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for Murphymade.) By Montague Gammon III Virginia Musical Theatre’s February production of the wildly popular musical Annie at the Sandler Center marks a homecoming for the local actress in the title role. That’s 12-year-old Rainey Treviño. She’s teamed with 8 year old sister - [For Valentine’s, I Present My New Love: “Easy Weeknight Dinners”](https://veermag.com/2025/02/for-valentines-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 and she acknowledges that “even if you like - [Black Music & Cuisine at the Heart of Fat Ham](https://veermag.com/2025/01/black-music-cuisine-at-the-heart-of-fat-ham/) - Director Jerrell L. Henderson By Jerome Langston “James Ijames is one of the best actors that you will ever see in your life,” surprisingly says Chicago-based play director, Jerrell L. Henderson, who is in town to direct Ijames’s best-known play, Fat Ham, for Virginia Stage Company’s current 46th season. It’s a cool, mid-week evening - [Big Ugly Celebrates Big 10](https://veermag.com/2025/01/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 outside, but Big Ugly’s throwing an tropical island party featuring the - [Grateful Dead Air](https://veermag.com/2025/01/grateful-dead-air/) - By Jim Morrison The fourth installment of Dead Air, a cavalcade of Grateful Dead covers that brings together artists from across the Commonwealth, had its roots in Cincinnati. Mark Keefe, radio station WNRN's program director, was a college student at Xavier University when he got the idea to program a benefit of Who covers called - [ESSAY: Lost & Found](https://veermag.com/2025/01/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 Ghent, surrounded by Sweetgum trees and - [Instrumental Lifeline from Hampton to Swannanoa](https://veermag.com/2024/12/instrumental-lifeline-from-hampton-to-swannanoa/) - (L-R) Chris Jaconson, Roberta Lea, Kelly Murphy, Bobby Black Hat Walters, Karen Benson, and Karl Werne raised $7,700 to benefit musicians in need recovering from Hurricane Helene. By Jim Morrison Bobby Jaramillo arose early, as usual, on a September morning in the building that was home, studio, and storage building for an extensive collection of - [TINA Preview](https://veermag.com/2024/12/tina-preview/) - (Jayna Elise as Tina Turner in TINA - The Tina Turner Musical - Photo By Julieta Cervantes) By Jerome Langston "She’s an absolute legend,” says singer/actress Jayna Elise, about the iconic Rock & Roll Queen, Tina Turner. “She had such tenacity and just perseverance. And I think that really gets highlighted in this adaptation that - [NEWS: Two Years After Council Push for Local Investment, Hampton Roads Ventures Has Yet to Deliver](https://veermag.com/2025/01/news-two-years-after-council-push-for-local-investment-hampton-roads-ventures-has-yet-to-deliver/) - Hampton Roads Ventures, created by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, is headquartered in this office building in Norfolk. (Jim Morrison/For the Virginia Mercury) BY JIM MORRISON More than two years after Norfolk’s city council directed a for-profit subsidiary of its redevelopment and housing authority to prioritize local investments, the company has yet to deliver. - [VEER Music Awards Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2025/01/veer-music-awards-nominees-announced/) - By Staff We are pleased to announce the complete list of nominees for the 2025 Veer Music Awards. The 757 region had an immensely diverse range of musical releases in 2024. In determining nominees, we looked primarily for bands and musicians who officially released a single, EP, album, or music video. Throughout 2024, we posted - [Music Video of the Year Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2024/12/music-video-of-the-year-nominees-announced/) - We are pleased to announce the nominees in the Music Video of the Year category for the 2025 Veer Music Awards. The awards presentation is scheduled Sunday, February 2 at Elevation 27. Online voting is set to begin soon…stay tuned. And the nominees are… Sunny Moonshine, “Robot” Magg Dylan, “We Aren’t Metal” Roberta Lea, “Girl - [Animated/AI/Effects Music Video of the Year Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2024/12/animated-ai-effects-music-video-of-the-year-nominees-announced/) - By Jeff Maisey We are pleased to announce the nominees in the Animated/AI Music Video of the Year category for the 2025 Veer Music Awards. This is a new category for our music awards presentation. We also include music videos with heavily artistic effects within this category. And the nominees are… Quicksilver Night, “Dragon’s Eye - [TRAVEL: Return To Scotland, Highlands & Castles](https://veermag.com/2024/12/travel-return-to-scotland-highlands-castles/) - (Barcaldine Castle is an enchanting Bed & Breakfast today.) Words & Photos by Jeff Maisey We began Day 2 of our West Highland Way trek with sore muscles, dried mud on our boots, and an optimistic sense of adventure with nine miles of what would be very stony terrain ahead on our hike from Kinlochleven - [Hurrah for Film & TV](https://veermag.com/2024/12/hurrah-for-film-tv/) - (Green room and studio at Hurrah TV and Film Academy. Photo by Michael Bibbo of Waverleigh Creative.) By Montague Gammon III The Hurrah Players unique new Nusbaum Family TV & Film Academy, which starts its first round of classes for ages 12 and up on January 6, is powered by passion (for teaching) and professionalism - [ART NEWS: Synergy in Suffolk](https://veermag.com/2024/12/art-news-synergy-in-suffolk/) - (Jennifer Lucy and Hillarey Breedlove) By Betsy DiJulio If you recall the Greek myth in which humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces, you know that Zeus, fearing their power, split them into two separate parts condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other - [Here’s to 2025: Local distillers preview plans and products for the new year](https://veermag.com/2024/12/heres-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 they’re looking forward to in 2025. - [Dessert Beers and Beer Desserts ](https://veermag.com/2024/12/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 starring role in dessert. Mentioned beer and dessert in - [Local Music Releases](https://veermag.com/2024/12/local-music-releases/) - By Jeff Maisey This year we’ve been touting new songs released by 757 region recording artists on Veer’s Top 10 This Week playlist on Spotify. It’s a great way for people to check out what’s happening across the diverse spectrum of local music and an easy peek into what tunes might be nominated for Song - [Tuba Tunes and Treats to Boot](https://veermag.com/2024/12/tuba-tunes-and-treats-to-boot/) - By Montague Gammon III Extra added attractions with kids-of-all-ages appeal promise to make the very family friendly, Saturday-before-Christmas, Coastal Virginia Chamber Music presented Christmas Tubas concert a Holiday party to remember. The audience at the Great Bridge United Methodist Church performance gets to Make & Take Holiday Ornaments, before the Tidewater Tubas play a selection - [ESSAY: The Resilience of Hope](https://veermag.com/2024/12/essay-the-resilience-of-hope/) - By Tom Robotham In the wake of the election, as I noted here last month, I felt a profound sense of despair—and it lingers still. But in recent weeks, it’s been counterbalanced by meditations on hope—how it “perches in the soul,” as Emily Dickinson put it, “and sings the tune without the words/and never stops - [Fall In Love with Fellow Travelers](https://veermag.com/2023/01/fall-in-love-with-fellow-travelers/) - By Montague Gammon III Virginia Opera’s upcoming production of Fellow Travelers offers “exquisite music,” a profoundly moving love story, a bit of a history lesson, a local connection, and what just might be, in its emotionally accessible music and plot, a great choice for a first opera experience, according to stage director Kevin Newbury, - [Live Photography Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2024/12/live-photography-nominees-announced/) - BY STAFF The following submissions have been selected as nominees for the 2025 Veer Music Awards in the Live Photography category. Voting is expected to go live on January 1 at veermag.com. Congrats to all nominees and thank you to those who submitted entries. John Whelan, “Ward’s Pocket @ Elation Brewing” Robby Peck, - [Posed Photography Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2024/12/posed-photography-nominees-announced/) - BY STAFF The following submissions have been selected as nominees for the 2025 Veer Music Awards in the Posed Photography category. Voting is expected to go live on January 1 at veermag.com. Congrats to all nominees and thank you to those who submitted entries. Matt Klingle, “Por Vida” Diego Gomes, “Amy Kaus” - [NEWS: Virginia Arts Festival 2025](https://veermag.com/2024/12/news-virginia-arts-festival-2025/) - (Birmingham Royal Ballet’s “Black Sabbath”) By Jeff Maisey Familiar names — each with their own twist — in the performing arts world represent the highlights of the 2025 Virginia Arts Festival season. Perhaps top of the list will be the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s American premiere performance May 30 and 31 at Chrysler Hall) of “Black - [2025 Veer Music Awards Performers Announced](https://veermag.com/2024/12/2025-veer-music-awards-performers-announced/) - The musical theme for the 2025 Veer Music Awards presentation will be A Tribute to The Dome. The music awards are presented by Elevation 27 on Sunday, February 2. Showtime is 6:00 PM sharp. Admission is free to all. In addition to awards being presented in a diverse range of music genre categories including country, - [Open Call for Photography Categories: Veer Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2024/11/open-call-for-photography-categories-veer-music-awards/) - We are now accepting submissions in the Live Photography and Posed Photography categories for the 2025 Veer Music Awards. General instructions: — Each photographer may submit up to three (3) photographs in each category — Photos should be submitted as jpeg attachments, 300 dpi — Photos MUST be submitted by the photographer (no 3rd parties) - [NEWS: Virginia Beach Dome](https://veermag.com/2024/12/news-virginia-beach-dome/) - As part of the Atlantic Park entertainment complex, the grand opening of The Dome — the live concert component of the city-owned project — has yet to be formally announced, but officials from partner Live Nation have stated Spring 2025 with more details to be shared on or before February 2. Thus far, Live Nation - [Big Ugly Wins Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2024/12/big-ugly-wins-golden-tap-award/) - By Jeff Maisey Veer Magazine’s annual Golden Tap Awards ceremony was held December 3 at Big Ugly Brewing in Chesapeake, and the host brewery claimed the overall Golden Tap Award. City of Chesapeake Mayor Rick West was on-hand to welcome brewers from across the Hampton Roads region. He acknowledged the many city officials in attendance - [Upbeat Christmas with Dave Koz & Friends](https://veermag.com/2024/12/upbeat-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 tour makes a stop at the Ferguson Center for the Arts on December - [Channeling Aretha](https://veermag.com/2024/12/channeling-aretha/) - By Jeff Maisey R&B/gospel singer CeCe Teneal released a new single, “Try,” during the spring, but a major focus of her performing career is a tribute to her greatest inspiration in music. The show — coming to The American Theatre in Hampton on Saturday, December 7 — is billed as “Portrait of Aretha: CeCe Teneal - [Days Gone Bayou](https://veermag.com/2024/11/days-gone-bayou/) - (Fighting Gravity was a crowd pleaser at The Bayou. They'll perform December 7 at The NorVa.) By Rick Mersel Unfortunately, what initially appeared like promising waves, with perfectly smooth double sets rolling off the sun-spangled ocean, had flattened almost completely by late afternoon. I traded my two-toned green and fluorescent orange WRV surfboard for my - [Wines For The Season](https://veermag.com/2024/11/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 quality of the arts in our region. Before dinner, I had a glass - [A Carol or Two from Virginia Stage Company ](https://veermag.com/2024/11/a-carol-or-two-from-virginia-stage-company/) - The Cast and Production Stage Management Team of Virginia Stage Company's A Sherlock Carol : (L-R)Patrick Halley, Scott Wichmann, Seth Patterson, Steve Pacek, Sarah Manton, Beatty Barnes, Tia Collier, Emma D. Emde, Rachel Fobbs, and Abbigail LaRocque. Photo by TOC Creative/Glenn Fajota. By Jerome Langston "He’s one of my constants. So anything that he does, - [Transformative Gospel Music ](https://veermag.com/2024/11/transformative-gospel-music/) - By Jerome Langston Speaking with award-winning choir conductor and workshop leader, Karen Gibson, MBE, the founder of the Kingdom Choir, the highly successful London based gospel choir, via Zoom a few days ago, felt akin to chatting with a genuine friend. Karen exudes warmth and humility, and it was so fascinating to learn that Black Christian culture has - [A Tale of Two Sweeties](https://veermag.com/2024/11/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 international franchise, the other, a five-year old Southside Gallic darling with a new - [2024 Holiday Happenings](https://veermag.com/2024/11/2024-holiday-happenings/) - HOLIDAY LIGHTS & PARADES 30th Annual Garden of Lights Norfolk Botanical Garden Through January 5 5-9:30 PM Nightly NBGlights.org Get out and enjoy the spectacular 1.5 million lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Barks & Bulbs Norfolk Botanical Garden Sundays through January 5 NBGlights.org Bring your dog and walk the amazing light path through Norfolk - [Local Musicians Pay Homage to The Last Waltz](https://veermag.com/2024/11/local-musicians-pay-homage-to-the-last-waltz/) - By Jim Morrison In Patrick Higgins' memory, he saw the iconic film, "The Last Waltz," in downtown Washington, D.C.'s Warner Theatre on a big screen with an impressive sound system. "We were teenagers," he says, "so likely we were somewhat stoned." At the time, he was a big Neil Young fan learning how to play - [ART: The Substance Beneath the Surface of Reflections](https://veermag.com/2024/11/art-the-substance-beneath-the-surface-of-reflections/) - Installation view of Reflections: Surface and Substance. Courtesy of the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center. By Betsy DiJulio Immediately on the heels of the opening of the Torggler Fine Arts Center’s current exhibition, I was fortunate to catch up with curator Lucas Matheson via an email Q & A to probe beneath the - [Breakfast Lecture Series Taking Off in Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2024/11/breakfast-lecture-series-taking-off-in-virginia-beach/) - Yellow leaders Stephanie Walters and Anita Patel speak at CreativeMornings’ October meeting at The Garage VB. Courtesy of CreativeMornings Virginia Beach By Jim Roberts Kate Pittman, the executive director of the ViBe Creative District in Virginia Beach, offered a friendly warning at the beginning of CreativeMornings’ October meeting: “This is like church,” she - [Norfolk Officials Signal Changes are Necessary for Floodwall to Move Forward](https://veermag.com/2024/11/norfolk-officials-signal-changes-are-necessary-for-floodwall-to-move-forward/) - (Yellow poles, reflecting the height of the proposed walls, have been installed by Freemason residents in protest to the city of Norfolk’s flood resilience plan. Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison/VirginiaMercury.com Norfolk officials sat down for an interview last week to discuss a sensitive subject: a request by Virginia Beach developer Bruce Thompson - [ESSAY: Mourning in America](https://veermag.com/2024/11/essay-mourning-in-america/) - By Tom Robotham When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, I disagreed with many friends who thought there was no way he could win. The book I mentioned in my last essay—Amusing Ourselves to Death—kept coming to mind, and Trump personified author Neil Postman’s dark vision: the degradation of politics into cheap, televised entertainment, - [VOTE: 2024 Golden Tap Awards](https://veermag.com/2024/10/vote-2024-golden-tap-awards/) - CLICK to vote. One vote per IP address will be allowed Voting ends Friday, November 15 at 5 PM-ish. We will present gold, silver and bronze medals in each category during our annual Golden Tap Awards ceremony. This year the date is Tuesday, December 3. Big Ugly Brewing is playing host for the program, which - [Man At Work](https://veermag.com/2024/10/man-at-work/) - By Jim Morrison Colin Hay is touring as Men at Work, but he hasn't brought back the band that made those early ‘80s, ear-worm hits like "Down Under," "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Overkill." "It's not really putting Men at Work back together," he said in a call from Los Angeles, where he's lived - [Degrading Our Public Discourse](https://veermag.com/2024/10/degrading-our-public-discourse/) - By Tom Robotham Kamala Harris has been subjected to a lot attacks since she became the Democratic nominee for president: She’s a communist; she’s not really Black; she’s morally suspect because she never gave birth; she laughs too much. They’re all so idiotic that it’s easy for any thinking person to dismiss them out of - [Heartfelt Themes and a Dream Fulfilled with the Virginia Symphony](https://veermag.com/2024/10/heartfelt-themes-and-a-dream-fulfilled-with-the-virginia-symphony/) - (Michelle Cann, piano) By Montague Gammon III When Michelle Cann sits down at a Steinway in very early November to play Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, she’s reuniting with a difficult but thrilling college friend who has changed, while fulfilling a long delayed childhood dream. The college friend - [Five Prime Players, Two Classics and a Mysterious Composer](https://veermag.com/2024/10/five-prime-players-two-classics-and-a-mysterious-composer/) - By Montague Gammon III Feldman Chamber Music Society’s October 28 concert brings Ensemble 4.1, self-described as the world’s only piano windtet, to the Chrysler Museum’s Kaufman Theatre in a program of music by Mozart, Gershwin and a composer called N.H. Rice, whose identity seems “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a very well guarded - [Start Spreadin’ The News…And The Schmears](https://veermag.com/2024/10/start-spreadin-the-newsand-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 on over to freshly-rolled out Baker’s Crust Bagel in Virginia - [Opa! ilo](https://veermag.com/2024/10/opa-ilo/) - (Chef Zack Close adds pepper sauce over the Hanger Steak) By Jeff Maisey The “food is phenomenal.” That was a common comment quickly spreading on Instagram following the friends-and-family soft opening of ilo, a neighborhood bistro located in the Historic Freemason District. The highly anticipated restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Zack Close. - [Women Drive Stake Through Heart of Patriarchal Dracula](https://veermag.com/2024/10/women-drive-stake-through-heart-of-patriarchal-dracula/) - (Cast of Dracula during rehearsals. Photo by Sam Flint.) By Jerome Langston Walking into the large, nondescript MacArthur Center space, which formerly housed some glitzy retailer during the Norfolk mall’s glory years — but now serves as adequate rehearsal space for upcoming Virginia Stage Company productions, feels simultaneously nostalgic and new. Melissa Mowry, a native - [Heroes and Prodigies and the Marquis de Lafayette](https://veermag.com/2024/10/heroes-and-prodigies-and-the-marquis-de-lafayette/) - (Brendon Elliott, violin) By Montague Gammon III Heroes and prodigies fill the Francophile Virginia Symphony October 18-20 concerts. The hero in whose honor the concert was programmed with French composers is Lafayette, the young Marquis who took part in the American Revolution, commanding troops during its decisive final battle at Yorktown when he was 24. - [37 Things To Do This Halloween](https://veermag.com/2024/10/37-things-to-do-this-halloween/) - Compiled by Staff Fright Nights at the Naro Expanded Cinema The Naro is presented a series of horror flicks for the month of October, including “The Shining” (Oct. 18), “Killer Klowns From Outer Space (Oct. 19), “Elvira” (Oct. 25), “Halloween III” (Oct. 26). “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” plays October 25 at 11 PM - [Don Giovanni: Energy and Experience, Spirit and Spectacle Open Virginia Opera’s 50th Season](https://veermag.com/2024/09/don-giovanni-energy-and-experience-spirit-and-spectacle-open-virginia-operas-50th-season/) - By Montague Gammon III One of the greatest operas of all time, by one of the greatest composers of all time, with a libretto by a similarly regarded writer, opens Virginia Opera’s 50h Anniversary Season with two Harrison Opera House performances October 4 and 6. The work is full of drama and melodrama - [A Feast of French Culture](https://veermag.com/2024/10/a-feast-of-french-culture/) - Marie Bracquemond (French, 1840—1916) Under the Lamp, 1877 Oil on canvas Mr. and Mrs. R. Stephens Philips, Piedmont, CA By Jeff Maisey If you enjoy the hit series Emily in Paris, fell in love with Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, have a passion for dining in a snug French family-run cafe or 1890s-era brasserie, and - [MAMA-Girl’s Spirit Lives On](https://veermag.com/2024/10/mama-girls-spirit-lives-on/) - (MAMA-Girl, Woman Giraffe. Photo by Mark Atkinson) By Betsy DiJulio “Cullen, I think we ought to do a MAMA-Girl show,” said the voice at the other end of the line. It was 2023 and Cullen Strawn, Ph.D., ODU’s executive director for the arts, had picked up the phone to hear the voice of Andrew Fine. - [The One and Only, Herbie Hancock](https://veermag.com/2024/09/the-one-and-only-herbie-hancock/) - (Herbie Hancock is the greatest living jazz artist. Photo by Danny Clinch) By Jerome Langston "Hello, Jerome? “This is Herbie. “How you doing?” So starts my wonderful, fairly brief, but generous... phone chat with perhaps the greatest living jazz artist in the world, Herbie Hancock. An icon and legend of American music, remarkably now in - [Talkin’ Songwriting with Warren Haynes](https://veermag.com/2024/09/talkin-songwriting-with-warren-haynes/) - (Warren Haynes’ new album is titled “Million Voices Whisper.” Photo by Shervin Lainez) By Jim Morrison "You know," Warren Haynes says from his home in upstate New York, "Gregg Allman used to say there's as many ways to write a song as there are songs." Haynes turned a one-year reunion stint with The Allman Brothers - [A Real Jazz Festival in Phoebus](https://veermag.com/2024/09/a-real-jazz-festival-in-phoebus/) - (Saxophonist Steve Wilson) By Jerome Langston Chatting with Jae Sinnett earlier this week, following a dental procedure that he’d just endured — was unfortunate timing for the acclaimed jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, but he was nevertheless a pleasure to talk to. Sinnett, who is widely known for his long-running Sinnett in Session jazz radio - [Feldman Season Opens with a Three Way Threesome](https://veermag.com/2024/09/feldman-season-opens-with-a-three-way-threesome/) - By Montague Gammon III The fast rising, internationally acclaimed Trio Zimbalist comes to Norfolk for the Feldman Chamber Music Society’s 2024-25 Season opening concert at the Chrysler Museum’s intimate Kaufman Theater September 23. This threesome of piano, violin and cello will play a triple helping of works whose dates of composition span the centuries from - [Broad Viewpoints Power Made in VA](https://veermag.com/2024/09/broad-viewpoints-power-made-in-va/) - (Hank the Aquarian, “Wash Me & Comb Me,” 2023. Acrylic paint & latex house paint on canvas. Courtesy of the artist. ) By Betsy DiJulio It could be argued that a juried show, even one mounted by a professional organization, is a capricious act of subjectivity. And there is certainly bias, whether conscious or not, - [Jacobsen Bros Tackle Beethoven](https://veermag.com/2024/09/jacobsen-bros-tackle-beethoven/) - (Eric and Colin Jacobsen) By Montague Gammon III One week after the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s mid-month Opening Weekend, their annual one composer Beethoven Celebration comes to Chrysler Hall for two Norfolk performances, one on Friday evening, Sept. 20, plus a shorter Coffee Concert at 11a.m. that day, and then to the Ferguson Center in Newport - [Deborah Thorpe reflects on 37 years at the Governor’s School for the Arts](https://veermag.com/2024/09/deborah-thorpe-reflects-on-37-years-at-the-governors-school-for-the-arts/) - (Deborah Thorpe used this selfie for her social media post announcing her retirement.) By Jim Roberts Shelly Cihak, executive director of the Governor’s School for the Arts, addressed hundreds of students and supporters at the Wells Theatre on the first day of the school year, saying: “This is the 37th year of GSA, and it - [Bodies in Motion](https://veermag.com/2024/09/bodies-in-motion/) - By Tom Robotham Over the years, I’ve written a lot about my love of music and the cultivation of that love, from the first piano lessons that my mother gave me at the age of 5 to my foray into the New York City jazz scene after college. Something few people know about me, however, - [How Virginia is Addressing the Dark Side of Gambling](https://veermag.com/2024/09/how-virginia-is-addressing-the-dark-side-of-gambling/) - Legislators make bipartisan push for more state funding to counter the effects of problem gambling until the Virginia Gaming Commission is up and running By Markus Schmidt The expansion of casinos and the rise of online gambling platforms in Virginia have sparked growing concerns about problem gambling, particularly among the state’s younger population. As gambling - [Wells Theatre a Perfect Setting for Arsenic and Old Lace](https://veermag.com/2024/09/wells-theatre-a-perfect-setting-for-arsenic-and-old-lace/) - (DRINK, DRINK: A stage scene from “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Photo by Erica Johnson @majerlycreative) By Jerome Langston “Most of my summer is spent doing these plays in Virginia, which is lovely,” said New York City based theater director, Nicolas Minas, when I reached him by phone earlier this week to discuss the play that he’s - [Fantastique Symphony Concert](https://veermag.com/2024/09/fantastique-symphony-concert/) - (Composer/flutest Valerie Coleman. Photo by Kia Caldwell.) By Montague Gammon III Sandwiching a family-friendly, kid-thrilling, grownup-enthralling, brilliantly colorful new concerto for symphony and animation between a 21st Century fanfare and a 19th Century masterwork, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra opens its 2024–2025 Season with a Friday evening concert in Newport News and a Sunday matinee in - [Beyond Monet](https://veermag.com/2024/08/beyond-monet/) - By Jim Roberts More than 50,000 people attended the “Beyond Van Gogh” immersive art exhibit in Virginia Beach in 2023, so it’s little surprise that the Virginia Arts Festival and Canada’s Paquin Entertainment Group are back this year with “Beyond Monet,” a celebration of the founder of Impressionism. We had a chance to talk with - [Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More for the Road](https://veermag.com/2024/09/lynyrd-skynyrd-one-more-for-the-road/) - By Jeff Maisey “Sorry for the delay getting to the phone, I have a new, little beach house and was doing stuff around here. I’ve already been to the hardware store.” I called Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Johnny Van Zant at his home on a July morning to discuss the band’s return to the road with - [WAR Headlines Funk Fest](https://veermag.com/2024/08/war-headlines-funk-fest/) - By Jeff Maisey Many of you know the classic hit songs from the band WAR — “Low Rider,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Summer,” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” What you may not recall is the musical crossover group from Southern California known for weaving elements funk, jazz, Latin, rock and reggae was originally fronted by - [The Executive Chef at Chesapeake’s Top Steak House is Just 26](https://veermag.com/2024/08/the-executive-chef-at-chesapeakes-top-steak-house-is-just-26/) - By Joel Rubin If you request a 10 oz sirloin ($37), an 8-oz tenderloin ($49) or a 12 oz ribeye ($50) at The Butcher’s Son in Chesapeake, it better be hot, melt in your mouth and medium rare (if that’s your pleasure) when it arrives. “I know that very well,” says Jalen Williams, the executive - [The Scene: Opening Night of Jackie Merritt Exhibition](https://veermag.com/2024/08/the-scene-opening-night-of-jackie-merritt-exhibition/) - Do You See Me Now: A Solo Exhibition by Jackie Merritt Through September 13 Norfolk Arts’ Offsite Gallery @ MacArthur Center norfolkarts.net - [ART: Jackie Merritt’s Deep-Hearted Honesty](https://veermag.com/2024/08/art-jackie-merritts-deep-hearted-honesty/) - (“Talking Heads”) By Betsy DiJulio Jackie Merritt puts color where it doesn't exist. But where it most surely lives. Recently, as I perused some 20 of her portraits (and one still life)--rendered in chalk pastel, charcoal, and watercolor—I smiled to myself as I remembered Ellen Henry, a widely respected, funny and, at times, formidable art - [ESSAY: Born Identities](https://veermag.com/2024/08/essay-born-identities/) - By Tom Robotham When I was growing up in Staten Island in the 1960s, kids used to ask each other, “What are you?” No further explanation was needed. Everyone knew it meant, what’s your nationality? In my neighborhood, most answered, “Italian” or “Irish”—never mind that they’d been born in Brooklyn. Ethnic identity was important—a point - [Two Nights to Smile and Dance with Beres Hammond](https://veermag.com/2024/08/two-nights-to-smile-and-dance-with-beres-hammond/) - By Jim Morrison Beres Hammond grew up the ninth of 10 children in Jamaica listening to his father's jazz and soul records, artists like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. But ska was the sound of the moment on the island inevitably slipping into his style when he started competing in talents contests and soon joined - [Look Out Norfolk: NBA Ref Tony Brothers Wants to be Your Mayor in 2028](https://veermag.com/2024/08/look-out-norfolk-nba-ref-tony-brothers-wants-to-be-your-mayor-in-2028/) - (Tony Brothers is a city of Norfolk all-around MVP. Photo by Joel Rubin.) By Joel Rubin “I have spent over thirty years in conflict resolution,” says Tony Brothers, arguably the most respected professional referee in the country. “When you are trying to keep peace on NBA courts with basketball’s highest paid and motivated coaches and - [The Annex Set to Open](https://veermag.com/2024/08/the-annex-set-to-open/) - (The Annex is housed within the former Five Points Farmers Market spot in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey The Annex, a highly anticipated state-of-the-art music venue, craft beer bar and kitchen, plans to debut August 29 when psychedelic jam band Papadosio is scheduled to perform with is electrifying light show. The Annex is a business - [New Location for Old Beach Farmers Market](https://veermag.com/2024/08/new-location-for-old-beach-farmers-market/) - (Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer helps cut the ribbon.) By Jeff Maisey Old Beach Farmers Market has a new location, but it didn’t have to move far. Held on each Saturday from 9 AM to noon for 17 years in the parking lot of Croc’s 19th Street Bistro and then extending down 19th Street, the - [Come Sail Away with Styx and Foreigner](https://veermag.com/2024/08/come-sail-away-with-styx-and-foreigner/) - (Styx returns to Virginia Beach August 20. Photo by Jason Powell) By Jeff Maisey Styx keyboardist/singer Lawrence Gowan is marking his 25th anniversary with the classic rock band known for its many FM radio hit songs like “Come Sail Away,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Renegade,” and “Mr. Roboto.” But long before joining the group, Gowan had - [Getting in a Brazilian Groove](https://veermag.com/2024/08/getting-in-a-brazilian-groove/) - By Jerome Langston “John Toomey and I met Nate Najar through a mutual friend, Chuck Redd, who's been down here and played with us,” says Jimmy Masters, a highly regarded jazz bassist, during a recent phone chat about the long running jazz series that he curates at the Sandler Center. “He’s a great player and - [Homecoming for Missy Elliott at the Coliseum](https://veermag.com/2024/07/homecoming-for-missy-elliott-at-the-coliseum/) - (Ciara, Missy Elliott, and Busta Rhymes) By Jerome Langston "I feel like she is the ultimate trendsetter, but she’s also timeless,” says Nakia Madry-Smith, during a recent chat about the Hampton Roads born and reared popular music icon, Missy Elliott, who is currently headlining her first arena tour across North America. Nakia is also a - [New Music Reviews](https://veermag.com/2024/08/new-music-reviews/) - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard “Le Risqué” Australian psych-rock pilots King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard just dropped a bomb of a first single from their upcoming record “Flight b741”. The new single “Le Risque” is a fun straight forward boogie number that features lead vocals from four of the KGLW members across the - [ART: Modeled Reality](https://veermag.com/2024/08/art-modeled-reality/) - (Anthropocene Reliquary: ebonized ash, crushed coal, found bone, digital image) By Betsy DiJulio I look at my work as a distillate of experience. Life events, travel, relationships, politics and dreams all condense to varying degrees into my sculpture. I synthesize, mix and mash up this experience together with my love of object making to fabricate - [Films That Move – 2024 Premieres](https://veermag.com/2024/07/films-that-move-2024-premieres/) - (Renata Sheppard) By Montague Gammon III Big art coming out of the small town of Cape Charles has made this erstwhile ferry boat stop on Virginia’s Eastern Shore known from Los Angeles to New York, at film festivals across the USA and as far flung as Ireland and Hong Kong, for almost a dozen years - [Aslin VB: Not Just Beer, It’s a Destination!](https://veermag.com/2024/07/aslin-vb-not-just-beer-its-a-destination/) - (Aslin’s tasting room in Virginia Beach. Photo by Diane Catanzaro) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones How fortunate we are in Hampton Roads that the popular Aslin Beer Company has opened a taproom and brewery in Virginia Beach? Excellent beer, a diverse food menu, colorful outdoor seating, a two-hole putting green, and plenty of parking - [ESSAY: The Summer of Our Discontent](https://veermag.com/2024/07/essay-the-summer-of-our-discontent/) - By Tom Robotham November 5th will mark a special anniversary for me: Fifty years earlier on that date, I voted for the first time. I remember the moment vividly—and the sense of pride I felt as I closed the black curtain and flipped the lever next to the name Hugh Carey, Democratic candidate for Governor - [The (Ice Cream) Flavors of Summer](https://veermag.com/2024/07/the-ice-cream-flavors-of-summer/) - (Randy Windley says vanilla is most popular at Doumar’s.) By Marisa Marsey Call it a double-dip. In 1984, Ronald Reagan proclaimed July to be National Ice Cream Month and designated the third Sunday of the month (July 21 this year) as National Ice Cream Day. Good timing. Nothing screams summer more than send-shivers-refreshingly-up-your spine frozen - [Stockard’s 10-Year Transformation of Norfolk State Theatre Company](https://veermag.com/2023/09/stockards-10-year-transformation-of-norfolk-state-theatre-company/) - By Jeff Maisey Over the past decade, Anthony Mark Stockard’s passionate vision for theatrical arts has been transformational for Norfolk State University. In what was more or less an afterthought on the curriculum offerings at Norfolk State, the establishment of Norfolk State University Theatre Company with an accredited degree program, and a state-of-the-art, second to - [STAGE: A Love Letter to the Harlem Renaissance](https://veermag.com/2024/04/stage-a-love-letter-to-the-harlem-renaissance/) - (Director Jerrell L. Henderson) By Jerome Langston There is much to see inside the large MacArthur Center rehearsal space, for Virginia Stage Company’s latest production, the Pearl Cleage drama, Blues for an Alabama Sky. The magic of theater is blossoming, in a space that Maris tells me used to be a J.Crew store. Looking around, - [Kingfish Brings Blues to Jazz Fest ](https://veermag.com/2024/06/kingfish-brings-blues-to-jazz-fest/) - (Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) By Jerome Langston Thousands of fans of jazz and R&B are expected to flock to this year’s 54th annual Hampton Jazz & Music Festival, which will feature music stars like Boyz II Men, Kem, Coco Jones, Jon Batiste, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, the heavily buzzed about 20-something blues singer and guitarist, - [Bullish on Wall Street Mural Fest in P-town](https://veermag.com/2024/07/bullish-on-wall-street-mural-fest-in-p-town/) - The cash-award winning mural went to “Bull” by Nico Cathcart. (Photo by Nikki Park.) By Betsy DiJulio “Portsmouth is dope.” You don’t hear that often, laughed Nikki Park, one of the 4-member subcommittee of Support Portsmouth Public Art (SPPA) who recently mounted the inaugural Wall Street Mural Fest. But, indeed, that was one participant’s response - [Green Onion Blooms Bright Again](https://veermag.com/2024/07/green-onion-blooms-bright-again/) - (A healthy lunch: Poached Pear Pecan Salad with grilled chicken added.) By Jeff Maisey The Green Onion is back and better than ever. Like many independent, locally-owned restaurants, The Green Onion was challenged in a variety of ways during COVID and in the aftermath of the pandemic. Now, with a refreshed menu and reimagined interior - [The Table Side Caesar Salad at Isle of Capri is as Popular as Ever](https://veermag.com/2024/07/the-table-side-caesar-salad-at-isle-of-capri-is-as-popular-as-ever/) - (Isle of Capri servers and Caesar Salad makers Justin Zobel, Nancy Binetti and Az Tomouro with restaurant GM Dave Cox) by Joel Rubin If you are a “server” at Isle of Capri Restaurant on the 6th floor of the Holiday Inn Express (39th and the oceanfront), you do much more than take food and drink - [New Generation Shines in Little Shop of Horrors](https://veermag.com/2024/07/new-generation-shines-in-little-shop-of-horrors/) - (The Urchins: Shaniya Reddy, Jalen Whitmore, Bella McKenzie, Tahtiana Crawford, Stephanie Tillman-Liggins, and Micah Lister) By Montague Gammon III It’s musical theater based on the extra low budget, black and white movie that helped set 23-year-old Jack Nicholson on the road to A-list fame. It’s a love story wrapped up in a sci-fi tale of - [Making Music Sound Seamless](https://veermag.com/2024/06/making-music-sound-seamless/) - By Jeff Maisey Talk about a big band with an enormous sound and array of talent, Seamless — based in Hampton Roads — was recently named the house band at Rivers Casino. As a full band, Seamless includes cover a variety of classic songs ranging from Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” and Sade’s “Smooth Operator” to Eurythmic’s - [Roast Rider Still Riding High](https://veermag.com/2024/06/roast-rider-still-riding-high/) - (Coffee mates: Wayne and Lisa Richmon partner only with roasters who lead the industry in social and environmental responsibility including Equator. Photo by Tyler Kahlil.) By Marisa Marsey Cha-ca-cha-ca-cha-ca. Is there any sound more titillating than your favorite drink being shaken vigorously in a shivery tumbler? I settle into Roast Rider’s inviting caramel-colored couch (aka - [Assemblage Artists Assemble at Assembly](https://veermag.com/2024/06/assemblage-artists-assemble-at-assembly/) - (“Mr. President” by Sam Hundley) By Betsy DiJulio For their summer show at Assembly, Asa and Kira Jackson of the Newport News CAN Foundation (Contemporary Art Network) assembled three Hampton Roads-based artists who have long made art from found and manipulated objects: Sam Hundley, Karen Freidt, and Wade Mickley. But found objects alone could have - [Several Debuts at Norfolk Theatre Festival](https://veermag.com/2024/06/several-debuts-at-norfolk-theatre-festival/) - ("The Brothers Size" runs June 19-22 at NSU Brown Hall MainStage Theater.) By Montague Gammon III Three new theater companies hit local stages for the first time as part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s 2024 Theater Festival; one is our newest fully professional Equity troupe. Shows from five established Norfolk groups fall into the Festival’s - [ESSAY: A Moveable Feast](https://veermag.com/2024/06/essay-a-moveable-feast/) - By Tom Robotham The first time I visited Paris, in 1999, I was smitten. Unfortunately, due to financial and time constraints, another 17 years would pass before I was able to return. Since then, I’ve tried to make up for lost time, visiting the city every chance I get. And yet, I’ve always wondered: Is - [Tower of Power Still Rocks to Different Beat](https://veermag.com/2024/06/tower-of-power-still-rocks-to-different-beat/) - By Jim Morrison From the beginning, Tower of Power co-founder Emilio Castillo grooved to a different beat. Growing up in Oakland, Castillo formed his first band with his brother. They did covers, but obscure covers. Rather than James Brown’s “I Feel Good," they did his "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up - [Dance Theatre of Harlem: It’s About People](https://veermag.com/2024/04/dance-theatre-of-harlem-its-about-people/) - (Dance Theatre of Harlem Company in Sounds of Hazel. Photo by Jeff Cravotta) By Jerome Langston “He taught me that it’s bigger than the art. It’s about people,” says Robert Garland, the new artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), referring to the legendary ballet company’s founder, the great Arthur Mitchell. It’s a sunny - [Sublime Headlines Point Break Fest](https://veermag.com/2024/05/sublime-headlines-point-break-fest/) - By Jim Morrison Sublime's lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died of a heroin overdose in the spring of 1996. His son, Jakob, was 11 months old. Two months later, the Long Beach band released their third album of their groundbreaking punk, rock, ska, and reggae stew. It sold 5 million copies, driven by the enduring hits - [Take 5 with Ghent Pride Co-Chair Chris Reybrouck](https://veermag.com/2024/06/take-5-with-ghent-pride-co-chair-chris-reybrouck/) - Take 5 with Ghent Pride Co-Chair Chris Reybrouck By Jeff Maisey Tell us about your new role this year as Co-Chair of Ghent Pride. What goes into planning the event on Monday, June 17 at the Palace Shops in Ghent? I am honored to have been part of the founding committee before the pandemic that - [Ghent Burger Week](https://veermag.com/2024/05/ghent-burger-week/) - (Pixels Technotronic Burger) By Jeremy Bender Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the best burger of all? From May 27 through June 2, 13 restaurants will compete in the inaugural Ghent Burger Week. Loyal patrons and hamburger fanatics alike are encouraged to visit each participating restaurant to chow-down on these handheld menu items where - [Friends Join Forces for a Folksy Festival](https://veermag.com/2024/05/friends-join-forces-for-a-folksy-festival/) - By Montague Gammon III A Grammy winning singer-songwriter from New England, a finger pickin’ multi-instrument virtuoso from Northern Virginia, and a sibling-led bluegrass band from the tiny musical hotbed of Floyd, in Appalachian Virginia, walk into the Virginia Arts Festival Perry Pavilion June 1 and… And this is not a joke. It describes the early - [Surprising Suffolk…Center](https://veermag.com/2024/05/surprising-suffolkcenter/) - Suffolk Center’s new Outdoors @ The Center event space will host live music this summer on Thursdays. Photo courtesy of Suffolk Center. By Jeff Maisey “You can have it all in Surprising Suffolk.” That was the branding slogan televised and promoted on signage far and near in 1974. There was more to Suffolk than - [ESSAY: What Kind of American Are You?](https://veermag.com/2024/05/essay-what-kind-of-american-are-you/) - By Tom Robotham Last month, I saw Alex Garland’s much-discussed film Civil War. Since then, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it. I don’t mean to imply that I think it’s a great movie. I continue to have mixed feelings about it. Nevertheless, the specter it raises cannot—and should not—be ignored. As you’ve - [Brandy Clark Brings Grammy Tune to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2024/05/brandy-clark-brings-grammy-tune-to-norfolk/) - By Jim Morrison Brandy Clark's first Grammy win this year began with a Grammy loss two years ago. She was nominated -- for the 9th and 10th times -- for Song of the Year for "A Beautiful Noise" sung by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys and for Best American Roots Performance for "Same Devil," the - [TRAVEL: A Second Helping](https://veermag.com/2024/04/travel-a-second-helping/) - (Lynn, Bruno, and Jeff at Chez Bruno in Dijon.) By Jeff Maisey In last month’s issue of Veer, I wrote solely about one of my favorite dining