NATO Discussion
(General James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, served as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from 2007-09 and as Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration. Photo courtesy of NATO ACT.) By Jeff Maisey In the spring of 2015, French Air Force General...
The New Phoebus
(Interior view of Fox Tail Wine Bar. Photo by Michael Fernando.) By Jeff Maisey “I felt like the type of experience we’re offering did not exist in this neighborhood and there was an opportunity to bring something new, fresh and exciting to a community that was...
NEWS: Phoebus Rising
(Mango Mangeaux is nationally famous and a hotspot on Mellen Street.) By Michael Curry The historic town of Phoebus is in the midst of another resurgence and revitalization. There is a palpable sense of excitement and progress in the air, and it's infectious! Some say...
High Praises for WVEC’s Janet Roach
(WVEC’s Janet Roach is a multi award-winning newscaster. Photo courtesy of WVEC.) By Larry Bonko Janet Roach, co-anchor of the WVEC Monday through Friday "13 News Now" at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. has won another award. Yep. Another award. She has a house full of them. ...
One Man’s Story About Overcoming Racism
By John L. Horton Now that Black History Month is once again upon us and race relations are being put forth as a serious topic of discussion, and as the “Village Griot” and “Family Patriarch,” I have a story to tell and experiences to share. Please lend me...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Jazz Talkin’ 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...
Something for Everyone at TCC’s 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...
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...
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...
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...
Seize the Mo at MoMac Brewing Company, Portsmouth’s New Craft Brewery
By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Scott Krick and his friend Rob Hess used to always talk about beer. When their work in Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Maryview Hospital, and the health care industry brought them together the conversation usually managed to wind...
The Vanguard Announces the Hiring of Head Brewer and Distiller!
Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones You heard it here first….breaking news about the Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery, the venue and music hall that will occupy the former Armory in Hampton. They have just hired a Head Brewer and Distiller, Todd Emr. Todd has brewed for...
Dead Reckoning: Norfolk distillery aims to make waves in the craft rum market
By Jim Roberts Dead Reckoning Distillery draws its name from the method of navigation sailors use as a last resort. “It can be said that this method is about trusting your instincts,” the distillery’s website explains. “About trusting your gut.” It has probably...
If You’ve Gone Vegan, Go to Yorgo’s
By Betsy DiJulio For years, when my schedule allowed, I would head to Norfolk from VA Beach on Saturdays after exercising to slip into a favorite shop to two and then into Yorgo’s Bageldashery to snag lunch for the drive home. My to-go order was perennially the same...
Tyme to Party Ye Beer Buccaneers at the Mariners’ Craft Beer Festival
By Chris Jones & Diane Catanzaro It will be “ale hands on deck” Sunday May 7 at the Mariners’ Museum Beer Festival. YES it is on a Sunday, from 12 – 5. While there are lots of beer festivals that beckon like a bevy of suds-soaked sirens, there are some very good...
Cross The Pond IPA: NATO Chief of Staff and Bold Mariner collaborate on symbolic craft beer
By Jeff Maisey Norfolk’s Bold Mariner Brewing Company recently joined forces with NATO Allied Command Transformation Chief of Staff Air Marshall Sir Graham Stacey of the United Kingdom to collaborate on a craft beer full of as much symbolism as tasty ingredients in...
An Evening of Rare Beers
By Jeff Maisey Craft beer festivals and events are all the rage these days, but with everyone and his brother producing such festivities offering an experience that is unique and enticing is harder to pull off. Greg White knows a thing or two about this. White is the...
Sunnyside Up as d’Egg Diner Reopens
By Jeff Maisey First there was the gas-line explosion in Selden Arcade that zapped the historic building’s electrical system and created structural damage. Then came the delayed construction of the adjoining hotel/conference center project of The Main and...
New Beer from Coastal Virginia Breweries
Compiled by Staff Looking for something new to try from your favorite Coastal Virginia Breweries? Here’s a healthy sampling to get you started. Alewerks: Bitter Valentine Release Date: Early February Double IPA. 8.3% Alc by Vol Our Double IPA starts with strong...
40 Years (and counting) of Todd Jurich
By Marisa Marsey “What’s the best restaurant in Hampton Roads?” I’ve been asked that question countless times over the decades. Invariably, before I can hone my inquisitors’ focus (special occasion, seafood, Italian, French, Indian, etc.) to reply most meaningfully,...
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