August 2022 Veer Magazine

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In My Travels

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. Mean while, I’m moved to reflect on past journeys.

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Throughout my childhood, my trips were exclusively domestic—but they are memora ble. I can vividly recall, in particular, summer drives with my family, in the early ‘60s, from our home in New York to Tallahassee, Florida, where my mother’s parents lived. Also im printed in my memory is a cross-country road trip in our family Plymouth in 1968. For sheer variety, it was the richest I’ve ever taken. I can still picture the desolate landscape of the Mojave Desert, the surreal expanse of the Grand Canyon, the Magic Kingdom of Dis neyland, and the enormous trees in Sequoia National Park. I’m forever grateful for those experiences for ingraining in me the notion that traveling is an essential component of a life well lived. That said, there’s something limiting about childhood travel, when we’re at the mercy of our parents’ decisions. As I reflect on my personal journeys now, I’m more interested in those I’ve taken as an adult—those that af forded me absolute freedom. This all began in May, 1979, when—a year out of college—my best friend, John, and I de cided to go to England and Ireland to explore our respective family roots. I’d never even been on an airplane at the time, so the pros pect of flying across the Atlantic was excit ing in and of itself. We chose Laker Airways because it billed itself as “no frills” and was therefore unbelievably cheap. It was quite comfortable and efficient, nevertheless. Other than booking the plane tickets, we had no plan whatsoever—no hotel reserva tions and no itinerary. After landing at Gat wick Airport, we took a train to Victoria sta tion, strapped on our backpacks and started walking in a random direction. At one point, we stopped and asked a man on the street if he knew of any cheap hotels in the area, and he pointed us to one right around the corner. My recollection is that it cost about 20 pounds per night—approximately $30 at the time, which we split. Nothing fancy—two single beds and a small bathroom, but it was clean. Then, as now, I like going to pubs when I travel, not just for the beer but for the local culture. At the first one we went to, I noticed “Scotch Eggs” on the menu. I had never heard of them but ordered two. One, as it turned out, was more than filling, and it struck me as the perfect pub food for someone like me— someone who often eats more for sustenance than for any culinary curiosity. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty, and I’ve always wondered why they haven’t caught on in American bars. At any rate, although I’m not even close to be ing a gourmand— or foodie, to use the current vernacular—the experience taught me that sampling local fare is one of the great plea sures of Aftertraveling.spending a few more days in London, highlighted by a magnificent symphonic con cert at Albert Hall and a visit to the National Gallery—along with about 20 other pubs and dozens of miles of aimless wandering—we took a bus to Oxford. I’ve always been drawn to university campuses when I travel, and having read Brideshead Revisited, I was espe cially interested in this one. It did not disap point. We lucked out, weatherwise, and the light that bathed the ancient buildings seemed every bit as dreamlike as that of Paris. Interestingly, when I went back to Oxford in 2016, it seemed to have lost its magic. All the grand old buildings were still there, of course, but the general surroundings seemed disappointingly modern. Or was it that I had changed? Hard to tell, but therein lies another lesson of travel. If we’re fortunate, we encoun ter places when we need them most. I needed to be in Oxford all those years ago when I was fresh out of college and just beginning to cul tivate my sense of identity as an aspiring in tellectual. My dreams meshed perfectly with Oxford’s history—or my ideas about it. From Oxford, we ventured on to Leicester, where my grandfather was born and raised. I still had cousins there at the time, and they were kind enough to put us up for a couple of nights—and, even more generously, drive us all the way to Liverpool two days later so we could catch a ferry to Dublin. While in Leic ester, I saw the thatched-roof house where my grandfather was born and the old granite quarry where he worked as a stone-cutter. That is a special kind of travel, indeed—the kind that not only introduces us to new places but connects us with our roots. Next, it was John’s turn. His people were from County Cork. Alas, my time was limited. I had a job to get back to. I did get to spend a few days in Dublin, and enjoyed it. Of particu lar note is a conversation we had with a couple of locals in a pub. We were there during the height of “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland, and though Dublin wasn’t really affected, it did occur to us that our ancestors—mine Eng lish protestant, his Irish Catholic—might have been at odds, had they known each other. John was especially conscious of his roots and ar dently supported the IRA. When we brought this up with the locals, they laughed. “You’re Americans,” one said. “Nobody here cares about where your grandparents were from.”