experiences in Paris, the majestically unique, warmly welcoming Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole. I was heartened by the response from readers, several of whom called and emailed telling me - [Justin Kauflin Headlines The Z](https://veermag.com/2024/03/justin-kauflin-headlines-the-z/) - (Justin Kauflin performing at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. Photo by Andrea Palmucci.) By Jerome Langston The first time I heard acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, Justin Kauflin, actually play — was in support of legendary jazz vocalist, Sheila Jordan, whose concert closed out last June’s Vocal Jazz Summit at Zeiders American Dream Theater. - [Virginia Chorale Concludes 40th Season with World Premiere](https://veermag.com/2024/04/virginia-chorale-concludes-40th-season-with-world-premiere/) - (Composer Gregory Spears) By Jeff Maisey Virginia Chorale will conclude its 40th season with the world premiere of “The Neighboring Village,” a vocal composition it commissioned from Virginia Beach native Gregory Spears. The new song is the highlight on a program featuring vocal works from composers with a connection to Virginia, including former Virginia Opera - [Chrysler Museum Unveils New Logo](https://veermag.com/2024/04/chrysler-museum-unveils-new-logo/) - By Jeff Maisey The Chrysler Museum of Art has unveiled a smart, contemporary logo that by all appearances touches on a very 1970s-era retro vibe while also looking into the future. In a statement, the museum conveyed, “After a decade with the signature tower, the Chrysler Museum of Art has launched a new visual identity - [Troy Ketchmore Keeps Fighting to Clear his Name and Tame the Streets](https://veermag.com/2024/04/troy-ketchmore-keeps-fighting-to-clear-his-name-and-tame-the-streets/) - By Joel Rubin It was 1995, and Troy Ketchmore was taking a birthday gift to his infant son who was living with the child’s mother and her new boyfriend at the time. With Troy were two “friends,” all of them armed but with no apparent intention of using the guns. “Where I grew up in - [Energetically, Serenely Glimmering Music from the Virginia Symphony](https://veermag.com/2024/04/energetically-serenely-glimmering-music-from-the-virginia-symphony/) - (Conductor Thomas Wilkins) By Montague Gammon III Take your seat, for a concert of joyousness. The Virginia Symphony’s Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto concert in late April showers the Ferguson Center, Chrysler Hall and the Sandler Center with “Pure joy,” to quote an email from VSO Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins. Before soloist Geneva Lewis and the - [Les Violons du Roy: Timeless Music, Treasure Trove of Jewels](https://veermag.com/2024/04/les-violons-du-roy-timeless-music-treasure-trove-of-jewels/) - (Classical guitarist Miloš Karadaglić will join Les Violons du Roy on stage.) By Montague Gammon III Hampton Roads snagged first dibs on a new, century spanning program of truly golden oldies, thanks to the Virginia Arts Festival. The celebrated French Canadian chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy, in company with the likewise celebrated classical and - [Pronounced New Eateries](https://veermag.com/2024/04/pronounced-new-eateries/) - By Marisa Marsey Restaurant names, like baby names, come in waves. Remember the address age (Bistro 210; useful, pre-GPS, for recalling locations)? And the monosyllabic era (here’s looking at you, Stove)? Now restaurateurs are spurning marketing gurus who advise familiarity; christening their establishments in ways to cause head-scratching. How do you say that? What does - [ESSAY: Leaving The Treehouse](https://veermag.com/2024/04/essay-leaving-the-treehouse/) - By Tom Robotham For the last few weeks, I’ve been looking for a new apartment. It’s not that I’m unhappy with my current place. Not by a long shot. For 17 years, it has served me well. In the afternoons, on clear days, the living room is bathed in sunlight filtered by the tops of - [Marlin Mural Festival at VWUm](https://veermag.com/2024/04/marlin-mural-festival-at-vwum/) - By Betsy DiJulio If you are an educator—or even if you’re not—and find yourself envious of this capstone assignment for art students at Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU), the brainchild of Professor John Rudel, you would be forgiven that deadly sin. How he managed to roll so many goals and objectives into one assignment is a - [Backstories Vol. 1](https://veermag.com/2024/03/backstories-vol-1/) - (Dylan & Jason of Waters Edge Winery Norfolk) By Joel Rubin If you have seen the weekly newsletter I publish (generally to promote the offshore wind industry Dominion Energy is bringing to the region), you know that many of the articles feature small businesses, many of them local restaurants, that have nothing to do with - [Top 20 Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day](https://veermag.com/2024/03/top-20-ways-to-celebrate-st-patricks-day/) - As we approach St. Paddy’s Day, local businesses, concert promoters and the arts have offered a pot of golden opportunities at the end of the rainbow with many ways to enjoy the Irish-themed holiday and culture of the Emerald Isle. 1 Shamrockin’ In Ghent What began 32 years ago as the Greening of Ghent by - [TRAVEL: The Best Ever](https://veermag.com/2024/03/travel-the-best-ever/) - (An early evening glass of wine outside Au Vieux Paris. Photo by Lynn Hughes-Hailey.) By Jeff Maisey “How do you know about this place?” A distinguished looking gentleman in his 70s from California introduced to Lynn and I as the Doctor kept looking over his right shoulder, turning in his seat to engage us in - [Chef Close to Open ILO Bistro](https://veermag.com/2024/03/chef-close-to-open-ilo-bistro/) - (Chef Zack Close. Photo courtesy of Glass Light Hotel.) By Jeff Maisey Zack Close, who spent a decade in New York City and worked with Daniel Boulud at his Michelin- starred restaurant, Café Boulud, before returning to his hometown of Norfolk to become the Executive Chef at the Glass Light Hotel Restaurant in 2023, is - [Vegan Korean](https://veermag.com/2024/03/vegan-korean/) - By Betsy DiJulio Vegan Korean fried chicken may be the tastiest oxymoron on the planet. Korean Fried Chicken—which someone cleverly dubbed “the other KFC”—emerged as a “thing” in the US long after I no longer consumed meat. So, I had never experienced this gastronomic phenomenon and never thought I would. But why does it even - [Naro-Minded](https://veermag.com/2024/03/naro-minded/) - (Kris King stands in the center of the Naro video collection at ODU’s Perry Library.) Words & Photo by Jim Roberts Naro Expanded Video’s collection of 43,000 DVDs has been lovingly preserved at Old Dominion University’s Perry Library, but touring the new academic space is a reminder that the people who worked at the store - [A Proposed Army Corps Change could Affect Hundreds of Billions in Federal Funding](https://veermag.com/2024/03/a-proposed-army-corps-change-could-affect-hundreds-of-billions-in-federal-funding/) - By Jim Morrison As Norfolk’s $2.66 billion storm risk plan moved toward approval by the City Council last spring, residents of the city’s poorer, Black neighborhoods on the Southside grew heated when they learned wealthier neighborhoods would get protective floodwalls, but they would only get natural solutions like grasses and oyster reefs. The reason was - [The Poem Wants to be Heard](https://veermag.com/2024/03/the-poem-wants-to-be-heard/) - (Poet Tim Seibles and jazz bassist/composer Chris Brydge. Photo by Jennifer Fish.) By Tom Robotham Most of us, I suspect, were introduced to poetry through the written word, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. And yet, when we read poems in silence—in the same way that we typically read prose—we lose something important. To - [Lessons From The O’Jays](https://veermag.com/2024/03/lessons-from-the-ojays/) - (Eddie Levert of The O’Jays) By Jeff Maisey The O’Jays are one of America’s most beloved old school soul and R&B groups. You no doubt know the songs from radio play and television commercials: “Love Train,” “I Love Music,” “Use Ta Be My Girl,” and “Backstabbers.” Perhaps their 1973 hit, “For The Love of Money,” - [Hornsby + yMusic = BrhyM](https://veermag.com/2024/03/hornsby-ymusic-brhym/) - By Jeff Maisey Grammy-winning piano man Bruce Hornsby, known for his pop hits “The Way It Is” and “Mandolin Rain,” has a new collaboration project where he teamed with experimental chamber ensemble yMusic for a refreshing new album — “Deep Sea Vents.” Pop artists such as Elvis Costello and the likes of bluegrass star Bela - [ODU Students Shine in 2024 Exhibition](https://veermag.com/2024/03/odu-students-shine-in-2024-exhibition/) - (Avery Keys’ Static ) By Betsy DiJulio “Is it my imagination or is ODU student work considerably stronger than in the past?” I asked John Roth, professor and chair of the ODU art department, via messenger, pressing further, “If the latter, to what do you attribute it?” He responded, “This last show was maybe the - [ESSAY: The Slow Creep of Dementia](https://veermag.com/2024/03/essay-the-slow-creep-of-dementia/) - By Tom Robotham Recent speculations that President Biden is afflicted with dementia have caused me to reflect on the disturbing experience of watching my mother descend into her own delusional state of mind. I’m not sure exactly when she began to show signs of it. I suspect there were early indications that I simply missed. - [Threshold Rides Symbolism](https://veermag.com/2024/03/threshold-rides-symbolism/) - By Betsy DiJulio Janus, the two-faced Roman god, is featured on the discreet, but rather baroque, medallion mounted above the entrance to the American Academy in Rome’s main building (c. 1914) with its austere, symmetrical, and orderly Renaissance architectural vocabulary. Passing through that “threshold” every day while an artist-in-residence at this august research and arts - [Collage Dance Collective Brings Diverse Repertoire to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2024/03/collage-dance-collective-brings-diverse-repertoire-to-norfolk/) - By Jerome Langston No, I’m not in Memphis, but the dancers are working with our rehearsal director, getting ready for our upcoming tour,” says Kevin Thomas, the founding Artistic Director of Collage Dance Collective, in reply to my inquiry about his whereabouts. Thomas is currently at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he is - [Voodoo Brewing Co. opens pub in Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2024/03/voodoo-brewing-co-opens-pub-in-virginia-beach/) - (Alex and Chrissy Bergren have opened a Voodoo Brewing location in Virginia Beach. Photo by Jim Roberts.) By Jim Roberts Voodoo Brewing Co., the newest entry into Hampton Roads’ beer scene, opened on January 13 in Virginia Beach. It’s a locally owned and operated franchise of Voodoo Brewing in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Here are 10 - [DINING: A Tale of Two Italians](https://veermag.com/2024/03/dining-a-tale-of-two-italians/) - (Something for every Italian taste at Sorella’s. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.) By Marisa Marsey Hibernation season, for me, means hunkering down beneath a mountain of blankets and gorging on classic movies à la “Casablanca” and latter-day faves like “Moonstruck” (that I don’t consider old but seem deemed as such, the way a 30something expectant - [RESULTS: 2024 Veer Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2024/02/results-2024-veer-music-awards/) - (Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos scored three 2024 Veer Music Awards following a phenomenal year of touring, Billboard Blues album charting, and rave reviews nationwide for the album "Cheat The Devil.") By Jeff Maisey Blues rockers Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos scored three honors Sunday evening at The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery where the - [World Premiere, Mozart and a Monumental Work](https://veermag.com/2024/03/world-premiere-mozart-and-a-monumental-work/) - (Composer Juhi Bansal was commissioned by Virginia Symphony Orchestra to create a new classical music work — To Call the Rain.) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Symphony Orchestra again gives Hampton Roads audiences the honor of being the planet’s first to hear a work by an important and, in the words of VSO Music - [Overnite Lows High on Original Songwriting](https://veermag.com/2024/03/overnite-lows-high-on-original-songwriting/) - (Larry Berwald and Scott McMahan) By Jeff Maisey Musicians Larry Berwald and Scott McMahan, in collaboration with The Roads Bistro in Virginia Beach, have started a new series they call Songs & Stories: An Evening of Original Music. Presented on the fourth Wednesday of each month, the showcased songwriter will perform a selection of tunes - [Virginia Opera’s Madama Butterfly is the Real Deal](https://veermag.com/2024/03/virginia-operas-madama-butterfly-is-the-real-deal/) - By Montague Gammon III Authenticity is a hallmark of Virginia Opera’s early March, Season 49 closing production of Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini’s tragedy of Japanese-American romance. From the Asian-born director's fundamental ideas about staging it, to the casting of Asian descent performers, on down to carefully coached details of Japanese mannerisms and even to - [Three Musketeers Brings Rankin Back to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2024/03/three-musketeers-brings-rankin-back-to-norfolk/) - By Jerome Langston It was early in my recent phone chat with Tom Quaintance, the Producing Artistic Director of Virginia Stage Company, and award-winning fight director Steve Rankin (pictured above), that I realized how far back their friendship goes. Tom is about to direct VSC’s next show, The Three Musketeers, with Steve along as its - [ESSAY: Fast Times at Wagner High](https://veermag.com/2024/03/essay-fast-times-at-wagner-high/) - By Tom Robotham It’s hard to believe, but it’s fact: This year, my high-school graduating class will celebrate its 50-year reunion. In recognition of this occasion, I find myself reflecting on my high-school experience. From the beginning, it was pretty grim. My older sister had gone to another school, closer to our home in Staten - [Roberta Lea Poised For Greatness](https://veermag.com/2024/01/roberta-lea-poised-for-greatness/) - By Jim Morrison While the COVID pandemic forced many artists into secluded hibernation, it provided Roberta Lea with the opportunity to venture down the path of a new career. Lea, who dabbled in songwriting and played open mics since she was a teen two decades ago, was teaching Spanish at Booker T. Washington High - [Norfolk Wood Shop Celebrates One Year in Business](https://veermag.com/2024/02/norfolk-wood-shop-celebrates-one-year-in-business/) - By Jim Roberts Opening a small, brick-and-mortar woodworking supply store in the age of Amazon and “big box” competition might not seem like the wisest business decision, but James Brooks is making it work. His Norfolk Wood Shop—located across the street from Elation Brewing in the bustling North Colley business district—celebrated its one-year anniversary in November. “One - [VOTE! 2024 VEER MUSIC AWARDS!](https://veermag.com/2024/01/vote-2024-veer-music-awards/) - As you can see below, 2023 was a sensational year for bands and musicians in the 757 region. Voting is now live through January 21. Note: Most of the categories required potential nominees to have released a single, EP, album, or music video in 2023. We also considered a live performance opening for a - [Sanctuary Road: An Important American Opera](https://veermag.com/2024/01/sanctuary-road-an-important-american-opera/) - (Composer Damien Geter) By Montague Gammon III An unsung hero of the Underground Railroad, which spirited enslaved African-Americans to havens safe from bondage in the years from the late 1700’ to the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, gets that unsung status quite literally reversed when Virginia Opera’s curtain goes up on the world’s second production - [Going to the Dogs](https://veermag.com/2024/01/going-to-the-dogs/) - (DOGGONE GOOD: Larry Sauger and Karl Neumann have Pittie Dog Grill sizzlin’) By Marisa Marsey Since adopting a puppy last year, my ears prick up at any mention of the word “dog” as avidly as Sheepish, my Miniature Sheepadoodle, sniffs out squirrels. So when I heard about Pittie Dog Grill, I hightailed it to the - [As Goode as it Gets](https://veermag.com/2024/01/as-goode-as-it-gets/) - (The exterior is aglow with European charm. Photo by CPix Aperture.) By Betsy DiJulio Gone are the pungent aromas of hay, manure, and gasoline. But in their place, as of January 13, are faint whiffs of damp clay, oil paint, and linseed oil. Nestled into the woodlands and gardens of the 12-acre site of the - [Dialing-up A Thrilling Murder Mystery](https://veermag.com/2024/01/dialing-up-a-thrilling-murder-mystery/) - (Michelle Liu Coughlin (pictured) and Daniel Domingues are making their Virginia Stage Company performance debuts in Dial M For Murder.) By Jerome Langston “Well I make no apology for saying that I love this play. It’s a wonderful play. It’s a brilliant piece of writing,” said director and playwright, Mark Shanahan, after a long day - [Growing Up with The Beatles](https://veermag.com/2024/01/growing-up-with-the-beatles/) - By Tom Robotham In December, 1963, my sister received a package from her “pen pal” in Scotland. Inside, was a 45 rpm record made exclusively for the “official fan club” of a band called The Beatles. Although Beatlemania had not yet come to America, and I was only 7 at the time, I was immediately - [Amanda Knox: Still Clearing Her Name](https://veermag.com/2024/01/amanda-knox-still-clearing-her-name/) - By Jeff Maisey Most Americans know the name Amanda Knox and her story of being a young woman studying abroad in Italy, and who’s British college roommate and friend was raped and murdered in their home. Knox, in a highly publicized trial in an Italian court, made international newspaper, tabloid, and television headlines. Knox has - [A Bobby Black Hat NYE](https://veermag.com/2023/12/a-bobby-black-hat-nye/) - By Jeff Maisey Local blues legend Bobby Black Hat Walters shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, 2023 was one of his most prolific. In addition to two sold-out concert events at Ferguson Center for the Arts, the singer/songwriter/harmonica player will squeeze one more performances out of ’23 with his New Year’s Eve Blues - [Announcing 2024 Veer Music Awards Nominees](https://veermag.com/2024/01/announcing-2024-veer-music-awards-nominees/) - As you can see below, 2023 was a sensational year for bands and musicians in the 757 region. Voting will begin this week. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for announcement. Note: Most of the categories required potential nominees to have released a single, EP, album, or music video in 2023. We also considered a - [Music Video of the Year Nominees](https://veermag.com/2024/01/music-video-of-the-year-nominees-2/) - Below are the 2024 Veer Music Awards nominees for Music Video of the Year Celeste Kellogg, “Save a Dance For Me This Christmas” tyler donavan, “Crescendo” Magg Dylan, “GTFO” Sunny Moonshine, “2Tone” featuring Lex Lucent Jarrett Beeler, “Laredo” United Souls, “You Look Good” Sonny Strongarm, “Live It Up” - [Photography Live Nominees](https://veermag.com/2024/01/photography-live-nominees/) - The following are the nominees in the Live Photography category of the 2024 Veer Music Awards. Robert Peck: “Curtis Cowles and Brad Garrett from Buckshot performing at New Realm in Virginia Beach”(Pictured above) Jaybird: “The Lazy Dangers at Chicho’s Backstage” Pete Federico: “Jason Cale at Old Beach Tavern” Wendy Woodell: “The Daniel Jordan Band at The - [A Pair of Beach Kids Are Taking Beverage Development and Packing to the Next Level](https://veermag.com/2024/01/a-pair-of-beach-kids-are-taking-beverage-development-and-packing-to-the-next-level/) - (Josh Canada and Megan Riggs) By Joel Rubin Driving through a heavily industrial area of Chesapeake, you would never guess what happens daily inside a massive warehouse just off Bainbridge Boulevard. On the spacious floor are four sophisticated processing “lines,” each filling thousands of 12 or lesser ounce cans, from teas and spirits to seltzers, - [COMEDY: Preachin’ to the Crowd](https://veermag.com/2024/01/comedy-preachin-to-the-crowd/) - By Jerome Langston The subject of comedian Preacher Lawson’s lengthy locs, comes up quite early in our recent phone chat. His hair is even alluded to in his most recent comedy tour name, Loc’d And Loaded, though I guess the tour name didn’t stick...as he quickly explains to me. Getting back to the hair though, - [Posed Photography Nominees: Veer Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2024/01/posed-photography-nominees-veer-music-awards/) - Will Clarke: “Turncoat Syndicate” (Pictured above) Pete Federico: “Anthony Rosano and The Conqueroos” (below) Robert Peck: “WOAH” Michael Spencer: “Eight Inner Gates” Wendy Woodell: “Barry Manilow’s Wardrobe” Summer Lee: “Eight Inner Gates” George Everett: “The Storyweavers” Michael Iwanoski: “EverAfter” Jaybird: “Bloom DJ” - [REVIEW: UPAC Delivers Inspirational “A Motown Christmas” to Zeiders American Dream Theater](https://veermag.com/2023/12/review-upac-delivers-inspirational-a-motown-christmas-to-zeiders-american-dream-theater/) - By Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton While standing on the main stage at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach, Sharon Cook screams "Representation Matters!" Standing on stage with her are Derrion La’Zachan Hawkins (Director), Jennifer Kelly-Cooper (Choreographer), and Ja’Mel Dean (Musical Director). They echo the idea, leading the engaged spectators in a quick call-and-response activity before - [A Jazz Non-Profit Is Born](https://veermag.com/2023/12/a-jazz-non-profit-is-born/) - (Jae Sinnett suits-up to build a jazz legacy for Hampton Roads. Photo courtesy of Jae Sinnett. By Jeff Maisey While the Hampton Roads region — known as Tidewater back in the day — gave birth to the great vocalist Ella Fitzgerald and saxophonist/arranger Tommy Newsom, perhaps no one in this southeastern corner of Virginia has - [ESSAY: The Flame of Faith](https://veermag.com/2023/12/essay-the-flame-of-faith/) - By Tom Robotham Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the - [A Zip, Roaring Christmas Show with Squirrel Nut Zippers](https://veermag.com/2023/11/a-zip-roaring-christmas-show-with-squirrel-nut-zippers/) - By Jim Morrison When Jimbo Mathus decided to relaunch Squirrel Nut Zippers in 2016 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough, "Hot," he moved forward, not back, sending out the call among his New Orleans friends to build a new band playing the old songs. He was intrigued about taking music he wrote and - [Big Ugly Wins 2023 Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2023/12/big-ugly-wins-2023-golden-tap-award/) - Big Ugly Brewing won the 2023 Golden Tap Award in a region-wide competition where the tally was picked by readers and our committee of judges — including Diane Catanzaro, Chris Jones, Brian Koski, and Jen McDonald — provided expert analysis. The 757 region craft breweries enjoyed another outstanding year with accolades coming from global, national, - [2023 HOLIDAY CONCERTS](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-concerts/) - (Good Shot Judy bring their swingin' Noel show to Kimball Theatre in Williamsburg December 14-17) Mannheim Steamroller November 28 Ferguson Center for the Arts fergusoncenter.org Mannheim Steamroller Christmas has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for over 35 years. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in - [Iceland: An Ultimate Roadtrip](https://veermag.com/2023/11/iceland-an-ultimate-roadtrip/) - (A horse riding tour stops for a photo-op at Skogafoss in southern Iceland) By Jeff Maisey PBS travel guru Rick Steves was motoring around Iceland the past July. Steves posted daily blogs from the road, proclaiming the country’s scenic highway to be the “ultimate roadtrip.” Rick Steves explained to online readers his guidebook to Iceland - [The Local Nutcrackers](https://veermag.com/2023/11/the-local-nutcrackers/) - (Ballet Virginia’s “Nutcracker” performance by professional dancers.) By Jeff Maisey In retail, many programs exist to “Buy Local” or “Shop Local During the Holidays.” These promotional efforts advocate for supporting locally owned and operated business competing with big box, national chains. Such an approach might be of interest this holiday season as five different, competing - [King’s Singers: A Christmas Wish Granted](https://veermag.com/2023/11/kings-singers-a-christmas-wish-granted/) - By Jeff Maisey Since the late 1960s, The King’s Singers — hailing from King’s College, Cambridge in England — have made Christmastime special by performing ancient carols from the Renaissance period and then later incorporating a diverse array of modern holiday season selections In advance of their three performances — December 14 at Williamsburg Presbyterian - [Virginia Chorale Honors NATO For Holiday Concert](https://veermag.com/2023/11/virginia-chorale-honors-nato-for-holiday-concert/) - (The members of Virginia Chorale. Photo by Steve Budman) By Jeff Maisey If choral music has a high season, surely it’s the holidays. Over the past thousand years, the most ancient of all music forms — vocal — has been composed for religious ceremonies as well as caroling and in modern culture for entertainment purposes - [ESSAY: The Killing Fields](https://veermag.com/2023/11/essay-the-killing-fields/) - By Tom Robotham Last month, after Hamas fighters bulldozed their way into Israel and slaughtered some 1,400 people—including children and the elderly—I struggled to come to terms with the horrific news. Over the next few weeks, I watched CNN coverage for hours on end and read scores of reports and opinion pieces on the websites - [McCartney’s Gift of Photography](https://veermag.com/2023/11/mccartneys-gift-of-photography/) - (Self-portrait. London, 1963 © 1963 - 1964 Paul McCartney under exclusive license to MPL Archive LLP) By Jeff Maisey Paul McCartney has provided longtime fans a gift this holiday season. First there was the brilliant roll out of “Now and Then” — mini-documentary, audio single, music video — billed as the last Beatles song. Now, - [MUSIC: Winter Winds ](https://veermag.com/2023/11/music-winter-winds/) - (Vocalist Amanda Batcher coming home to sing with the Tidewater Winds) By Jim Roberts John Brewington got his Christmas wish back in August—when Amanda Batcher agreed to sing at the Tidewater Winds’ upcoming holiday concert. Brewington is the musical director for the Sousa-style concert band, which comprises 65 woodwind, brass and percussion musicians from across Hampton - [Virtuosity and Variety with the Ulysses Quartet](https://veermag.com/2023/11/virtuosity-and-variety-with-the-ulysses-quartet/) - By Montague Gammon III The Ulysses Quartet’s December 4 concert brings to Chrysler Museum’s intimate Kaufmann Theater a deliberately eclectic mix of chamber pieces from as long ago as the 1790s and as recently as 2017. It begins with the “lively… full of sprit and humor” 1797-98 Quartet Op. 76, #5, in D Major, by - [STAGE: A Larger Christmas Carol](https://veermag.com/2023/11/stage-a-larger-christmas-carol/) - (Beatty Barnes Jr. portraying Ebenezer Scrooge in Virginia Stage Company's “A Merry Christmas Carol.” Photo by Sam Flint. By Jerome Langston "We’ve been able to build this – for the last 3 years,” says Tom Quaintance, Virginia Stage Company’s producing Artistic Director, just a couple days ago during a break in rehearsal for A Merry - [VEER’s Golden Tap Awards & The Key to Lager Town](https://veermag.com/2023/11/veers-golden-tap-awards-the-key-to-lager-town/) - By Jeremy Bender Who is the best brewery in Hampton Roads this year? What are the finest IPAs, stouts, lagers, sours and pilsners? On Tuesday, December 5, VEER Magazine will present its 2023 Golden Tap Awards at Elation Brewing in Norfolk beginning at 6 PM. The City of Norfolk’s Department of Economic Development and - [Stuff Their Stockings…And Yourself](https://veermag.com/2023/11/stuff-their-stockingsand-yourself/) - (FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Brian Brinson’s popular Lizard Café is the perfect lunch combo with Prince Books in downtown Norfolk.) By Marisa Marsey Time for the holidays. Yay! Time for holiday shopping. Ugh! I love pretty much any festive tradition (more mistletoe, please) but checking off my gift list leaves me listless. If only everyone - [WINE REVIEWS: Reds To Splurge On](https://veermag.com/2023/11/wine-reviews-reds-to-splurge-on/) - By Jeff Maisey I’m normally a $25-$50/bottle wine guy at home, but during the festive fall and holiday season this year I’ve splurged a bit, and the upgrades have been noticeable. Moone Tsai Howell Mountain 2018 Red Blend Napa Valley Lynn and I recently hosted a couple at Chez Maisey for salad, homemade lasagna and - [2023 HOLIDAY THEATER](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-theater/) - “A Drag Queen Christmas” November 24 Sandler Center for the Performing Arts sandlercenter.org For the 9th consecutive year, Murray & Peter present, “A Drag Queen Christmas," the longest running drag tour in America. Get ready for Host Miz Cracker plus your favorite queens performing live on stage and very special guest Todrick Hall. “A - [2023 HOLIDAY CHILDREN/FAMILY EVENTS](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-children-family-events/) - “A Christmas Carol” December 2 The American Theatre hamptonarts.org Perhaps the best loved holiday story of all time, this adaptation of Dickens’ classic is particularly suited to children. Watch Mr. Scrooge have a change of heart from stone to gold as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas. All the joy, sentiment and meaning - [2023 Holiday Lights & Parades](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-lights-parades/) - HOLIDAY LIGHTS & PARADES Garden of Lights Norfolk Botanical Garden Through December 31 5-9:30 PM Nightly NBGlights.org Get out and enjoy the spectacular 1.5 million lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden through New Year’s Eve. Barks & Bulbs Norfolk Botanical Garden Sundays in November NBGlights.org Bring your dog and walk the amazing light path through - [2023 HOLIDAY DANCE](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-dance/) - (The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns to Chrysler Hall) “Nutcracker: Magical Christmas Ballet” November 26 Sandler Center for the Performing Arts sandlercenter.org Gather your loved ones for the warm-glow-nostalgia of America’s favorite Christmas celebration. Experience the extraordinary international cast and Ukrainian Principal Artists performing at the peak of classical European Ballet. Be transported by the - [ART NEWS: Remembering Anne Iott](https://veermag.com/2023/11/art-news-remembering-anne-iott/) - (Anne Iott’s “Fallen Tree II,” Watercolor, 1998) By Betsy DiJulio On October 8, this community lost someone who has been called a “lodestar of my better self,” “a force of nature” and “a pit bull for her faculty.” As five people who worked with Anne Iott for decades recently shared with me, she was all - [Black Friday Record Store Day](https://veermag.com/2023/11/black-friday-record-store-day/) - By Jeff Maisey Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — was once the busiest sales day of the year for retailers across the spectrum. While that’s not necessarily the case any longer as brick-and-mortar retail has declined over the last decade, record stores are the exception. Back in 2008, a collective effort to create - [Virginia Arts Festival Announces Season](https://veermag.com/2023/11/virginia-arts-festival-announces-season/) - (Adrienne Warren is a highlight of the upcoming season) By Jeff Maisey The Virginia Arts Festival has unveiled its 2024 season, a mix of audience favorites and newcomers sure to please. One of the upcoming season highlights will be an evening with musical theater actress and singer Adrienne Warren on May 30 at the Attucks - [2023 Holiday Markets](https://veermag.com/2023/11/2023-holiday-markets/) - Holiday Boutique November 17 through December 24 Virginia Beach Art Center artcentervb.org Impress loved ones with unique, hand-crafted gifts of fine art and artisan crafts. Give a gift like no other. Mistletoe Market November 18 Wells Theatre vastage.org Virginia Stage Company is proud to partner with local artists, artisans, and crafters for its second - [VOTE! 2023 VEER Golden Tap Awards](https://veermag.com/2023/10/vote-2023-veer-golden-tap-awards/) - 757 region craft breweries have enjoyed another outstanding year with accolades coming from global, national, statewide, and regional sources. With all of these great things happening in our Coastal Virginia beer scene, it is our pleasure to announce the 2023 Veer Magazine Golden Tap Award nominees. From October 15 through November 15, we invite our - [Restaurant Reverie](https://veermag.com/2023/10/restaurant-reverie/) - (Daily menu additions like this Roasted Red Pepper Bisque w/fried basil and smoked peppercorn have business booming for chef/owner Kevin Sharkey at 1608 Crafthouse in Virginia Beach.) By Marisa Marsey Heading west on I-64 for a business meeting in Richmond last week, my mind wandered to which of the River City’s commendable restaurants I’d - [A Symphony Concert of Profound and Positive Hope](https://veermag.com/2023/10/a-symphony-concert-of-profound-and-positive-hope/) - (Thomas Wilkins, conductor) By Montague Gammon III Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Brahms and Dvořák with Thomas Wilkins November concert features “music that is going to make you feel better about yourself at the end of the evening,” says the VSO’s Principal Guest Conductor Wilkins, who will be on the podium. It’s actually a tripartite program, beginning - [All Things Equal is Unequalled Theatre](https://veermag.com/2023/10/all-things-equal-is-unequalled-theatre/) - (Michelle Azar stars as Ruth Bader Ginsburg Photo courtesy of Bay Street Theater.) By Montague Gammon III The most important play that anyone in Hampton Roads will see this year, and probably for many years to come, crops up for just one single early November night performance at the American Theater in Hampton, one of - [Virginia Opera’s Edge of the Seat Comedy](https://veermag.com/2023/10/virginia-operas-edge-of-the-seat-comedy/) - Mezzo soprano Hilary Ginther By Montague Gammon III One of the most popular and well known of all operas, Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” comes to the Harrison Opera House the first weekend of November in a brand new Virginia Opera production that promises musical pleasures for traditionalists and opera novices alike (and - [Beloved Aladdin Brings Joy to Chrysler Hall](https://veermag.com/2023/10/beloved-aladdin-brings-joy-to-chrysler-hall/) - (Adi Royas as Aladdin. Photo by Deenvan Meer/Disney.) By Jerome Langston “To me, it kind of feels like destiny. It’s like a full circle moment for me,” says actor Adi Roy, who plays the title role of Aladdin, in the Broadway touring production of Disney’s “Aladdin,” regarding how he feels portraying the iconic character. Adi - [ART: Climate and Culture Dominate Enos Exhibition](https://veermag.com/2023/10/art-climate-and-culture-dominate-enos-exhibition/) - By Betsy DiJulio A quick look at the paintings and drawings of Solomon Enos would leave one with the impression that his work gives form to a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future. But that’s why a quick look at art is rarely adequate. While the work leans heavily into sci-fi and fantasy—with echoes of surrealist Salvidor Dali’s - [NEON Shines Bright with The Arts](https://veermag.com/2023/10/neon-shines-bright-with-the-arts/) - (Kyle Confehr’s The Kindness of Strangers mural. Photo by Jon Abrahams of Jpixx) By Jerome Langston When urbanist and scholar, Richard Florida, first introduced the “creative class” into our popular lexicon back in the early aughts, his ideas were heralded as being transformative and sexy, yet rooted in substantial data...all of which led to buy-in from - [Violent Femmes Happy to Return to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2023/10/violent-femmes-happy-to-return-to-norfolk/) - By Jeff Maisey This year marks the 40th anniversary of American folk/punk band Violent Femmes. The Milwaukee-based group made an impressive debut in 1983 with the self-titled album which spawned the longtime classic singles “Blister in the Sun” and “Gone Daddy Gone.” Bassist Brian Ritchie recalls the era of slowly building an audience. “For us - [A Wine Education at Crystal Palate](https://veermag.com/2023/10/a-wine-education-at-crystal-palate/) - (Crystal Cameron-Schaad enjoys sharing an education in wine culture with patrons.) By Jeff Maisey For the more sophisticated traveler, experiencing a destination through its culinary and winemaking culture is an essential ingredient in understanding the uniqueness of its people and land. Travel for those seeking a refined adventure beyond beaching oneself at an all-inclusive - [Hoggard. Remembering Joe](https://veermag.com/2023/10/hoggard-remembering-joe/) - By Jim Raper On a fall night sometime in the late 1980s I dined with a professional group of about 20 at Joe Hoggard’s Ships Cabin restaurant in Norfolk’s East Ocean View. Our main course this evening would be cioppino. “It’ll be the best fish soup you’ve ever had,” was Joe’s promise. As usual, for - [100-Year-Old Norfolk Family Business is Bringing City’s Historic Railyard District Back to Life](https://veermag.com/2023/10/100-year-old-norfolk-family-business-is-bringing-citys-historic-railyard-district-back-to-life/) - By Joel Rubin “To Janit…The Sweetest Little Girl I Know.” So wrote John Frank in 1958 on the wall of what was likely a bar on Hampton Boulevard at 25th Street in Norfolk. John and Janit’s relationship was lost to history until workmen uncovered the quote, part of a remarkable restoration of four old structures - [ESSAY: A Fan’s Notes](https://veermag.com/2023/10/essay-a-fans-notes/) - By Tom Robotham Over the years, I’ve written a lot about my love of baseball, and it’s on my mind once again as the World Series approaches. Lately, though, I’ve been reflecting on this in a broader context: Why are sports in general so captivating? I realize, of course, that not everyone cares about them. - [TCC Opens New Visual Arts and Design Center](https://veermag.com/2023/10/tcc-opens-new-visual-arts-and-design-center/) - By Jim Roberts Marcia Conston didn’t live in Norfolk in 2011—the year Farm Fresh closed its grocery store in downtown Norfolk—but she fully understands the impact of Tidewater Community College expanding into that long unused space. “I never imagined that we could transform the former Farm Fresh grocery store into a beautiful education facility,” Conston, - [The Gift of the Fiddler](https://veermag.com/2023/10/the-gift-of-the-fiddler/) - By Jerome Langston “In all honesty, it’s kind of the gift that keeps on giving. If you have to be associated with one show repeatedly in your career, I couldn’t think of a better one to be associated with,” says Gary John La Rosa, the famed director/choreographer, early on in our recent chat regarding the - [Rocking Rachmaninoff](https://veermag.com/2023/10/rocking-rachmaninoff/) - By Jeff Maisey Earlier this year, the Virginia Arts Festival celebrated in grand style the 150th birthday of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff with a series of chamber music concerts featuring the internationally acclaimed Dali Quartet and violinist Tianwa Yang as well as Sterling Elliott (cello), Debra Wendells Cross (flute), and Darrin Milling (trombone). Front - [Still Ga Ga Over the Goo Goos](https://veermag.com/2023/09/still-ga-ga-over-the-goo-goos/) - By Jim Morrison For a decade after they formed in Buffalo and before they became radio stars, The Goo Goo Dolls toured in a van, a trio sometimes headlining and sometimes opening for bands like The Gun Club or Motorhead. Their first album, recorded on a $750 budget featured originals, but also a speed metal - [BOOK REVIEW: Homeward Bound](https://veermag.com/2023/09/book-review-homeward-bound/) - (Author Michael Pearson on the road in Ireland. Courtesy photo) By Tom Robotham Over the last three decades, Michael Pearson—former professor of creative writing and literature at Old Dominion University—has written seven books of nonfiction focusing on his two great passions: reading and travel. The two subjects are closely related, it seems to me. Books, - [Symbolism Abounds in Chrysler Exhibition](https://veermag.com/2023/09/symbolism-abounds-in-chrysler-exhibition/) - Matt Eich (American, b. 1986), Fire hose baptism, Newport News, Virginia (from the series “The Invisible Yoke, Volume III: The Seven Cities”), 2013 Archival pigment print, The Do Good Fund, Inc., 2020–5 © Matt Eich By Jerome Langston “I like curating photography shows, because it just seems so natural that a dialogue can be had - [Details About Possibilities of Paper](https://veermag.com/2023/09/details-about-possibilities-of-paper/) - Roberto Benavidez, Bosch Beast No. 4, 2017. Paper, paperboard, glue, crepe paper, and wire, 36 x 22 x 12”. (Photo by Echard Wheeler) By Betsy DiJulio In the minds and hands of 13 artists, lowly paper is elevated. Generally thought of as a support for other media or the stuff of which traditional folk arts - [Craft on Colley: Semi-Fine Dining at its Finest](https://veermag.com/2023/09/craft-on-colley-semi-fine-dining-at-its-finest/) - By Marisa Marsey A cynic might sneer, “What are those guys trying to do, corner NoCo?” The thought’s not ungrounded. Dave Filipowski and Rich Katz own neighboring hangouts Cogans North and Hank’s Filling Station on the north side of Colley Avenue. So it’s reasonable to conjecture that with their recent opening of Craft on Colley, - [ESSAY: An Education](https://veermag.com/2023/09/essay-an-education/) - By Tom Robotham Recently, I received a notice from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh that my graduating class would be among those honored during this year’s homecoming weekend. Until then, it hadn’t dawned on me that 2023 marks 45 years since I donned my cap and gown and marched down the aisle - [Inaugural Homegrown Harvest Festival Plants Seed for National Attention](https://veermag.com/2023/09/inaugural-homegrown-harvest-festival-plants-seed-for-national-attention/) - (Along with River Road Farm and Commune, Marshall Rabil -- pictured -- and his team at Hubs Peanuts are spearheading the not-to-be-missed Homegrown Harvest Festival to benefit the Foodbank and The CROP Foundation. Photo credit: Kyle LaFerriere Photography) By Marisa Marsey “Me first!” Remember the urgent tug of primacy as a child? Now that I’m - [Neptune Festival preparing for back-to-back beer and wine festivals](https://veermag.com/2023/08/neptune-festival-preparing-for-back-to-back-beer-and-wine-festivals/) - By Jim Roberts The small staff at the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival is gearing up for a number of large events the last weekend in September: the Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show, the 49th Annual Boardwalk Weekend, and the Neptune Festival Grand Parade, among others. But first, they will host the Coastal Craft Beer - [Top Shelf Service](https://veermag.com/2023/09/top-shelf-service/) - (Annie Rostov) By Jeff Maisey Few industries seem to be as impacted coming out of the pandemic as the restaurant business. While customers have returned to near pre-Covid numbers, restauranteurs in Hampton Roads and across the nation have seen their food costs and overall operating expenses dramatically increase due to inflation and supply chain challenges. - [Feast Festively on Beethoven’s Bounty](https://veermag.com/2023/09/feast-festively-on-beethovens-bounty/) - (Piano soloist Orli Shaham) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Symphony opens its 2023-24 Season with a Beethoven Festival whose bounties Music Director and concert conductor Eric Jacobsen twice likened to a “steak dinner with dessert,” a two course musical feast of “pieces that will bring people together for many years to come.” Ludwig’s van - [Forward with Humble Pie’s Legacy](https://veermag.com/2023/09/forward-with-humble-pies-legacy/) - By Jeff Maisey Back in the early 1970s, Humble Pie was considered one of the best live rock n roll bands to experience as is evident on their “Rockin’ the Fillmore” double-album released in 1971. The English group was formed by Steve Marriott (vocals, Small Faces) and Peter Frampton (vocals, guitar), along with Greg Ridley - [My Lunch with Will Bland..and Cliff Hayes and Alex Angelos](https://veermag.com/2023/09/my-lunch-with-will-bland-and-cliff-hayes-and-alex-angelos/) - (SUNNY SIDE UP: Will Bland at Pancakes-N-Things. Photo by Joel Rubin. ) By Joel Rubin I just had to meet Will Bland. After reading Larry Rubama’s profile of the Princess Anne High (International Baccalaureate Academy) grad in the newspaper, I was anxious to learn how this African American star basketball guard, homecoming king, student actor, - [Conceptual End of Massive Resistance installation is impressive](https://veermag.com/2023/08/conceptual-end-of-massive-resistance-installation-is-impressive/) - By Betsy DiJulio From the Berlin Wall to the US-Mexico Border Wall, the West Bank Wall and even the conceptual “fourth wall” in theatre, walls, often steeped in controversy, divide, barricade, contain, and, conversely, keep out. But in 1979, Maya Lin, then a 20-year-old Asian-America senior at Yale University, won a nationwide competition sponsored - [Hampton Roads Breweries Sweep Coveted Best in Show](https://veermag.com/2023/08/hampton-roads-breweries-sweep-coveted-best-in-show/) - (Benchtop Brewing Company wins 2023 Virginia Craft Beer Cup) By Jeff Maisey Independent craft breweries from Hampton Roads had an impressive showing at the 2023 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Awards ceremony by sweeping the Best in Show category reflecting the top three overall beer entries. Norfolk’s Benchtop Brewing Company scored the top award with its - [A Rare Look at Collectors’ Artwork](https://veermag.com/2023/08/a-rare-look-at-collectors-artwork/) - (Swoon, Thalassa, 2012. Screenprint, coffee stain, hand painting on paper, 120 x 84 in. Collection of the Waldo Family. Photo by Echard Wheeler) By Betsy DiJulio With Collector’s Edition, MOCA set out to craft a colorful, summery, and celebratory exhibition. But what resulted is so much more. Throughout last spring and early summer, Kara Walker: - [MUSIC: Champagne to Flow at Funk Fest](https://veermag.com/2023/08/music-champagne-to-flow-at-funk-fest/) - By Jeff Maisey “I’m going to make you a star one day.” A young teenaged Evelyn King was cleaning the offices of Philadelphia International Records headquarters. She came from a family of entertainers, joined her first local R&B group in Philly at age 14, and happened to be singing one day as she worked a - [The $42,000 Barbie](https://veermag.com/2023/08/the-42000-barbie/) - (“Barbie” #1 Model in Original Dressed-Box With Early Costumes, Courtesy of Theriault’s By Jeff Maisey Barbie-mania has expanded beyond the movie theaters and inspired Barbie themed parties and other dress-in-pink events. But that’s not all. Taking things to a higher level in what the Barry Art Museum calls a “historic acquisition,” an ultra-rare first-release Barbie - [Norfolk Funds The Arts](https://veermag.com/2023/08/norfolk-funds-the-arts/) - Twenty-eight local arts organizations received funding support from the City of Norfolk Arts Commission. The Commission increased its support for the new fiscal year. “We are thankful that Norfolk Arts was awarded $300,000, up from $220,000, for the first time in many, many years,” said Karen Rudd, manager of Norfolk Arts. “Additionally,” continued Rudd, “some - [ESSAY: Bites of the Big Apple](https://veermag.com/2023/08/essay-bites-of-the-big-apple/) - Words & Photo by Tom Robotham One can’t paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt. - Georgia O’Keeffe Last month in this space, I wrote about what I call the resonance of place: the vibrations in your very soul that you feel at the mere mention of a particular - [Koz Brings Summer Horns to Norfolk Jazz Festival](https://veermag.com/2023/08/koz-brings-summer-horns-to-norfolk-jazz-festival/) - By Jeff Maisey Grammy-winning smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz is no stranger to Hampton Roads. For a decade and counting, Koz & Friends have performed their annual Christmas show at the Ferguson Center in Newport News. On Saturday, August 19, Koz returns to the region as the headlining act of the 39th Annual Norfolk Waterfront - [Filibuster bourbon](https://veermag.com/2023/08/filibuster-bourbon/) - By Marisa Marsey Heading to Derby Day, my fancy races to mint juleps and the bourbon that braces them. (Of course, my fancy races to bourbon many a day, anyway). A good bet for those juleps – if you want to stay true to Virginia while toasting Kentucky – is Filibuster, founded in Northern Virginia - [Afterglow Brewing Shines in Norfolk’s Railyard District](https://veermag.com/2023/07/afterglow-brewing-shines-in-norfolks-railyard-district/) - (Josh Evans and Jeff Hartline. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Here’s some exciting news for beer lovers! Norfolk’s newest brewery held their Grand Opening the weekend of July 8. Afterglow Brewing is now open for business at The Railyard at Lambert’s Point! We were there for the soft opening and enjoyed excellent beers, friendly service, - [Demons Respond to Current Moment in Time](https://veermag.com/2023/08/demons-respond-to-current-moment-in-time/) - By Jeff Maisey Norfolk hard-edge punk rock band Demons will unleash its new full-length album, “Under the Western Heel,” with a big stage performance August 12 at The NorVa. Previously, the quartet, comprised of Zach Gehring (vocals/guitar), Chris Matthews (guitar/vocals), Jonathan Anderson (bass), Drew Orton (drums), have released three EPs — “Great Dismal” (2015), “Made - [ESSAY: The Forgotten Borough](https://veermag.com/2023/07/essay-the-forgotten-borough/) - By Tom Robotham There are places I remember / All my life, though some have changed. – John Lennon Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about places that hold deep meaning for me: Manhattan; Paris; Leicester, England, birthplace of my paternal grandfather; parts of Florida; Ocracoke, and Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, among others. Reflecting on - [THEATER: Escape to Margaritaville](https://veermag.com/2023/07/theater-escape-to-margaritaville/) - (The cast from Little Theatre of Virginia Beach’s “Margaritaville.” Photo by Joshua Stubbs. By Jim Roberts Jimmy Buffett’s not touring this summer, but Hampton Roads’ “Parrotheads” can experience the next best thing when the Little Theater of Virginia Beach presents “Escape to Margaritaville.” The jukebox musical includes 11 of the 13 songs on Buffett’s greatest - [Return of The Belvedere](https://veermag.com/2023/07/return-of-the-belvedere/) - By Marisa Marsey Were you as ecstatic as I when you heard that the beloved Belvedere Coffee Shop & Diner was being resurrected in the spanking new Moxy Hotel at the Oceanfront? If you possess any VaBeachVa history, I’m guessing that’s a resounding, fist-pumping “YES!” Perhaps you were a fan of the Eye Opener, a - [ART: A Curatorial Gem](https://veermag.com/2023/07/art-a-curatorial-gem/) - (Matt Lively, “Orbit”) By Betsy DiJulio I go to art museums to be inspired, transported, challenged, and even provoked, but not perplexed. Feeling baffled in an art exhibition is deeply unsatisfying and, frankly, irks me because it generally means someone hasn’t done their job. But curator Gayle Paul does her job. Yet, Color Outside - [Benoit & Rosano Team-Up for Album and Tour](https://veermag.com/2023/07/benoit-rosano-team-up-for-album-and-tour/) - By Jim Morrison Tab Benoit may be best known as one of Louisiana's finest blues guitarists and vocalists with a three-decade career releasing solo records and working with legends like Anders Osborne, George Porter, Jr., and Cyril Neville. But Benoit has also been a restaurant owner, painter, ardent conservationist championing his state's wetlands, and most - [The Icon & Iconic Album Cover](https://veermag.com/2023/07/the-icon-iconic-album-cover/) - By Jeff Maisey One of the most recognizable, iconic record album covers in pop culture almost never saw the light of day. “If it was up to me I would have rejected the cover,” said legendary trumpet player Herb Alpert, who released “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” with his Tijuana Brass Band in 1965. The - [VPN Usage and the Legal Landscape: Protecting First Amendment Rights within the Bounds of the Law](https://veermag.com/2023/06/vpn-usage-and-the-legal-landscape-protecting-first-amendment-rights-within-the-bounds-of-the-law/) - By Giorgio C. Valentini Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have become powerful tools that allow individuals to bypass content restrictions, access unrestricted information, and protect their First Amendment rights. However, understanding the legal landscape surrounding VPN usage is crucial to ensure compliance and responsible utilization of these technologies. This article explores the legality of VPN usage, - [Ghent Pride & More](https://veermag.com/2023/06/ghent-pride-more/) - On Tuesday, June 20, Ghent Pride will return in style thanks to the perseverance of event organizer Robert Roman. Together with his husband, Claus Ihlemann, Roman has been one of the most active people in Hampton Roads lobbying politicians, businesses, and ordinary people on topics near and dear to the hearts of the LGBTQ+ community, - [Amazing Grace](https://veermag.com/2015/06/amazing-grace/) - By Tom Robotham Recently I sat down to a lovely brunch with someone at 456 Fish, one of my favorite Norfolk restaurants. As I was savoring my first bite of Eggs Benedict, I noticed that my companion hadn’t yet lifted her fork. Instead, she was blessing her food. I put down my fork and - [Festevents to Commemorate The Boathouse During Harborfest](https://veermag.com/2023/06/festevents-to-commemorate-the-boathouse-during-harborfest/) - By Jeff Maisey “We were backstage and there was a buffet spread out with chicken, roast beef and all kinds of good stuff,” recalled singer David Middleton, whose local band, the Waxing Poetics, opened for numerous nationally touring acts, including the Ramones, at the Boathouse during the 1980s. “Paul (guitarist) and I were starving, skinny - [Jesus Christ Superstar Ascends Once Again](https://veermag.com/2023/05/jesus-christ-superstar-ascends-once-again/) - (Omar Lopez-Cepero, Aaron LaVigne and the company of the North American Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.) By Jerome Langston “This is a role that I’ve been hoping and praying for—for years and years,” says actor Elvie Ellis, who portrays the meaty role of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway touring - [Valerie June’s Intoxicating Organic Moonshine Roots Music](https://veermag.com/2023/06/valerie-junes-intoxicating-organic-moonshine-roots-music/) - By Jim Morrison Valerie June recorded her latest set of originals, "The Moon and the Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers," before the pandemic. When the lockdown descended, her label delayed its debut. As a performer who quipped that she only returned to her Brooklyn apartment long enough to wash her clothes and head back onto - [Desplaines Departs Norfolk Botanical Garden](https://veermag.com/2023/05/desplaines-departs-norfolk-botanical-garden/) - By Kelly Welsh Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) announces President & CEO Michael P. Desplaines will step down in late June to accept the CEO position at The Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia, California this July. Mr. Desplaines has been with the Garden since 2014 and during his tenure has increased visitation to exceed - [ChaWa Embodies Mardi Gras Indian Culture](https://veermag.com/2023/05/chawa-embodies-mardi-gras-indian-culture/) - By Jeff Maisey This year’s Bayou Bon Vivant Festival featuring Cajun cuisine like crawfish and jambalaya, folk art from souther Louisiana, and live music equal in caliber to the famous New Orleans Jazz Festival will be one to remember. Entertainers such as Blues Traveler, North Mississippi All=Stars, and Anders Osborne are big-time names most - [Blues Dancing in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2023/05/blues-dancing-in-norfolk/) - (Mentor artist Joshua Purnell, center, and Noah Stovall, left, dance with partners. Tidewater Blues meets every Monday at the Fred Huette Center in Norfolk for blues dance instruction and a social dance.) Words & Photo By Pat Jarrett Nationally, the Tidewater region of Virginia is a focal point of Black culture: From contemporary artists like - [The Game’s Afoot for the Norfolk Chamber Consort](https://veermag.com/2023/05/the-games-afoot-for-the-norfolk-chamber-consort/) - (TWO-GETHER: Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn) By Montague Gammon III The Norfolk Chamber Consort closes its 54th Season with a concert titled “The Game of Pairs.” Husband and wife performers, father and son composers, deux French composers, sibling string instruments, twinned string instruments, two ways of playing string instruments, and European style matched up with - [In Search of Excellence](https://veermag.com/2023/05/in-search-of-excellence/) - By Tom Robotham One of my favorite moments in the history of television is the opening scene of Newsroom, a short-lived HBO series about a jaded TV anchor, Will McAvoy, played by Jeff Daniels. In the scene, McAvoy is asked at a college forum why America is the greatest country in the world. “It’s not,” - [La Patrona Taqueria is All About The Food](https://veermag.com/2023/05/la-patrona-taqueria-is-all-about-the-food/) - By Betsy DiJulio In a landscape dotted with mostly fungible Mexican restaurants, Taqueria La Patrona is a welcome respite for the hungry traveler, even if you just traveled from down the street, even if you crave far more than tacos, and even if you subscribe to an entirely plant-based diet. Located on Lynnhaven Road in - [Darrell Redmond is a Motivated Man on a Mission](https://veermag.com/2023/05/darrell-redmond-is-a-motivated-man-on-a-mission/) - By Joel Rubin Languishing in both juvenile and adult Virginia lockups for 25 years, felon Darrell Redmond could not have imagined that this past April 16, he would be the star attraction at a Hampton fund raiser, attended by local mayors, business leaders, social workers, a TV news crew and a couple dozen children, Black - [A Beloved Teacher and a Norfolk Native: Eva May Morris Gregory](https://veermag.com/2023/05/a-beloved-teacher-and-a-norfolk-native-eva-may-morris-gregory/) - (ODU student Alayna Vilardi. Photo by Lyn LeFevre.) By Kathryn Finney Inside a large Victorian house on Lafayette Boulevard in Norfolk, thousands of students studied the art of dance with their teacher, Eva May Morris. Her legacy lives on through a merit-based scholarship at Old Dominion University. Its most recent recipient, announced this month, is Alayna Vilardi, an ODU - [CONCERT PREVIEW: World of Music Speaks Universal Language](https://veermag.com/2023/04/concert-preview-world-of-music-speaks-universal-language/) - By Jeff Maisey Banjo legend Béla Fleck has been keen to expand the boundaries of his instrument, composing, performing, and exploring the realms of acoustic music in jazz, Western classical, bluegrass, and within the complex world of classical Indian. Together with classical upright bassist Edgar Meyer, Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, and flutist Rakesh - [THEATER: The Embodiment of Nina Simone](https://veermag.com/2023/04/theater-the-embodiment-of-nina-simone/) - (Actress/singer Yolanda Rabun portrays Nina Simone) By Jerome Langston “She truly embodies Nina Simone,” says actress/director Kathryn Hunter-Williams, during a recent phone chat, in anticipation of the play with music that she’s directing for the Virginia Stage Company in May. The actress, who previously starred in last season’s excellent, Every Brilliant Thing, is referring to - [Veteran-Owned Chesapeake Bay Pedal Club is Back on the Water for 2023](https://veermag.com/2023/04/veteran-owned-chesapeake-bay-pedal-club-is-back-on-the-water-for-2023/) - (A fun day on the Inlet. Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Pedal Club) By Dana Nichols It’s hard to miss the lively turquoise and lime green paddle boat cruising Rudee Inlet: the vibe is energetic, music is playing, passengers are smiling or dancing — sometimes in matching outfits or costumes — and they’re bicycle-pedaling in - [Run For The Roads](https://veermag.com/2023/04/run-for-the-roads/) - (Blackened yellowfin tuna over cauliflower rice risotto, spinach, citrus gremolata and orange hoisin served up at The Roads Bistro. Courtesy photo.) By Marisa Marsey Michael Baldwin, who recently opened The Roads Bistro, radiates joy. Even over the phone, you sense he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, reveling in this new adventure. He looks - [Gaining Glass Art Perspectives](https://veermag.com/2023/04/gaining-glass-art-perspectives/) - By Betsy DiJulio In 2022, Eddie and Brad Waitzer, directors of the Leah and Richard Waitzer Foundation, together with their brother Scott, generously bestowed upon the Barry Museum of Art their late parents’ collection of works in glass. Not only does the gift pay tribute to the deep friendship between the Waitzers and museum founders, - [NEWS: Chrysler Museum Names Director of Curatorial Affairs](https://veermag.com/2023/04/news-chrysler-museum-names-director-of-curatorial-affairs/) - By Jordan Fontenot Following a national search, Castro was selected to oversee the Museum’s Curatorial, Conservation, and Collections & Exhibitions divisions, as well as serve on the Senior Leadership Team. In this role, which begins April 17, he will help to shape the institution’s overall artistic program, aligning it with the Museum’s strategic priorities and - [Olga Kern Leads Rachmaninoff 150 Year Celebration](https://veermag.com/2023/04/olga-kern-leads-rachmaninoff-150-year-celebration/) - By Jeff Maisey This year, the Virginia Arts Festival will pay homage to Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday as part of its Chamber Music Series of concerts. Front and center for most of these performances is the phenomenal, often animated pianist Olga Kern. Kern will perform in solo recital May 7 at Sandler Center, - [Loss and Pandemic Reveal Another Side of Josh Ritter](https://veermag.com/2023/04/loss-and-pandemic-reveal-another-side-of-josh-ritter/) - By Jim Morrison For Josh Ritter, the journey to his new album began with a family road trip from Brooklyn to his boyhood hometown in Idaho, where his mother was in the final steep decline of ovarian cancer. It was death in the time of COVID. There was no vaccine. His partner, novelist Haley Tanner, - [All That Chicago Jazz](https://veermag.com/2023/04/all-that-chicago-jazz/) - (Bianca Marroquin and Lewis Cleale) By Jeff Maisey Fresh on the heels of last year’s “The Sound of Music” in concert, the Virginia Arts Festival presents “Chicago The Musical” in concert May 6 at Chrysler Hall. For audiences, experiencing Broadway musicals in a concert setting is both unique and enjoyable, especially given the quality of - [PREVIEW: All Things Equal](https://veermag.com/2023/04/preview-all-things-equal/) - (Michelle Azar stars as Ruth Bader Ginsburg Photo courtesy of Bay Street Theater.) By Jim Roberts The playwright Rupert Holmes and actress Michelle Azar are sharing universal acclaim for “All Things Equal—The Life & Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” a one-woman show that began a national tour in 2022. But if all things are indeed - [Game Changing Move for Brothers](https://veermag.com/2023/04/game-changing-move-for-brothers/) - (Kimberly and Tony Brothers at Brothers former location on Plume Street. Photo courtesy of Tony Brothers.) By Jeff Maisey Tony Brothers has called a brief timeout for his namesake fine dining restaurant and entertainment space on Plume Street in downtown Norfolk, and will reopen May 4 on the first floor of MacArthur Center in the - [Relatable to the Future: Khalia Campbell and Patrick Coker Discuss Alvin Ailey’s Legacy](https://veermag.com/2023/04/relatable-to-the-future-khalia-campbell-and-patrick-coker-discuss-alvin-aileys-legacy/) - By Kate Mattingly In a recently posted video that’s part of Katie Couric’s “Thank You Notes” series, Judith Jamison, director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) from 1989 to 2011, listens to AAADT dancer Khalia Campbell thank her for her support. There was a time when Khalia was unsure of her abilities and artistry, - [Commemorating NATO ACT’s 20th Anniversary, 70 Years of Norfolk NATO Festival](https://veermag.com/2023/04/commemorating-nato-acts-20th-anniversary-70-years-of-norfolk-nato-festival/) - WELCOMING FINLAND INTO NATO: (L-R) French Air & Space Force General Phillip Lavigne (NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation), Admiral Rob Bauer of The Netherlands (Chair of the NATO Military Committee), Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Belgium. Photo courtesy of NATO. By Jeff Maisey This spring Hampton Roads will celebrate two - [Let’s Boogie with Little Feat](https://veermag.com/2023/04/lets-boogie-with-little-feat/) - By Jeff Maisey Thank Frank Zappa for Little Feat. If you search Wikipedia for how Little Feat hit the pavement as a band back in 1969, you’ll read of three wild stories. But which is true? “It was the summer of 1969 and we were in Los Angeles,” said co-founding keyboardist Bill Payne. “Lowell (George) - [City of Light—and Warmth](https://veermag.com/2023/04/city-of-light-and-warmth/) - By Tom Robotham Paris is so very beautiful that it satisfies something in you that is always hungry in America. – Ernest Hemingway In May of 2016, VEER publisher Jeff Maisey and I flew to London and spent the next 10 days touring Great Britain. It was my first trip abroad since 1999. Why it - [Three Women Make Swan Lake Shine: Nayara Lopes, Oksana Maslova, and Dayesi Torriente ](https://veermag.com/2023/04/three-women-make-swan-lake-shine-nayara-lopes-oksana-maslova-and-dayesi-torriente/) - By Kate Mattingly One of the most famous tales of devoted fans is the story of ballet aficionados eating the pointe shoes of dancer Marie Taglioni in 1842. Taglioni attracted acclaim for her superhuman performances that merged strength and delicacy, and she used her pointe shoes to enhance her ethereal, otherworldly qualities. She - [New Grant Funding Model Aims to Help Hampton Residents Fight Shoreline Erosion](https://veermag.com/2023/04/new-grant-funding-model-aims-to-help-hampton-residents-fight-shoreline-erosion/) - By Charlie Paullin A new Hampton program aims to help residents address shoreline erosion by allowing some funds to be provided upfront rather than solely requiring them to pay for improvements themselves and then seek reimbursement. The funds are available through the state’s Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, which traditionally distributes money to multiple soil and - [Local Bagpiper Reflects on Virginia International Tattoo](https://veermag.com/2023/04/local-bagpiper-reflects-on-tattoo/) - By Jim Roberts I’ve played the bagpipes for more than 30 years. My piping has taken me all over the United States and to Canada and Scotland. My band, Tidewater Pipes & Drums, has opened for Rod Stewart—twice—and we’ve played on stage with the Chieftains, the Piano Guys and the Virginia Symphony. In spite - [England’s Star Shines in Henry V at Virginia Stage](https://veermag.com/2023/04/englands-star-shines-in-henry-v-at-virginia-stage/) - (Christopher Marquis Lindsay as Henry V. Photo by Matthew Omilianowski of TOC Creative.) By Montague Gammon III The greatest coach-to-underdogs pre-game speech the world has ever heard, or can ever expect to hear, is part of what makes Shakespeare’s c. 1599 history play, Henry V (more formally titled The Chronicle History of [or The Life of] - [STAGE PREVIEW: Hamilton’s Triumphant Return](https://veermag.com/2023/03/stage-preview-hamiltons-triumphant-return/) - (Hamilton cast on stage. Photo by Joan Marcus) By Jerome Langston “It’s been going really well. The audiences are really fantastic. They’re just as energized and excited as they’ve ever been, which is a testament to Hamilton,” says actor/singer Blaine Alden Krauss, who portrays the principal role of Aaron Burr in the Philip cast, for - [REVIEW: Vegan Planet Café Sent Me into Orbit](https://veermag.com/2023/03/review-vegan-planet-cafe-sent-me-into-orbit/) - By Betsy DiJulio A few years back, I visited Vegan Planet Café with the intention of reviewing it, but the casual, eclectic storefront didn’t seem quite ready for its close-up, so I ordered some food, which was just fine, and went elsewhere for my review. But that was then, and this is now…and it - [Kara Walker: Provocative, Impactful Art](https://veermag.com/2023/03/kara-walker-provocative-impactful-art/) - Kara Walker (American, b. 1969). Boo-hoo (for Parkett no. 59), edition PP 5/6, 2000. Linocut, 40 x 20 1/2 in. (101.6 x 52.1 cm). Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, 2003.13. © Kara Walker By Betsy DiJulio Kara Walker’s reputation as one of the most important artists working today is undisputed. Her - [Violent Crime in Norfolk is up. The jury is still out on why — and what to do about it.](https://veermag.com/2023/03/violent-crime-in-norfolk-is-up-the-jury-is-still-out-on-why-and-what-to-do-about-it/) - A portable security camera on Granby Street in downtown Norfolk being used by police as part of a hot spot policing strategy. (Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison In March of 2021, a Norfolk prosecutor who had recently retired after 27 years wrote to City Council, the police chief and the city manager urging - [ESSAY: On Television](https://veermag.com/2023/03/essay-on-television/) - By Tom Robotham As an instructor of media studies, I spend a lot of time thinking about the ways in which various mass media affect our lives. I’m struck, especially, by the fact that today’s children can barely imagine what life was like before the advent of smartphones and the internet. There is, of - [Studly Brewing Opens with Home Run](https://veermag.com/2023/02/studly-brewing-opens-with-home-run/) - Blake Edmunds has Studly Brewing Company on an early season winning streak By Jeff Maisey Drinker up. If you’re a baseball fan, chances are as good as the Astros winning another World Series you’re gonna love Chesapeake’s newest craft beer maker, Studly Brewing Company. Since Studly’s opening day in mid-December, local residents have - [2023 VEER Music Awards Results](https://veermag.com/2023/02/2023-veer-music-awards-results/) - By Jeff Maisey On February 5, the City of Hampton presented the 2023 Veer Music Awards at The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery. The Honorable Mayor Donny Tuck of Hampton personally presented the first pair of awards — Best Smooth Jazz and Best Traditional Jazz — while also announcing to the return of the Hampton Jazz - [Goosby Opens the Doors of Classical Music to All](https://veermag.com/2023/03/goosby-opens-the-doors-of-classical-music-to-all/) - By Jerome Langston Chatting with violinist Randall Goosby while he is navigating the streets of Memphis, Tennessee, a city that he spent most of his formative years growing up in, is rather interesting—even including the initial, slightly awkward portion... because Goosby seems significantly older than what his calendar years would naturally suggest. Perhaps that’s part - [REVIEW:William Walton: The Complete Façades](https://veermag.com/2023/02/reviewwilliam-walton-the-complete-facades/) - Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Orchestra “William Walton: The Complete Façades” (Naxos) “Façade” is the original title of quirky, witty poetry of Edith Sitwell read to the music of William Walton. This Naxos label CD, recorded at Virginia Wesleyan in 2021, features an all star cast of narrators with instrumental accompaniment by the Virginia Arts Festival - [ESSAY: The Sound of Surprise](https://veermag.com/2023/02/essay-the-sound-of-surprise/) - (Count Basie at his piano in 1955. Photo by James J. Kriegmann) By Tom Robotham Whenever someone asks me what kind of music I like, my go-to answer is, all of it. I’d be hard-pressed to pick a single favorite genre. That said, when I reflect on the richness of my experiences with music over - [Historically Black College Connection Boosts Marsalis Performance](https://veermag.com/2023/02/historically-black-college-connection-boosts-marsalis-performance/) - By Jerome Langston The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis consists of some of the best arrangers, soloists and ensemble musicians working in jazz music today. Led by Wynton Marsalis, a nine-time Grammy winner and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the world-famous trumpeter and second oldest son of America’s first family - [Dancing Power: Healing Hearts and Minds](https://veermag.com/2023/02/dancing-power-healing-hearts-and-minds/) - (Tianna Reed will present three pieces of choreography, all performed by ODU classmates, in the winter showcase. Photo by Lauren Sinclair.) By Kate Mattingly Being an artist requires a ton of hard work, and few artists work harder than dancers. It’s the only art form where the human body is the vehicle of creativity and - [VEGAN DINING: In Session](https://veermag.com/2023/02/vegan-dining-in-session/) - By Betsy DiJulio For vegans and those following a plant-based diet, breakfast out often means a couple of choices: avocado toast or an almond milk smoothie, as most mainstream establishments worth their salt at least offer a nut milk alternative. Venturing into other sections of the menu typically involves an endless refrain of “hold - [Two Inspirational Theater Events Coming to NSU](https://veermag.com/2023/02/two-inspirational-theater-events-coming-to-nsu/) - By Jerome Langston When Thoughts of a Colored Man opened on Broadway at the Golden Theatre in October 2021, it made history as the first Broadway show written and directed by Black men, and starring a Black man in the lead role. NYC native Keenan Scott II wrote the play, and Steve H. - [MUSIC: Toto Still Holds the Line](https://veermag.com/2023/02/toto-still-holds-the-line/) - (Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams. Photo by Alex Solca) BY JEFF MAISEY Multi-Grammy Award winning classic rock band Toto, known for its late ‘70s and early ‘80s hit songs like “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa,” will be stopping in Newport News on February 16 for a show at the Ferguson Center. Toto burst onto - [Exploring the Success of Jae Sinnett Trio’s “Altered Egos” ](https://veermag.com/2021/10/exploring-the-success-of-jae-sinnett-trios-altered-egos/) - Jae Sinnett Trio (L-R) is bassist Terry Burrell, pianist Allen Farnham, and drummer Jae Sinnett. By Jeff Maisey In late summer, jazz group Jae Sinnett Trio released “Altered Egos,” a 10-song album that absolutely cooks. Throughout, Sinnett (drums), Terry Burrell (bass), and Allen Farnham (piano) are on top of their game as the production of - [The Oaks & Elvira](https://veermag.com/2023/01/the-oaks-elvira/) - By Jeff Maisey After 40 years, the hearts of fans who love legendary country/gospel crossover group The Oak Ridge Boys are still on fire for “Elvira,” the song that in 1981 became a platinum-seller and elevated the harmonic vocal group to superstardom. “It took us from being a country act — before ‘Elvira’ we - [16 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month](https://veermag.com/2023/01/16-ways-to-celebrate-black-history-month/) - Compiled by Staff February marks Black History Month and we’ve compiled a checklist to help you fully enjoy celebrating through speaker forums, education, visual art, performing arts, and culinary art. A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Virginia Symphony Orchestra January 15 Calvary Revival Church Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkens and electric bass - [Lessons from the Dojo](https://veermag.com/2023/01/lessons-from-the-dojo/) - By Tom Robotham Recently, I finished watching the fifth season of Cobra Kai, the Netflix series that serves as a sequel to Karate Kid. Its charm lies in its campiness—especially during the fight scenes, which are absurdly over the top. And yet, while I enjoyed it, the show brought back moments of mild irritation - [Making Ballet Braver: Jennifer Archibald Illuminates Virginia’s History](https://veermag.com/2023/01/making-ballet-braver-jennifer-archibald-illuminates-virginias-history/) - (Eri Nishihara and Zacchaeus Page in Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner by Jennifer Archibald. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.) By Kate Mattingly A ballet company takes a risk when commissioning a choreographer to make a new piece. “Neither side knows exactly what is going to be created,” explains choreographer Jennifer Archibald, whose newest ballet will be performed - [Thrilling, Humorously Delightful 39 Steps](https://veermag.com/2023/01/thrilling-humorously-delightful-39-steps/) - Cast of 39 Steps. Samuel Flint Photography. By Jerome Langston “I make no apology for loving both a good comedy, and a good mystery,” says Mark Shanahan, with both a smile and an emphatic tone—following a day full of rehearsing the latest Virginia Stage Company production, a play that will run at the - [Electric Bass Superstar's Symphonic Lesson](https://veermag.com/2023/01/electric-bass-superstars-symphonic-lesson/) - By Montague Gammon III Virginia Symphony hosts one of the world’s greatest electric bass players, Newport News native, Denbigh High grad and former Busch Gardens teen instrumentalist, quintuple Grammy-winning Victor Wooten, to conclude a three piece program with his composition La Lección Tres, for electric bass and orchestra. The story behind that title starts in - [Ambient Music Showcase at The Z](https://veermag.com/2023/01/ambient-music-showcase-at-the-z/) - Matt Wallace performs, records, and composes as Crash Mosaic. By Jeff Maisey During a conversation with Liz Terrell, program director at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach, I suggested a showcase of local, independent ambient music composers. To me, The Z — as the venue is often affectionately referred to as — offers - [2023 Veer Music Awards Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2023/01/2023-veer-music-awards-nominees-announced/) - We are delighted to announce the nominees for the 2023 Veer Music Awards (see below). Online voting will begin this weekend at veermag.com Each category will have a write-in option as it is inevitable some talented musician/band who released an album, EP, single or music video in 2022 was overlooked. Stay tuned for more info. - [Historic High Note for Symphony](https://veermag.com/2022/12/historic-high-note-for-symphony/) - Dr. Andrea F. Warren By Jeff Maisey On December 1, Dr. Andrea F. Warren became president and CEO of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Noteworthy is that Dr. Warren now has the distinction of being the first Black woman to head a significant symphony orchestra in America. Andrea Warren is no stranger to the Virginia Symphony. - [Alewerks Wins 2022 Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2022/12/alewerks-wins-2022-golden-tap-award/) - By Jeff Maisey Alewerks Brewing Company was crowned the best brewery in the 757 this year when Veer Magazine presented its 2022 Golden Tap Awards at Elation Brewing in Norfolk. Alewerks, which was founded in 2006 by Chuck Haines, has a vast portfolio of well-establish, quality products which it serves from its longtime industrial - [ART REVIEW: Nature Comes to Light](https://veermag.com/2022/12/art-review-nature-comes-to-light/) - (Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California, 1948, printed 1974, Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Andrea Gray Stillman, 2018.584, © The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust) By Betsy DiJulio Landscape photographer and environmental conservationist, Ansel Adams, scarcely needs an introduction. His household name is synonymous with, especially, iconic - [MUSIC: Still Drivin' N Cryin'](https://veermag.com/2022/12/music-still-drivin-n-cryin/) - By Jim Morrison By the time Kevn Kinney moved to Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1982 he was an old young man. He'd been working since he was 16, hard labor, jobs most nobody else cared to do. In Georgia that was working as a form carpenter building sewage plants. For $4.50 an hour, a big jump - [TRAVEL: A Weekend of London Pubs](https://veermag.com/2022/12/travel-a-weekend-of-london-pubs/) - (Veer publisher Jeff Maisey enjoys a pint of Fuller’s London Pride outside The Red Lion.) By Jeff Maisey “Congratulations,” said John. “You’ve found the London pub where locals hang out.” I had bellied up to the bar at The Ship & Shovell, pardoned myself for the intrusion of three older, longhair gents, one of who - [ESSAY: The Things I Carry](https://veermag.com/2022/12/essay-the-things-i-carry/) - When my mom died, in 2015, I was faced with a decision—or rather, a multitude of decisions: what to retrieve from her house—my childhood home—and what to leave behind. Some decisions were relatively easy. I wished I could take her piano, which she taught me to play when I was 5, but transporting it from - [Terrell’s More Than All Right with Debut Album](https://veermag.com/2022/02/terrells-more-than-all-right-with-debut-album/) - By Jeff Maisey Sultry jazz vocalist Liz Terrell will unveil her debut full-length solo album “It’s All Right with Me” on January 20 & 21 with a live performance of the work at American Theatre intimate Studio Theater in Hampton. Terrell’s dynamic voice is familiar to locals who’ve experienced the Liz & Brydge duo in - [“Why Would We Say No?” Newlyweds take over Starving Artist Café](https://veermag.com/2022/12/why-would-we-say-no-newlyweds-take-over-starving-artist-cafe/) - By Jim Roberts Shanna Myers and Jamie Windemiller went on their first date at Starving Artist Café in November of 2021. Less than a year later, they were married … and running the Norfolk-based restaurant. What transpired in between has all the elements of a Lifetime movie. Windemiller, who lives just a few blocks away, - [2023 Virginia Arts Festival Announced](https://veermag.com/2022/12/2023-virginia-arts-festival-announced/) - Soprano Julia Bullock will be featured during the VAF’s co-commissioned “Five Freedom Songs” composed by Jessie Montgomery. Photo by Allison Michael Orenstein. BY JEFF MAISEY Virginia Arts Festival’s magnificent 25th anniversary season might seem like a hard act to follow, but for executive director Rob Cross raising the bar year after year is what - [Romantic Christmas with Dave Koz](https://veermag.com/2022/11/romantic-christmas-with-dave-koz/) - By Jeff Maisey Smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz has made a successful seasonal career hitting the road for the past 25 years in the month leading up to Christmas Eve with his critically acclaimed Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour. When the Silver Anniversary show makes a stop at the Ferguson Center for the - [London Calling and Gourmandizing NEON ](https://veermag.com/2022/11/london-calling-and-gourmandizing-neon/) - Artist Matthew McGuinness By Betsy DiJulio Look beneath the surface of most community murals and there you will find a rich backstory—a stew if you will—of historical context and contemporary perspective. The newest mural in Norfolk’s NEON district boasts that and more. Led by both stateside and UK teams of professionals, now friends, Gourmandizing - [Top 5 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard albums of 2022](https://veermag.com/2022/11/top-5-king-gizzard-the-lizard-wizard-albums-of-2022/) - By Nate Sacks Australian Psych-rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard had yet another prolific year in terms of official album releases. The band previously released 5 albums in 2017, and now 5 years later they repeated the madness. There's plenty of smaller releases peppered throughout as well like their collaboration with TFS (Tropical F#$% - [ESSAY:Tangled Up in Blue ](https://veermag.com/2022/11/essaytangled-up-in-blue/) - NO EASY BEAT: Tom Robotham’s “backstage/all access pass” to the frontlines of NYC’s crime and fire scenes in the late 1970s. By Tom Robotham Recently on Facebook, I saw a meme asserting that there’s no such thing as a good cop: they’re either dirty, clean but afraid to speak up, or courageous enough to - [A Magical Paradox: When Students Become Teachers](https://veermag.com/2022/11/a-magical-paradox-when-students-become-teachers/) - By Kate Mattingly Learning a dance is a lot like playing a game of telephone: movement leaves one body and is passed to another, transformed by that person’s anatomy and style, and then transmitted and transformed again, and again. For Eli Motley, a choreographer who has a new duet in the University Dance Theatre - [NEWS: Lynne Seagle Has Been a Transformative Leader](https://veermag.com/2022/10/news-lynne-seagle-has-been-a-transformative-leader/) - (Lynne Seagle. Photo by Mark Edward Atkinson) By Jeff Maisey After more than 40 years, Hope House Foundation Executive Director Lynne Seagle will step aside on New Year’s Day upcoming. During the past four-plus decades, Seagle has been a transformative leader, a visionary in her field. It’s no wonder she was awarded the 2021 Outstanding - [The Nigerian Connection](https://veermag.com/2022/11/the-nigerian-connection/) - By Jerome Langston While a fellow at the Newark Museum of Art back in 2015, curator Kimberli Gant, PhD, discovered a significant connection between African-American painter Jacob Lawrence, regarded by some as the most celebrated black artist of the 20th century, and a then burgeoning scene of artists and thinkers in Nigeria, - [VOTE: 2022 Golden Tap Awards](https://veermag.com/2022/10/2022-golden-tap-awards-nominees/) - City of Norfolk presents Veer Magazine’s 2022 Golden Tap Awards Nominees VOTE now through November 3. We will present gold, silver, and bronze medals in each category during our annual Golden Tap Awards ceremony. This year the date is Tuesday, December 6th. Elation Brewing in Norfolk is playing host for the program, which begins at - [Bruce Hornsby Preview: My Fecund Years](https://veermag.com/2022/10/bruce-hornsby-preview-my-fecund-years/) - (Bruce Hornsby Photo by Sarah Walor) By Jim Roberts Bruce Hornsby, the Grammy Award-winning musician from Williamsburg, is in the midst of the most prolific phase of his career, releasing three solo albums over the last four years. While he still tours with his band, the Noisemakers, on Nov. 4, he’ll perform a solo show - [PREVIEW: Mummenschanz ](https://veermag.com/2022/10/preview-mummenschanz/) - (The avant-garde mime troupe has a distant connection to Norfolk) By Jim Roberts Mummenschanz, the avant-garde mime troupe celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has a distant but meaningful connection to Norfolk: Floriana Frassetto, one of the group’s founders, was born here in December of 1950. “If you asked me if I remember something, no, - [Local Music Reviews](https://veermag.com/2022/10/local-music-reviews/) - Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet With Symphonicity “Live at the Sandler Center (Self-Release) Back in April, Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet performed live at Sandler Center with the backing of Symphonicity, Virginia’s official orchestra conducted by Daniel Boothe. Symphonies backing rock and pop music acts live in concert are common and generally a - [CLASSICAL: Timely and Timeless Music of Passion and Contrasts](https://veermag.com/2022/10/classical-timely-and-timeless-music-of-passion-and-contrasts/) - By Montague Gammon III Do not expect soprano Katherine Jolly to stand still when she joins the Virginia Symphony Orchestra to send the strains of the Toni Morrison—André Previn song cycle “Honey and Rue” soaring out to audiences in Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach this month. Jolly is a lyric coloratura — a - [STAGE: A Norfolk Hobbit](https://veermag.com/2022/10/stage-a-norfolk-hobbit/) - A group shot of the cast: From Left to Right (starting with the first row): Jeffrey A. Haddock, Kristina VanPeeren, Billy Bustamante, Jayden Adams-Ruiz, Anna Sosa, and Kennedy Savage. Second Row (starting with woman in the grey sweater); Emma Emde Savanna Stone, Zia Gulson, Katherine Cottrell, and Mark Andris. Third Row (starting with woman in the red - [NEWS: Hermitage Museum’s Rapid Capital Campaign](https://veermag.com/2022/10/news-hermitage-museums-rapid-capital-campaign/) - Staff Report The Hermitage Museum and Gardens has begun a rapid capital campaign with the goal of raising $3.5 million for needed renovations to its Visual Arts School, a Tudor England-styled building, and for enhancements to its grounds. “The preservation and renovation of the Hermitage’s Visual Arts School is the first step in a fully - [ESSAY: Powerless](https://veermag.com/2022/10/essay-powerless/) - By Tom Robotham On the morning of September 30, when hurricane Ian started to make its presence felt in Norfolk, I was watching CNN’s coverage of the devastation in Florida. Since my oldest friend lives in Fort Myers—ground zero, as it turned out—I was worried about him. The coverage made it look as if - [Dwight Rhoden’s Choreography Comes to Hampton Roads ](https://veermag.com/2022/10/dwight-rhodens-choreography-comes-to-hampton-roads/) - (Choreographer Dwight Roden) By Kate Mattingly Dancers form unique friendships. Endless hours spent training, rehearsing, performing, plus partnering and sharing dressing rooms, lead to bonds that are long-lasting and steadfast. A perfect example is the friendship between Lydia Roberts Coco, Ballet Virginia’s company director, and Dwight Rhoden, co-founder and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. - [These (Pink) Boots Are Made for Brewing (and more) – The Pink Boots Society](https://veermag.com/2022/10/these-pink-boots-are-made-for-brewing-and-more-the-pink-boots-society/) - By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Women have been involved with the craft beer movement from the beginning, although their contributions were frequently overlooked. In 1977 Suzy Stern co-founded and brewed at New Albion, America’s first craft brewery since Prohibition, although her male partner Jack McAuliffe got the press accolades and Smithsonian honors. Carol - [Smooth Jazz High Notes with Paula Atherton](https://veermag.com/2022/10/smooth-jazz-high-notes-with-paula-atherton/) - By Jeff Maisey Paula Atherton’s “Summer Song,” featuring Nathan Mitchell, hit #1 on the Billboard’s Smooth Jazz National Airplay for two consecutive weeks. During normal times such top-charting success would translate into immediate increased ticket sales for concerts. The only downside in this case is that it came in June of 2021, a challenging time - [NEWS: Diana Blanchard Gross Lands in Hampton](https://veermag.com/2022/10/news-diana-blanchard-gross-lands-in-hampton/) - (Diana L. Blanchard Gross preparing for the 2022 Virginia Artists Juried Exhibition.) By Betsy DiJulio Coming under the umbrella of Hampton Arts—aka the Hampton Arts Commission, which was created by Hampton City Council in 1987—together with The American Theatre and Hampton Coliseum, The Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center came into being in 1989 in - [Virginia Symphony Orchestra Celebrates a Century](https://veermag.com/2022/09/virginia-symphony-orchestra-celebrates-a-century/) - (Violinist Simone Porter) By Montague Gammon III From the impoverished Caribbean by way of New Orleans, to the Highlands of Scotland to the ancient Roman Empire, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s 100th Anniversary Season opening “Rhythm and Respighi” concert ranges across the globe in the geographical inspiration of its pieces and across cultures in its instrumentation. - [757 Battle of the Beers Celebrates 10 Years in September](https://veermag.com/2022/09/757-battle-of-the-beers-celebrates-10-years-in-september/) - By Jeff Maisey Over the last decade, craft beer festivals have come and gone in the Hampton Roads. Today the 757 Battle of the Beers, celebrating its 10th anniversary on September 24, is the longest running beer event in the region. The 757 Battle concept was developed by two Virginia Beach businessmen — Shawn - [ESSAY: Young and Free](https://veermag.com/2022/10/essay-young-and-free/) - (My childhood home, shortly before my family moved in, in 1959.) By Tom Robotham During this summer’s heatwave, when I stayed home as much as possible, I spent a few afternoons binge-watching The Andy Griffith Show. I loved the program when it aired in primetime, beginning in 1960, and to my mind it’s lost none - [RESTAURANT REVIEW: Quemar’s Vegan Menu is on Fire](https://veermag.com/2022/09/restaurant-review-quemars-vegan-menu-is-on-fire/) - By Betsy DiJulio An open kitchen with a wood fired grill is not all that smolders at Quemar. The namesake smokiness is this restaurant’s signature, lending distinction and a nuanced layer of flavor to the cuisine while wrapping diners in a subtle mouthwatering aroma. But the interior décor of the lounge, restaurant, and - [THEATER: Making It Count](https://veermag.com/2022/09/theater-making-it-count/) - (Lucy with Dracula lurking in the background. Photo by J. Stubbs Photography.) By Jim Roberts Sandra Epperson has directed “Dracula” three times over the last 50 years. If there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s this: “No existing theater company will allow you to cut a hole in their stage floor to create a trapdoor.” On - [Jazzy Take on Bacharach](https://veermag.com/2022/09/jazzy-take-on-bacharach/) - (Singer Liz Terrell to perform selections from pop composer Burt Bacharach’s extensive songbook.) By Jerome Langston This year’s Miller Jazz series concludes September 22 at the Sandler Center’s intimate Miller Studio Theatre, with a show titled The Music of Burt Bacharach. Featuring the talented Liz Terrell on vocals, Jimmy Masters on bass, John Toomey on - [Backroad Blues Stops in Portsmouth](https://veermag.com/2022/08/backroad-blues-stops-in-portsmouth/) - Blues great Kenny Wayne Shepherd is excited for audiences to hear up-and-coming star Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (pictured). By Jim Morrison Kenny Wayne Shepherd was about 13 the first time he hung out with Buddy Guy. His father was a disc jockey and general manager of a radio station in Shreveport and Guy was playing - [BUSINESS: Matthew Stewart Rides into Retirement](https://veermag.com/2022/08/business-matthew-stewart-rides-into-retirement/) - (Matthew Stewart hits the retirement road) By Jeff Maisey After 43 years, Coastal Import Repair founding owner Matthew Stewart has decided to ride off into the sunset of retirement. To many in Hampton Roads, and especially in Norfolk, Coastal Import Repair has been a trustworthy, highly professional and capable repair shop for foreign designed/manufactured vehicles. - [LECTURE: Rick Steves Returns Through the Back Door](https://veermag.com/2022/08/lecture-rick-steves-returns-through-the-back-door/) - (European travel guru Rick Steves kicks off Norfolk Forum’s 90th season. Photo by Zachary Scott) By Jeff Maisey When Rick Steves returns from his European vacation — he’ll be in Burgundy and the Swiss Alps in August — one of the first work-related duties he’ll be doing is an hourlong lecture on September 7 at - [RESTAURANT NEWS: A Gateway to India](https://veermag.com/2022/08/restaurant-news-a-gateway-to-india/) - By Marisa Marsey Paul Chhabra, the civic-minded, seasoned restaurateur who’s been broadening Hampton Roadsters’ palates with biryanis, bharthas and basmati for over three decades, is pulsing with boyish energy early this morning as he pulls up in a U-Haul to a storefront at Chesapeake’s Crossways Shopping Center. It’s the site of his newest enterprise, - [REVIEW: Stay for the Food at Civil Libation Bistro](https://veermag.com/2022/08/review-stay-for-the-food-at-civil-libation-bistro/) - Words & Photo by Betsy DiJulio With a persistent heat index in the triple digits and a cute hand-drawn cocktail menu, no one will judge if you go to Civil Libation Bistro for the hand-crafted cocktails, but be sure to stay for the food. While this southern Virginia Beach establishment is far from vegan, its - [ART: Hot 100](https://veermag.com/2022/08/art-hot-100/) - (Kumud Vanderveer is stunning colors) By Jeff Maisey Renowned Norfolk-based photographer Glen McClure has made a career of capturing people and landscapes in the most dramatic lighting imaginable. His portrait projects have included working tools, people on the streets, and the faces of shipyard workers. McClure’s coffee table book, Apprentice to Light, brought into focus - [Jazz Fest Time in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2022/08/jazz-fest-time-in-norfolk/) - (Pieces of a Dream bring their dedicated smooth jazz in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey Festevents will present its 39th annual Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival in Town Point Park with some major players in the popular smooth jazz format. The musical lineup over two evenings on the waterfront includes the likes of Tower of Power, Brian - [ART: If Not Now is Environmentally Focused](https://veermag.com/2022/08/art-if-not-now-is-environmentally-focused/) - By Betsy DiJulio The most recent exhibition in an ongoing series of environmentally-themed shows curated by Gayle Paul at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, If Not Now, brings together the work of eight artists from upstate New York to Washington state with a strong representation by Hampton Roads-based artists. Though some of the work - [101 Things to Do This Summer in Coastal Virginia](https://veermag.com/2022/07/101-things-to-do-this-summer-in-coastal-virginia/) - (Symphony By The Sea will feature Virginia Symphony Orchestra on July 28 at 31st Street park at the Oceanfront. Free admission. Presented by Neptune Festival)) By Staff Three and six years ago we published lists of 101 Things to Do in Hampton Roads Before You Die. The feature story was well-received by readers, and many - [ESSAY: In My Travels](https://veermag.com/2022/08/essay-in-my-travels/) - By Tom Robotham This summer, for the first time in a long while, I haven’t ventured outside of Hampton Roads. There are a number of reasons for that, a tight budget chief among them. If all goes well, I’ll wander farther afield in 2023. Meanwhile, I’m moved to reflect on past journeys. Throughout my childhood, - [Elizabeth River Project begins expansion on North Colley ](https://veermag.com/2022/07/elizabeth-river-project-begins-expansion-on-north-colley/) - (A rendering of its Knitting Mill Creek boardwalk.) By Jim Roberts The Elizabeth River Project has spent 30 years transforming its namesake waterway. Now it’s preparing to transform Norfolk’s North Colley business corridor and adjacent Knitting Mill Creek. The environmental nonprofit, which recently outgrew its Portsmouth headquarters, bought the parcel of land at 4610 - [PREVIEW: REO Brings Power Ballad Hits](https://veermag.com/2022/07/preview-reo-brings-power-ballad-hits/) - By Jeff Maisey Like a booster rocket, the age of the power ballad thrusted REO Speedwagon from its 1971 launchpad as a straight-up rock band into the realm of the stars. From 1977 to 1989, REO Speedwagon released nine consecutive albums all certified Platinum or higher. Today, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million - [LOCAL MUSIC REVIEWS: Jonah Ross, Roberta Lea & more](https://veermag.com/2022/07/local-music-reviews-jonah-ross-roberta-lea-more/) - Jonah Ross “These Days” (Self-Release) Jonah Ross, the lead singer and guitar player of Court Street Company, will unveil a new three-song EP as a solo recording artist. Ross made a slash when his kickoff single “Close to Me” received airplay on Paul Shugrue’s “Out of the Box” program. Interestingly, the track’s hooky opening power-chord - [Love Song Hits All the Right Plant-Based Notes](https://veermag.com/2022/07/love-song-hits-all-the-right-plant-based-notes/) - By Betsy DiJulio “I’m not gonna write you a love song ‘Cause you asked for it ‘Cause you need one…” Nope, like alternative pop artist, Sara Bareilles, lilts, “I’m not gonna write you a love song ‘cause its make or breaking this.” Why? Because Virginia Beach’s new-ish restaurant, Love Song, open since August 2021, - [Tea is Just One Jewel in Prince Tea House’s Crown](https://veermag.com/2022/07/tea-is-just-one-jewel-in-prince-tea-houses-crown/) - (Afternoon tea, anyone? Photo courtesy of Prince Tea House VB.) By Marisa Marsey When someone says tea house, what do you picture? A stiff upper-lipped British parlor, fine bone china, crustless watercress sandwiches and clotted cream? Perhaps your thoughts race to a graceful geisha performing a centuries-old ritual or even further back to dynastic tea - [Jazz Talkin’ with Jimmy Masters](https://veermag.com/2022/06/jazz-takin-with-jimmy-masters/) - MASTERS-FUL MUSICIAN: Jimmy Masters on bass. By Jerome Langston The popular Miller Jazz series returns this month to the Sandler Center, with a show titled The Art of the Alto Saxophone, which will feature the excellent Jeff Smith on alto sax, along with John Toomey on piano, Jimmy Masters on bass, and Emre Kartari on - [Why We Started WINDSdays](https://veermag.com/2022/07/why-we-started-windsdays/) - (THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND: A group of environmental activists share a fun moment with their hand-fans promoting wind energy.) By Joel Rubin When you are a public relations professional, you yearn for clients as large and established as Dominion Energy. You want to be successful for them, conveying messages honestly and on - [BEER: Crossing the Thin Brew Line ](https://veermag.com/2022/07/beer-crossing-the-thin-brew-line/) - (Beer-tender Cara and Thin Brew Line’s new brewer, Raf Corredor. Photo by Chris Jones.) By Diane Catanzaro & Chris Jones There you are in Virginia Beach, looking for a place to get a libation, a sip of suds, a beer. You’d like something fresh, delicious, and locally made. And you’d like to salute our area’s - [Mermaid Winery On The Move](https://veermag.com/2022/07/mermaid-winery-on-the-move/) - By Jeff Maisey Early next year, Mermaid Winery, which opened in 2012 as Virginia’s first designated Urban Winery, will move its original Ghent location to bustling downtown in the former Norfolk Taproom location at the corner of Main and Granby Street. For founding owner Jennifer Eichert, who also operates the winery’s larger sister spot - [Jay Lang Talks Bob James](https://veermag.com/2022/07/jay-lang-talks-bob-james/) - (Jay Lang on location for the Sundown Concert Series in Hampton.) By Jeff Maisey If you hear of a major jazz concert coming to town chances are Jay Lang has something to do with it. After all, Jay knows jazz. Today, Lang is the station manager/GM at Hampton University’s Smooth 88.1 WHOV-FM, president/founder of HJ - [Reflections on Pride](https://veermag.com/2022/06/reflections-on-pride/) - (Claus Ihlemann and Robert Roman, pictured recently at Decorum Furniture, are pillars of the community. ) By Jeff Maisey As Pride Month approaches during a time of continued social fluidity, it seemed this might be a good opportunity to reach out to Claus Ihlemann and Robert Roman for their reflections on the past challenges of being - [STAGE: Hurrah Players’ Descendants  A Family Show in Many Ways](https://veermag.com/2022/07/stage-hurrah-players-descendants-a-family-show-in-many-ways/) - By Montague Gammon III It’s families to the fore when Hurrah Players’ multi-generational cast of Disney's Descendants: The Musical hits the Wells Theatre stage July 22-24. It’s not just the characters, but some cast members as well, who live up to the title’s parent and offspring connection. There are three mother-daughter pairs in the - [ESSAY: This Old Man](https://veermag.com/2022/07/essay-this-old-man/) - By Tom Robotham Well, it’s official: I’m an old man. I could have claimed that status last year, when I turned 65—the age at which one traditionally earns the title of senior citizen. But this year, I passed a more significant milestone: a week before my birthday last month, I received my first Social - [Something for Everyone at TCC’s  Family Friendly Shakespeare in the Grove](https://veermag.com/2022/06/something-for-everyone-at-tccs-family-friendly-shakespeare-in-the-grove/) - By Montague Gammon III Shakespeare in the Grove, Hampton Roads’ free of charge, annual summer, Tidewater Community College mounted outdoor showcase of one Bard written work per year, celebrates its 25th Season with an imaginative new staging of our region’s very own Shakespeare romance, The Tempest, June 22 through 26 on the school’s Chesapeake - [ESSAY: Angell on My Shoulder](https://veermag.com/2022/06/essay-angell-on-my-shoulder/) - By Tom Robotham On the evening of May 21, I was watching the Mets play the Colorado Rockies. It turned out to be a disappointing game: an 11-3 rout that decisively deprived the Mets of a double-header sweep. But as I headed for bed, it wasn’t the loss that was on my mind: it - [PRIDE MONTH EVENTS](https://veermag.com/2022/05/pride-month-events/) - (John Childers of MJ’s Tavern prepares for his 10th Pride Month Kick Off on June 4.) Staff Report On June 4, MJ’s Tavern in Norfolk marks its 10th year producing its Pride Month Kick Off, an all-day celebration of unity and diversity. Much of the parking lot will have a street party vibe with - [From Fuzz to Drag: Introducing Vivian Deveraux Valentine](https://veermag.com/2022/06/from-fuzz-to-drag-introducing-vivian-deveraux-valentine/) - (K’Bana Blaq performs in drag. Photo by Charles Long.) By Jeff Maisey For some 20 years, many in Hampton Roads have experience K’Bana Blaq as one of the charismatic, upfront singers in The Fuzz Band. His fashion sense, dance moves, and vocal talent keep crowds captivated. Now, with a passion for acting, Blaq is entering - [Allison Russell Leads Musical Renaissance](https://veermag.com/2022/05/allison-russell-leads-musical-renaissance/) - By Jim Morrison Allison Russell was 40 before she was able to mine her past to tell her story. The catalyst for the rush of songs she wrote in 2019 was her tour with Our Native Daughters, the supergroup of Black female banjo players including Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah - [Resilient Zydeco ](https://veermag.com/2022/05/resilient-zydeco/) - (Terrance Simien will be a Bayou Bon Vivant highlight) By Jeff Maisey Earlier this year, Zydeco music great Terrance Simien and his band were in Henderson, Nevada for an educational engagement with his Creole4Kidz program that brings the sounds and instruments to children around the globe. After a good night’s sleep at the hotel, - [From Ballads to Rockers, Chicago Brings a Buffet of Styles](https://veermag.com/2022/05/from-ballads-to-rockers-chicago-brings-a-buffet-of-styles/) - By Jeff Maisey Talk to anyone about the music of Chicago and you’ll hear reeled-off the song title of hit after hit — “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?,” “Saturday in the Park,” “”Call on Me,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Wishing You were Here,” “Baby, What a Big Surprise.” The list is - [NEW OPERAS: Diverse, Relevant and Underrepresented](https://veermag.com/2022/05/new-operas-diverse-relevant-and-underrepresented/) - (Soprano Maren Weinberger as Leslie Sinclair in Rachel J. Peters' opera 'Companionship,' Nine Photography) By Jim Roberts The mission of the Virginia Arts Festival’s John Duffy Institute for New Opera is “to add diverse, relevant and underrepresented creative work to the American opera theater repertoire.” That mission was put on hold for two years, but - [ESSAY: Bourdain’s Enduring Resonance](https://veermag.com/2022/05/essay-bourdains-enduring-resonance/) - By Tom Robotham When CNN announced the launch of its new streaming service, I immediately subscribed—primarily because, at $2.99 a month, it offered an inexpensive way of bingeing on Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain’s enormously popular travel show. I was disappointed, in turn, when news broke that the service would be scrapped—but I did manage to - [Art & Heart of the ViBe](https://veermag.com/2022/05/art-heart-of-the-vibe/) - Poetry Jackson, Blooming (Inner Garden Series), 2022. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Fresh Look Photography. By Betsy DiJulio For a quick, upbeat video preview of The Art of the ViBe 3, I encourage you to follow this link: https://youtu.be/d-Y4YF9H6-M. The overwhelming vibe—if you’ll excuse the expression—among the eight artists is - [The Grey Goose Turns 40](https://veermag.com/2022/05/the-grey-goose-turns-40/) - (The Grey Goose now serves brunch six days a week. Photo by Grey Goose ) By Marisa Marsey “That was really tasty,” said Phillip Epstein as he and his wife Dana exited The Grey Goose Tea Room in Downtown Hampton. “But I don’t need to go back again.” The year was 2007. He was head baker - [Joyous Sounds of The War & Treaty](https://veermag.com/2022/05/joyous-sounds-of-the-war-treaty/) - By Jim Morrison Death gave birth to Michael Trotter's songwriting. Trotter, one half of the husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, was serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq after the U.S. invasion in 2003. An IED killed his captain, a man he describes as the best of us. Growing up in Cleveland - [In the Round with Every Brilliant Thing ](https://veermag.com/2022/05/in-the-round-with-every-brilliant-thing/) - (Kathryn Hunter-Williams) By Jerome Langston “Coming out of this pandemic, where it has been such an anxious, grinding two seasons, seemed like—that’s the piece I want to visit, as we are coming back together,” says Tom Quaintance, the Producing Artistic Director of Virginia Stage Company, regarding his decision to include Every Brilliant Thing, as part - [That Latin Jazz Groove Lives On](https://veermag.com/2022/05/that-latin-jazz-groove-lives-on/) - By Jerome Langston “Besides being influenced by his artistry, the thing I inherited from my father, and what I think my sons have inherited from me, is dissatisfaction,” says Arturo O’Farrill, acclaimed leader of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, about his father, the legendary Chico O’Farrill, and how his father’s dissatisfaction with the status quo—in - [Mexican-Inspired for Cinco de Mayo](https://veermag.com/2022/05/mexican-inspired-for-cinco-de-mayo/) - By Jeff Maisey Mexican lagers have been a favorite amongst local beer lovers, especially on Hampton Roads’ notoriously humid, hot days of spring and summer. Beer brands from South of the Border like Modelo, Dos Equis, Tecate, Cerveza Pacifico Clara have inspired local craft brewers as well. As a nice tie-in with Cinco de - [An Album of Covers from Cowboys Junkies](https://veermag.com/2022/05/an-album-of-covers-from-cowboys-junkies/) - By Jeff Maisey Cowboy Junkies have long been appreciated by fans for their version of cover songs they bring to the live concert stage. This spring, the alt-country band delivered a studio album of some of their and fans’ favorites. The record is titled “Songs of the Recollection.” The concept isn’t a surprise given the - [2022 Spring & Summer Festival Guide](https://veermag.com/2022/04/2022-spring-summer-festival-guide/) - (The Parade of Nations is part of Norfolk NATO Festival on Saturday, April 30 at 10 AM in Downtown Norfolk) Compiled by Staff After two years enduring pandemic restrictions, things are back to normal and everyone’s ready to get back to enjoying life. Perhaps the best way to do so is by attending one of - [Hamilton Star Celebrates Love and Dreams Come True](https://veermag.com/2022/05/hamilton-star-celebrates-love-and-dreams-come-true/) - By Montague Gammon III She’s won awards, or been nominated for them, for Shakespeare and soap opera and songwriting and Off-Broadway, she’s been a Latina junkie stripper in the late 20th Century and the rapping socialite sister-in-law (and maybe secret love) of Alexander Hamilton in the late 18th. She’s been a poor Black, sexually - [Dreamgirls Brings Glitz and Glamor ](https://veermag.com/2022/04/dreamgirls-brings-glitz-and-glamor/) - (The Dreamettes. Photo by Sam Flint.) By Jerome Langston “I was holding on to this,” says Anthony Stockard, the producing Artistic Director of Norfolk State University Theatre Company, regarding his theatre company’s latest collaboration with Virginia Stage Company, the iconic Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, the latest show in VSC’s current 43rd season. “When I threw it - [CLASSICAL: Sterling Elliott Takes Center Stage](https://veermag.com/2022/04/classical-sterling-elliott-takes-center-stage/) - (Cellist Sterling Elliott is from Newport News) By Montague Gammon III Hampton Roads natives who have gone on to excellence in some of the greatest musical venues of the world bring the achievements of two and a half centuries of musical innovators, rendered by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, to the Ferguson Center for the Arts - [JAZZ: Stepping Out with Diana Krall](https://veermag.com/2022/04/jazz-stepping-out-with-diana-krall/) - By Jim Morrison Diana Krall may be a marquee jazz singer today, but she grew up as a piano player, listening to her father's collection of 78s, never imagining more. “Oscar Peterson, Monty Alexander, and Bill Evans were the really important artists for me as a young piano player in high school, not to forget - [What You Should Know About NATO](https://veermag.com/2022/04/what-you-should-know-about-nato/) - (NATO Allied Command Transformation Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Guy Robinson of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy is stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Photo courtesy of NATO ACT) By Jeff Maisey With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the horrific images of its murdered citizens being buried in mass graves broadcasted on a 24/7 news cycle, NATO has - [Big Honor for Dave McDonald](https://veermag.com/2022/04/big-honor-for-dave-mcdonald/) - (Dave McDonald’s favorite racing distance is the 10K.) By Jeff Maisey Dave McDonald of Norfolk will be inducted into the Pittsburgh Running Hall of Fame on April 30 in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Marathon weekend. “It will be cool to return to Pittsburgh for this honor, a place where I was a high school 2-mile - [Scott Jackson Talks Tattoo](https://veermag.com/2022/04/scott-jackson-talks-tattoo/) - (Bagpipers are a fan-favorite during the Virginia International Tattoo. Pictured in the foreground is Pipe Major Peter Grant for the Royal Regiment of Scotland - 4 Scots. Photo courtesy of Virginia Arts Festival.) By Jeff Maisey An essential ingredient each year of the Virginia Arts Festival is the massively popular Virginia International Arts Festival. This - [40 Years of Festevents in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2022/04/40-years-of-festevents-in-norfolk/) - (Crawfish and corn are a popular menu item during Festevent’s Bayou Bon Vivant) By Jeff Maisey Forty years ago, Downtown Norfolk was a very different place that it is today. The waterfront property was either vacant or in derelict condition. The crime rate was high. Few restaurants were open. Retail, except for a shady newsstand - [Downtowner Jack Was One of a Kind](https://veermag.com/2022/04/downtowner-jack-was-one-of-a-kind/) - (Jack Armistead couldn't resist a photo with this historic marker in Flagstaff, Arizona) By Jeff Maisey News of the passing of John “Jack” Armistead was announced on Facebook. Reaction from friends and acquaintances in the comments space was of shock and sadness. Perhaps it was fitting Jack Armistead died on a Good Friday. After all, - [Lucy Negro Redux: A Groundbreaking Ballet](https://veermag.com/2022/04/lucy-negro-redux-a-groundbreaking-ballet/) - By Jerome Langston The February 2019 world premiere at TPAC’s Polk Theater of Nashville Ballet’s Lucy Negro Redux, a provocative and illuminating work of contemporary ballet that embraces spoken word poetry, narration and a range of acoustic music, garnered considerable national attention and acclaim. Even The New York Times devoted a number of highly - [NEWS: Showtime at The Pavilion in Portsmouth](https://veermag.com/2022/04/news-showtime-at-the-pavilion-in-portsmouth/) - (Hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia opens the 2022 season at Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion) By Jeff Maisey Concerts are back — finally — in Portsmouth, and the 2022 season will be one to remember. After a couple years of dashed hopes due to a tear in the tent top roof covering the seats and stage - [ART REVIEW: Four Friends Shine Soul Finger Project](https://veermag.com/2022/04/art-review-four-friends-shine-soul-finger-project/) - (“Sade,” Anthony Burks, Sr) By Betsy DiJulio Delayed for two years due to the global pandemic, Soul Finger Project was worth the wait. Conceived by Ramel Jasir, (FL) the show brings together for the first time his work and that of three friends: Anthony Burks, Sr. (FL), Arthur Rogers (NC), and Clayton Singleton (VA). Though - [A Different Type Of Richmond Ballet](https://veermag.com/2022/04/a-different-type-of-richmond-ballet/) - By Jim Roberts Jennifer Chapman lives in Virginia Beach but works for Richmond Ballet. Her job—even before the rest of the world embraced telecommuting—is to help the dance company build an audience beyond Richmond and specifically in Hampton Roads. In the past, that has meant bringing long, classical performances like “The Nutcracker” and “Carmina - [Jack White Supplies the Rock](https://veermag.com/2022/04/jack-white-supplies-the-rock/) - By Jim Morrison Jack White recently released one album, "Fear of the Dawn," with another, "Entering Heaven Alive," arriving July 22. He's also rehearsing about 100 songs for his Supply Chain Issues Tour that stops in Portsmouth on April 23. What's the secret to the former White Stripes member's productivity? It just might be that - [REVIEW: Crudo Nudo is a Delight ](https://veermag.com/2022/04/review-crudo-nudo-is-a-delight/) - (A vegan’s dream come true dish. Photo courtesy of Crudo Nudo.) By Betsy DiJulio Sadly, I was late to the Crudo Nudo party. Until recently, I was under the mistaken impression that the storefront restaurant, open for four years, was charcuterie-heavy with little to offer a plant-based diner. The lushly laden table of our cozy - [Three Dog Night Brings the Hits of the 1970s](https://veermag.com/2022/04/three-dog-night-brings-the-hits-of-the-1970s-2/) - (Three Dog Night’s current lineup continue to perform to sold-out crowds) By Jeff Maisey If you can remember the days of handheld AM transistor radios chances are you know the music of Three Dog Night. From 1969 to 1974, no other recording artist achieved more top 10 hits, moved more records or sold more concert - [Good Sense and Good Magic ](https://veermag.com/2022/04/good-sense-and-good-magic/) - By Tom Robotham And I go on believing in the possibility of love. – Pablo Neruda Twenty years ago, during my stint as editor of Port Folio Weekly, my friend Mike Pearson suggested that I get together with one of his colleagues at Old Dominion University—poet Tim Seibles—because the two of us seemed to - [Down In the Weeds with Bright Eyes](https://veermag.com/2022/04/down-in-the-weeds-with-bright-eyes/) - By Jim Morrison It was nine years since Bright Eyes, the trio featuring frontman Conor Oberst, had released an album when "Down In the Weeds Where The World Once Was" hit the streets in 2020. You're forgiven if Oberst came across as something of a dystopian mystic. On the album's best song, "Mariana Trench," he - [James McMurtry Brings Storytelling and Songs](https://veermag.com/2022/04/james-mcmurtry-brings-storytelling-and-songs/) - (James McMurtry is back on the road in support of “The Horses and the Hounds.” Photo by Mary Keating Bruton.) By Jim Morrison It's the details that make James McMurtry's songs compelling character studies. That and the melodies, of course. There are the parents strapping their kids in the car, giving them a little vodka - [STAGE: Witness The Great Gatsby Anew ](https://veermag.com/2022/04/stage-witness-the-great-gatsby-anew/) - (Aamira Challenger, Katie Housley, Palymyra Mattner, Joshua Liburd, and Conner Keef. Photo by Darryl Estrine. Aquila Theatre’s The Great Gatsby.) By Montague Gammon III The Aquila Theatre’s casting of The Great Gatsby, coming to the Norfolk’s Attucks Theatre April 8 as part of the Virginia Arts Festival, significantly ups the ante on the Roaring - [REVIEW: Don Quixote Conquers Chrysler Hall](https://veermag.com/2022/03/review-don-quixote-conquers-chrysler-hall/) - (Don Quixote dreams of his Dulcinea. Photo by David Polston) By Jeff Maisey The legendary Don Quixote triumphantly rode into Chrysler Hall on Friday, March 25, conquering the hearts and minds of all who attended the phenomenal opening night to the Virginia Arts Festival’s 25th anniversary season. With the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in the pit, - [Beethoven’s Ninth is Sauced with Joy and Hope](https://veermag.com/2022/03/beethovens-ninth-is-sauced-with-joy-and-hope/) - (Virginia Symphony Orchestra Music Director Eric Jacobsen) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Symphony opens the month of April with that most exuberantly glorious piece of symphonic and choral music, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and its particularly timely message of hope and joy. “Is there anything better?” asked Music Director Eric Jacobsen, at the start of - [Bela Fleck Returns to Bluegrass Roots](https://veermag.com/2022/03/bela-fleck-returns-to-bluegrass-roots/) - (Banjo great Bela Fleck. Photo by William Matthews) By Jim Morrison Bela Fleck is on the phone ruminating about why he dips in and out of so many genres from bluegrass to newgrass to jazz to classical, from his mind-blowing creations with The Flecktones to his work with Chick Corea, Edgar Meyer, and the blind - [New Morse Code Shares World Premieres and Excitement](https://veermag.com/2022/03/new-morse-code-shares-world-premieres-and-excitement/) - (New Morse Code. Photo by Tatiana Daubek.) By Montague Gammon III Some things visual and lots of things musical this way come, in the hands of a cello-percussion pair of performers/professors (accompanied by a computer wielding composer), a duo called New Morse Code. Their Virginia Arts Festival March 30 concert at ODU kicks off a - [American Ballet Theatre Returns with Don Quixote](https://veermag.com/2022/03/american-ballet-theatre-returns-with-don-quixote/) - By Montague Gammon III The elderly knight-errant Don Quixote comes out a winner in his namesake ballet, which the American Ballet Theatre is performing at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall March 25-27, under the Virginia Arts Festival’s auspices. Though he doesn’t vanquish the windmills, Don Quixote does help others conquer a different foe, a more familiar, - [DINING: Comforts of Ireland](https://veermag.com/2022/03/dining-comforts-of-ireland/) - (Robert McGregor Wallace, the general manager at Grace O’Malley’s, displays the house-made fish and chips. The Scotland native said, “That’s the real thing.”) Local pubs serve fish and chips and other traditional dishes By Jim Roberts There may be a friendly rivalry between the Irish pubs of Hampton Roads, but they all agree on at - [Figaro’s Mad Marriage, Mozart Style](https://veermag.com/2022/03/figaros-mad-marriage-mozart-style/) - (Alisa Jordheim is playing Susanna) By Montague Gammon III If Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, the Virginia Opera production coming up on the last weekend of March, were a Golden Age Hollywood romantic comedy, or a door slamming stage farce, it could well be titled “All in One Mad Mad Mad Mad Day.” ("The - [ESSAY: American Studies](https://veermag.com/2022/03/essay-american-studies/) - By Tom Robotham Thirty-five years ago—10 years after I graduated from college—I decided to go back to school to pursue a master’s degree in American Studies. At the time I had no plans to become a teacher. My decision was motivated purely by a desire to gain a deeper understanding of our history and our - [Self-Taught Artists Spark Creative Imagination at Muscarelle Exhibition ](https://veermag.com/2022/03/self-taught-artists-spark-creative-imagination-at-muscarelle-exhibition/) - (Len Jenkin, “Coming In On A Wing and a Prayer,” on loan from Linda Matney Gallery) By Betsy DiJulio The need to create has long been a fascinating, somewhat mysterious, aspect of human nature. Perhaps this drive is nowhere more evident than in the work of self-trained artists. Spark of Imagination, currently on view at - [PREVIEW: The Ribbon Mill @ Little Theatre of Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2022/03/preview-the-ribbon-mill-little-theatre-of-norfolk/) - (Jessi DiPette plays Patsy in “The Ribbon Mill.” Credit: Josh Stubbs Photography) By Jim Roberts Unless you were a die-hard theater fan living in Memphis in 2002, you probably haven’t heard of a play called “The Ribbon Mill.” But if you’re adventurous enough to take in the Little Theatre of Norfolk’s upcoming production of the - [Fountain of You is a Must-See at The Z](https://veermag.com/2022/03/fountain-of-you-is-a-must-see-at-the-z/) - Maya Days, who played roles in Law & Order (1990), Damages (2007), and Melange (2020), is now cast in “Fountain of You” at Zeiders. By Jim Roberts Faye Chiao and Tasha Gordon-Solmon are working artists in New York’s theater industry, but their new musical collaboration, “Fountain of You,” has some meaningful connections to Virginia. The - [Veer Music Awards on Tuesday](https://veermag.com/2022/02/veer-music-awards-on-tuesday/) - The 10th Annual Veer Music Awards are being presented Tuesday, February 8 at The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery in Hampton. Showtime is 7 PM sharp. Free admission. - [ART: From Automata To Robots ](https://veermag.com/2022/02/art-from-automata-to-robots/) - (Elizabeth King and Richard Kizu-Blair, What Happened) By Betsy DiJulio Springboarding from the Barry Museum’s collection of historical automata, this three-prong exhibition highlights intersections between art, science, and emotion asking, somewhat paradoxically, how robots can better help us understand our own humanity. Alongside the Museum’s kinetic sculptures, which predate modern robotics, are the multimedia, anatomically-based - [Chef Jae in Your Kitchen](https://veermag.com/2022/03/chef-jae-in-your-kitchen/) - (Jae Sinnett prepares everything from scratch in your kitchen. Photo by Mark Robbins By Jeff Maisey Let’s say you enjoy the good things in life and within your social circle are likeminded friends who equally appreciate the sounds of jazz, savor a select bottle of wine, and have a passion for artfully crafted cuisine. - [Sweeney, Selina, and the Antiheroic Tim Burton Revolutionary](https://veermag.com/2022/03/sweeney-selina-and-the-antiheroic-tim-burton-revolutionary/) - By M.T.C. Gammon I didn't expect to find tales of class war in either slashers or superhero films, but an interest in Tim Burton's work led me to try watching both Sweeney Todd (really more of a musical melodrama) and Batman Returns. I found that sometimes lumping everything into a genre can be misleading; - [Uptown Nights Pays Tribute to Early Jazz](https://veermag.com/2022/02/uptown-nights-pays-tribute-to-early-jazz/) - (Byron Stripling is conductor and trumpet soloist.) By Jerome Langston “A lot of this is informed by Count Basie,” says Byron Stripling, the acclaimed jazz trumpeter, actor and conductor. “The show is informed by the music of Ella Fitzgerald and so many others, so it has that feeling...of that era of jazz, but we kind - [ESSAY: The Sins of Our Fathers](https://veermag.com/2022/02/essay-the-sins-of-our-fathers/) - By Tom Robotham I know a lot of people who’ve ordered ancestry test kits like 23andMe, but I’ve never felt compelled to do so, since I already know a great deal about my family history. My mother, especially, was interested in genealogy, and when I was still very young, she showed me a family tree - [OPINION: ONE MAN’S EXPERIENCE WITH CRITICAL RACE THEORY](https://veermag.com/2022/02/opinion-one-mans-experience-with-critical-race-theory/) - By John L. Horton As the saying goes: “You learn something ‘new’ everyday…” Just imagine all that. In just the past several days, I have watched the SHOWTIME documentary series: “everything’s gonna be all white…” Basically, this is a provocative new three-part documentary series that explores the history of race in America from the perspective - [2022 Veer Music Awards Results](https://veermag.com/2022/02/2022-veer-music-awards-results/) - (Roberta Lea’s “Sweet Baby Ray” was selected Song of the Year) By Jeff Maisey Pandemic be damned. Local musicians once again found inspiration and released singles, EPs, albums, and music videos last year. Most performed live by late spring when a semi-normal atmosphere was met with glee and residents turned out to hear music in - [STAGE: A Whodunit with Social Importance](https://veermag.com/2022/02/stage-a-whodunit-with-social-importance/) - By Montague Gammon III It’s a murder mystery every bit as baffling as any Agatha Christie whodunit; it’s a look at the African-Americans who were an under-recognized part of our Greatest Generation. It’s about stereotypes and how people of any race can succumb to seeing others through the prism of their own preconceptions; it’s - [VA Arts Fest Readies 25th Anniversary](https://veermag.com/2022/02/va-arts-fest-readies-25th-anniversary/) - (American Ballet Theatre opens the 25th anniversary season of the Virginia Arts Festival) By Jeff Maisey For its silver anniversary season, the Virginia Arts Festival (VAF) has unveiled some returning fan favorites, first-time performers, and an impressive roster of world-class dancers, musicians, actors, and vocalists. In all, the VAF will present 60 performances beginning March - [Maestro Wilkins Takes the Podium](https://veermag.com/2022/02/maestro-wilkins-takes-the-podium/) - By Montague Gammon III Grand fanfares of orchestral brass herald the arrival of Maestro Thomas Wilkins as the first Principal Guest Conductor in the century long history of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, February 18-20. It’s the second half of the concert program, Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, that really breaks out the brass artillery of - [Marie Osmond Brings Symphonic Christmas to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2021/12/marie-osmond-brings-symphonic-christmas-to-norfolk/) - By Jeff Maisey Marie Osmond needs little introduction. Marie’s older siblings debuted as bubblegum pop group The Osmonds in 1970. Her brother Donny soon after became a teen idol as a solo artist. Marie Osmond, the second youngest and only daughter in the family, wasn’t far behind on the ladder of success, though forging a - [ESSAY: My Life in Nine Songs](https://veermag.com/2022/01/essay-my-life-in-nine-songs/) - By Tom Robotham Music…is not simply a distraction or a pastime, but a core element of our identity. – Daniel Levitin, The World in Six Songs The other day, I pulled from one of my bookshelves a volume that I’ve revisited often over the last few years: Daniel Levitin’s The World in Six Songs, - [Satirical Thanksgiving Play is Spot-On](https://veermag.com/2022/01/satirical-thanksgiving-play-is-spot-on/) - ( Director Jessica Holt) By Jerome Langston “It’s been an incredibly challenging 20 months to be a theater artist,” says Jessica Holt, early on in our conversation about her latest directorial work for Virginia Stage Company, The Thanksgiving Play. A bit earlier in VSC’s current 43rd season, the virulence of Covid-19 and the pandemic that it - [Art from Guantanamo Bay](https://veermag.com/2022/01/art-from-guantanamo-bay/) - Muhammad Ansi, Untitled (Hands Holding Flowers through Bars), 2016, acrylic on paper, 11 x 8.5 inches By Betsy DiJulio Six artists. Over 100 artworks. Fifteen years, give or take. The artists in this rare exhibition include both current detainees at Guantánamo Bay (Moath Al Alwi and Ahmed Rabbani) and former (Muhammad Ansi, Abdualmalik Alrahabi - [Twin Restaurant Weeks](https://veermag.com/2022/01/twin-restaurant-weeks/) - (Restaurant Week is a great way to explore creative culinary creations at Mermaid Winery on Shore Drive. Photo courtesy of Mermaid Winery.) By Jeff Maisey Restaurant Weeks serve as a promotion for dining establishments during what would otherwise be a slow period and are also an ideal way for diners to experience and explore favorite - [2022 Veer Music Awards Nominees Announced](https://veermag.com/2022/01/2022-veer-music-awards-nominees-announced/) - Ongoing pandemic aside, last year saw music venues finally come back to life and local musicians once again played stages big and small throughout the 757 region. Below are this year's nominees for the 2022 Veer Music Awards. We considered the following when selecting the potential nominees: (1) Did the band/musician release an album, EP, - [TRAVEL: Can’t Do Europe? Head to the Southwest](https://veermag.com/2022/01/travel-cant-do-europe-head-to-the-southwest/) - (Monument Valley is otherworldly) By Jeff Maisey Count me as one of the many Americans flabbergasted by the restrictions put in place for international travel. Fully vaccinated and with one booster injected, I find the latest developments requiring being tested a day before departing a European city for home coupled with being tested upon arrival - [Benchtop Brewing Wins 2021 Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2021/12/benchtop-brewing-wins-2021-golden-tap-award/) - (Benchtop Brewing celebrates its 3rd Golden Tap Award) Staff Report Norfolk’s Benchtop Brewing Company took home 10 medals and earned the most cumulative points to make it Veer Magazine’s 2021 Golden Tap Awards overall winner. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded at Elation Brewing in over 30 categories for individual beer and cider styles - [ESSAY: Achieving the Dream](https://veermag.com/2022/01/essay-achieving-the-dream/) - By John L. Horton The most dangerous person in the world is a person who is sincerely ignorant and conscientiously stupid. You have a moral obligation to be intelligent. — Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. If Dr. King were alive, he would have been 93 years old on January 15th. However, King’s birthday/holiday will be - [TRAVEL & DRINK: Sixteen Days in Belgium ](https://veermag.com/2021/11/travel-drink-sixteen-days-in-belgium/) - (Wife and husband beer writers Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones at Cafe Den Obelix in Hall, Belgium. Photo by Kate Keese.