COn TRIBUTInG DESIGnERS

COn TRIBUTInG WRITERS Tom Robotham, Diane Catanzaro, Chris Jones, Jerome Langston, Marisa Marsey, Jim Morrison, Montague Gammon III, and Jim Roberts

Brenda Mihalko, Giorgio Valentini Cover artwork by Walt Taylor Veer is published by Veer Magazine, Inc. on the 15th of each month and is free of charge. Veer may be distributed by authorized distributors only. Veer assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. The views and opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of Veer Magazine Veer Magazine PO Box 11147 Norfolk, VA 23517 Copyright 2022—© all Rights Reserved

By Tom Robotham Essayist Tom Robotham shares his memories of ordering Scotch Eggs in an English pub during his travels. WikiHow concurs with Robotham in describing Scotch eggs as essential pub food. Pictured here, they are boiled eggs coated in a mix of herbs, sausage, bread crumbs, and Worcester sauce, and then fried in hot oil.

THE FOLLOWING YEAR , I took another trip— this time alone and in the States. My ultimate destination was Los Angeles, to visit a child hood friend, but I decided to explore San Francisco first. As I look back on that trip, I’m amazed at how traveling has changed, due to the Inter net, smart phones and other conveniences. Hell, I didn’t even yet have a credit card— just cash and Traveler’s Checks. (Remember those?) That and the address of the hotel I’d booked by phone at the corner of Market and Powell. I had no idea how I’d get there once I got off the plane, but I figured I’d deal with that when the time came. Yet another gift of travel, especially solo: The ways in which it tests us and requires us to have faith in ourselves—and in other peo ple. My entire stay was like that. The morning after I arrived, I grabbed a city map at the front desk and set off on foot to find the legendary City Lights Bookstore. I had no other plans—I figured I’d just wing it. When I got to City Lights, I browsed for at least an hour, imagining all the Beat gath erings that had taken place there. Finally, I picked up a few books and headed to the cash register. A disheveled old man (old, to my young eyes, at least) started chatting as he rang up my purchases. He ranted in particu lar about how unsafe BART (the transit sys tem) had become and how City Hall was doing nothing about it. For some reason I didn’t take his warnings too seriously, but I was grateful for the local splash of color. After leaving the bookstore, I stopped at a bar, ordered a beer and pulled out my pur chases, one of which was new and selected poems by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. When I flipped the book over to the back cover, I saw his picture and my jaw dropped. The eccentric “old” man at the store was none other than Ferlinghetti himself. I’d never seen his pho tograph before—not a current one, at least— and he’d given no indication that it was his book that I was purchasing.

The pleasures of that first day, however, were just beginning. After walking all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf, I settled in at a restaurant and ordered crab-meat mornay. I’d never heard of mornay sauce—just or dered it on a whim. It turned out to be one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. On the way back toward my hotel I passed the Key stone Korner, a great old jazz club that closed a few years later: “Tonight:” the sign said. “Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.” Not gonna pass that up, I thought—and needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. It was the perfect end to a day that I’d spent improvising with just a loose plan, creating my own melodies over a few precon ceived chord progressions, as it were. And so, the next day, I decided to do the same—just walking in a different direction. I ended up spending a fair amount of time in Golden Gate Park, which, I concluded, was even nicer than my own Central Park, before heading onward. Finally, in late afternoon, I found myself on a high bluff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge to my right and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. I sat down on the grass, pulled a joint from my pocket and began to smoke while taking in the magnificent view. The moment was a little bittersweet. In some ways I wished I had a companion with me to share it all with. That feeling passed, though, and gave way to a sense of awe at the vista— an image I carry in my mind to this day, as clear as any photograph. I could go on. There’s no need to rehash more recent trips to the UK, Paris and Am sterdam, since I’ve already written about them in this space, but there have been so many others. Many were business trips for Hearst Magazines, from the late ‘80s through the mid-90s, and they were special in their own way—particularly because I got to stay in utter luxury on the company’s dime. Perhaps I’ll write about them another time. It occurs to me, though, that those expe riences were no better because of the firstclass hotels and restaurants. Those are great, to be sure, and if I had the money I’d give the Ritz in Paris a try, next time I go there. When it comes right down to it, though, I think of what I truly value from my journeys: That first Scotch Egg, for sure, and that modest room in London; the sight of my grandfather’s thatched-roof house, and the quality of light in Oxford; the musty basement at City Lights, certainly, that crab-meat mornay and, of course, the view from that bluff. All of these things were either inexpensive or free—and yet, they remain invaluable.