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones When you’re sitting there in your silk upholstered chair and thinking about your next beer-focused “Vayca,” consider this. There’s a place you can go that has some of - [Why is a Norfolk community development entity investing everywhere but Norfolk?](https://veermag.com/2021/12/why-is-a-norfolk-community-development-entity-investing-everywhere-but-norfolk/) - Hampton Roads Ventures, created by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, is headquartered in this office building in Norfolk. (Jim Morrison/ For the Virginia Mercury) BY JIM MORRISON, Correspondent, Virginia Mercury NORFOLK — When they posed for a picture in an empty field 18 years ago, Robert K. Jenkins and other Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing - [Outstanding Winter Exhibitions at VA MOCA](https://veermag.com/2021/12/outstanding-winter-exhibitions-at-va-moca/) - (Cedric Baker’s Aunt Lou won Best of Show for the Made in VA exhibition.) By Betsy DiJulio A trio of new winter exhibitions is arguably Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art’s most captivating in years. Here’s my take on each. Shaping Memories: Expressions in Clay Curated by Alison Byrne, Virginia MOCA’s Deputy Director of Exhibitions - [Forward with Native American Art](https://veermag.com/2021/12/forward-with-native-american-art/) - CARA ROMERO, American (Chemehuevi, born 1977), “Water Memory,” 2015, Archival pigment print on Legacy Platine paper, Acquired with funds from the Board of Visitors, Muscarelle Museum of Art Endowment By Jeff Maisey If you think you know Native American art, think again. “Shared Ideologies,” a fascinating look at contemporary work created by indigenous artists, - [ESSAY: A Christmas Meditation](https://veermag.com/2021/12/essay-a-christmas-meditation/) - By Tom Robotham So this is Christmas, and what have you done? – John Lennon When I was a kid, the Christmas season was the most exciting time of the year. Ushering it in, shortly after Thanksgiving, was the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalogue—or “Wish Book,” as it was known. When it arrived, - [MUSICAL: A Soulful Christmas](https://veermag.com/2021/12/musical-a-soulful-christmas/) - By Jeff Maisey Anthony Wayne, the former Norfolk resident who scored success on Broadway performing in “Tootsie: The Musical,” “Pippin,” “Once On This Island,” and “Anything Goes,” as well as Broadway nationwide touring productions of “The Color Purple” and “A Chorus Line,” returns to the 757 with a fun, Soul Train inspired holiday musical - [Goldberg Set to Return with “Hiding in Plain Sight”](https://veermag.com/2021/12/goldberg-set-to-return-with-hiding-in-plain-sight/) - By Jim Morrison For Michael Goldberg, the journey back began with a guy in Norway on Facebook. Goldberg was a fixture in the Baltimore music scene in the early 1970s when he was walking upstairs at The Classroom, a club he played six nights a week when he met a woman with a beat-up guitar. "She - [Norfolk’s Ronald McDonald House Marks 40 Years](https://veermag.com/2021/12/norfolks-ronald-mcdonald-house-marks-40-years/) - (Ronald McDonald House provides families relief in challenging moments. Courtesy photo.) By Jeff Maisey To mark its 40th Anniversary, Ronald McDonald House Norfolk has set a goal to raise $40,000 in 40 hours. The campaign starts at 8:00 am December 8 and ends at midnight December 10. “People will be able to text, make a - [BREAKING: NRHA Settles St. Paul's Lawsuit](https://veermag.com/2021/11/breaking-nrha-settles-st-pauls-lawsuit/) - (A copy of the agreement) BY JIM MORRISON, Correspondent The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the city have settled a lawsuit brought by residents of three public housing projects in the St. Paul's area near downtown who said demolishing their homes without giving them new options would force them to move to highly segregated - [PREVIEW: Dave Koz Continues Smooth Jazz Holiday Tradition](https://veermag.com/2021/11/preview-dave-koz-continues-smooth-jazz-holiday-tradition/) - By Jeff Maisey Newport News’ Ferguson Center for the Arts has become a traditional stop for Grammy-nominated smooth saxophonist Dave Koz during the holiday season. This year, Koz and Friends — Jonathan Butler (guitar), Rick Braun (trumpet), Richard Elliot (saxophone), and Rebecca Jade (vocals) — are marking their 24th Christmas Tour. As a smooth jazz - [PREVIEW: Christmas Rolls On with Mannheim Steamroller](https://veermag.com/2021/11/preview-christmas-rolls-on-with-mannheim-steamroller/) - By Jim Roberts In 1984, when Chip Davis released his first Christmas album, music industry “experts” told him it would end his career. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Thirty-seven years—and 31 million album sales—later, Davis is the best-selling Christmas music artist of all time, surpassing Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and even Mariah Carey. - [Holiday Happenings in the 757](https://veermag.com/2021/11/holiday-happenings-in-the-757/) - (Get out and enjoy the spectacular Million Bulb Walk at Norfolk Botanical Garden through January 2. ) HOLIDAY LIGHTS & PARADES Million Bulb Walk Norfolk Botanical Garden November 12 through January 2 5-9:30 PM Nightly NBGlights.org Get out and enjoy the spectacular Million Bulb Walk at Norfolk Botanical Garden through January 2. Winterfest November 11 - [Scrooge Adaptation is Holiday Highlight ](https://veermag.com/2021/11/scrooge-adaptation-is-holiday-highlight/) - (Beatty Barnes plays the iconic role of Scrooge.) By Jerome Langston “It’s good to be back producing,” says Tom Quaintance, Virginia Stage Company’s Producing Artistic Director. “And I’m excited to go into rehearsal for this show on Tuesday.” The show that Tom is referring to is the holiday classic, A Merry Little Christmas Carol, which launches - [MUSIC PREVIEW: A Triplet of Trios from The Feldman](https://veermag.com/2021/11/music-preview-a-triplet-of-trios-from-the-feldman/) - (Horszowski Trio is set to dazzle a Norfolk audience.) By Montague Gammon III Early December’s Feldman Chamber Music Society concert at the Chrysler Museum’s Kaufman Theater showcases three piano trios: a mid 20th Century masterpiece by the under recognized Armenian-Soviet composer Arno Babajanian, a contrast-rich work by Antonín Dvořák, and a piece by Claude Debussy - [757 Rugby Academy Inspires Youths](https://veermag.com/2021/11/757-rugby-academy-inspires-youths/) - (Francois du Cluzel instills encouraging value of rugby into young player. Photo by Stephanie Davenport.) By Jim Roberts The 757 has turned into an incubator for world-class athletes, producing famous personalities in football, basketball, baseball, boxing and a number of other sports. Now Christophe Bouthiaux and Francois du Cluzel, French nationals who met while serving - [OPINION: Rushing to Judgment](https://veermag.com/2021/11/opinion-rushing-to-judgment/) - By Tom Robotham As the holidays approach, I find myself thinking about my all-time favorite movie for the season—Holiday Inn (1942), starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which I’ve loved for nearly 50 years. The movie’s biggest claim to fame is that it introduced to the world Irving Berlin’s classic “White Christmas,” - [Mae’s Everglow Shines Again](https://veermag.com/2021/11/maes-everglow-shines-again/) - (Mae performing live during a recent concert. Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison In their nearly 20 years, Mae has managed to navigate the twisting and turning labyrinth of the morphing modern music industry, rebounding from one whiplashing change to another They began as an indie band before streaming dominated, way back in the - [Virginia Symphony’s Marsalis, Mozart & Mahler, Beamish & Brahms](https://veermag.com/2021/11/virginia-symphonys-marsalis-mozart-mahler-beamish-brahms/) - (New Virginia Symphony Orchestra Music Director Eric Jacobsen in rehearsal with saxophone great Branford Marsalis. Cell phone photo by Kristen E. Bennington.) By Montague Gammon III Virginia Symphony’s Music Director Eric Jacobsen kicks off the conducting part of his new job with an overture by one of the greatest composers of the traditional Classical - [Torggler Fine Arts Center Dazzles](https://veermag.com/2021/11/torggler-fine-arts-center-dazzles/) - By Betsy DiJulio A sparkling new gem has taken its rightful place on the jewel box campus of Christopher Newport University (CNU). With its cadences of colonnades, pristine pediments, balustraded balconies, and dynamic domes, the campus is a love song to the architectural vocabulary of the Colonial past. The brand new Torggler Fine - [STAGE: Anastasia Will Be Visually Captivating ](https://veermag.com/2021/11/stage-anastasia-will-be-visually-captivating/) - Lila Coogan (Anya) and the company of the National Tour of ANASTASIA. Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade. By Jerome Langston “It’s a blessing,” says actor Bryan Seastrom, who is about to perform tonight, with the rest of the cast, at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I’m reminded that the name ‘Anastasia’ means resurrection.” - [One More for the Road: James Taylor & Jackson Browne](https://veermag.com/2021/11/one-more-for-the-road-james-taylor-jackson-browne/) - By Jim Morrison Aging as a rock 'n roll songwriter and performer is a tricky journey. It's a balancing act between the desire to continue to create while acknowledging that your fans – or most of your fans -- are encased in a time warp of your peak years, that three-album cycle of favorite - [THEATER: Legend of Billie Holiday Comes Alive](https://veermag.com/2021/10/theater-legend-of-billie-holiday-comes-alive/) - By Jerome Langston “You literally feel like...when you walk into that theatre, that you are right there in 1959 with Billie Holiday and her band,” says Georgia native Ashley Bishop-Diggs, who portrays the iconic jazz singer in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, which will grace the historic Attucks Theatre for three performances later this - [La Bohème, Fresh and New, at Virginia Opera](https://veermag.com/2021/10/la-boheme-fresh-and-new-at-virginia-opera/) - (Raquel González stars as Mimì.) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Opera’s La Bohème: Rodolpho Remembers, a concentrated, intensified staging of what a poet can say about a girl who died, was born to the San Diego Opera a year ago, conceived by the necessities of COVID. An 86-minute, no intermission production that “homes in - [Get a Taste of Smithfield at Red Point Taphouse](https://veermag.com/2021/10/get-a-taste-of-smithfield-at-red-point-taphouse/) - A welcoming sign in Smithfield: (L-R) Nick Hess, Julie Hess and Tim Ryan. Photo by Diane Catanzaro By Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro Farm-to-table dining AND craft beer brewed on premises in a small-town historic building? Yes, please! If this sounds good to you, check out the Red Point Taphouse in Smithfield. Nick Hess - [Cheap Trick or Treat ](https://veermag.com/2021/10/cheap-trick-or-treat/) - By Jim Morrison Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick has had his third COVID shot and he's happy to finally be back out on the road. It's not the 300 dates a year the band played back in the day. More like 150 to 175, but then they're not young anymore. The guy who penned - [Nick Colionne: The Godfather of Smooth Jazz Guitar](https://veermag.com/2021/10/nick-colionne-the-godfather-of-smooth-jazz-guitar/) - By Jeff Maisey The release of smooth jazz guitar artist Nick Colionne’s album “Finger Painting” went on as plan in April 2020. The tour in support of the 10-song studio recording was delayed and then canceled due to the pandemic. Jazz venues across the world were negatively impacted and several closed for good. This - [The Beauty of Baseball](https://veermag.com/2021/10/the-beauty-of-baseball/) - (THREE GENERATIONS OF FANS: My father's boyhood baseball glove from the 1930s, holding a ball signed by my son's Little League team, which I coached. Photo by Tom Robotham) By Tom Robotham The one constant through all the years has been baseball. ~ Terence Mann, Field of Dreams. Among all of the disruptions of - [ART: To the Moon and Back](https://veermag.com/2021/10/art-to-the-moon-and-back/) - (Luke Jerram, Museum of the Moon, photo by Carl Milner, Leeds, UK, Light Needs Light, October 2017) By Betsy DiJulio A muse of poets, politicians, artists, athletes, and academics, the moon has infiltrated virtually every aspect of world culture since ancient times. And the moon is still a fixture of popular culture appearing in the - [Najee returns to ignite Church Street Jazz Series ](https://veermag.com/2021/09/najee-returns-to-ignite-church-street-jazz-series/) - By Jerome Langston Learning that we share the same first name, during my recent conversation with the contemporary jazz legend known as Najee, was just one of many interesting tidbits that were revealed during our lengthy chat. Born Jerome Najee Rasheed in New York City, where he was also raised along with his siblings, by - [Violins of Hope](https://veermag.com/2021/09/violins-of-hope/) - By Jeff Maisey If you think about, every classical music performance is a history lesson in some sense. Generally its because the musical work was written hundreds of years ago, and quite often it expresses something about each composer, whether the point in his career, circumstances around the commission of the work, or the - [Hunter’s Sunrise Live at The Z](https://veermag.com/2021/09/hunters-sunrise-live-at-the-z/) - (Blue-rock guitarist/singer Jason Cale (left) in the studio with Hunter Hughes. Photo courtesy of Hunter Hughes.) By Jeff Maisey Hunter Hughes, host of WHRV’s Hunter at Sunrise digital radio program, has teamed with Zeiders American Dream Theater to present the official launch of his “Sunrise Sessions Volume Two: The Pandemic Recordings,” a double-CD with live - [Boogie Wonderland](https://veermag.com/2021/09/boogie-wonderland/) - By Jeff Maisey What could possibly be better than hearing Earth, Wind & Fire perform their essential hit “September” in September? That’ll happen Friday, September 24 when the supergroup performs at Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of Earth, Wind & Fire, the R&B group that has scored eight - [The New Maestro](https://veermag.com/2021/09/the-new-maestro/) - (Maestro Eric Jacobsen on the cover of Veer Magazine. Illustration by Walt Taylor) By Montague Gammon III The newly appointed twelfth Music Director of our Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Eric Jacobsen, flew into town from his current home in Brooklyn late last month, hitting the ground - or rather the stage - running, with rehearsals, board - [CLASSICAL MUSIC: From Boston with Glee](https://veermag.com/2021/09/classical-music-from-boston-with-glee/) - By Montague Gammon III The Norfolk-bound Boston Trio’s founding member and pianist, Ms. Heng-Jin Park, is probably most gleeful classical musician you’ll ever encounter. In the course of one telephone chat she chuckles, chortles, laughs out loud, and generally gives forth most every vocalization of amusement north of a giggle and south of a - [MUSIC: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Circles Back](https://veermag.com/2021/09/music-nitty-gritty-dirt-band-circles-back/) - By Jim Morrison Consider one measure of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's longevity and relevance: the group of California kids playing in a jug band scored their first big article on a page alongside The Byrds and The Doors in Tiger Beat magazine. Not Rolling Stone? No. There was no Rolling Stone in those - [Prepare for 757 Battle of the Beers](https://veermag.com/2021/09/prepare-for-757-battle-of-the-beers/) - The Garage Brewery won the last Battle of the Beers event. Photo by Eye of the Storm Photography courtesy of Beach Ambassadors. By Jeremy Bender More than 30 regional breweries will vie for this year’s 757 Battle of the Beers crown. The event is held on the grounds of Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach and - [VIEWPOINT: AFGHANISTAN: Lessons We Should Have Learned](https://veermag.com/2021/09/viewpoint-afghanistan-lessons-we-should-have-learned/) - By John L. Horton Come September 20, I shall celebrate my 81st birthday. As such, I am a 30-year (October 15, 1958 – November 1, 1988), retired, Marine sergeant major, 100 percent disabled, Vietnam combat veteran. Come September 11, 2021, America will have ended its longest (20 years) active combat engagement. This - [Legacies of 9/11](https://veermag.com/2021/09/legacies-of-9-11/) - By Tom Robotham On the evening of September 10, 2001, I was watching Band of Brothers with my then-8-year-old son. At one point, he asked me if I’d ever been to war. “No,” I told him. “I was lucky. I missed the Vietnam-War draft by just a couple of years. I hope you never - [ART: This Mortal Toil](https://veermag.com/2021/09/art-this-mortal-toil/) - (Kent Knowles, Untitled) By Jeff Maisey The Linda Matney Gallery has unveiled an ambitiously engaging new exhibition thematically centered around the human psychological condition associated with emerging from a global pandemic and similar transformative experiences. The Gallery describes the art shown in The Task That is the Toil as “emerging from a nightmare, dream, or the - [Small Charities Benefit from Millers Bikes & Brews](https://veermag.com/2021/09/small-charities-benefit-from-millers-bikes-brews/) - (Jeff Miller of Millers Energy tests his bike out at Benchtop Brewing Company) By Jeff Maisey What better way to reacquaint yourself with the scenic Elizabeth River Trail than by participating in Millers Bike & Brews 2021? The bicycle ride begins at 2 PM on September 18 at Benchtop Brewing Company and covers the Trail - [Monarchs Ready to Roar](https://veermag.com/2021/08/monarchs-ready-to-roar/) - (Head Coach Ricky Rahne stands ready to reestablish ODU’s football program as a winner. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey Faster, stronger, now. When the Old Dominion University Monarchs return to the football playing field in September, they’ll do so with a new head coach — Ricky Rahne. Coach Rahne is focused on the - [MUSIC: The Family Stone Takes You Higher](https://veermag.com/2021/09/music-the-family-stone-takes-you-higher/) - By Jeff Maisey Sly & The Family Stone will forever be remembered as one of the most influential funk/soul/pop groups of the 20th century. The band formed in 1966 and was notable not only for its multi-cultural makeup of musicians, but also in the blending of sounds. One music critic said, “there are two - [ART: For Life & Limb](https://veermag.com/2021/08/art-for-life-limb/) - (Trumpeting: “I created this painting at my studio in downtown Washington, D.C. after a stay in Norfolk and learning about the history of the Attucks Theatre.” — Matt Sesow) By Betsy DiJulio Everyone, it seems, has heard of Matt Sesow even if they don’t own a painting by him, though it also seems everyone has one—or - [Suffolk Surprises with Superb Suds at Nansemond Brewing Station ](https://veermag.com/2021/08/suffolk-surprises-with-superb-suds-at-nansemond-brewing-station/) - (Sample a variety of beer styles in scenic downtown Suffolk at Nansemond Brewing Station. Photo courtesy of the brewery.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Locals may know the Nansemond River, that the Nansemond Native American tribe lived along the river, or that Nansemond was the shortest-lived city in Virginia but is now merged with - [Beach Vacation v. Climate Vocation](https://veermag.com/2021/08/beach-vacation-v-climate-vocation/) - (An elevated view of the Intercoastal Waterway with Holden Beach barrier island sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean. Writer Skip Stiles and family vacationed here during the summer. Photo credit: NC’s Brunswick Islands) By Skip Stiles Bursting at the seams, back window blocked by boogie boards and beach chairs, our car rises above the North Carolina - [ESSAY: Musical Riches Await](https://veermag.com/2021/08/essay-musical-riches-await/) - (Virginia Symphony Orchestra's new music director Eric Jacobsen) By Tom Robotham Recently, for another publication, I wrote a piece about the dawn of a new era for the now 100-year-old Virginia Symphony. As of July, the orchestra has a new music director—cellist and conductor Eric Jacobsen—a principal guest conductor in Norfolk native Thomas Wilkins, and - [MUSIC: Back on the Road with Blackberry Smoke](https://veermag.com/2021/08/music-back-on-the-road-with-blackberry-smoke/) - (Blackberry Smoke brings its special blend of hard Southern rock to Portsmouth. Photo by Joe Lopez.) By Jim Morrison For Charlie Starr, the frontman of Blackberry Smoke, being off the road after two decades touring -- and making a living -- with his band was the hardest part. But, after the waiting, the band and their - [THEATER PREVIEW: The Earth Remembers](https://veermag.com/2021/08/theater-preview-the-earth-remembers/) - (Puppets, including this giraffe, featured in Earth Remembers were built by Black Light Puppet Theatre.) A world premiere collaboration at Virginia Stage brings people and history together By Montague Gammon III A hip-hop history of Hampton Roads, a one hour song cycle wrapped with spectacle, pageantry, projections and massive puppets, featuring a cast of dozens - [Still Tasty After All These Years](https://veermag.com/2021/07/still-tasty-after-all-these-years/) - TASTE OF SUCCESS: (L-R) Peter and Jon Pruden have enhanced and expanded the specialty gourmet food brand known for its delicious sandwiches, prepared food items, and spot-on wine selection By Marisa Marsey As nightmarish as the past year and a half was, Hampton Roads was spared the degree of devastation suffered by metropolises we often - [REVIEW: Jae Sinnett Trio, "Altered Egos"](https://veermag.com/2021/07/review-jae-sinnett-trio-altered-egos/) - The Jae Sinnett Trio “Altered Egos” (J-Nett Music) Jazzman Jae Sinnett has a new studio recording, suburban home, and culinary video show. All are relevant here as Sinnett’s trio brings the house on “Altered Egos,” a 10-song album that’s absolutely cooking. Throughout, Sinnett (drums), Terry Burrell (bass), and Allen Farnham (piano) are on top of - [Contemporary Art Museum Rebrands ](https://veermag.com/2021/07/contemporary-art-museum-rebrands/) - By Jeff Maisey Let’s spell this out so there’s no confusion: Virginia Museum Of Contemporary Art. After more than a decade, the colorful MOCA logo with a splash of gray paint serving as the letter “o” has been replaced by a more slender design stacking the words Virginia Museum Of Contemporary Art in a - [ESSAY: Remembrance and Renewal ](https://veermag.com/2021/07/essay-remembrance-and-renewal/) - Words & Photo by Tom Robotham Late last month, I spent a week in New York City. It was my first visit to my hometown since 2018, and in the days leading up to the trip, I had a lot of mixed emotions. On the plus side, I was looking forward to spending time - [MUSIC: Styx Returns with Prog Rock Gem](https://veermag.com/2021/07/music-styx-returns-with-prog-rock-gem/) - (Styx: Chuck Panozzo, Ricky Phillips, Todd Sucherman, Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Lawrence Gowan. Photo by Rick Diamond) By Jeff Maisey It may still be the best of times for classic rock band Styx. The group will perform August 10 inside Chartway Arena on the campus of Old Dominion University. While concertgoers can expect to - [ART: Women Amplified](https://veermag.com/2021/07/art-women-amplified/) - (April Bey, And I’m Calm, Calculated and Perfectly Aligned, 2020, Watercolor, drawing, acrylic paint, epoxy resin, hand-sewn African fabric, oil impasto, 40 x30 inches. Courtesy of the artist.) By Betsy DiJulio Virginia MOCA’s unabashed embrace of women-identifying artists during summer 2021 is steeped in aesthetics, politics, and culture, both within the museum world and within the - [ART: A Complete Picture of Alma Thomas](https://veermag.com/2021/07/art-a-complete-picture-of-alma-thomas/) - (Alma Thomas, Red Azaleas Singing and Dancing Rock and Roll Music) By Betsy DiJulio We have probably all said it: “That’s a Picassso,” or “That’s a Faith Ringgold.” But the work is not the artist and the artist is not the work. The work is the tip of the human iceberg, an artifact of a - [RESTAURANT NEWS: 1608 Crafthouse Rebounds](https://veermag.com/2021/07/restaurant-news-1608-crafthouse-rebounds/) - (1608 Crafthouse’s Bacon Cheeseburger is a popular menu item.) By Jeff Maisey Kevin Sharkey was prepping for the fifth anniversary of his 1608 Crafthouse on Pleasure House Road in Virginia Beach when the pandemic struck in March 2020. He’s been battling ever since and survived. “We were coming into year five trending upwards and looking - [The Magic of the Market](https://veermag.com/2021/07/the-magic-of-the-market/) - (A handy, fashionable bag is what every market-goer needs.) Old Dominion’s University Village comes alive every Saturday By Jim Roberts Opening a brick-and-mortar business in the middle of a global pandemic might not seem like a wise move, but Ty and Christine Harrell have made it work—not by promoting their Equinox Coffee Co. brand, but - [Re-Experiencing The Dark Side of the Moon](https://veermag.com/2021/06/re-experiencing-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/) - (Pink Floyd’s landmark album “The Dark Side of the Moon” remained on Billboard’s Top Album chart for 957 weeks.) By Jeff Maisey On July 1, Black Jacket Symphony — a full rock band with strings — will perform Pink Floyd’s landmark album “The Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety at Atlantic Union Bank - [ESSAY: SIMONE BILES: A PHENOMENAL (GOAT) REALITY](https://veermag.com/2021/07/essay-simone-biles-a-phenomenal-goat-reality/) - By John L. Horton We have just witnessed Simone Biles winning her spot on the United States Gymnastics Team, June 25-26, in St. Louis, Missouri. Biles’ two-day total score of 118.098 was more than two points ahead of runner-up, Sunisa Lee. What an all-time, awesome, generational athlete and world-class gymnast. Biles is truly - [MUSIC REVIEWS: Every King & Commoner/Reptile Tile and more](https://veermag.com/2021/06/music-reviews-every-king-commoner-reptile-tile-and-more/) - Every King & Commoner “Pioneers! Oh, Pioneers!” (Self-Release) Look out! Every King & Commoner are back in a big way with their long-awaited, epic sounding album, “Pioneers! Oh, Pioneers!.” “Money” was the first track released to the public in the form of a music video. The dramatic song is instantly infectious with Cody Christian’s commanding - [ART: Work in Progress Impresses](https://veermag.com/2021/06/art-work-in-progress-impresses/) - (Jowarnise Caston, Tangled Roots) By Betsy DiJulio George’s Floyd’s death last summer, the resulting Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and counterprotests, and the aftermath, which continues to reverberate, have been the catalysts for all kinds of conversations between all kinds of people. Museums and their leadership have found themselves the targets of new levels of - [MUSIC: Abbie Gardner Steps Out While Red Molly on Hiatus](https://veermag.com/2021/06/music-abbie-gardner-steps-out-while-red-molly-on-hiatus/) - (Red Molly guitarist/singer Abbie Gardner. Photo by Tim Rice.) By Jim Morrison Like so many artists, Abbie Gardner discovered not doing shows for a year led her down some unexpected paths. She set up a home recording studio. She created a TV studio streaming shows regularly with her handy rhythm section, her husband, Craig Aiken, - [ESSAY: Competition](https://veermag.com/2021/06/essay-competition/) - (If the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games proceed, Virginia Beach’s Simon Biles, pictured on the cover of Vogue, plans to take her newly developed vault to heights unseen.) By Dr. Jerry Gaines & Sue Rowdon “You can’t claim to be good if you have never been tempted to be bad. You can’t claim to be faithful - [Chris Thile: God, Community and the Mandolin](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 you're thinking about that stuff," Thile says during a call - [MUSIC: Free Cracker Concert](https://veermag.com/2021/06/music-free-cracker-concert/) - (Cracker members Johnny Hickman and David Lowery rehearse. Photo by Bradford Jones) By Jeff Maisey Alt-country outfit Cracker will be one of the first national level concerts to hit Hampton Roads since the pandemic shut large event gatherings down, and best of all it’s a free admission show. The Cracker concert, which has Jimmy’s Chicken - [Fountain Flows into 757](https://veermag.com/2021/06/fountain-flows-into-757/) - By Jeff Maisey There’s a new hard seltzer in town — Fountain. Made in New York City, this new, upstart brand is fun — from the well-carbonated bubbles, zesty citrus and berry flavors to the eye-catching packaging — screams fun. After enjoying a few cans over a recent seasonably warm weekend, I reached out to - [ESSAY: A More Perfect Union](https://veermag.com/2021/06/essay-a-more-perfect-union/) - By Tom Robotham Of all the holidays we celebrate in this country, the Fourth of July is my least favorite. One reason is that it brings back unpleasant memories from childhood. Back then, in my neck of the woods, at least, it was dominated by one thing: illegal fireworks. Initially, I was fascinated by - [Driving You to Drink: Beer Touring in Hampton and Newport News](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 you can do yourself or with a group - [ART: Self-Exploration Through the Lens of Iris Wu](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 shutterbug teeth shooting human characters in the Athens, Georgia - [Summer Music Series Return](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 scrambling to program live music. Downtown Hampton will present “Live at the Point” on - [At Long Last, Naro Reopens!](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 public showings. During our lengthy closure, the entire Naro - [RESTAURANTS: Local Brands Expand](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 clamor for seconds (and thirds and more!). Where There’s Redwood Smoke… Bob - [MUSIC REVIEWS: Runnin' Shine/Chang3/Demons & More](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 “You and Sunscreen” and “Triggered.” Singer Janice Chandler shines bright on the memorable, - [Virginia Symphony Makes Outstanding Choice in Jacobsen](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 Turinese luthier Giovanni Battista Genova, a multi-page resume packed to its small-print margins - [Juneteenth 2021 Celebrations](https://veermag.com/2021/06/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 now become a national celebration, and there are many throughout the - [101 Things to Do in the 757 Before You Die](https://veermag.com/2016/06/101-things-to-do-in-the-757-before-you-die/) - The List by Bill Candler & Jeff Maisey I recently took some friends of Veer Magazine sailing on the American Rover schooner. Everyone knew about the Rover, but most of the 60-some people had never been onboard. A common remark was, “Wow, this is great. I can’t believe I’ve never done this before.” I - [101 Things to Do Before You Die in Coastal Virginia (Revised 2019)](https://veermag.com/2019/07/101-things-to-do-before-you-die-in-coastal-virginia-revised-2019/) - (The sand sculpture contest as part of the Neptune Festival is an amazing artistic sight.) By Staff Three years ago we published a list of 101 Things to Do in Hampton Roads Before You Die. The feature story was well-received by readers, and many contacted us to share their favorites. Month after month, this list - [Falletta’s Finale ](https://veermag.com/2021/06/fallettas-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 honorary position of Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate, finally takes the podium for - [PREVIEW: Reliving the Music of Aretha & Whitney](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 the Detroit legend, amplified her impact on global music culture. - [EmiSunshine & The Rain Bring Brightness to Zeiders](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 country dress and straw hat followed by an army of family - [Free Summer Concerts at Oceanfront include Blue Oyster Cult, Cracker &. more](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 Oyster Cult (June 16 @ 17th Street Park), Cracker (June 23 @ - [REVIEW: Tony Vincent Delivers on Music of Bowie](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 Bowie” was more than just a homage to one of pop culture’s most - [A Coterie of Charcuterie](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 meat.” Katie Huger, owner of Long Board Charcuterie, can relate. When her friends - [d’Art Center’s New Forever Home](https://veermag.com/2021/05/dart-centers-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 the Commerce Bank of The Beverly Hillbillies fame. - [Meet Holly Koons](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 Arts Advocate, is scheduled to open in mid-September 2021. Architecturally, the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center - [OPINION: High Tech Policing, Anyone?](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 catch. Technology has played increasingly more important - [ESSAY: Fifteen Minutes a Day](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 was never able to muster to - [PREVIEW: The Music of David Bowie](https://veermag.com/2021/05/preview-the-music-of-david-bowie/) - (David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" album cover reimagined by Norfolk artist Dwight Easter) By Jeff Maisey On Saturday, May 22, the Virginia Arts Festival will present “The Music of David Bowie” featuring rock band Windborne fronted by Broadway star Tony Vincent and backed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The concert will take place at Portsmouth’s Atlantic - [Vocalist Kenny Washington Keeps Jazz Standards Alive](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 performance by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with the JLCO septet at the Sandler Center. - [NATO Festival Beer Brings People Together](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 Festival’s International Village for all to enjoy — on - [LOCAL MUSIC: New Releases Reviewed](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 aural senses; it’s hardcore punk rock at maximum everything, channeling anger and frustration of 21st century - [VA OPERA: From Norfolk State to National Stages](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, his seldom heard one act, forty minute opera from 1952, affords Hampton Roads audiences – and - [Two Times Four for the Brentano Quartet](https://veermag.com/2021/05/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 its birth at Juilliard, the Quartet has won a wall-full of - [MUSIC: The Ballad of Duane & Nakia](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 Uber-talented husband and wife on the sidewalk cafe outside of Mango - [Fox Tail Wine Bar Adds Flavor to New Phoebus](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 underserved,” said Fox Tail Wine Bar co-owner Justin Ramos. - [ESSAY: About Face(book)](https://veermag.com/2021/04/essay-about-facebook/) - 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. For well over - [COASTAL FERMENTORY: New Brews in the ‘News](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 1927 toe-tappin’ ditty “Newport News Blues.” Today, there are more good reasons to - [THEATER PREVIEW: Giving Voice to August Wilson](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 produce August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned, the critically acclaimed one-man show that will - [VIEWPOINT: Jim Crow 2.0](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 and, if he wishes, learn a lot too. When - [NATO Discussion](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 Jean-Paul Palomeros was nearing the end of his three-year appointment as Supreme Allied - [LET US DO SOMETHING SPECIAL BY UPLIFTING AND EMPOWERING YOUNG BLACK MALES](https://veermag.com/2021/04/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 Mandela In the - [ART: Spanish Influence](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 thanks to the Chrysler Museum of Art’s current - [Live at Last: Virginia Symphony Brings Bach Back](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 note, each phrase, has an incomparable inevitability about it. This is not the same as predictability - [ESSAY: The Call of the Mountains](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 cold winter’s - [Virginia Arts Festival Leads Arts Return](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 Arts Festival have long thought of ways to - [Foodie Destinations: Fuller's, El Diablo, Deadrise, and Kismet are making a statement](https://veermag.com/2021/03/foodie-destinations-fullers-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 in the historic “main street” corridor (Mellen Street) of - [Celebrating Irish Beer](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 with green food coloring. When the most recent - [The New Phoebus](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 underserved,” said Fox Tail Wine Bar co-owner Justin Ramos. - [NEWS: Phoebus Rising](https://veermag.com/2021/03/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 it has been a long time coming — now it - [The Baker’s Wife Bistro + Bar: A Cinderella Story](https://veermag.com/2021/02/the-bakers-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 defense, when you’re telling the story about a couple who just - [Art and Food Pair to Nourish at MOCA](https://veermag.com/2021/02/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 provided a much needed glimmer of normalcy and hope. Keen - [ART: Rosenbaum’s Folkloric Journey on Display ](https://veermag.com/2021/02/art-rosenbaums-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 50 years, documented the heritage of American roots music and folk culture - [ART: Orchid Fascination](https://veermag.com/2021/02/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 exhibition ranges widely, fitting for an exploration of one of the largest and most diverse plant groups on - [High Praises for WVEC’s Janet Roach](https://veermag.com/2021/02/high-praises-for-wvecs-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. Roach lately was admitted by the - [One Man’s Story About Overcoming Racism](https://veermag.com/2021/02/one-mans-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 your ears and allow me to - [Prologues to What is Possible](https://veermag.com/2021/02/prologues-to-what-is-possible/) - By Tom Robotham I dwell in Possibility / A fairer House than Prose – Emily Dickinson On January 20, I turned on CNN first thing in the morning to watch the long hoped for departure of Donald Trump. As he flew away I was overwhelmed by a sense of relief. The feeling of liberation - [DINING REVIEW: NOLA in Ghent](https://veermag.com/2021/02/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 to say a lot of us have made that trip down - [1865 Brewing Company – Freedom Starts Here! ](https://veermag.com/2021/01/1865-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 of a classic small-town American main street. Theater? Check. The American Theater is a - [VIEWPOINT: Love and Encouragement Are What We Need](https://veermag.com/2021/02/viewpoint-love-and-encouragement-are-what-we-need/) - (In his book “A Promised Land,” former President Barack Obama shares many lessons learn in how to treat other people.) By Dr. Jerry Gaines & Sue Rowdon It has been said: “We come into this world crying while all those around us are smiling. We should live our lives in such a way that when - [New Ghanaian & Turkish Dining in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2021/01/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 not offer an easy familiarity. But with diligence and deliciousness, - [Light Brings Black Art in Focus](https://veermag.com/2021/01/light-brings-black-art-in-focus/) - (Artwork by Chesapeake-born Julian Haskins) By Betsy DiJulio “How about not me?” quipped Clayton Singleton in a recent Zoom interview. “I wanted to put some brothers and sisters up on the wall…to have that feeling of being in the background,” explained the VEER Magazine 2020 Mural Artist of the Year and curator of Light form - [Virginia African American Cultural Center Appoints Executive Director](https://veermag.com/2021/01/virginia-african-american-cultural-center-appoints-executive-director/) - (A rendering of the planned Virginia African American Cultural Center in Virginia Beach.) BY JEFF MAISEY Joan Rhodes-Copeland has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Virginia African American Cultural Center (VAACC) in Virginia Beach. Rhodes-Copeland brings a wealth of experience to the position. She is the former Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance - [The Road Not Taken ](https://veermag.com/2021/01/the-road-not-taken/) - By Tom Robotham Thirty years ago this month, I moved from New York City to Norfolk. When I told my friends and co-workers of my plans, they thought I was nuts. One senior executive at Hearst Magazines, where I was working at the time, went so far as to call me a “coward” for giving - [Best Local Music of 2020](https://veermag.com/2020/12/best-local-music-of-2020/) - (Bennett Wales & The Relief's dynamic sophomore album, "II." By Jeff Maisey Way back in 1980 — 40 years ago — MTV debuted with The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star,” and thus entered a new threat to a medium in which recording artists made a career for themselves. Music videos, as it turned out, - [Big Ugly Brewing Wins Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2020/12/big-ugly-brewing-wins-golden-tap-award/) - (Big Ugly Brewing stacked up well against the competition in 2020) By Jeff Maisey Chesapeake’s Big Ugly Brewing edged-out two-time defending champion Benchtop Brewing Company to take home Veer Magazine’s 2020 Golden Tap Award. Breweries from across the 757 region were invited for the seventh year to self-nominate up to 10 beers in the individual - [Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week Begins](https://veermag.com/2021/01/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 and diners alike. “It may be even more important during a pandemic,” - [Best Performing Arts Education of 2020: Christine Foust of Virginia Arts Festival ](https://veermag.com/2020/12/best-performing-arts-education-of-2020-christine-foust-of-virginia-arts-festival/) - (Catalyst Quartet’s virtual matinee recording session at Virginia Arts Festival headquarters) By Montague Gammon III Even the worst plague the world has seen in a hundred years cannot keep the Virginia Arts Festival from bringing world class arts events to students here. COVID-91 tossed the Festival’s annual live educational outreach programs right out the empty - [Best Visual Art Exhibition of 2020: Shifting Gaze at Virginia MOCA](https://veermag.com/2020/12/best-visual-art-exhibition-of-2020-shifting-gaze-at-virginia-moca/) - By Staff & Betsy DiJulio They didn’t see it coming. But it is almost as though they did. Not Covid-19 and the global pandemic, but the global protests for racial justice that have roiled in the wake of George Floyd’s death. No, MOCA had slotted Shifting Gaze: Reconstruction of the Black and Hispanic Body - [Mural Artist of the Year: Clayton Singleton](https://veermag.com/2020/12/mural-artist-of-the-year-clayton-singleton/) - (MURAL, MURAL ON THE WALL: Artist Clayton Singleton stands with the Black Lives More Than Matter mural he collaborated on with Nicole Harp. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Betsy DiJulio Since the pandemic began in earnest, evenings and weekends have found Clayton Singleton, VEER Magazine’s recently named Mural Artist of the Year, lifted up…as in - [Practicing](https://veermag.com/2020/12/practicing/) - (Tom Robotham -- on the left -- has been perfecting his French with Duolingo so he can better converse in the future with local Parisians like this street vendor selling books and art along the River Seine) By Tom Robotham J’apprends Français. Well, a little bit each day at least. I took two years of - [Best Visual Arts Educator of 2020: Virginia MOCA’s Alison Byrne ](https://veermag.com/2020/12/best-visual-arts-educator-of-2020-virginia-mocas-alison-byrne/) - By Jeff Maisey Virginia MOCA Deputy Director of Exhibitions & Education Alison Byrne was recently named Museum Art Educator of the Year by the Virginia Art Education Association. The honor is well deserved, and we wholeheartedly second it. Under Byrne’s leadership, MOCA stepped forward with virtual tours soon after the pandemic shuttered most businesses - [Marine Corps Veteran Recalls V-J Day](https://veermag.com/2020/12/marine-corps-veteran-recalls-v-j-day/) - (NOW & THEN: 95-year-old Gary Crane with his 1943 Marine Corps portrait) By Jeff Maisey September 2 of this year commemorated the 75th Anniversary of V-J Day — Victory over Japan — marking the end to the Pacific theater of war and effectively bringing the horrors of World War II to a conclusion. “I was - [Producing A Christmas Carol in COVID Times](https://veermag.com/2020/12/producing-a-christmas-carol-in-covid-times/) - (The Virginia Stage Company set begins to take shape.) By Jeff Maisey Sorry, Mr. Scrooge, but humbuggery won’t entirely dampen Christmas this year if the Virginia Stage Company has a say in the matter. And it seems they do. From December 16-24, the professional theater company will present a more minimalist version of its annual - [Thoughtful Change Amid a Whirlwind at Virginia Opera](https://veermag.com/2020/11/thoughtful-change-amid-a-whirlwind-at-virginia-opera/) - (HIGH NOTE: Peggy Kriha Dye is Virginia Opera’s new CEO) By Montague Gammon III It’s a new dawn at the venerable Virginia Opera, as former international soprano and notably successful opera administrator Peggy Kriha Dye takes its reins. Trailing 25 years of acclaim as a singer and a record as a life-saving turn-around admin for - [Williamsburg Christmas Market is Taste of Europe](https://veermag.com/2020/11/williamsburg-christmas-market-is-taste-of-europe/) - BY JEFF MAISEY If you've traveled to Europe in late November through the New Year you know one of the best experiences to have is at a Christmas Market. Christmas markets are set up in the open air in town squares or city centers throughout the Olde World, ranging from small Dutch towns like Gouda - [SURREAL: Pfac Goes Out on Top](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 first-ever exhibition of surrealism. Turns out it will be Pfac’s last — ever. After 58 years, Pfac - [The Rebranding of St. George Beer](https://veermag.com/2020/10/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 warfare to the traditional styles of beers deployed to the - [Smartmouth and O’Connor Among Best in Nation](https://veermag.com/2020/11/smartmouth-and-oconnor-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 breweries from around the nation participated with 273 medals awarded overall. Among the award-winners were - [ARTfull Pops Up for the Holidays](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 Ghent location — 806 Baldwin Avenue — where she operated - [HOLIDAY DINING: Feast Out (Or Get Gobbles To Go)](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 without a raging pandemic making the insertion of a table leaf unwise, dining out at - [BONKO: And This Just In....](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 new faces in the newsrooms of WAVY-Fox43 and - [Now What?](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 I deeply admire—had a different reaction: - [MUSIC REVIEWS: Sinnett, Lucky 757 & More](https://veermag.com/2020/11/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 unexpected Christmas song with Brittany Burrell singing lead, Terry - [Wasserhund to Open Chesapeake Location](https://veermag.com/2020/10/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. The company’s first brewery opened in 2015 in Virginia Beach, and the company just - [Pandemic Brings Pizzeria to Norfolk Tap Room](https://veermag.com/2020/10/pandemic-brings-pizzeria-to-norfolk-taproom/) - (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 have visited Norfolk in - [Rumble On](https://veermag.com/2020/10/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, co-workers, local officials, radio friends and listeners sent messages of congratulations, and Rumble was awarded - [ROBOTHAM: See You at the Pub](https://veermag.com/2020/10/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 Taphouse in Ghent, in particular. I - [Fall For Restaurant Wines](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 came the pandemic, and life tilted like a champagne bottle on a riddling - [Judy Collins Virtually Live from Chrysler Hall](https://veermag.com/2020/10/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 Norfolk. Fans around the globe can watch the show October 23 and 24 - [Saddle-up to the Coach House](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 about eight in - [Come Together at The Chrysler](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 DeWitt, Irene Leache Curator of European Art and Chief Curator, of the Chrysler Museum’s special - [MUSIC REVIEWS: Lori Creek, Koren Grace, Myra Smith & More](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 Moon.” At moments her voice with clarity recalls Sade and musically is - [Well-Aged Williamsburg Winery](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, including gold for - [Something’s Always Brewing at COVA ](https://veermag.com/2020/07/somethings-always-brewing-at-cova/) - (COVA Brewing Co in the 757’s newest craft brewery. Photo by Diane Catanzaro) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones To brew or not to brew? That is the question. For Scott and Susan Bateman, the answer was “two brew.” Blending the family’s love of craft beer and daughter-in-law Corrie’s barista experience, they decided to open - [Experience Voila During Restaurant Week](https://veermag.com/2020/08/experience-viola-during-restaurant-week/) - (John & Maggie Tsouris prepare for Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week, scheduled August 16-23, couldn’t have come at a better time. Restaurants have been on the frontline of businesses most challenged by the ongoing global pandemic, seating diners at tables 6-feet apart and operating - [Kings of Their New Realm](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 Euphonia Pilsner was crowned Best-in-Show. New Realm’s success in the Virginia Craft Brewers - [757 Breweries Win Awards](https://veermag.com/2020/09/757-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 competition. Norfolk’s Benchtop Brewing Company was the most successful 757 brewery, taking home a gold - [ODU School of Music Tunes in Despite COVID](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 Music Department was just 9 months into its newly matured form. - [OPINION: Reparations, To Be or Not to Be](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 “reparations” ($2.1 million), by the Florida state legislature. It was pointed out that this - [The Myth of Individualism ](https://veermag.com/2020/09/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 celebrated Americans’ “rugged individualism.” It’s worth considering - [MUSIC: Jason Cale, Jackie & Resa, Jones Brothers & Peppos](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 statement with an ultra funky - [A Family of Painters Shine at PFAC](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 at no cost. In a recent phone conversation, Kerry Miles, Art in Our Communities Program Director, - [ART: Murals of Love Pop Up in ViBe District](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 the globe, here at home, the ViBe Creative District at the Virginia Beach oceanfront - [ESSAY: Thoughts and Prayers](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 time, I grew to - [A Soldier’s Play in the Open Air](https://veermag.com/2020/07/a-soldiers-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 dining, hanging out at the mall, attending church services and schools, and all the other named and unnamed - [CANCELED: 2020 Boardwalk Art Show](https://veermag.com/2020/08/canceled-2020-boardwalk-art-show/) - Virginia MOCA announced today the cancellation of the 2020 Boardwalk Art Show scheduled for the weekend of October 23. "It was a tough but necessary call given public safety concerns,” said Virginia MOCA Executive Director, Gary Ryan. “The good news is that we have already begun planning the 2021 art show, and it is going to be - [Meet New Sly Clyde Cidermaker Edan Valkner](https://veermag.com/2020/08/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 Hampton cidery’s delicious core brands like Inkjet and Submersive as well as - [Rocks of Ages](https://veermag.com/2016/06/rocks-of-ages/) - By Tom Robotham The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ― G.K. Chesterton The first time I visited England, in 1979, most of the people I encountered were British. That may seem like a terribly obvious statement. But during a visit to the United Kingdom - [TRAVEL: A Tale of Two Cities](https://veermag.com/2018/06/travel-a-tale-of-two-cities/) - By Tom Robotham Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. ~ Mark Twain. Whenever I feel the need to take a journey of some kind, I’m torn between two options: revisiting a place that I know and love, or going somewhere new. Last - [TRAVEL: 5 Days in Iceland, The Land of the Gods](https://veermag.com/2018/08/travel-5-days-in-iceland-the-land-of-the-gods/) - (Skogafoss is an unforgettable sight along southern Iceland) By Jeff Maisey Iceland — the land of fire and ice. Iceland — the European island nation in the north Atlantic adorn with majestic waterfalls, dramatic mountainous coastlines punctuated with otherworldly rock formations and steep cliffs arousing chattering seabirds nesting by the hundreds in crevasses; an alien - [My Story](https://veermag.com/2020/08/my-story/) - (Jerry Gaines, pictured clearing 25-feet in the long jump, was Virginia Tech’s first full-scholarship black athlete. Courtesy photograph.) By Dr. Jerry Gaines The circumstances across our nation being what they are, it seems appropriate to share this story now. Back in 1967, I was the first black athlete to receive a full athletic scholarship to - [Paris, je t’aime](https://veermag.com/2017/03/paris-je-taime/) - Words & Photos by Tom Robotham How is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city? You can't. Because you look around and every street, every boulevard, is its own special art form. ~ Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris. - [VIEWPOINT: A Perspective On The Trump Presidency](https://veermag.com/2020/08/viewpoint-a-perspective-on-the-trump-presidency/) - BY JOHN L. Horton “I am absolutely a Nationalist.” -- President Donald J. Trump “A person shows what he is by what he does with what he has.” -- Anonymous “When a person shows you who he is…believe him.” -- Maya Angelou “If you don’t know, now you know…” -- The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher George - [REVIEW: Dine Local at Lokal Cafe](https://veermag.com/2020/07/review-dine-local-at-lokal-cafe/) - (As healthy as it gets salad bowl at Lokal Cafe in Williamsburg. Photo by Betsy DiJulio) By Betsy DiJulio It doesn’t get a whole lot more local or scratch-made than the casual eats at Lokal. Heck, they even make their own kombucha, complete with alcohol warning. This cozy establishment’s corner location on charming Prince - [High Art from The Vatican](https://veermag.com/2020/07/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 (1475-1564). From August 7-30, the Virginia Arts Festival will present a one-of-a-kind exhibition of - [Waiting For Godot: The Elusive Promise of Reopening](https://veermag.com/2020/07/waiting-for-godot-the-elusive-promise-of-reopening/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema The temporary closing of the Naro Cinema on March 20 of this year marked the beginning of a long period of anticipation for the extended Naro family. We originally planned for a July 4 weekend reopening with showings of the Spielberg classic “Jaws” as a fun and fearful allegory - [Cider Talk with Sly Clyde’s Doug Smith](https://veermag.com/2020/07/cider-talk-with-sly-clydes-doug-smith/) - (Sandbar provides layers of flavor enhanced by raspberry and lemon. Photo by Sly Clyde.) By Jeff Maisey Like craft breweries, Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton has a rotating series of seasonal beverages to compliment its core brands and provide a level of quality enthusiasm for the “what’s new” crowd. Sandbar, a raspberry lemon hard cider - [REVIEW: Prophetic Unknown Outcome a Must-See](https://veermag.com/2020/07/review-prophetic-unknown-outcome-a-must-see/) - (Sheila Giolitti (Norfolk ,VA), Atlantis Project #1, Mixed media, Plexiglas, pigment) By Betsy DiJulio A year ago, as the Hermitage staff prepared for an August public forum announcing calls for proposals for their summer 2020 exhibition, Unknown Outcome, they had no idea just how prophetic that title would become. Though it references human impact - [Empowering Teachers/Overcoming COVID-19](https://veermag.com/2020/07/empowering-teachers-overcoming-covid-19/) - By John L. Horton Well, the “new” school year (2020 – 2021)) is almost upon us. And, the issue of “improving” our public schools lies before us as never before. Accordingly, I got to thinking about what “we” can do to significantly “improve” our public schools for our children … and for our nation. Recently, - [John Lewis: A Profile In Courage](https://veermag.com/2020/07/john-lewis-a-profile-in-courage/) - By Tench Phillips It is a good time to reflect on the civil rights era of the sixties and re-learn the effective strategies used by protest organizers and leaders. America has long memorialized the life and work of Martin Luther King. And yet there were other leaders who marched with King and who would - [ART REVIEW: Shifting Gaze in Focus](https://veermag.com/2020/07/art-review-shifting-gaze-in-focus/) - Ebony G. Patterson, Untitled IV (Khani + di Krew) from the Disciplez Series, 2009. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. By Betsy DiJulio They didn’t see it coming. But it is almost as though they did. Not Covid-19 and the global pandemic, but the global protests for racial justice that have roiled - [Progressland ](https://veermag.com/2020/07/progressland/) - By Tom Robotham Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, which I had the opportunity to visit twice. When it opened, I was just shy of my 8th birthday—the perfect age to appreciate the exhibits, it seems to me, in that I was old enough to comprehend the - [PREVIEW: Syd's Fish Pig Cafe](https://veermag.com/2020/05/preview-syds-fish-pig-cafe/) - BY JEFF MAISEY In June, Chef Sydney Meers is set to open his seventh restaurant in a storied culinary career spanning 46 years. In this video interview, with most of the twisted folk art paintings hung on the walls and kitchy, Americana-cool figurines strategically positioned, Meers shares his vision for Syd's Fish Pig Cafe at - [MUSIC: Local New Releases](https://veermag.com/2020/06/music-local-new-releases/) - Bobby “Blackhat” Walters “America, How Great Do You Feel Today” (Self-Release Single) Bluesman Bobby “Blackhat” Walters in recent years has been keen on quickly capturing a current event or an issue in song. These studio recordings include “Gudment Shutdown” and “HRBT Blues,” for which he won Song of the Year honors at the 2016 Veer - [TBT: Remembering Norfolk's Boathouse Music Venue](https://veermag.com/2020/05/tbt-remembering-norfolks-boathouse-music-venue/) - (A crowd lines up to enter The Boathouse in the 1990s. Photo courtesy of Jeff Moore) BY JEFF MAISEY "We were backstage and there was a buffet spread out with chicken, roast beef and all kinds of good stuff," recalled singer David Middleton, whose local band, the Waxing Poetics, opened for numerous nationally touring acts, - [OPINION: Moment of Reckoning](https://veermag.com/2020/06/opinion-moment-of-reckoning/) - By Tom Robotham On the evening of June 1, I was watching CNN’s live coverage of a peaceful protest near the White House. It was quite encouraging, given that rioting and looting had taken place in various cities the night before. Then, without warning or provocation, a phalanx of military police fired tear gas - [ART: Eccentric Delves into the Surreal](https://veermag.com/2020/06/art-eccentric-delves-into-the-surreal/) - (Caroline Russell, “By Air Mail”) By Betsy DiJulio As we enter Phase II of the reopening of the economy in the Commonwealth, art centers and museums are maintaining their reinvigorated virtual personas stronger than ever as they simultaneously return to their real-time presence in our lives, albeit with many changes of protocol, staffing, and programming. - [Juneteenth  --  Its Symbolism, Substance And Significance](https://veermag.com/2020/06/juneteenth-its-symbolism-substance-and-significance/) - BY JOHN L. HORTON One hundred and fifty-five years after slaves were declared free, I can imagine the joy and jubilation in Galveston, Texas, when the proclamation was read. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger recited the order that included these words: ”This involves an absolute equality of personal and property rights between - [Chrysler Museum to Reopen June 20](https://veermag.com/2020/06/chrysler-museum-to-open-june-20/) - The Chrysler Museum of Art plans to reopen to the public on June 20. From June 16 to June 19, members will get an early opportunity to visit the Museum. In planning its reopening, the Chrysler has adopted several guidelines designed for the safety of visitors and staff, including limiting the number of people in - [OPINION: America Needs Leadership](https://veermag.com/2020/05/opinion-america-needs-leadership/) - BY JOHN L. HORTON An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep. — Alexander the Great To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and - [ART CONVERSATION with Virginia MOCA](https://veermag.com/2020/05/art-conversation-with-virginia-moca/) - (Pictured: MOCA's Director of Audience Development Brad Tuggle and Executive Director Gary Ryan) By Jeff Maisey For this video interview we are joined by Virginia MOCA's Director of Audience Development Brad Tuggle and Executive Director Gary Ryan for a conversation about virtual art tours, the 2020 Boardwalk Art Show, and the Hampton Boyer "There’s No - [Living with Books](https://veermag.com/2020/05/living-with-books/) - By Tom Robotham As my friends and family members know, I own a lot of books—somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000, by my estimate. Many people have a lot more than that, of course. Years ago I did a feature story on a retired Norfolk librarian who had about 10,000 volumes in his personal - [St George Unveils Rare Beers](https://veermag.com/2020/05/st-george-unveils-rare-beers/) - By Jeff Maisey St. George brewmaster Andy Rathmann unearthed several bottle-aged Imperial stouts stored as far back as 2005. A limited number of these are available at the brewery and packaged as the St George Vertical Sampler Series. Watch our video interview below with Rathmann. - [Catching Up with Wasserhund's Aaron Holley](https://veermag.com/2020/05/catching-up-with-wasserhunds-aaron-holley/) - (Bee-Thoven Honey Hefeweizen is one of Wasserhund's springtime special releases) BY JEFF MAISEY In this video interview Wasserhund Brewing Company owner/brewer Aaron Holley shares his viewpoints regarding operating a brewpub under state government mandated restrictions due to COVID-19. - [OPINION: Time Is Now for Granby St Pedestrian Zone](https://veermag.com/2020/05/opinion-time-is-now-for-granby-st-pedestrian-zone/) - (Charlottesville's Mall, a pedestrian-only corridor in downtown. Photo courtesy of Visit Charlottesville) BY JEFF MAISEY There has never been a better time than now for the city of Norfolk to revisit the idea of closing Granby Street in the downtown corridor and quickly repurposing it as a pedestrian-only zone to allow restaurants to expand seating - [Vanguard Offers Sanitizer, Masks & More](https://veermag.com/2020/05/vanguard-offers-sanitizer-masks-more/) - By Jeff Maisey In the following video interview, Amelia Emr, general manager of The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery, tells Veer Magazine how the Hampton business has converted part of its operation to producing hand sanitizers. The Vanguard is also offering consumers industrial grade face masks as well as a full menu of to-go food, Caiseal - [FOREVER STAMP: Norfolk Botanical Garden](https://veermag.com/2020/05/forever-stamp-norfolk-botanical-garden/) - BY JEFF MAISEY Beginning May 13, Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) will be featured on a United States Postage Forever stamp as part of the upcoming "American Gardens” series. The image from the NBG features the beautiful Bicentennial Rose Garden. “The honor of being on a United States Postage Stamp is reserved for distinguished Americans who have - [What’s Next for Virginia Restaurants, Brewpubs, and Tasting Rooms?](https://veermag.com/2020/05/whats-next-for-virginia-restaurants-brewpubs-and-tasting-rooms/) - By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones The balance between public health and the economy has important implications for how and when Virginia re-opens restaurants and brewery, distillery, and winery tasting rooms to the public. Since mid-March most of these businesses have been struggling to survive primarily through take-out and delivery services. The majority of - [VIDEO: Artists Gallery Debuts New Director & Virtual Exhibition](https://veermag.com/2020/04/video-artists-gallery-debuts-new-director-virtual-exhibition/) - BY JEFF MAISEY The Virginia Beach Art Center, home to The Artists Gallery, has a new executive director and a virtual exhibition debuting on Facebook Live on May 1 at 7:00 PM. In the following video interview, resident artist and gallery manager Vinnie Bumatay shares details on the new “Garden of Life” exhibition, which features - [Norfolk Purchases Military Circle Mall](https://veermag.com/2020/05/norfolk-purchases-military-circle-mall/) - The Norfolk Economic Development Authority (EDA) voted unanimously to move forward with the purchase of the Military Circle Shopping Mall, located on North Military Highway. The deal was closed on Thursday, April 30. In 2014, the EDA purchased the former JC Penney’s for $2.3 million and redeveloped the 200,000 square foot building into a modern - [VIDEO INTERVIEW: Jennifer Eichert of Mermaid Winery](https://veermag.com/2020/04/video-interview-jennifer-eichert-of-mermaid-winery/) - (Mermaid Winery's new "to-go" wine tasting glasses with plastic lids are a fun and clever way to take the winery experience home to share) By Jeff Maisey Like many Virginia restaurants and breweries, Norfolk's Mermaid Winery is getting creative to keep loyal customers coming back for more. Learn all about Mermaid Winery's "to-go" promotions for - [VIDEO INTERVIEW: 20th Anniversary of The NorVa](https://veermag.com/2020/04/video-interview-20th-anniversary-of-the-norva/) - By Jeff Maisey Twenty years ago today -- April 28, 2000 -- The NorVa opened its doors with the venue's inaugural concert headlined by the legendary Godfather of Soul James Brown. The building which houses The NorVa was constructed nearly 100 years ago as a vaudeville theater and later became an athletic center in downtown. - [VIDEO INTERVIEW: National Recognition for Lynne Seagle](https://veermag.com/2020/04/video-interview-national-recognition-for-lynne-seagle/) - By Jeff Maisey Longtime Hope House Foundation Executive Director Lynne Seagle has been honored by the National Historic Recognition Project for her work from 2000 to 2020 contributing to the transformation of the Developmental Disability field. Here is our interview with her on location at Stockley Gardens in Norfolk's historic Ghent neighborhood. - [Audacious Bold Mariner Unveils NATO Fest Beer](https://veermag.com/2020/04/audacious-bold-mariner-unveils-nato-fest-beer/) - By Jeff Maisey The COVID-19 global pandemic has sunk many plans this spring, but it was unable to divert The Bold Mariner from completing its charted mission for this year’s Norfolk NATO Festival beer collaboration celebrating Italy. The beer is called Audace, a name selected by Simon Scott, this year’s Chairman of Norfolk NATO - [Museums & Galleries Offer Virtual Exhibitions](https://veermag.com/2020/04/museums-galleries-offer-virtual-exhibitions/) - (Kristin Skees’ “The Musgraves” digital photograph is part of Virginia MOCA’s “New Waves 2020” exhibition) By Jeff Maisey Several local visual arts museums and galleries are now offering virtual views of their current spring exhibitions. Virginia MOCA and The Artists Gallery/Virginia Beach Art Center are featuring slide shows with details descriptions of each piece of - [757 Battle of the Beers](https://veermag.com/2019/10/757-battle-of-the-beers/) - (757 Brewers and Beach Ambassadors group photo by Sean Chagnon/Eye of the Storm Photography) STAFF REPORT Heard of a food fight? How about a beer fight instead? Well, sorta. On Saturday, October 12 — yes, mark your calendar and plan to attend — the Beach Ambassadors will present their 7th Annual 757 Battle of the - [Boardwalk Art Show Moves to October 23-25](https://veermag.com/2020/04/boardwalk-art-show-moves-to-october-23-25/) - By Brad Tuggle The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Boardwalk Art Show presented by PNC Bank is being rescheduled from the weekend of June 19-21 to October 23-25 given the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. This signature Virginia Beach event, now in its 65th year, features the work of over 200 artists and draws over 250,000 - [ViBe Story Exchange: Open Call for Artists & Writers](https://veermag.com/2020/04/vibe-story-exchange-open-call-for-artists-writers/) - By Kate Pittman The ViBe Creative District nonprofit announced a reenvisioned partnership for programming with ViBe Story Exchange for 2020. The partnership pairs selected visual and performing artists with the written word—a true arts & humanities collaboration. Drawing inspiration from artwork or the written word, their paired counterpart will be asked to produce art work - [VIDEO: Interview with Muralist Adam Stanton](https://veermag.com/2020/04/video-interview-with-muralist-adam-stanton/) - VIDEO: Interview with Muralist Adam Stanton Veer Magazine caught up with muralist Adam Stanton as he was putting the final touches on the Virginia Maritime Association's 100th Anniversary Mural in downtown Norfolk on Plume Street. Stanton is a resident of Chesapeake and serves in the US Coast Guard. For more videos, please visit our Veermagazine - [Social Distancing](https://veermag.com/2020/04/social-distancing/) - By Tom Robotham On March 6, I was scheduled to depart for Rome in the company of Jeff Maisey, the publisher of this magazine, and another friend. It was the beginning of my spring break, and I’d been looking forward not only to connecting with history, but also to spending a week in European - [VIEWPOINT: Keeping Up With Our Joneses ](https://veermag.com/2020/04/viewpoint-keeping-up-with-our-joneses/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema I like to do my writing in the mornings when I feel most clear-headed. I sit with my laptop accompanied by my cats and a hot cup of black coffee. My daily java ‘jones’ requires freshly ground French dark roast beans placed in our manual pour-over Chemex drip-through coffee - [NATO Staffer Tests Presumptive Positive in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2020/03/nato-staffer-tests-presumptive-positive-in-norfolk/) - MARCH 22: A staff member at NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, has identified as “presumptive positive” on clinical grounds for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), marking the first potential case at the Command. The individual is in self-isolation. Personnel that were in close contact with the index case have been identified and notified and - [Mead: The Drink of Ancient Kings & Warriors](https://veermag.com/2020/04/mead-the-drink-of-ancient-kings-warriors/) - (Glenn Lavender says everyone needs mead. Photo by Sarah Harris) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones When you think of mead, what picture do you see in your mind’s eye? Some Thor-ish fellow downing a skull-chalice of mead after an epic battle? Beowulf, wolfing down mead at Scandinavian happy hour? Vikings, “norse-ing” a glass after - [Glen McClure: Capturing the Light of Ireland’s West Country](https://veermag.com/2020/04/glen-mcclure-capturing-the-light-of-irelands-west-country/) - (Light at Loughros Bay, County Donegal, by Glen McClure) By Jeff Maisey Some 50 captivating images from Norfolk-based photographer Glen McClure were to be exhibited through May 21 at the Sandler Center Art Gallery in a show titled “Apprentice to Light: The West of Ireland by Glen McClure.” The exhibition has been postponed due to - [Takeaways from VA Beer Co’s 4th Anniversary](https://veermag.com/2020/03/takeaways-from-va-beer-cos-4th-anniversary/) - (The crew from Virginia Beer Company celebrate curbside. Photo courtesy of the brewery) By Jeff Maisey Virginia Beer Company co-founders Robbie Willey and Chris Smith could never have imagined celebrating the fourth anniversary of their successful Williamsburg brewery by serving take-out only beer. Thus was the reality on Friday, March 24 with which the future - [Virginia ABC Stores Reduce Hours](https://veermag.com/2020/03/virginia-abc-stores-reduce-hours/) - The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) will reduce operating hours at all of its stores statewide beginning Friday, March 27, due to the expanding nature of the COVID-19 outbreak. Like the reduced store hours already in place for 24 Virginia ABC retail outlets in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and Williamsburg, and the - [Utopian Visions and Harsh Realities](https://veermag.com/2020/03/utopian-visions-and-harsh-realities/) - By Tom Robotham Much of the discussion about socialism…is entirely pointless, because of the failure to agree on terminology. ~ Theodore Roosevelt. In today’s political arena, no word is bandied about more carelessly than “socialism.” Diehard supporters of Bernie Sanders have embraced it enthusiastically, albeit with the word “democratic” as a qualifier. Meanwhile, - [ART PREVIEW: Unknown Outcomes](https://veermag.com/2020/03/art-preview-unknown-outcomes/) - (Sheila Giolitti: Sketch for Atlantis Project #1) By Betsy DiJulio By December 15, 2019, more than 50 artist’s proposals had landed in education and contemporary art exhibitions curator Carrie Spencer’s inbox. Via the release of a call for proposals and the hosting of a public forum last August, the Hermitage Museum & Gardens offered artists - [The O’Connor Decade](https://veermag.com/2020/03/the-oconnor-decade/) - (Penny & Kevin O’Connor in February 2020. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey A little luck of the Irish and a determined can-do attitude on St Patrick’s Day 2010 got O’Connor Brewing Company up and running with its first batch of beer. In our mid-March 2010 issue of Veer Magazine, Diane Catanzaro wrote this: - [2020 Veer Music Awards Results](https://veermag.com/2020/02/2020-veer-music-awards-results/) - (Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos, pictured with Bob Seger at Madison Square Garden, won the live performance and blues categories. Photo courtesy of the band.) By Jeff Maisey On Tuesday night, The Vanguard Brewpub in Hampton hosted the 2020 Veer Music Awards — considered the local version of the Grammy’s -- to a packed house - [K'Bana Blaq: Death to Mindless Music](https://veermag.com/2020/02/kbana-blaq-death-to-mindless-music/) - By Jeff Maisey K’Bana Blaq is perhaps one of the most prolific songwriters and creative music video artists in the 757. Known to many as one of the three dynamic upfront singers in the award-winning R&B group The Fuzz Band, K’Bana has also indulged fans with several single track and album releases. His popular - [FILM: The Woman Who Loves Giraffes](https://veermag.com/2020/02/film-the-woman-who-loves-giraffes/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema Towering over me was a massive elongated head whose six-foot-long neck stretched down to meet us. This giant creature was so strange and intimidating when experienced up close that it might as well have been an alien being. And yet there was a knowing intelligence reflected in its huge - [Baladi Mediterranean Café: A Playground for the Taste Buds](https://veermag.com/2020/02/baladi-mediterranean-cafe-a-playground-for-the-taste-buds/) - By Betsy DiJulio With some 35 plant-based dishes (and still more that are vegetarian)—mezze, soups, salads, wraps, entrees, sides, and desserts—Baladi Mediterranean Café is a vegan’s veritable playground. They even offer vegan wine. In fact, Wednesdays celebrate our lifestyle with complimentary falafel for each guest and a 50% discount on a bottle of - [CONCERT: Pre-Festival Season Stop for Old Crow Medicine Show](https://veermag.com/2020/02/concert-pre-festival-season-stop-for-old-crow-medicine-show/) - By Jim Morrison Over the years since Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua began playing together in the hills of the Shenandoah Mountains and then assembled Old Crow Medicine Show in the hippie sanctuary of Ithaca, New York, partly from buskers on the streets, the band has shuffled players. Fuqua took a break for rehab - [The Future of Journalism](https://veermag.com/2020/02/the-future-of-journalism/) - By Tom Robotham Recently I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion on the state of journalism. The event was timely. That very day, news had broken that The Virginian-Pilot building had been sold to a condo developer, and that longtime PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer had died. During our conversation, we talked - [MUSIC: Songs In The Attic](https://veermag.com/2020/01/music-songs-in-the-attic/) - Billy Joel’s original band will bring hits—and some deep cuts—to Newport News By Jim Roberts Liberty DeVitto played drums for Billy Joel for 30 years—a time span that included nine Platinum albums, three of which won Grammy Awards. In 2014, DeVitto and the other core members of Joel’s original band—Richie Cannata, Russell Javors and - [Tour de ’Burg: A drinking tour of Williamsburg ](https://veermag.com/2020/02/tour-de-burg-a-drinking-tour-of-williamsburg/) - (Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones treat their out-of-town guests to a tour of Williamsburg, including this scenic stop on the deck of Billsburg Brewery.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones When you think of Williamsburg, VA, what pops into your mind? A bonny burg that’s been the home of William and Mary College since 1693? - [Move Over 757, Here Comes the 948](https://veermag.com/2020/02/move-over-757-here-comes-the-948/) - The State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced today that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) has assigned a new area code to the Hampton Roads region. The new 948 area code will relieve the future exhaustion of phone numbers in Virginia’s 757 area code. The 757 area code region encompasses the vast majority of the - [VOTE: 2020 Veer Music Awards](https://veermag.com/2020/01/2020-veer-music-awards-nominees/) - VOTE: Veer Music Awards Preview By Jeff Maisey Last year represented another creative explosion for local bands and musicians, and as you’ll see below the list of nominees for the 2020 Veer Music Awards is rather lengthy. As always we called upon a diverse array of people to participate in our nominating panel. Panelists (list - [Family-Friendly and Very Funny: Virginia Opera’s Cinderella](https://veermag.com/2020/01/family-friendly-and-very-funny-virginia-operas-cinderella/) - (Cinderella promises to be a visual delight for all ages. Photo by Jimmy Lawlor courtesy of Virginia Opera) By Montague Gammon III A happy ending tale that’s also family friendly begins calendar year 2020 for the Virginia Opera, accompanied by a special event especially for young folks. That’s Rossini’s Cinderella, a version of the familiar - [The Trouble with The 757](https://veermag.com/2020/01/the-trouble-with-the-757/) - By Tom Robotham When you hear the name Nashville, what comes to mind? It’s safe to say that “country music” would be a common response. How about New York? Broadway, perhaps, or Wall Street. Likewise, mention Los Angeles, and most people will think, “Hollywood.” Many smaller cities and towns have such strong name recognition - [Black History Year-round: Who Are we?](https://veermag.com/2020/01/black-history-year-round-who-are-we/) - BY JOHN L. HORTON “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” — Marcus Garvery “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we - [All That Jazz](https://veermag.com/2019/12/all-that-jazz/) - (Jazz pianist John Toomey is the backbone of the Attucks Jazz Series) By Jeff Maisey If you’ve noticed an increase in the number of jazz concerts scheduled at various venues around Hampton Roads in the past few years there’s a good reason — it’s popular. Like most music genres jazz isn’t a one-size-fits-all style. Characterized - [STAGE: Finding Balance in Sense & Sensibility](https://veermag.com/2020/01/stage-finding-balance-in-sense-sensibility/) - (SENSE & SENSIBILITY, actresses Manna Nichols and Ally Farzetta. Photo by Crystal Tuxhorn) By Jerome Langston Getting to interview director Jessica Holt about the latest big show that she’s directing at the Wells Theatre, for the Virginia Stage Company, is becoming quite the annual tradition. The Yale School of Drama graduate, whose lengthy career as - [Queen of Bluegrass Headlines in Hampton](https://veermag.com/2020/01/queen-of-bluegrass-headlines-in-hampton/) - By Jim Morrison Rhonda Vincent tried to turn away from bluegrass and to the green fields of country, but the transformation didn’t hold. She’s blue through and through. Over a three-decade career, Vincent has been dubbed “The Queen of Bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal. She’s been nominated again and again for a Grammy - [Three Dog Night Brings the Hits of the 1970s](https://veermag.com/2020/01/three-dog-night-brings-the-hits-of-the-1970s/) - (Three Dog Night’s current lineup continue to perform to sold-out crowds) By Jeff Maisey Music has always had a big impact on my life. As a child in the 1960s, I was exposed to my father’s record collection with an abundance of Herb Albert, Perry Como, and Dixieland Jazz. Luckily, one of the kids on - [Veer Music Awards Nominees: Live Photography](https://veermag.com/2020/01/veer-music-awards-nominees-live-photography/) - The following are finalists in the Live Photography category for the 2020 Veer Music Awards. - [Veer Music Awards Nominees: Photography Posed](https://veermag.com/2020/01/veer-music-awards-nominees-photography-posed/) - The following entries are finalists in the Posed Photography category for the 2020 Veer Music Awards. - [Music Video of the Year Nominees](https://veermag.com/2020/01/music-video-of-the-year-nominees/) - The following are the nominees for Music Video of the Year category for the upcoming 2020 Veer Music Awards. Good Shot Judy, “Love” Travelers, “Uh-Oh” The Purge, “Rain” Buckshot, “Freedom Ain’t Free” Tornado Bait, “Teacup’s Half Full” Carlos Armon, “Nothing” Heretics in the Lab, “Mouth” Lacree, “Fantasy” The Muddy Gems, “Sin & Swing” Ced Highes, - [Swingin’ with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy](https://veermag.com/2020/01/swingin-with-big-bad-voodoo-daddy/) - By Jim Morrison Here's a trivia question sure to stump even the most diehard music or football fan. Which act joined Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan to perform at halftime of the 1999 Super Bowl? Nope. Not Prince. And fingers off that phone. The answer is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the California swing band - [BALLET: Sabino’s Swansong](https://veermag.com/2020/01/ballet-sabinos-swansong/) - (Cavalier with Sugar Plum Fairy: Maggie Small and Fernando Sabino in The Nutcracker by Stoner Winslett. Richmond Ballet. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.) Brazilian Dancer Prepares For His Last Curtain Call In Norfolk By Jim Roberts Fernando Sabino doesn’t have an exact count, but he estimates he’s danced in about 300 performances of - [Student Outcomes](https://veermag.com/2016/04/student-outcomes/) - By Tom Robotham Last month The Post and Courier, a newspaper in Charleston, SC, ran a story about a professor at the College of Charleston who was suspended because his syllabus was “gravely deficient.” The story caught my attention because the dispute, to my mind, reflects a battle for the very soul of higher - [The Veneer of Civil Society and the Hidden Roots of War](https://veermag.com/2017/05/the-veneer-of-civil-society-and-the-hidden-roots-of-war/) - By Tench Phillips How does a civilized society disintegrate into civil war and murder within a short span of time? Throughout the last century, state backed violence has been waged time and again by modern industrial societies against their own citizens. Germany’s descent into fascism is the most notorious example but there’s been many more - [COMPLETE GUIDE: Holiday Events/Concerts/Parades](https://veermag.com/2019/11/complete-guide-holiday-events-concerts-parades/) - (“Holidivas: A Holiday Cabaret” featuring Lindsay Eure runs December 12-15 at Zeiders American Dream Theatre) HOLIDAY LIGHTS & PARADES Million Bulb Walk Norfolk Botanical Garden Through December 14 4-9 PM Nightly www.NBGholidays.org Olde Towne Holiday Open House & Crafters’ Market Portsmouth Cultural Center/High Street November 22 www.portsvaevents.com 34th Annual Grand Illumination Parade - [Benchtop Wins 2nd Golden Tap Award](https://veermag.com/2019/12/benchtop-wins-2nd-golden-tap-award/) - BY DIANE CATANZARO, CHRIS JONES, BRIAN KOSKI, JENNIFER MCDONALD & JEFF MAISEY For the second consecutive year, Benchtop Brewing Company took home Veer Magazine’s annual Golden Tap Local Beer Awards trophy, the award given to the brewery with the most overall cumulative points. In the individual beer style categories such as IPA and American - [Best Documentaries of 2019](https://veermag.com/2019/12/best-documentaries-of-2019/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema When we first initiated the Naro series ‘New Non-Fiction Film’ in the early 2000s, documentaries were still considered to be the red headed stepchild of arthouse programming. The bulk of the screen content being foreign films, indie American films, and film classics. We introduced the concept of a public - [2019 Distilled](https://veermag.com/2019/12/2019-distilled/) - (In 2020, make it your New Year’s Resolution to tour Virginia’s distilleries. Photo by Revel Photo Co.) BY JIM ROBERTS General Assembly Increases Commission For Distillery Stores The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill in March raising the commission for licensed distillery stores from 8% to 20%. The new law, which went into effect on - [Brews News and Clues ](https://veermag.com/2019/12/brews-news-and-clues/) - (New Realm Brewing Co will be expanding distribution of its popular products like Hazy Like a Fox IPA to the Roanoke region. Photo courtesy of New Realm.) By Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro Does spending a billion dollars to buy a brewery bring you beer bliss? Apparently not. Way back in 2015, Constellation Brands, a - [Virginia Takes Center Stage in Hamilton](https://veermag.com/2019/12/virginia-takes-center-stage-in-hamilton/) - (Bryson Bruce & Company - HAMILTON National Tour - (c) Joan Marcus) By Jerome Langston “It’s going to be exciting in Virginia as well, because we talk a lot about Virginia in the show,” says actor Josh Tower, about mid-way through our lengthy phone conversation earlier this week. Tower portrays Aaron Burr, one of the - [2020 Vision](https://veermag.com/2019/12/2020-vision/) - By Tom Robotham If I had to choose one event of 2019 that symbolizes the year now winding down it would be the near-collapse of Notre Dame after a fire broke out in the cathedral last April. For me, and for millions of other people, it was a heartbreaking day. (See my essay, “What - [ANNOUNCEMENT: Veer Music Awards Photo Categories](https://veermag.com/2019/12/announcement-veer-music-awards-photo-categories/) - Veer Music Awards: Photography Categories We are now accepting submissions in photography categories to be considered for nomination in the upcoming Veer Music Awards. Photography Categories: Live and Posed. Live photos are of a band/musician performing at a music venue/festival stage “in concert.” Posed photos are of bands/musicians in a non-live setting. - [BEER REVIEWS: Guinness, O'Connor, Cape Charles](https://veermag.com/2019/12/beer-reviews-guinness-oconnor-cape-charles/) - Stock Ale Guinness Open Gate Brewery Baltimore, MD I’m a longtime fan of Guinness Extra Stout. It was one of the first European beers I tried back in the 1980s and remains a tried-and-true favorite. When in Ireland, it’s my go-to brew, along with Murphy’s. As craft beer has caught on fire here in - [Angelic Voices, Celestial Music, Christmas from Vienna](https://veermag.com/2019/12/angelic-voices-celestial-music-christmas-from-vienna/) - By Michael Curry A perennial favorite of lovers of choral music across the globe , the Vienna Boys Choir will give three performances under the auspices of the Virginia Arts Festival on their current 43 concert tour which also includes appearances at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall in New York and Orchestra Hall - [Cirque Launches OVO from Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2019/12/cirque-launches-ovo-from-norfolk/) - By Michael Curry Here's yet another artistic coup for Norfolk — the superbly crafted and breathtakingly executed OVO — a Cirque du Soleil production which opens its national tour right here with five performances at Scope. Who has not heard of the legendary Cirque du Soleil - the worldwide phenomenon? Theirs is a magical concept - [Jefferson: Architect of Many Things](https://veermag.com/2019/12/jefferson-architect-of-many-things/) - By Betsy DiJulio Many narratives could be and have been crafted about Virginia-born Thomas Jefferson. The Chrysler Museum has chosen to view this remarkable—and contradictory—Founding Father through the lens of architecture in an in house-curated exhibition with the subtitle “Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals.” Providing a structured way of approaching the - [EMPOWERING YOUNG BLACK MALES](https://veermag.com/2019/12/empowering-young-black-males/) - By John Horton “It is impossible to pretend that you are not heir to, and therefore, however inadequately or unwillingly, responsible to, and for, the time and place that give you life – without becoming, at very best, a dangerously disoriented human being.” (S) James Baldwin “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it, too, - [Coelacanth to Close in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2019/12/4337/) - STAFF REPORT Days before its fourth anniversary celebration (December 14), Norfolk independent craft brewery Coelacanth announced on Facebook it will close its doors at year's end. "It’s been an amazing, crazy, fun, hard, interesting, fulfilling and stressful 4 years. But we’ve decided to close our doors by the end of the year," owner/founder Kevin Erskine - [Santa Koz Brings Gifts of the Season](https://veermag.com/2019/12/santa-koz-brings-gifts-of-the-season/) - By Jeff Maisey The holiday season is a time for traditions, and one jazz-fan favorite tradition is experiencing Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling saxophonist Dave Koz on his annual Christmas tour December 7 at the Ferguson Center in Newport News. Koz will be touring in support of the newly released “Gifts of the Season,” his 7th holiday - [Motown Christmas](https://veermag.com/2019/12/motown-christmas/) - By Ron Wray If Santa is coming to town in a Cadillac this year, or a Ford or a Buick for that matter, he will feel right at home. Hampton Roads is hosting four classic stylists of the iconic Motown Sound for a December potpourri of soul, rock and roll, funk, pop, and holiday sounds. - [The Third Kingdom: Notes From the Underground](https://veermag.com/2019/12/the-third-kingdom-notes-from-the-underground/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema After a cool August morning searching vainly for chanterelle mushrooms within an aspen forest on the high slopes of the San Juan Mountains surrounding Telluride – I had reluctantly given up. Turning back towards town empty handed, I came upon a mossy glade in the dark forest. Suddenly, there - [Big Time Gigs for Rosano](https://veermag.com/2019/11/big-time-gigs-for-rosano/) - (Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos back stage at The Garden. Photo courtesy of Bff Shoots/Jeremy Mangrum) By Jeff Maisey Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos have been one of the most popular local bands over the last five years. The blues-rock group has won Veer Magazine’s best blues band and best live band categories in the - [America’s Best Idea](https://veermag.com/2019/11/americas-best-idea/) - By Tom Robotham Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. – John Muir Thirty years ago, when I began contemplating the idea of moving from New York City to Norfolk, I made list of pros and - [Eggleston’s Noble Mission for the Holidays and Beyond](https://veermag.com/2019/11/egglestons-noble-mission-for-the-holidays-and-beyond/) - (Brad Kirkpatrick, Director of Retail Operations, Eggleston Services) By Jeff Maisey Many people during the holiday season contribute to people and organizations in need. Most also decorate their homes with festive Christmas trees and wreaths, and look forward to cooking for family and friends, using the freshest of seasonal vegetables like squash, collards and sweet - [VEGAN: The Bumbling Bee by Cast Iron Catering](https://veermag.com/2019/11/vegan-the-bumbling-bee-by-cast-iron-catering/) - By Betsy DiJulio There are no bumbles—or grumbles—here, just delicious scratch-made vegan “junk” food and burgers, served up with a side of style and genuinely friendly service. Oh, and lots of craft beers and ciders, milkshakes, and sweets. “Dealing weed since 2018,” first as a pop-up food truck and now also as a - [Up Close & Personal with Jane Monheit](https://veermag.com/2019/11/up-close-personal-with-jane-monheit/) - By Jim Morrison Jane Monheit grew up in the jazz scene, breaking in during the late 1990s right out of the Manhattan School of Music. These days, she's benefiting from the experience of making her own way in the music business and balancing touring and family. That experience led to her tackling one of - [Catch the Vibe at Vibrant Shore Brewing Company ](https://veermag.com/2019/11/catch-the-vibe-at-vibrant-shore-brewing-company/) - (Exterior of Vibrant Shore Brewing Company in Virginia Beach) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Let’s go back, back into time, back to 1995. “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio was number 1 on the Top 100 songs of the year, and somehow Van Halen was number 100 with, we kid you not, their version of “I - [Virginia Wines Rising](https://veermag.com/2019/09/virginia-wines-rising/) - (Significant investments in new equipment and vineyard expansion at leading wineries such as Early Mountain are helping put Virginia on the map of great wine regions. Photo courtesy of Early Mountain) By Marisa Marsey Have you seen the bumper sticker proclaiming: Virginia makes wines. Napa makes auto parts. “I hate that,” says Annette Boyd, Director of - [Latin Rock at its Best: Los Lobos](https://veermag.com/2019/11/latin-rock-at-its-best-los-lobos/) - By Jim Morrison Steve Berlin was the Los Lobos member working closely with the team producing “La Bamba” in 1986. He wasn’t confident about the film’s prospects. The movie had a first-time director and "a bunch of actors nobody had ever heard of." The script changed daily. The hunt to find an actor to - [Sly Clyde Hosts CoVA Cider Fest](https://veermag.com/2019/11/sly-clyde-hosts-cova-cider-fest/) - (Cider will flow in many varieties during the Coastal VA CiderFest. Photo by Michael Williams) By Jeff Maisey How ‘bout them apples? In the last five year demand for what was once referred to as British pub cider, or hard cider, has dramatically increased across the United States and right here in Virginia. The rise - [Virginia Arts Festival Announces 24th Season](https://veermag.com/2019/11/virginia-arts-festival-announces-24th-season/) - (Hong Kong Ballet’s “Alice” will be a visually spectacular performance) By Jeff Maisey The Virginia Arts Festival announced its 24th season in a ceremony attended by corporate sponsors, the media, and leaders from other arts organizations. The many highlights of the 2020 season include the festival debut of Hong Kong Ballet in its presentation of - [2019 Golden Tap Awards](https://veermag.com/2019/10/2019-golden-tap-awards/) - Hampton Roads’ craft breweries have enjoyed another outstanding year with accolades coming from global, national, statewide and regional sources. With all of these great things happening in our Coastal Virginia beer scene, it is our pleasure to announce the 2019 Veer Magazine Golden Tap Award nominees. From October 15 through November 15, cast your vote - [Grunge Heroes Dinosaur Jr. Far From Extinct ](https://veermag.com/2019/11/grunge-heroes-dinosaur-jr-far-from-extinct/) - By Jim Morrison Dinosaur Jr. is a band that never quite seems to get the recognition or chart success as pioneers of alternative rock and grunge. But, here they are 35 years down the road, reunited for nearly 15 years after a nasty breakup, and hitting the road for a tour that brings them - [Charged is Electrifying](https://veermag.com/2019/11/charged-is-electrifying/) - By Betsy DiJulio Whether you need a little exuberance, pathos, quiet contemplation, or sly humor in your life, you will find it in MOCA’s current exhibition, Charged. Curated by Heather Hakimzadeh after a long incubation period, the show is her multi-layered answer to the question of what role new media plays in the contemporary - [Bobby Watson: Jazz Message for the People](https://veermag.com/2019/11/bobby-watson-jazz-message-for-the-people/) - By Jerome Langston “I don’t really play for musicians,” says legendary jazz saxophonist Bobby Watson, midway through our Friday afternoon phone conversation, as he awaits a flight back to his home turf of Kansas City. “I play for [the] people.” Watson has been playing for the people, as a professional jazz musician, since the - [OPERA: Il Postino is Landmark Collaboration](https://veermag.com/2019/11/opera-il-postino-is-landmark-collaboration/) - (Daniel Montenegro plays the role of Mario) By Michael Curry We all know that opera is the all encompassing art form where visual, aural, musical and staging elements all come together to make a production. Add in the scenery, costumes, lighting choreography and often daunting technical demands and you have all the makings of grand - [The Demise of Common Culture](https://veermag.com/2019/11/the-demise-of-common-culture/) - By Tom Robotham Recently in a public speaking class I teach at Old Dominion University, I decided to show my students a YouTube video of a commencement address that Peter Dinklage gave to the 2012 class of Bennington College in Vermont. I’d had the good fortune of witnessing it in person, as it happened - [ADVICE: Basics of Parenting](https://veermag.com/2019/11/advice-basics-of-parenting/) - BY JOHN L HORTON “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have - [Virginia Beach Needs Laura Habr as Treasurer](https://veermag.com/2019/10/virginia-beach-needs-laura-habr-as-treasurer/) - By Jeff Maisey Virginia Beach restauranteur Laura Habr has long been an advocate for positive change. Over a decade ago she led the effort to ban smoking in restaurants — a bill then Governor Tim Kaine signed into law at Croc’s 19th Street Bistro, the restaurant Laura co-owns with husband Cal. Habr and Croc’s - [Dead & Company Alive in Hampton](https://veermag.com/2019/10/dead-company-alive-in-hampton/) - By Diane Catanzaro & Chris Jones Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart….when I can hear it beat out loud! Hampton’s heart will be beating a Technicolor rhythm when Dead & Company play the Hampton Coliseum on Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, in what most assuredly will be two days - [PREVIEW: The Band’s Visit](https://veermag.com/2019/10/preview-the-bands-visit/) - (Chilina Kennedy & Sasson Gabay. Photo by Matthew Murphy) Israeli film star leads “different kind of musical” into Norfolk By Jim Roberts “Hamilton” is the “talk of the town” for Broadway In Norfolk’s 2019-2020 season, but “The Band’s Visit” was almost as successful—albeit with less fanfare. In fact, “The Band’s Visit” won 10 Tony Awards - [Virginia Symphony Spans the Centuries](https://veermag.com/2019/10/virginia-symphony-spans-the-centuries/) - (Guest conductor Edwin Outwater) By Montague Gammon III Christmas day visits to Ella Fitzgerald’s house were a family routine for young Edwin Outwater, who will conduct the Virginia Symphony’s Brahms + Pulitzer concerts this month. Having a mother who worked for “The First Lady of Song” - herself a Newport News native - and a - [Thought Provoking Detroit ’67 Takes Center Stage](https://veermag.com/2019/10/thought-provoking-detroit-67-takes-center-stage/) - (Director Thomas W. Jones II) By Jerome Langston There’s been just a few days for the Atlanta-based director and playwright, Thomas W. Jones II, to get his bearings here in Norfolk, as rehearsals for the play that he’s here to direct, Detroit ’67, begin in earnest. The Dominique Morisseau penned drama is being produced by - [FILM: Dark Matter, Einstein’s Unsolved Enigma](https://veermag.com/2019/10/film-dark-matter-einsteins-unsolved-enigma/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema It seems that congratulations are in order. At this point in the universe’s 13.76 billion year trajectory, earthlings have reached a comprehensive understanding of all the laws of physics that make up our everyday reality. That’s quite a claim, isn’t it? But the last few centuries of cooperative scientific - [Big on Bach](https://veermag.com/2019/10/big-on-bach/) - By Jeff Maisey Sandler Center for the Performing Arts is going big on the Baroque music of Johann Sebastian Bach this season, and the next few weeks are certainly a highlight with three unique performances and a collaboration beer to celebrate the occasion. The Bach biggie here is the Bach Cello Suites Festival, - [Bold Mariner Anchors in Ocean View](https://veermag.com/2019/10/bold-mariner-anchors-in-ocean-view/) - (Behind the scenes in the brewhouse: Michael Stacks and John O’Reilly) By Jeff Maisey There’s a famous proverb that proclaims “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” It can be said this was true for Michael Stacks, founder and president of The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, who was all smiles in late September - [LET IT BE: BJ Leiderman to jam with Intangible Cats](https://veermag.com/2019/10/let-it-be-bj-leiderman-to-jam-with-intangible-cats/) - By Jeff Maisey BJ Leiderman, known coast-to-coast as the National Public Radio (NPR) theme song composer for melodies used on “Morning Edition” and other programs over the past 40 years, returns to Hampton Roads to sit-in with some former bandmates when the Intangible Cats take the stage at Barbecue by Froggies on Shore Drive - [Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival Set to Break Records in its 35th Year](https://veermag.com/2019/10/stockley-gardens-fall-arts-festival-set-to-break-records-in-its-35th-year/) - (The Heart Stompers perform Saturday at 5:00 PM during the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival) By Ron Wray Neighborhoods, like people, have personalities. They have bloodlines running through them. Norfolk’s Ghent community’s Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival, now in its thirty-fifth year, is a distinct feature of the area’s personality. It is integral to the life - [NEON Festival Turns 5](https://veermag.com/2019/10/neon-festival-turns-5/) - (Artists descend upon the Chrysler Museum during NEON Festival) By Jim Roberts The third weekend in October—which includes the Town Point Wine Festival and the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival—is widely considered one of the best weekends of the year in Norfolk—if not all of Hampton Roads. For the last four years, the Downtown Norfolk Council - [A Harlem Renaissance Celebration at American Theatre](https://veermag.com/2019/10/a-harlem-renaissance-celebration-at-american-theatre/) - By Jerome Langston Norfolk’s Attucks Theatre, a historic gem, celebrated its centennial earlier this year, with a well-received documentary and anniversary programming that continues throughout this year. My cover story for Veer Magazine, published this past February, details the history of the theatre popularly known as “The Apollo of the South,” which during its - [The Garage Brewery, Tradition & Big Ugly Win Gold](https://veermag.com/2019/10/the-garage-brewery-tradition-big-ugly-win-gold/) - (Beach Ambassadors and the medalists in the People's Choice category. Photograph by Sean Chagnon/Eye of the Storm Photography) STAFF REPORT Beach Ambassadors presented its 7th Annual 757 Battle of the Beers competition in a festival setting on the grounds of Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Medals were awarded to the best overall beers in two - [Marc Cohn Happy to Have Work to Do](https://veermag.com/2019/10/marc-cohn-happy-to-have-work-to-do/) - By Jim Morrison Marc Cohn burst out onto the charts in 1991 with his debut, "Marc Cohn," a disc that earned him a Grammy for best new artist and spun off the hits "Walking in Memphis," "Silver Thunderbird," and "True Companion." While his emergence may have seemed sudden, Cohn had been writing for years - [DINING: Say 350 Grace](https://veermag.com/2019/10/dining-say-350-grace/) - (Michelle and Willie Moats offer the community a delicious gluten-free dining experience with 350 Grace in Ghent) By Marisa Marsey “When I made the commitment to go 100 percent gluten-free with this restaurant, everyone laughed,” recalls Willie Moats. “I felt like Noah building the ark.” The biblical reference isn’t a one-off. Moats gives credit to - [Artists Reflect on #MeToo Movement](https://veermag.com/2019/10/artists-reflect-on-metoo-movement/) - (“MeToo: Intersected” by Betsy DiJulio) By Staff Local visual artists Betsy DiJulio, Knox Garvin and Anne Bousquet have collaborated on a conceptual exhibition reflecting on the #MeToo movement. Titled “Groundswell: Gender, Power & the Body Politic,” the trio of evocative creators offer the viewer separate expressions full of symbolism, physicality and narration. We recently caught - [More Than 80 Artists to Exhibit at Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival ](https://veermag.com/2019/10/more-than-80-artists-to-exhibit-at-port-warwick-art-sculpture-festival/) - (Michael Jurist, “Poppies”) By Michael Curry The Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival, taking place over the weekend of October 12 and 13, should be a definite addition to your to do list for the Fall. Set in Styron Square in the center of Port Warwick in Newport News, the Art and Sculpture Festival is - [Proteus Festival Brings Ambitious Local Arts Showcase to Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2019/10/proteus-festival-brings-ambitious-local-arts-showcase-to-virginia-beach/) - By Ron Wray Zeiders American Dream Theater, the vision of local businessman Michael Zeiders, extends its ambitious dreams for Virginia Beach once again with its Proteus Festival 2019 at its showcase venue in Virginia Beach Town Center on October 8-13. Proteus, named after the Greek god of creativity and flexibility, will be an act - [BLACK AMERICANS: WE ARE THE ANSWER(S) FOR WHAT DEBILITATES US](https://veermag.com/2019/10/black-americans-we-are-the-answers-for-what-debilitates-us/) - “If it is to be, it is up to me (us). (Dr. William Johnsen, Among Others) “We must realize that our future lies chiefly in our hands. We know that neither institution nor friends can make a race stand unless it has strength in its own foundation; that races like individuals must stand or - [ART: Feeling Glass](https://veermag.com/2019/09/art-feeling-glass/) - By Betsy DiJulio Late in August, I caught up with artist Judith Schaechter and Chrysler Museum curator of glass, Carrie Needell, by phone in advance of Schaechter’s exhibition opening in late September. When, fairly early on, Schaechter said, “I’m familiar with this line of questioning,” I thought, “Oh, great, here we go.” And I’m sure - [Norfolk City Council Approves Railyard Development](https://veermag.com/2019/09/norfolk-city-council-approves-railyard-development/) - By Cindy Mackey The Railyard at Lambert’s Point has been approved by Norfolk City Council and the Norfolk Planning Commission with the support of the Lambert’s Point Civic League. The adaptive re-use development by Meredith Construction is now on track to bring an inspiring vision of repurposed historic buildings and new construction to Norfolk. When - [Wine Spectator Recognizes Local Wine Lists](https://veermag.com/2019/08/wine-spectator-recognizes-local-wine-lists/) - (Jennifer Eichert’s Mermaid Winery locations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach each received Wine Spectator’s 2019 Best of Award of Excellence) By Jeff Maisey Several Hampton Roads restaurants were honored in Wine Spectator’s 2019 Restaurant Awards, which highlights restaurants around the world offering the finest wine selections. These were announced in the magazine’s August issue. To - [Painting Rocketman](https://veermag.com/2019/09/painting-rocketman/) - Michael Kagan's With All The Fucking Force (2011) By Jeff Maisey Ground control to Major….Kagan. If pop star David Bowie were alive today we can only assume he’d have a strong interest in the paintings of Michael Kagan. Bowie, like many recording artists of the late 1960s and early ‘70s, was seemingly obsessed with America’s - [Jake Clemons Has His Eyes on the Horizon](https://veermag.com/2019/09/jake-clemons-has-his-eyes-on-the-horizon/) - By Jeff Maisey The role of a true artist is to show the world in an imaginative way a mirrored reflection of reality, and Jake Clemons does exactly that in dramatic fashion on his dynamic new solo album titled “Eyes on the Horizon.” Clemons, who grew-up in Hampton Roads and attended the Governor’s School - [Burning Down The House](https://veermag.com/2019/09/burning-down-the-house/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema I looked down upon a sea of green that spread out below me in every direction as far as my eyes could see. It wasn’t water we were flying over, it was a tightly-knit canopy of trees covering the Amazon basin. I had flown out of Manaus, the capital - [Error Messages](https://veermag.com/2019/09/error-messages/) - By Tom Robotham It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. ~ Henry David Thoreau. For years now, I’ve started my days with the same morning routine: After resisting the urge to stay in bed for a little longer, I walk into - [Guys & Dolls is the Perfect Musical](https://veermag.com/2019/09/guys-dolls-is-the-perfect-musical/) - (Brian Ray Norris and Sam Simahk in Guys & Dolls. Photo by Samuel W. Flint.) By Jerome Langston “He always brings me in for comedies,” says director Nicolas Minas, with a bit of a chuckle, in response to my question about how he was selected to direct Guys and Dolls, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that - [Nobuntu’s Enduring Message of Joy, Peace & Hope](https://veermag.com/2019/09/nobuntus-enduring-message-of-joy-peach-hope/) - By Michael Curry The first-rate Attucks at100 celebrations continue with a performance by Nobuntu — a female vocal quintet from Zimbabwe that has been taking the arts world by storm. Norfolk is their first stop on this new coast-to-coast tour of the United States. This remarkable quintet, revered internationally for its inventive performances - [Oktoberfest Beers to Enjoy](https://veermag.com/2019/09/oktoberfest-beers-to-enjoy/) - Erdinger Oktoberfest This seasonal beer offers a synergistic combination of two classic German styles, Oktoberfest and wheat beer; a surprising alliance that works very well together. Cloudy body with some amber hints. The head is frothy, pleasantly white and with a soft texture. Lacing starts with a series of rings but soon breaks into abstract - [OKTOBERFEST 2019](https://veermag.com/2019/09/oktoberfest-2019/) - (Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe poses with Mrs. Osfolk of the Bier Garden at last year’s Oktoberfest celebration) 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, - [Teamwork Drives 100 Years of Success for Hoffman](https://veermag.com/2019/08/teamwork-drives-100-years-of-success-for-hoffman/) - (Katherine Hines is President of Hoffman Beverage Company) By Jeff Maisey Teamwork. If you spend any time on the floor within Hoffman Beverage Company’s sprawling warehouse on South Military Highway in Chesapeake you’ll see it in action. Ask the guy driving a forklift hoisting pallets of Bud Light or O’Connor El Guapo IPA what the - [Game Day](https://veermag.com/2019/09/game-day/) - By Tom Robotham I wanna grow up to be a politician, and take over this beautiful land. – Roger McGuinn. If you want to understand politics in the age of 24/7 “news” media, look no further than CNN’s “coverage” on July 30, 2019. “It’s game day!” one anchor announced as a countdown clock - [Artimus Pyle Keeps Skynyrd Legacy Alive](https://veermag.com/2019/09/artimus-pyle-keeps-skynyrd-legacy-alive/) - By Jeff Maisey Now that Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has retired from recording and touring, it may be more important than ever to experience The Artimus Pyle Band in concert. Artimus Pyle became Lynyrd Skynyrd’s drummer in late 1974 when the band was preparing to record its third album, “Nuthin’ Fancy.” The band’s - [FILM: Blue Note Records at 80](https://veermag.com/2019/09/film-blue-note-records-at-80/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema It’s been a rewarding summer for a greying audience of baby boomers who have been rediscovering their hippie roots from the sixties and seventies. I’m not referring to CBD oil. The Naro has shown a number of new documentaries featuring legendary musicians and historic music events. These films are - [OVERCOMING RACE AND RACISM IN TODAY’S AMERICA: IT IS WHAT IT IS](https://veermag.com/2019/09/overcoming-race-and-racism-in-todays-america-it-is-what-it-is/) - BY JOHN L HORTON “Those who live with us are our brothers (and sisters), and they share with us the same short movement of life, that they seek – as we do – nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.” Robert F. - [Locals Complement Headliners at American Music Festival](https://veermag.com/2019/08/locals-compliment-headliners-at-american-music-festival/) - (Buddha Council open for 311 on Saturday at the 5th Street Main Stage) By Jeff Maisey This year’s American Music Festival will feature more local bands than ever. Many of the 757 entertainment were selected because they won Veer Music Awards earlier this year. “We felt it was important to include local talent on the - [Rah Rah for Ray Ray’s](https://veermag.com/2019/08/rah-rah-for-ray-rays/) - By Marisa Marsey If April showers bring May flowers…what do May flowers bring? When it comes to the one that’s an apartment high-rise at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, the answer is Ray Ray’s at the Mayflower, a new breakfast/lunch eatery by consummate chef Ray Labuen offering a boatload of the most creative plates under - [Virginia Beach Art Center Takes Root in the ViBe](https://veermag.com/2019/08/virginia-beach-art-center-takes-root-in-the-vibe/) - By Betsy DiJulio Not to be confused with the old Virginia Beach Center for the Arts which, over the past few decades, evolved into MOCA, the Virginia Beach Art Center (VBAC) is its own thing, though a similarly long time in coming. VBAC’s home, a beautiful 6,000 square foot space in the ViBe Creative - [Sly Clyde Celebrates 1 Year with Margarita-inspired Cider](https://veermag.com/2019/08/sly-clyde-celebrates-1-year-with-margarita-inspired-cider/) - Sly Clyde releases margarita-inspired cider By Jim Roberts Releasing a lime-flavored cider in the middle of a July heat wave wasn’t just a sly move—it was a Sly Clyde move. “The idea was just to be a summer refresher,” said Patrick Smith, who succeeded Brent Miles as Sly Clyde Ciderworks’ head cider-maker in February. - [Sax-man Paul Taylor Joins Norfolk Jazz Fest](https://veermag.com/2019/08/sax-man-paul-taylor-joins-norfolk-jazz-fest/) - By Jerome Langston Smart music lovers still enjoy listening to jazz. Sure it might not be reflected by overall music streams for the genre, or in whatever constitutes album sales these days—but it is certainly reflected by the continued popularity of “jazz” festivals, both stateside and internationally. These jazz festivals, which are often outdoors - [Criminal Justice Reform Now](https://veermag.com/2019/08/criminal-justice-reform-now/) - (Michael Britt being hosted as a special guest at the home of Senior Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas for a discussion on Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia.) By Michael Muhammad Imagine reaching the three-and-a-half-year mark of your current probation and being prepared for release by your current probation, then receiving a call from a - [A Tribute to Pink Floyd](https://veermag.com/2019/08/a-tribute-to-pink-floyd/) - By Jeff Maisey Tribute bands can be fun when a group such as Pink Floyd is not likely to reunite key surviving members Roger Waters and David Gilmore. Concert tributes like Australian Pink Floyd not only dedicate themselves to performing the music note-for-note, they also bring an impressive light show and production team to - [Ohio Players Rekindle the Fire](https://veermag.com/2019/08/ohio-players-rekindle-the-fire/) - By Jeff Maisey While Ohio Players released their debut single, “Neighbors,” in 1967, it wasn’t until 1973 and “Funky Worm” that the Dayton, Ohio band experienced Billboard success on the R&B and top pop albums and singles charts. Ohio Players were chart-toppers with both “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster” going to Number 1 on the - [Upcoming Film Events at Naro Cinema](https://veermag.com/2019/08/upcoming-film-events-at-naro-cinema-2/) - WATER LILIES OF MONET Claude Monet was an art-world disruptor at the turn of the 20th century whose obsession with capturing light and water broke all convention. This is an exclusive tour led by Monet scholars through the French museums that house the largest collections, as well as Monet’s own house and gardens - [US Bonds Brings His Story Back to Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2019/08/us-bonds-brings-his-story-back-to-norfolk/) - By Jeff Maisey In a 2013 released autobiography titled “By US Bonds: That’s My Story,” singer Gary US Bonds shared insights about his life as a young recording star from Norfolk, Virginia, the creation of the Norfolk Sound, family life, his up-and-down music career, and his friendship and collaboration with Bruce Springsteen & the - [New Realm Beers Coming to Northern Virginia](https://veermag.com/2019/07/new-realm-beers-coming-to-northern-virginia/) - Virginia Eagle Distributing Company (VED) announced this week that a formal distribution agreement has been signed with New Realm Brewing (New Realm). Beginning immediately, New Realm will be offering their award-winning brand to the entire VED territory. “This is an extremely exciting opportunity for VED,” says Scott Heinz, Chief Operating Officer of VED. “New Realm - [Local Music Reviews: July 2019](https://veermag.com/2019/07/local-music-reviews-july-2019/) - Suburban Key Party “2nd Place Medals” (Self-Release) Alternative rock band Suburban Key Party could very well unlock the doors to success with this new 6-song EP. Two songs stand out big time: “Sticks & Stones” and “Secrets.” “Sticks & Stones,” for one, has all the ingredients of mainstream pop/rock popularity with a catchy melody that’s - [Culinary Alchemists Create Vegan Delights at Mea Culpa](https://veermag.com/2019/07/culinary-alchemists-create-vegan-delights-at-mea-culpa/) - Words & Photo by Betsy DiJulio When a chemist loses her job, what’s a gal to do? Make waffles, of course. Wait, what? Cristina Angelo, co-owner of Mea Culpa with her partner and chef, Kris Harvey, has a master’s degree in chemistry and, until her company was purchased by another, a fancy job - [NORFOLK-HAMPTON ROADS: WAYS AND MEANS TO ACHIEVE ITS FULL POTENTIAL](https://veermag.com/2019/07/norfolk-hampton-roads-ways-and-means-to-achieve-its-full-potential/) - BY John L. Horton “Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you will miss them.” (s) William Arthur Ward, American Writer (1921-1994) In the past several weeks, there has been much conversation and editorializing about how to bring Norfolk and her Sister Cities into mutual collaboration, partnership and cohesiveness to - [Keepin’ It Real with Marcus King Band](https://veermag.com/2019/07/keepin-it-real-with-marcus-king-band/) - By Jeff Maisey In talking with guitarist/singer Marcus King, it doesn’t take long to realize his heart, soul and head are all in the right place. King learned to play guitar by watching his father, bluesman Marvin King, and absorbing the music he heard on record albums as a youngster in Greenville, SC. As - [The Last Bison’s Musical Evolution](https://veermag.com/2019/07/the-last-bisons-musical-evolution/) - By Jeff Maisey And then there were three… Back in 2011, local alternative rock radio station 96X began airing “Switzerland,” an infectiously melodic song full of emotion blending what seemed to be a marriage of Appalachian mountain music, classical and pop. Listeners in Hampton Roads were surprised to learn the band — originally called - [Modern Exhibition Redefines Asian Art](https://veermag.com/2019/07/modern-exhibition-redefines-asian-art/) - By Betsy DiJulio It all started—and ended—with a donut. In the spring, my good friend and Hermitage Museum board member, Trish Pfeifer, excitedly shared with me the roster of artists for their summer show, which includes Jae Yong Kim of South Korea. I was so taken with his “glazed” ceramic donuts that I - [Lindsey Miller: The Fire Behind The Smoke At Redwood](https://veermag.com/2019/07/lindsey-miller-the-fire-behind-the-smoke-at-redwood/) - (Lindsey Miller, "Boss Momma" of Redwood Smoke Shack. Photo credit: Back Bay Photography) By Marisa Marsey You may have heard about Bob Roberts and his award-winning, Central Texas-style barbecue. You may know that he found a stationary home for his two-year-old Redwood Smoke Shack food truck in the former Dog-n-Burger in Ghent, fitting not just - [MUSIC: Bottle Rockets Set to Explode in Downtown Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2019/07/music-bottle-rockets-set-to-explode-in-downtown-norfolk/) - By Ron Wray 1993 St. Louis was launch site for bottle rockets that have been exploding on the music scene ever since. The band The Bottle Rockets was formed then as members worked on merging their interests in punk and country rock somewhat like Uncle Tupelo, whose sound came to be known as “alt-rock.” - [VIEWPOINT: Busing and Politics](https://veermag.com/2019/07/viewpoint-busing-and-politics/) - By Tom Robotham In the wake of the recent Democratic debates, the widespread consensus was that there was one clear winner: Kamala Harris. And there was one moment above all others that made her stand out—her confrontation with Joe Biden over his opposition to busing back in the 1970s. “There was a little girl - [Lalah Hathaway Keeps Family Legacy Movin’ Forward](https://veermag.com/2019/07/lala-hathaway-keeps-family-legacy-movin-forward/) - By Jerome Langston It takes less than 5 minutes for me to become pleasantly surprised by information shared by singer/songwriter Lalah Hathaway during a substantial and quite enjoyable, lengthy phone conversation with her, earlier this week. Shortly after her publicist puts her on the line, I inquire about where the Berklee College of Music - [Sinnett Curates Worldclass Jazz Series in Phoebus](https://veermag.com/2019/07/sinnett-curates-worldclass-jazz-series-in-phoebus/) - By Michael Curry Known throughout the nation, especially the world of jazz, Jae Sinnett has been a fixture and leader for almost three decades. He is a drummer, composer, leader, teacher and mentor. And, of course, he is the voice of jazz on WHRV Public Radio. His Sinnett in Session and R&B Chronicles programs, - [Battle of the Bar-Arcades](https://veermag.com/2019/07/battle-of-the-bar-arcades/) - (Gaming like its 1989. Photo by Josh Howell) By Josh Howell When I first heard Norfolk was going to soon gain a bar-arcade (BARCADE is trademarked), I was excited. I have fond memories of blowing through quarters at Aladdin’s Castle and Flipper McCoys, but I also remember how expensive Jillian’s and Dave & Buster’s turned - [TASTE Acquires Cuisine & Co](https://veermag.com/2019/07/taste-acquires-cuisine-co/) - (Jon Pruden, TASTE co-owner/president, with a Ghent location manager) Staff Report Taste Unlimited, the gourmet/speciality foods business operating TASTE stores throughout Hampton Roads and Richmond, recently acquired the popular full-service catering company known as Cuisine & Company. This foray into the realm of catering is a natural progression that has been in the cards for - [5 Great July 4th Celebrations](https://veermag.com/2019/07/5-great-july-4th-celebrations/) - Lights of Freedom July 4, All day/night Colonial Williamsburg www.merchantssquare.org Stars & Stripes Explosion The Deloreans, 31st St Park @ Oceanfront, 7-11 PM Chester B’s Motown Revue, 17th St @ Oceanfront, 7-10 PM Tidewater Winds, 24th St @ Oceanfront, 7:30-9:30 PM Fireworks @ 9:30 PM July 4 www.liveonatlantic.com 37th Annual 4th of July - [Dumpstaphunk Brings Cajun Funk to Boogaloo](https://veermag.com/2019/06/dumpstaphunk-brings-cajun-funk-to-boogaloo/) - By Jim Morrision Ivan Neville is in Boston this afternoon, having just arrived for the second of a series of shows with his band, Dumpstaphunk, on what could be called the Masters of Funk tour, but is George Clinton's long, fond farewell. They're out with Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone, Miss Velvet and the - [ERADICATING NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ TRUANCY AND DROPOUT DILEMMA](https://veermag.com/2019/07/eradicating-norfolk-public-schools-truancy-and-dropout-dilemma/) - By John L. Horton “It takes an (entire) village to raise a child.” (African Proverb) “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come” (Victor Hugo, Writer-Poet-Statesman) “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” (Abraham Lincoln, Among Others) So much is going on these days. NPS Superintendent - [New ABC Laws Go Into Effect July 1](https://veermag.com/2019/06/new-abc-laws-go-into-effect-july-1/) - Below is the list of new ABC laws that go into effect July 1. Happy Hour Advertising (HB 2073 and SB 1726) This law allows retail on-premise ABC licensees to advertise both the alcoholic beverages featured during a happy hour and the beverage prices. Creative marketing techniques are permitted in advertisements as long as it - [Coastal Virginia Brewery Alliance Festival](https://veermag.com/2019/06/coastal-virginia-brewery-alliance-festival/) - (Porter Hardy IV is President of the Coastal Virginia Brewery Alliance and Smartmouth Brewing Co) By Jeff Maisey The 30 independent craft breweries counting themselves as members of the recently formed Coastal Virginia Brewery Alliance (CVBA) are hosting a party and everyone is invited. On Saturday, June 29 at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens in - [Precarious Beer Hall – Ale, Arcade, and Americana](https://veermag.com/2019/06/precarious-beer-hall-ale-arcade-and-americana/) - (Spacious Precarious Beer Hall is fun, fun, fun) Words & Photos by Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones What are the sounds you associate with Colonial Williamsburg? Pumpa-rum pumpa-rum twee twee tweeee…that’s a fife and drum corp as they march through the pedestrian area. Jolted by a deep ka-BOOM! at noon? Must be the iron cannon - [Jimi Hendrix Tribute is Sandstock Highlight ](https://veermag.com/2019/06/jimi-hendrix-tribute-is-sandstock-highlight/) - (Kiss The Sky's Jimy Bleu as Jimi Hendrix) By Jeff Maisey Kiss The Sky, an authentic musical tribute to the late Jimi Hendrix, will be the highlight of the Sandstock: A Tribute to Woodstock festival when they perform Sunday, June 30 at 24th Street on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This year’s Sandstock pays homage to - [Shakespeare’s Greatest Show on Earth in a Chesapeake Grove](https://veermag.com/2019/06/shakespeares-greatest-show-on-earth-in-a-chesapeake-grove/) - BY MONTAGUE GAMMON III Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has that claim to preeminence reinforced locally this week. . Shakespeare in the Grove’s big cast, Big Top, all stops out, Push-motored free admission production of Dream takes the outdoor stage at the Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus just 6 weeks after The - [Call for Artists: Hampton Arts Project](https://veermag.com/2019/06/call-for-artists-hampton-arts-project/) - REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: The Hampton Arts Foundation, in partnership the Kroger Company, will commission a professional artist to create indoor artwork for the new Kroger grocery store located at 1090 West Mercury Boulevard in Hampton. The artwork will be prominently displayed on a wall inside the store as part of the Kroger Company’s commitment to - [PREVIEW: Anyone For “Chess?”](https://veermag.com/2019/06/preview-anyone-for-chess/) - By Jim Roberts If the mark of a good chess player is the ability to see and plan many moves ahead, Shon M. Stacy may qualify as a grand master with his staging of “Chess,” the musical. While he’s ruminated on the show since he heard the music as a teen-ager, he’s been working - [New Realm Wins VA Craft Beer Cup, 757 Breweries Score Numerous Medals](https://veermag.com/2019/06/new-realm-wins-va-craft-beer-cup-757-breweries-score-numerous-medals/) - Hampton Roads breweries scored multiple awards and Virginia Beach's New Realm Brewing won the overall Virginia Craft Beer Cup, when the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild held its 8th annual Virginia Craft Beer Awards Monday evening at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. In addition to New Realm Brewing, St George, Caiseal, MoMac, Bold Mariner, Big Ugly, - [Deep Ecology: How Life Works](https://veermag.com/2019/06/deep-ecology-how-life-works/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema I’ve been conflicted about the message I want to convey in this month’s column. How do I tackle the most important issues of our time. What is the tone or spirit I want to express that would make some kind of a contribution for readers. My mood ebbs and - [REVIEW: Captain Fantastic’s “Rocketman” is Highly Entertaining](https://veermag.com/2019/06/review-captain-fantastics-rocketman-is-highly-entertaining/) - By Jeff Maisey I went to see “Rocketman” during its opening weekend. I make a point of reading nothing about the movie in advance as I wanted to have an open mind going in, though admittedly last year’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was looming in the back of my thoughts. The biopic film is a two-hour - [Pridefest 2019 Events](https://veermag.com/2019/06/pridefest-2019-events/) - (Crystal Waters to perform at Pride Fest in Town Point Park on Saturday, June 22) By Michael Hamar Typically my columns on Hampton Road Pride’s PrideFest events have been published the same month in which the events have taken place. The downside has been that many readers may not pick up their copy - [The Norfolk Chamber Consort: Long Lived and Forward Looking](https://veermag.com/2019/06/the-norfolk-chamber-consort-long-lived-and-forward-looking/) - By Montague Gammon III The Norfolk Chamber Consort turned 50 years old this Season, making it one of the longest lived performing arts organizations in Hampton Roads. Only the 99 year old Virginia Symphony Orchestra has clear title to being older. Founded in 1969 and performing at the former Norfolk Theatre Center’s home in - [Change for All the Wrong Reasons on NPR](https://veermag.com/2019/06/change-for-all-the-wrong-reasons-on-npr/) - (NPR theme music composer and former Virginia Beach resident BJ Leiderman) By Jeff Maisey Let’s set the record straight: National Public Radio (NPR) has made a mockery of BJ Leiderman’s theme music composed for its “Morning Edition” news program. The new version is so bad even Conan O’Brien lampooned it on his late night talk - [Lynne Seagle Reflects on 40 Years at Hope House Foundation](https://veermag.com/2019/06/lynne-seagle-reflects-on-40-years-at-hope-house-foundation/) - (Lynne Seagle has been at the helm of Hope House Foundation for four decade) By Jeff Maisey On June 27, Hope House Foundation will celebrate 40 years of service and visionary leadership of its transformative, charismatic executive director, Lynne Seagle, during its Annual Dinner event. Under Seagle’s leadership, Hope House Foundation, with the support - [Mural, Mural on the Wall](https://veermag.com/2019/06/mural-mural-on-the-wall/) - (Artist Matt Brass’ “Neptune” at Vibrant Shore Brewing in the Virginia Beach ViBe District). Photo by Lori Golding Zontini By Betsy DiJulio When is a mural not a just a mural? When it is a driver of economic development, tourism, place-making, branding, legacy-leaving, and employment for artists just for starters. The recent proliferation of murals - [Summer of Miracles](https://veermag.com/2019/06/summer-of-miracles/) - By Tom Robotham We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969 – The Eagles In July, 1979, President Carter went on national television to deliver what came to known as his “malaise speech.” At the heart of the address was Carter’s assertion that the country was suffering from “the loss of a unity of - [Takin’ It to the Streets](https://veermag.com/2019/06/takin-it-to-the-streets/) - (LUCE owner/chef Antonio Caruana is all smiles thanks to outdoor seating) By Jeff Maisey On an early June evening my girlfriend and I were seated at a table for two within a detached outdoor cafe section on the corner of Tazewell and Granby Street in downtown Norfolk. It’s dusk and a slight breeze cools the - [Portsmouth Amphitheater Concerts to Relocate](https://veermag.com/2019/06/portsmouth-amphitheater-concerts-to-relocate/) - (Lionel Richie will perform now at ODU's Ted Constant Center on July 10) All announced concerts for the 2019 season in Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion will be held in other locations. The change of venues is a result of structural concerns with the Portsmouth amphitheater’s roof. The City of Portsmouth will keep the venue closed - [Gaelic Storm To Hit Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2019/06/gaelic-storm-to-hit-virginia-beach/) - By Ron Wray If you’ve seen the iconic movie “Titanic,” you’ve experienced Gaelic Storm, the veteran Irish-American band coming to Elevation 27 in Virginia Beach at 8 