The older I get, the more I cherish such memories with profound gratitude for the as sociated experiences. Nourished by these rec ollections, I don’t mind that I’ve been unable to venture very far this summer. The key, of course, is not to become too complacent—not to live in memories, exclusively, like so many people do as they age. Travel, after all, brings not only pleasures but growth—and reflecting on these journeys has deepened my hunger for more.

8 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www (continued from page 6) After I left to head back to the States, John ventured on to Cork, then points south and west. When he returned, he told me of many other conversations he’d had about the con flict in the North. As a result, his views on the IRA had flipped. “I realized they’re just ter rorists,” he Anothersaid.travel lesson: Sometimes jour neys reinforce our fantasies, as mine did in Oxford; sometimes, they burst those fan tasies. The important thing is to be open to whatever the experiences have to offer—the sights, sounds, tastes and conversations—and to let them wash over you as they will, rather than approaching them with expectations.

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return Through the Back Door

r ick Steves: Yeah, if you buy something that makes sense to ship, generally a mer chant is prepared to ship it for you more efficiently and economically than you can. they know how to ship it and how to deal with customs. If you’re buying souvenirs you can box them and pop by a post office and mail them home.

By Jeff Maisey

r ick Steves: Yes, as a matter of fact I sent a reminder to those taking our tours this upcoming month the best way to minimize all that chaos at the airport is to not check a bag. I don’t check a bag anyway so it’s no big deal for me. I live out of a 9” X 22” X 14” carry-on whether its for two weeks or two months, north or south, winter or summer.

10 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www news&ViEws lectureseries (continued on page 12)

When r ick Steves returns from his euro pean vacation — he’ll be in Burgundy and the Swiss Alps in August — one of the first workrelated duties he’ll be doing is an hourlong lecture on September 7 at chrysler Hall as the Norfolk Forum launches its 90th season. r ick Steves, of course, is known to mil lions of Americans for his PBS travel series and his invaluable guide books for europe an travel adventures. In late July, I caught up with r ick Steves for the following interview to learn more about his upcoming lecture and to get his take on today’s challenging world of travel.

European travel guru Rick Steves kicks off Norfolk Forum’s 90th season

V eer : What advice do you give travelers who wish to shop in Paris or rome, especial ly given the strength of the dollar against the euro. Are these items they should ship back or have the retail business ship?

V eer : in you July blog you mention euro pean cities invest in the good life. Do you find that to be the case in modern cities r ick steves. Photo by Zachary s cott

V eer : The topic of your talk in Norfolk is european travel skills. i imagine this will be especially eye-opening given the cur rent challenges with canceled flights and lost luggage, right?