p.m. on June 22. Gaelic Storm was the Irish working-class steerage band playing on the ill-fated ship in the movie. It was also the group’s catapult to - [Norah Jones Begins Again with Singles](https://veermag.com/2019/06/norah-jones-begins-again-with-singles/) - By Jim Morrison Norah Jones got to know Sharon Van Etten as a Brooklyn neighbor so when the folk rocker asked her to sing together at a May show, Jones expected "something quieter," a stripped-down acoustic tune. Not exactly. When Jones joined Van Etten on stage at Webster Hall for "Seventeen," they dived into - [Fans Share Favorite Styx Songs](https://veermag.com/2019/06/fans-share-favorite-styx-songs/) - By Jeff Maisey Styx, a mainstay of classic rock formatted radio with an imaginative discography that includes its self-titled debut from 1972, “The Grand Illusion” (1977), “Pieces of Eight” (1978) and “The Mission” (2017), will perform June 20 at Union Bank & Trust Pavilion in Portsmouth. The band is know best for its platinum-selling - [Hampton Arts Announces 2019-20 Season](https://veermag.com/2019/06/hampton-arts-announces-2019-20-season/) - (PICTURED: Ginger Minj will star in the the musical "Xanadu" November 2 at the American Theatre in Hampton) BY JEFF MAISEY Last evening, Hampton Arts announced its 2019-20 season during a VIP ceremony at the American Theatre. Now in its 32nd season, the programming continues to be as diverse and eclectic as ever. The season - [What Remains](https://veermag.com/2019/06/what-remains/) - By Tom Robotham A church is there to teach you to pay attention, and to awaken the poetry in your soul. ~ Margaret Visser, The Geometry of Love. On the afternoon of April 15, I received a call from Jeff Maisey, the publisher of this magazine. When I saw his name in caller - [VSC Closes 40th Season with Whimsical Matilda](https://veermag.com/2019/05/vsc-closes-40th-season-with-whimsical-matilda/) - By Jerome Langston Reaching the final production in the landmark 40th season of Virginia Stage Company feels akin to completing a particularly taxing marathon. And if that’s how I’m feeling about it, as just someone who writes extensively about this company—including the preview of season opener, Always…Patsy Cline back in September—I can only imagine - [MUSIC: Headhunters Fiery as Kentucky Bourbon](https://veermag.com/2019/06/music-headhunters-fiery-as-kentucky-bourbon/) - By Ron Wray The Kentucky Headhunters are bringing their unique blend of hard rock, southern soul, blues, and country to Elevation 27 in Virginia Beach at 8 p.m., Friday, June 7. Hot as asphalt on a Kentucky night in July, these Grammy-winning rock icons still burn with intensity and purpose, with the fire of - [Take 5 (or 8) with Vicki Lawrence](https://veermag.com/2019/05/take-5-or-8-with-vicki-lawrence/) - By Jeff Maisey Comedian/actress/recording artist Vicki Lawrence, best known for her role as Mama on CBS’s “The Carol Burnette Show” (1967-78), will bring her “two-woman” act to Ferguson Center on June 9. (NOTE:The Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show performance scheduled for Thursday, May 23 at the Ferguson Center has been moved to Sunday, - [PREVIEW: Collaboration is Everything for I’m With Her](https://veermag.com/2019/05/preview-collaboration-is-everything-for-im-with-her/) - By Jim Morrison The members of I'm With Her sing and write together as naturally as if they've been friends for decades. While they've known each other for a long time, it wasn't until a moment of serendipity five years ago that they combined their ambitious writing skills and their supple singing voices to - [ART REVIEW: Giolitti’s Abstract World Comes to Light](https://veermag.com/2019/05/art-review-giolittis-abstract-world-comes-to-light/) - By Betsy DiJulio On a recent weeknight, a veritable spring still life stretched across one end of Sheila Giolitti’s table in her sun-drenched dining room: the most bodacious salad of crisp and colorful vegetables imaginable, fresh hunks of corn on the cob glistening with cumin-infused lime, perfectly browned breadcrumbs cascading down a stack of - [Dining à la (shopping) Cart at Wegmans & IKEA](https://veermag.com/2019/05/dining-a-la-shopping-cart-at-wegmans-ikea/) - (Take a break from shopping at Wegman’s Burger Bar. Photo courtesy of Wegmans) By Marisa Marsey Have you heard about the Swedish meatballs at IKEA? They’re delicious. If only you didn’t have to put them together yourself. Ba-dum-CHING! I’m joking, of course. You don’t have to be a DIY-er to dine here. Those addictive, salt-slicked - [Reverend Spirits ](https://veermag.com/2019/05/reverend-spirits/) - By Jim Roberts One thing Karl Dornemann’s restaurants have always had in common: whiskey. Lots and lots of whiskey. “The first time I had it, I fell in love with it,” he said. “At least Scotch-wise.” By way of explanation—and only half-joking—he added: “I don’t know if it was because I was such a sickly - [Fans Share Favorite Bob Seger Songs](https://veermag.com/2019/05/fans-share-favorite-bob-seger-songs/) - By Jeff Maisey Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band were a staple on album oriented rock radio stations (AOR) across the country in the late 1970s and ‘80s with hits such as “Still the Same” and “Old Time Rock n Roll.” Seger’s music continues in heavy rotation on classic rock formatted stations like - [Boathouse Live!: A Memoriam](https://veermag.com/2019/05/boathouse-live-a-memoriam/) - (Restaurant guru Sean Pepe recently closed The Boathouse Live, Newport News' best live music venue) By Craig Wynne, Guest Writer This morning, I woke up to a Facebook posting from Gary. This posting, taken from the Hampton Daily Press, read “Newport News Concert Venue Boathouse Live Closes.” It was from the Hampton Daily - [Tamarind: Taking it to the (Vegan) Streets](https://veermag.com/2019/05/tamarind-taking-it-to-the-vegan-streets/) - By Betsy DiJulio I cannot think of another food establishment that I have patronized three times in a month, not counting my daily stop at Starbucks for a venti Green Tea Soy Frappuccino, no Classic Syrup, no Whip. That is, except Tamarind. And it may have been closer to three times in two weeks, - [PREVIEW: In Love with Little Shop of Horrors](https://veermag.com/2019/05/preview-in-love-with-little-shop-of-horrors/) - By Jim Roberts Brendan Hoyle vividly remembers seeing “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Swift Creek Mill Theatre outside Richmond when he was only 6 years old. “It was the musical that made me fall in love with theater,” he said. “The show is this great combination of very dramatic and heartfelt,” he explained, - [Beer Conversation with Phil Smith](https://veermag.com/2019/05/beer-conversation-with-phil-smith/) - By Jeff Maisey Some of the best, free-flowing conversations can be had over a beer — or any cocktail, glass of wine and dinner. I have always found this to be true, and especially when traveling. Recently, I gave Brick Anchor Brew House owner Phil Smith a shout so we could catchup for a - [Danceable Cocktails](https://veermag.com/2019/05/danceable-cocktails/) - Ballets with a Twist (Brandy Alexander from Cocktail Hour The Show) Photo by Nico Malvaldi By Michael Curry What's your favorite? Brandy Alexander perhaps. Or the Singapore Sling, a Bloody Mary or a good old Manhattan? Of course you recognize the names as classic drinks made famous by the glamorous stars of the golden - [Upcoming Film Events at Naro Cinema](https://veermag.com/2019/05/upcoming-film-events-at-naro-cinema/) - MEETING GORBACHEV Werner Herzog, interviews one of the world’s greatest living politicians, Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union. Now 88, living outside Moscow and battling illness, we’re offered a last chance to learn about true diplomacy from a world statesman. Shows Tues, May 28 with Lawrence Wilkerson speaking - [COMMENTARY: The Man Who Gained and Lost An Empire](https://veermag.com/2019/05/commentary-the-man-who-gained-and-lost-an-empire/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema “The 21st century will be a сentury either of total all-embracing crisis or of moral and spiritual healing that will reinvigorate humankind.” – Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union We old-timers at the Naro eagerly await each new release from one of our favorite filmmakers, Werner Herzog. - [Getting a Handle on a Dream](https://veermag.com/2019/05/getting-a-handle-on-a-dream/) - By Montague Gammon III In a Summer of Shakespeare reduced and condensed, of Shakespeare symphonic and abridged and played forwards and backwards; in a world awash with the Bard bowdlerized and modernized, concertized, danced and filmed and videoed, set in outer space, under the sea and turned just about every which loosely expected and - [Pilobolus Is a Fungus and a Dance Company](https://veermag.com/2019/05/pilobolus-is-a-fungus-and-a-dance-company/) - By Montague Gammon III Pilobolus, that truly unique dance company whose choreography melds the athletic with the aesthetic, offers its Virginia Arts Festival audiences a program of recently made works joined to pieces from its long established repertory, said co-artistic director Matt Kent, in a phone chat from their home base in Washington, Connecticut. - [Sumptuous Music for Play of Passion](https://veermag.com/2019/05/sumptuous-music-for-play-of-passion/) - By Montague Gammon III Shakespeare’s other pair of doomed lovers – Antony and Cleopatra, the grown up ones – play out their ill fated romance alongside the Virginia Symphony in Norfolk and Newport News mid-May under the baton of VSO’s much honored, triple Grammy winning Classical Woman of the Year, JoAnn Falletta. Only London - [French Military Eager to Share Rugby Culture with Local Citizens](https://veermag.com/2019/04/french-military-eager-to-share-rugby-culture-with-local-citizens/) - By Jeff Maisey As part of this year’s Norfolk NATO Festival, a friendly rugby match between the Norfolk Blues and the fearsome XV du Pacfique French Army Rugby Team will be played Sunday, April 28 at ODU’s Powhatan Field beginning at 6 PM. Admission is free and open to the public. The event is being - [FOUR IN ONE: Horton on education and more](https://veermag.com/2019/05/four-in-one-horton-on-education-and-more/) - TEACHERS APPRECIATION DAY/WEEK (MAY 6-10, 2019): TEACHERS ARE MY HEROES “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care…” (Anonymous) Lately, teachers have been all over the news. Additionally, we will celebrate “Teachers Appreciation Day/Week,” (May 6-10). Since 1985, the Tuesday (May 7) of that week has been observed - [Shaking Will’s Shows Down to Basics](https://veermag.com/2019/05/shaking-wills-shows-down-to-basics/) - By Montague Gammon III The Reduced Shakespeare Company returns to the Arts Festival to put yet another unique, hilarious, high pressure squeeze on the greatest playwright of the Western World. Reducing to 97 minutes a body of work that totals 867,711 words (Riverside Edition, your count may vary), and which took one group of - [JoAnn Falletta Departs Virginia on Top of Classical World](https://veermag.com/2019/04/joann-falletta-departs-virginia-on-top-of-classical-world/) - By Jeff Maisey Maestro JoAnn Falletta will be concluding her final full season this spring with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, capping off a year filled with accolades and memorable performances. In February, she won her third Grammy Award for a recording with the London Symphony titled "Fuchs: Piano Concerto 'Spiritualist'; Poems Of Life; Glacier; Rush.” - [Theo Croker and His Quintet Bridging West and East and Back Again](https://veermag.com/2019/05/theo-croker-and-his-quintet-bridging-west-and-east-and-back-again/) - By Michael Curry While the Arts Festival has enjoyed an impeccable reputation as a presenter of world class artists, it also continues to discover and nurture great international talent across all artistic genres. The latest of these discoveries in an amazing young trumpeter Theo Croker who makes his debut at the Festival with his - [Bluegrass Meets Jazz](https://veermag.com/2019/05/bluegrass-meets-jazz/) - By Jim Morrison The list of Bela Fleck's collaborators is a head-spinning kaleidoscope through modern music. Sam Bush and John Cowan in New Grass Revival, a group that redefined acoustic music. The out-there rhythm section of Roy and Victor Wooten and the polymath harp player Howard Levy in the Flecktones. Double bassist Edgar Meyer. - [Dance Theatre of Harlem Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Norfolk](https://veermag.com/2019/05/dance-theatre-of-harlem-celebrates-50th-anniversary-in-norfolk/) - By Jerome Langston It’s on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I finally get the chance to chat with legendary Dance Theatre of Harlem alum and Norfolk native, Lorraine Graves. Ms. Graves has run her errands for the day, and is now tending to her remarkable mother, a highly cultured woman who will celebrate a - [Penang Town: One Restaurant, Many Flavors](https://veermag.com/2019/04/penang-town-one-restaurant-many-flavors/) - By Marisa Marsey If you can travel to only one European country, pick Switzerland. With French overtones in the West, Italian in the South, and German and Austrian in the North and East, it’s a veritable continental quilt. Likewise, if you can visit only one Asian country, make it Malaysia. This stunning, island-dotted nation whose - [Vegans Can Clean-Up at Sloppy Seconds](https://veermag.com/2019/04/vegans-can-clean-up-at-sloppy-seconds/) - By Betsy DiJulio I don’t know that, given the meaning of the slang phrase “sloppy seconds”—which conjures up nothing appetizing—I would have necessarily chosen it as the name of my restaurant. But, alas, that’s the name and I will go back for Thoughtless Thirds. Our vegan friends and favorite sidekicks for reviews, Juan and - [Blues Icons Make Triumphant Return to Portsmouth](https://veermag.com/2019/04/blues-icons-make-triumphant-return-to-portsmouth/) - By Ron Wray An evening that will grab your soul is coming to Portsmouth at 7 p.m., May 2 with an iconic performance of the legendary Blues Maker Blues Review at Roger Brown’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on downtown High Street. It is a production of Virginia Arts Festival and Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center. - [Virginia-centric New Waves for 2019](https://veermag.com/2019/04/virginia-centric-new-waves-for-2019/) - By Betsy DiJulio Juried art shows are peculiar animals. They are one person’s vision of what the viewing public needs to see from what was submitted, usually during an open call for entries, often with a fee, sometimes that includes a museum membership. In the case of MOCA’s 24th annual New Waves exhibition, all entrants - [Joan Osborne Pays Homage to Dylan](https://veermag.com/2019/04/joan-osborne-pays-homage-to-dylan/) - By Jim Morrison Joan Osborne's "Songs of Bob Dylan" album grew out of a need to fill a demand. The Cafe Carlyle, the storied Upper East Side Manhattan jazz club, asked her to sit in for a two-week residency in 2016. American Songbook standards, a natural choice, weren't her thing. A set of her originals - [Play Ball](https://veermag.com/2019/04/play-ball/) - By Tom Robotham For the past year or so, my life has been marked by a series of unsettling disruptions. It all started last spring when my 15-year-old car, which I loved, finally bit the dust. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big a deal. But it turned out to be harbinger. - [Back by Popular Demand: Storm Large](https://veermag.com/2019/04/back-by-popular-demand-storm-large/) - By Jeff Maisey Storm Large is best known for her appearances as a contestant on “Rock Star: Supernova,” the second season of the reality television show. Following her elimination as a finalist in 2006, Storm released three studio albums — “Ladylike Side One” (2007), “Crazy Enough” (2009) and “Le Bonheur” (2014) — all to critical - [OPINION: Reparations](https://veermag.com/2019/04/opinion-reparations/) - By John L. Horton For some time now, I have been struggling with the question of “reparations…owed to African Americans?” Finally, I have decided to put pen to paper and express myself. It has not been an easy task as I find myself still conflicted and somewhat torn asunder over my feelings and opinions. But, - [FILM: Hallelujah! Zen For Nothing](https://veermag.com/2019/04/film-hallelujah-zen-for-nothing/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema I’ve recently come across a few popular artists who followed a calling to walk along the Buddhist path. They include the recently departed singer-songwriter-poet Leonard Cohen, known for such beautiful ballads as “Suzanne,” “Hallelujah,” and “You Want It Darker.” He was a long-time student of Zen master Kyozan Joshu Sawaki, - [German Wunderbar Hefe to Debut at Norfolk NATO Festival](https://veermag.com/2019/04/german-wunderbar-hefe-to-debut-at-norfolk-nato-festival/) - By Jeff Maisey A traditional German hefeweizen beer will make its debut on Saturday, April 27 in Town Point Park as part of the Norfolk NATO Festival’s International Village. Wunderbar represents the third consecutive year Norfolk NATO Festival’s Board of Directors has facilitated a collaboration with Norfolk-based The Bold Mariner Brewing Company and a top - [Pharrell Williams Announces SOMETHING IN THE WATER](https://veermag.com/2019/03/pharrell-williams-announces-something-in-the-water/) - March 4, 2019 – Today visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, Pharrell Williams announced his newest venture – SOMETHING IN THE WATER, a multi-day music festival and cultural experience on the beach in his hometown of Virginia Beach. The first annual SOMETHING IN THE WATER is produced by Live Nation. - [PREVIEW: Timeless Tempest Explores Celtic Rock](https://veermag.com/2019/03/preview-timeless-tempest-explores-celtic-rock/) - By Jeff Maisey California-based Celtic-rock band Tempest used to make semi-annual appearances at the ol’ White Horse Pub in Virginia Beach, pulling in a couple hundred fans on an off-night while touring the country where they’ve played huge outdoor events like the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Scottish Highland-themed festivals, and a variety of music halls big - [Habr to Receive First Citizen Award in Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/2019/04/habr-to-receive-first-citizen-award-in-virginia-beach/) - By Kate Pittman On a cold, rainy night last December a small crowd of young professionals huddled outside of Croc’s 19th Street Bistro, waiting to surprise owner Laura Wood Habr during her restaurants’ 25th Anniversary. The element of surprise is a tradition of the First Citizen of Virginia Beach Award ceremony kick-off. Inside, Habr was - [THEATER: Cultures Clash in Comedic Native Gardens](https://veermag.com/2019/04/theater-cultures-clash-in-comedic-native-gardens/) - (The Cast L-R: John Ahlin as Frank, Beth Glover as Virginia, Alexandra Lemus as Tania, and Michael Earle Farjardo as Pablo) By Jerome Langston Very little is left of an intense workday of rehearsal that preceded my current interview time with director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, and actor John Ahlin, inside of a non-descript, 9th floor rehearsal space - [VA ARTS FEST: Fond Farewell for Jessica Lang Dance](https://veermag.com/2019/04/va-arts-fest-fond-farewell-for-jessica-lang-dance/) - By Montague Gammon III One Virginia Arts Festival audience will get the world’s last look at the works of the Jessica Lang Dance Company, as the multiple award-winning troupe wraps up eight years of performing with their final concert as a company. Their Chrysler Hall matinee, which is also their first visit to Hampton Roads, - [VA ARTS FEST: Best of Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth](https://veermag.com/2019/04/va-arts-fest-best-of-broadway-with-kristin-chenoweth/) - By Michael Curry Three of Broadway's — and American Musical Theatre's — most adored and enduring stars are coming to Coastal Virginia. Look up American Musical Theatre or Great American Song Book and you will be sure to find the names Rob Fisher, Michael Feinstein and Kristin Chenoweth...all of whom are appearing in this year's - [NEW RELEASES: Kinetic Element, Court Street Company, Tornado Bait, Hickey Necklace](https://veermag.com/2019/03/new-releases-kinetic-element-court-street-company-tornado-bait-hickey-necklace/) - Kinetic Element “The Face of Life” (Melodic Revolution Records) In my early teenaged years, I used to slouch down into my bean bag chair with headphones strapped onto my cranium. With only the dim blue glow of the stereo amplifier serving as light in my otherwise dark bedroom, as the vinyl LP circled around the - [Dream Turned Shameful Nightmare Retold by Virginia Opera](https://veermag.com/2019/03/dream-turned-shameful-nightmare-retold-by-virginia-opera/) - By Montague Gammon III A woefully obscure bit of American history, a shameful episode from an era that also produced some of our country’s greatest glories, takes life on the Harrison Opera House stage this April as part of Virginia Opera’s Variations Series. An American Dream, a one-hour, modern chamber opera sung in English, composed - [North Mississippi All-Stars Bring New Material to Boathouse Live](https://veermag.com/2019/03/north-mississippi-all-stars-bring-new-material-to-boathouse-live/) - By Jim Morrison Luther Dickinson has his talented fingers in so many projects. His solo records. A stint with The Black Crowes. Work on an album with ex-Replacement Tommy Stinson's group, Bash and Pop. And, of course, playing and touring with his brother, Cody, and their Grammy-winning group, The North Mississippi Allstars. The brothers each - [Monday Morning QB-ing Saturday Morning IPA](https://veermag.com/2019/03/monday-morning-qb-ing-saturday-morning-ipa/) - By Jeff Maisey For just over one week in late February, Norfolk-based Smartmouth Brewing Company’s limited release Saturday Morning IPA with marshmallows was the most famous beer in America. Talk about going viral: national media outlets always looking for bizarre news rushed to post a brief story in hopes of getting clicks and shares, and - [Virginia Craft Beer Rising in London](https://veermag.com/2019/03/virginia-craft-beer-rising-in-london/) - By Jeff Maisey Several independent craft breweries from Virginia traveled across the pond in late February to test the waters and taste buds on consumers and pub owners during the Craft Beer Rising event at the Old Truman Brewery London, England. Craft Beer Rising is a 3-day trade show and festival where, as its website - [ART: Expanded Horizons Lifts Garden Club Themed Exhibit](https://veermag.com/2019/03/art-expanded-horizons-lifts-garden-club-themed-exhibit/) - By Betsy DiJulio The best thing to do when Gayle Paul is afforded the opportunity to curate a show her way is to not ask questions or debate whether it will be worth your time and simply go see it. At the very least, you can expect an elegantly installed and expertly lit array of - [Alston Says Farewell with New Dance](https://veermag.com/2019/03/alston-says-farewell-with-new-dance/) - By Montague Gammon III A world premiere by Richard Alston Dance, one of the world’s premiere dance companies, highlights that company’s March 21 Chrysler Hall visit and mingles local talent with its seasoned professionals, even as the troupe approaches its farewell to performing. Sir Richard Alston himself, a genial, white bearded, recently dubbed knight, sat - [Politics in the Classroom](https://veermag.com/2019/03/politics-in-the-classroom/) - By Tom Robotham Recently an old friend shared on Facebook a link to a two-year-old article in The Staten Island Advance—a paper for which I used to work—about a New York City resident who was upset by a vocabulary question on his 11-year-old daughter’s homework sheet. “President Trump speaks in a very superior and ____________ - [NARO: What Would A Citizens’ Democracy Look Like?](https://veermag.com/2019/03/naro-what-would-a-citizens-democracy-look-like/) - By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema When retrieving my mail these days, I’m dismayed by the sheer volume of right-wing solicitations I find invading my mailbox. The mailings come from organizations such as Make America Great Again, The Trump Coalition, The Heritage Foundation, Citizens United, and the NRA. Though I repeatedly request to be taken off - [2019 Veer Music Awards Results](https://veermag.com/2019/02/2019-veer-music-awards-results/) - (A capacity crowd at Granby Theatre in Norfolk for the Veer Music Awards. Photo by Ray White) By Jeff Maisey Veer Magazine presented its 8th annual Music Awards on February 12 at Granby Theater in Norfolk. Local bands, musicians, and industry folks in nearly 40 categories received awards. For the first time in the awards’ - [The Attucks at 100: The Apollo of the South](https://veermag.com/2019/02/the-attucks-at-100-the-apollo-of-the-south/) - By Jerome Langston On this unseasonably warm, mid-week day, there is little activity happening outside of Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre, the performing arts venue famously situated at the corner of Church Street and Virginia Beach Boulevard. That is also the case inside of the stately theatre―a meticulously designed, quiet marvel of architectural excellence that is - [TRAVEL: Non-Stop Hong Kong](https://veermag.com/2019/03/travel-non-stop-hong-kong/) - By Marisa Marsey Hong Kong has long captured my imagination with its split Sino-Brit personality; complex, opium-clouded history; and contemporary cosmopolitanism. So when Cathay Pacific launched a non-stop flight from Dulles recently, I realized that a four-day weekend there wasn’t the crazy idea it once was. The flight leaves at a quarter past midnight, and - [Samoa Soiree Merits Your Attention](https://veermag.com/2019/03/samoa-soiree-merits-your-attention/) - By Marisa Marsey What will they think of next? Crab cakes brightened with a surprise burst of Savannah Smiles. Torchon of foie gras in a buttery tuile fashioned from Trefoils. Baked Alaska where Thin Mint ice cream is just the tip of the iceberg. Such previous entries prove bighearted chefs in our local dining scene - [PREVIEW: The Bluest Eye](https://veermag.com/2019/03/preview-the-bluest-eye/) - Khanisha Foster returns to Virginia Stage Company to direct another challenging play By Jim Roberts When Tom Quaintance, Virginia Stage Company’s artistic director, asked Khanisha Foster to direct “Disgraced” last year, she originally said no. When he asked again, she realized she had a responsibility to direct it. “When people try to tell their own - [PREVIEW: Butterfly Lands at Virginia Opera](https://veermag.com/2019/03/preview-butterfly-lands-at-virginia-opera/) - By Montage Gammon III Virginia Opera closes its current season with Giacomo Puccini’s great heartbreaker, Madama Butterfly. Arguably one of the two great tear jerkers in the operatic repertoire - Puccini’s La Boheme being the other - it’s also one of the most frequently produced operas in North America; in some years it has been - [Dog-n-Burger Grille to Become Redwood Smoke Shack](https://veermag.com/2019/03/dog-n-burger-grille-to-become-redwood-smoke-shack/) - By Cindy Mackey Dog-n-Burger Grille, a Ghent favorite established in 1969, will be transformed into the popular barbeque restaurant Redwood Smoke Shack. The property at 2001 Manteo Street has been an institution over the decades for fresh-cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries along with a serving of nostalgia. Dog-n-Burger was opened by a Navy submarine - [Graham Nash: A Voice of Protest Returns with Stories to Tell](https://veermag.com/2019/03/graham-nash-a-voice-of-protest-returns-with-stories-to-tell/) - By Jeff Maisey From his early days as a member of British Invasion pop/rock band The Hollies in the 1960s to a lifelong career of social activism and songwriting as a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash and beyond, Graham Nash has remained a people’s favorite. Nash penned songs include “Our House,” “Teach Your Children,” - [MUSIC PREVIEW: Hiss Golden Messenger](https://veermag.com/2019/02/music-preview-hiss-golden-messenger/) - By Jim Morrison M.C. Taylor, the songwriter and leader of Hiss Golden Messenger, moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to earn a graduate degree in folklore after living in San Francisco for a decade and playing in bands there. He needed a break. So he crossed the continent to a foreign culture where he and - [5 Years of Home Republic Brewpub](https://veermag.com/2019/02/5-years-of-home-republic-brewpub/) - By Jeff Maisey Five years ago, Barbara and Joe Curtis opened what was only the second brewpub in Hampton Roads. Their decision proved insightful given the ever-expanding cast of breweries in the region. At the time, nationally-known Gordon Biersch operated a full-service brewpub in the city of Virginia Beach’s Town Center corridor and continues to ## Pages - [Home](https://veermag.com/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ min_height=”595px” custom_padding=”0px||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”#000000 0%|#000000 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”#000000″ background_color_gradient_end=”#000000″ width=”100%” max_width=”2022px” custom_margin=”|426px|-6px|auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_slider posts_number=”5″ include_categories=”58″ use_manual_excerpt=”off” excerpt_length=”0″ show_meta=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font=”Alegreya Sans SC||||||||” header_font_size=”53px” meta_font=”||||||||” background_color=”#545454″ width=”100%” min_height=”515px” text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_slider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ min_height=”6336px” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blog include_categories=”2″ show_more=”on” show_author=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ - [Events](https://veermag.com/events/) - Sail250 Virginia/50th Anniversary Harborfest/Norfolk Juneteenth The granddaddy of all festivals in Norfolk will be historic this year. June 19—22, the 50th annual waterfront event will combine with Sail250 Virginia and Norfolk Juneteenth. An impressive armada of visiting tall ships from Argentina, Chile, Columbia, France, Ecuador, India, Germany, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Portugal, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, Sweden, - [Gig Guide](https://veermag.com/gig-guide/) - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater @ Virginia Beach 6/19 - Hank Williams Jr 7/18 - Ne-Yo & Akon Portsmouth Pavilion 7/17-18 - Billy Strings The Dome by Rutter Mills 6/15-16 - Goose 6/18 - Chicago 6/19 - Wale & Smino 7/14 - Wilco Sandler Center 6/30 - Christopher Cross 7/11 - Thee - [Contact](https://veermag.com/contact/) - VEER Magazine Veer Magazine is Hampton Roads' most-read print magazine covering the region's visual and performing arts, concerts, festivals, local music, craft beer, wine, distilled spirits, and dining scene. Pop culture is our beat! Publisher/Editor Jeff Maisey 757-237-2762 - [Sample Page](https://veermag.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger - [757 Brewery Guide](https://veermag.com/757-brewery-guide/) - [Thanks for Voting!](https://veermag.com/thanks-for-voting/) - Thanks for voting in this year's VEER Beer Awards. Without you, this event wouldn't be possible. 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[oxidized beer](https://veermag.com/tag/oxidized-beer/) - [The Stockpot Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/tag/the-stockpot-virginia-beach/) - [dining virginia beach](https://veermag.com/tag/dining-virginia-beach/) - [va beach restaurant review](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-restaurant-review/) - [Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater](https://veermag.com/tag/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/) - [Virginia Arts Festival 2016](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-arts-festival-2016/) - [dance va](https://veermag.com/tag/dance-va/) - [YWCA South Hampton Roads](https://veermag.com/tag/ywca-south-hampton-roads/) - [Women of Distinction Hampton Roads](https://veermag.com/tag/women-of-distinction-hampton-roads/) - [Kelly Harlan va arts fest](https://veermag.com/tag/kelly-harlan-va-arts-fest/) - [Charlie Austin fiddle](https://veermag.com/tag/charlie-austin-fiddle/) - [country music va beach](https://veermag.com/tag/country-music-va-beach/) - [eagles nest concerts](https://veermag.com/tag/eagles-nest-concerts/) - [va stage grounded](https://veermag.com/tag/va-stage-grounded/) - [Hampton Armory brewery](https://veermag.com/tag/hampton-armory-brewery/) - [hampton craft beer](https://veermag.com/tag/hampton-craft-beer/) - [coastal va beer trail](https://veermag.com/tag/coastal-va-beer-trail/) - [st patrick's day norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/st-patricks-day-norfolk/) - [the chieftains](https://veermag.com/tag/the-chieftains/) - [o'connor brewery st paddy's event](https://veermag.com/tag/oconnor-brewery-st-paddys-event/) - [rob cross](https://veermag.com/tag/rob-cross/) - [bruce hornsby williamsburg festival](https://veermag.com/tag/bruce-hornsby-williamsburg-festival/) - [Virginia opera flying dutchman](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-opera-flying-dutchman/) - [Feminism](https://veermag.com/tag/feminism/) - [Shakespeare 400 years](https://veermag.com/tag/shakespeare-400-years/) - [ODU Shakespeare](https://veermag.com/tag/odu-shakespeare/) - [retail alliance](https://veermag.com/tag/retail-alliance/) - [norfolk biz](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-biz/) - [cage the elephant norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/cage-the-elephant-norfolk/) - [REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM](https://veermag.com/tag/requiem-for-the-american-dream/) - [shen yun](https://veermag.com/tag/shen-yun/) - [joe satriani sandler center](https://veermag.com/tag/joe-satriani-sandler-center/) - [John Fullbright music](https://veermag.com/tag/john-fullbright-music/) - [TAO sealevel festival](https://veermag.com/tag/tao-sealevel-festival/) - [Tidewater Arts Outreach norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/tidewater-arts-outreach-norfolk/) - [Rare Daze band](https://veermag.com/tag/rare-daze-band/) - [Barbara Nesbitt music](https://veermag.com/tag/barbara-nesbitt-music/) - [kenny alexander](https://veermag.com/tag/kenny-alexander/) - [2016 norfolk mayor](https://veermag.com/tag/2016-norfolk-mayor/) - [senator mark warner virginia](https://veermag.com/tag/senator-mark-warner-virginia/) - [norfolk politics](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-politics/) - 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[taste unlimited](https://veermag.com/tag/taste-unlimited/) - [taste virginia beach](https://veermag.com/tag/taste-virginia-beach/) - [dining va beach](https://veermag.com/tag/dining-va-beach/) - [va beach restaurants](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-restaurants/) - [shakespeare the tempest](https://veermag.com/tag/shakespeare-the-tempest/) - [va stage co](https://veermag.com/tag/va-stage-co/) - [norfok arts](https://veermag.com/tag/norfok-arts/) - [Venice Baroque Orchestra](https://veermag.com/tag/venice-baroque-orchestra/) - [public education](https://veermag.com/tag/public-education/) - [NC LGBT](https://veermag.com/tag/nc-lgbt/) - [equality north carolina](https://veermag.com/tag/equality-north-carolina/) - [Andy Protogyrou](https://veermag.com/tag/andy-protogyrou/) - [Virginia politics](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-politics/) - [Virginia International Tattoo](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-international-tattoo/) - [Scott Jackson Tattoo](https://veermag.com/tag/scott-jackson-tattoo/) - 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[rodeo clown band](https://veermag.com/tag/rodeo-clown-band/) - [colley cantina music](https://veermag.com/tag/colley-cantina-music/) - [Kelly Harlan](https://veermag.com/tag/kelly-harlan/) - [The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart](https://veermag.com/tag/the-strange-undoing-of-prudencia-hart/) - [Fring Festival](https://veermag.com/tag/fring-festival/) - [National theatre of Scotland](https://veermag.com/tag/national-theatre-of-scotland/) - [Storm Large](https://veermag.com/tag/storm-large/) - [Norfolk mayor](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-mayor/) - [world beer cup](https://veermag.com/tag/world-beer-cup/) - [brewers association](https://veermag.com/tag/brewers-association/) - [va beach beer](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-beer/) - [collaborations](https://veermag.com/tag/collaborations/) - [Selective Service](https://veermag.com/tag/selective-service/) - [norfolk mayor kenny alexander](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-mayor-kenny-alexander/) - [movies norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/movies-norfolk/) - [Virginia MOCA art](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-moca-art/) - [va beach art](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-art/) - [Hi-Fructose: The New Contemporary Art Magazine](https://veermag.com/tag/hi-fructose-the-new-contemporary-art-magazine/) - [hampton roads festivals](https://veermag.com/tag/hampton-roads-festivals/) - [norfolk harborfest](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-harborfest/) - [david bowie](https://veermag.com/tag/david-bowie/) - [rip rap brewing](https://veermag.com/tag/rip-rap-brewing/) - [norfolk breweries](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-breweries/) - [beer norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/beer-norfolk/) - [cova beer trail](https://veermag.com/tag/cova-beer-trail/) - [LGBT Hampton Roads](https://veermag.com/tag/lgbt-hampton-roads/) - [travel England](https://veermag.com/tag/travel-england/) - [Scotland castle](https://veermag.com/tag/scotland-castle/) - [Upton on severn](https://veermag.com/tag/upton-on-severn/) - [Riverdance](https://veermag.com/tag/riverdance/) - [Chris Botti](https://veermag.com/tag/chris-botti/) - 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[dallas shootings](https://veermag.com/tag/dallas-shootings/) - [race relations america](https://veermag.com/tag/race-relations-america/) - [black lives matter](https://veermag.com/tag/black-lives-matter/) - [allen young](https://veermag.com/tag/allen-young/) - [smartmouth brewery](https://veermag.com/tag/smartmouth-brewery/) - [devils backbone brewing](https://veermag.com/tag/devils-backbone-brewing/) - [beer va beach](https://veermag.com/tag/beer-va-beach/) - [ghent norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/ghent-norfolk/) - [norfolk irish pubs](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-irish-pubs/) - [irish pubs virginia](https://veermag.com/tag/irish-pubs-virginia/) - [Grace O'Malley's](https://veermag.com/tag/grace-omalleys/) - [norfolk restaurants](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-restaurants/) - [Simone Biles](https://veermag.com/tag/simone-biles/) - [2016 olympics](https://veermag.com/tag/2016-olympics/) - [team usa 2016](https://veermag.com/tag/team-usa-2016/) - [bob zentz folk music](https://veermag.com/tag/bob-zentz-folk-music/) - [battlefield band](https://veermag.com/tag/battlefield-band/) - [ramblin conrad](https://veermag.com/tag/ramblin-conrad/) - [norfolk festevents](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-festevents/) - [Trump 2016](https://veermag.com/tag/trump-2016/) - [DYING TO KNOW: RAM DASS & TIMOTHY LEARY](https://veermag.com/tag/dying-to-know-ram-dass-timothy-leary/) - [cooper fox distillery williamsburg](https://veermag.com/tag/cooper-fox-distillery-williamsburg/) - [williamsburg spirits](https://veermag.com/tag/williamsburg-spirits/) - [va whiskey](https://veermag.com/tag/va-whiskey/) - [Los Cuates Taqueria & Tienda](https://veermag.com/tag/los-cuates-taqueria-tienda/) - [va beach latin food](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-latin-food/) - [veer magazine dining](https://veermag.com/tag/veer-magazine-dining/) - [dine in va beach](https://veermag.com/tag/dine-in-va-beach/) - [757 craft beer](https://veermag.com/tag/757-craft-beer/) - [tradition brewing](https://veermag.com/tag/tradition-brewing/) - [Lloyd DeWitt](https://veermag.com/tag/lloyd-dewitt/) - [Ethan Martin](https://veermag.com/tag/ethan-martin/) - [Eyes of the Roshi](https://veermag.com/tag/eyes-of-the-roshi/) - [Tim Seibles](https://veermag.com/tag/tim-seibles/) - [Virginia’s Poet Laureate](https://veermag.com/tag/virginias-poet-laureate/) - [Virginia poet](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-poet/) - [opera in the park](https://veermag.com/tag/opera-in-the-park/) - [culture club reunion](https://veermag.com/tag/culture-club-reunion/) - [boy george](https://veermag.com/tag/boy-george/) - [va beach concerts](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-concerts/) - [norfolk craft beer](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-craft-beer/) - [chaz foundation](https://veermag.com/tag/chaz-foundation/) - [music norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/music-norfolk/) - [Alabama Shakes](https://veermag.com/tag/alabama-shakes/) - [portsmouth events](https://veermag.com/tag/portsmouth-events/) - [film naro](https://veermag.com/tag/film-naro/) - [little theater of virginia beach](https://veermag.com/tag/little-theater-of-virginia-beach/) - [I Sing the Rising Sea](https://veermag.com/tag/i-sing-the-rising-sea/) - [va stage company](https://veermag.com/tag/va-stage-company/) - [javon jackson](https://veermag.com/tag/javon-jackson/) - [attucks theater jazz](https://veermag.com/tag/attucks-theater-jazz/) - [up up and away](https://veermag.com/tag/up-up-and-away/) - [5th dimension](https://veermag.com/tag/5th-dimension/) - [NATO ACT](https://veermag.com/tag/nato-act/) - [Admiral Manfred Nielson](https://veermag.com/tag/admiral-manfred-nielson/) - [Reduced Shakespeare Company](https://veermag.com/tag/reduced-shakespeare-company/) - [Williamsburg Players](https://veermag.com/tag/williamsburg-players/) - [Little Theatre of Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/tag/little-theatre-of-virginia-beach/) - [broadway norfolk annie](https://veermag.com/tag/broadway-norfolk-annie/) - [Zeiders American Dream Theater](https://veermag.com/tag/zeiders-american-dream-theater/) - [riddick dance](https://veermag.com/tag/riddick-dance/) - [oozlefinch fort monroe](https://veermag.com/tag/oozlefinch-fort-monroe/) - [ViBe Creative District in Virginia Beach](https://veermag.com/tag/vibe-creative-district-in-virginia-beach/) - [Virginia Wesleyan art](https://veermag.com/tag/virginia-wesleyan-art/) - [Norfolk’s NEON Arts District](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolks-neon-arts-district/) - [Peninsula Fine Arts Center](https://veermag.com/tag/peninsula-fine-arts-center/) - [Charles H. Taylor Center (Hampton)](https://veermag.com/tag/charles-h-taylor-center-hampton/) - [Hermitage Museum (Norfolk)](https://veermag.com/tag/hermitage-museum-norfolk/) - [ella fitzgerald](https://veermag.com/tag/ella-fitzgerald/) - [Legend Brewing Company](https://veermag.com/tag/legend-brewing-company/) - [peter frampton acoustic](https://veermag.com/tag/peter-frampton-acoustic/) - [COMMAND AND CONTROL film](https://veermag.com/tag/command-and-control-film/) - [SEED: The Untold Story](https://veermag.com/tag/seed-the-untold-story/) - [green flash brewing va beach](https://veermag.com/tag/green-flash-brewing-va-beach/) - [veer magazine beer](https://veermag.com/tag/veer-magazine-beer/) - [generic theater norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/generic-theater-norfolk/) - [silence the musical](https://veermag.com/tag/silence-the-musical/) - [look park concert](https://veermag.com/tag/look-park-concert/) - [fountains of wayne](https://veermag.com/tag/fountains-of-wayne/) - [blue moon norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/blue-moon-norfolk/) - [norfolk waterside district](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-waterside-district/) - [oliver twist](https://veermag.com/tag/oliver-twist/) - [veer magazine norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/veer-magazine-norfolk/) - [rajput norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/rajput-norfolk/) - [indian restaurant norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/indian-restaurant-norfolk/) - [norfolk dining](https://veermag.com/tag/norfolk-dining/) - [barber of seville](https://veermag.com/tag/barber-of-seville/) - [donald trump 2016](https://veermag.com/tag/donald-trump-2016/) - [new york dining](https://veermag.com/tag/new-york-dining/) - [travel nyc](https://veermag.com/tag/travel-nyc/) - [nyc foodie](https://veermag.com/tag/nyc-foodie/) - [Bee & The Biscuit](https://veermag.com/tag/bee-the-biscuit/) - [va beach dining](https://veermag.com/tag/va-beach-dining/) - [cameraperson film](https://veermag.com/tag/cameraperson-film/) - [depression](https://veermag.com/tag/depression/) - [tom robotham norfolk](https://veermag.com/tag/tom-robotham-norfolk/) - [Dave Mason. 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