V eer : What should American travelers be aware of now regarding COV iD changes in europe?

r ick Steves: I think we have to remember cOVID is not over, but things are opening up and people aren’t having strict protocols about cOVID. It varies from country to country, but I think it’s really important for travelers to be conservative as far as having your shots and being fully boosted. c hoose places that are ventilated. If you’re going to be in tight quarters with people be in tight quarters with people who believe in science and that are considerate of their neighbors. europe is more inclined to eat outdoors than before. People don’t have to wear masks, but I think it’s considerate and wise to wear a mask when you’re on public tran sit or you’re in a taxi or going to a museum. Other than that it feels like it always did before cOVID. there’s a lot of energy in the streets, which I was concerned was going to be lost. One of the great intangibles of trav eling in europe for me is the energy in the street. It’s certainly back with a lot of gusto. europe is now more adept of having people book things in advance. So don’t shirk that. A lot of people are disinclined to get reservations for sights or experiences and they want to keep their options open and just show up at the door, but it’s really in your interest when it comes to the major sights and places that suffer from crowds to go to their website, commit yourself to a time and get that ticket in advance. that will solve a lot of crowd problems. I was just in Amsterdam and for years I’d just walk by the Anne Frank House to see how many hundreds of yards the line is to get in. Now there’s no line at all. It’s just 50 people show up every half-hour for their appointed time to see the museum. I just updated a lot of my major guide books and what I found myself doing was a little summary at the beginning of each

chapter reviewing, okay, if you’re going to Paris, Florence or Amsterdam, what do you need to do in advance? If you’re in Flor ence and you want to see the uffizi Gallery or see Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture or the Duomo cathedral, those are the three things you need reservations for. You don’t need reservations for any other sights. If you’re going to have a dinner that you care about make a reservation for that in ad vance and also because people are just eat ing out like mad in europe. the good places are well known as good places and they are generally small and they do book up. Veer: What are some of the other important aspects of current european travel you’ll be discussing with the audience in Norfolk? r ick Steves: the themes that I talk about when I do one-hour talks like I’ll be giving when I’m in Norfolk are the importance of equipping yourself with good information and expecting yourself to travel smart; the importance of the value of your time. Our time is a limited resource just like our money. A lot of people are focused on sav ing money and they waste a lot of time. But your time, especially when you’re on vaca tion in europe, is really valuable. So don’t stand in lines. there’s two kinds of travelers: those who stand in lines and those who don’t. You can get around those lines if you’re a smart traveler.Also, packing light is critical, as we talk ed about earlier, not just to get through the chaos at airports but also to be nimble. We take 25,000 people on our tours each year and no one is allowed to check any bags. No one wishes they packed heavier once they get over there, I can promise you that. I’ll be talking about experiences. A lot of people have seen the sights, now they’re looking for experiences. What are you going to do to have an experience? What about a sauna in Helsinki? What about going to the baths in the Black Forest in Germany? Or getting a massage in Istanbul? What about going shopping in a market and then going to a cooking class in tuscany and learning how to cook like Italians? How many expe riences can you have? that’s the mark of a good traveler — how many people you meet and how many experiences you have, not how many cultural cliches you see.

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Wicked makes its grand return to Nor folk’s Chrysler Hall next month for 16 per formances. The unprecedented box-office successes of its prior engagements at the storied downtown venue, have led to the show being called “Norfolk’s most popular musical.” The musical, which so many the ater loving patrons have already seen, is also a great warm up for the new season of broadway in Norfolk, which officially kicks off with the Norfolk premiere of Dear Evan Hansen in November. “For a lot of the pa trons who are coming to see the show, this is their first theatrical experience back,” says Jennafer, at a later point in our phone chat. “a nd it’s a special moment that we’re sharing with them.”

Lissa deguzman inhabits the meaty lead role of Elphaba, who eventually becomes the infamous w icked w itch of the west. I ask Jennafer about their working relation ship in the show. “ w hat I love about working with Lissa, is that we are both very strong women, and we make each other stronger... It’s a beautiful friendship that we have, on and off stage,” she says. Part of the show’s lasting appeal has clearly been its well-arranged, melodic and truly well-composed songs. “I have been a fan of this score since the minute that I heard it,” says Jennafer. “Steven Schwartz wrote the most stunning score.” The Wicked cast re cording has won a Grammy, and is certified multi-platinum. In terms of what songs she enjoys performing the most, Jennafer men tions “Popular” and “For Good,” as “it’s this beautiful bow at the end of the show.” before arriving here in Norfolk, the show will spend time playing the a ltria Theater in r ichmond. However, it’s the Norfolk dates that really excites Jennafer, whose husband is from Va . “ we are so excited to bring this show to Norfolk. I have a lot of friends in Norfolk,” she says. “I love Norfolk. It has a very special place in my heart.”

The actress and singer, who studied at N y U, first saw the show on broadway, when she was a teenager in 2004. She re calls saying that she “had to be Glinda,” at some point in the future. She knew that it was her role to play. “I think there’s so much depth to her. a nd I learn new things about her, every time I get to step into her shoes,” says“SheJennafer.feels so deeply. She truly doesn’t mean to do harm. It’s just the fact that she doesn’t know better, when she does,” the actress continues. “I just loved her arc, as act II progresses, and her eyes are open to the things that she’s been a part of that she doesn’t necessarily agree with—and how she tries to right her wrongs.”

based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the musical stormed broadway’s Gershwin Theatre in october 2003. w ith music and lyrics by the great Stephen Schwartz, and its book by w innie Holzman, Wicked , like the novel that it is based upon, reimagines the core story of our a merican film classic, The Wizard of Oz , as well as the L. Frank baum novel that the movie was based upon. Starring Idina Men zel as Elphaba, and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, the original broadway production won three Tony awards and six drama desk awards. Since that early success, Wicked has reportedly won over 100 international awards for its various productions, and even more impressively, is now the 5th lon gest running show in broadway history, as it approaches its 20 th anniversary next year. The show has been seen by tens of millions of people, and has amassed global sales reportedly topping $5 billion. The iconic show has also received major critical acclaim from newspapers around the globe, and especially with its hugely successful score—has gone on to become a cultural phenomenon...which is rare for a theatrical production in the 21st century. Centering on the complicated friendship that develops between the emerald-green Elphaba, and the popular blond Glinda, in the Land of oz, initially before dorothy arrives— Wicked explores what it means to be misunderstood and mischaracter ized. “I think that the way it is written is so timeless,” says Jennafer. “It centers on these themes of friendship, love and accep tance.”“Ithink that when people go, they’re not only in awe of these soaring vocals, and the beautiful score that Steven Schwartz has written, and the award-winning costumes that Susan Hilferty has designed—they are also connecting on a very deep level about this beautiful, timeless story of two wom en...front and center, and their friendship, and the way they grow up and experience the world,” Jennafer says, in response to why Wicked continues to play to sold-out audiences. “I think everyone can connect with someone in the show, on some level.”

stage broadwaymusical a Wicked musical Returns

by Jerome l angston Jennafer Newberry as Glinda and l issa deGuzman as Elphaba in the National Tour of W ic KED, photo by Joan m arcus - 0228r “oh my gosh, that iconic entrance com ing in on the bubble, and getting to deliver that first line of the show...it’s so special,” says actress Jennafer Newberry, who stars as Glinda in the North a merican touring production of the iconic broadway smash, Wicked . Newberry, who is currently in Min neapolis preparing for the touring compa ny’s show tonight at the orpheum Theatre, describes that early scene as one of her favorites to perform, night after night. Jen nafer has been with the show since May of 2019, when she first understudied for Glin da, but the Houston Native, who of course now calls New york City home, has only occupied the lead role of Glinda full-time, since this past March. a nd just like every other broadway show, Wicked was shut down for over a year due to the pandemic. However, the still hugely popular broadway show’s national touring production, has been playing to packed theatres around the country for about a year now.

Focused

If Not Now is Environmentally

If Not Now Through October 16 Portsmouth

Joining Abeles on the roster are Jean Benvenuto, rosemary Feit Covey, Barbara Hennig-Loomas ( v irginia), Nicole Pietran toni ( washington State), Pam Ponce ( v ir ginia), John Sabraw (Ohio), and Millicent Young (New York). Benvenuto paints small square canvases, long rectangles, and large diptychs concentrated on lotus pods growing in a Portsmouth retention pond; Covey presents an experimental approach to printmaking and mixed-media that re sults in densely interwoven root systems at times reminiscent of fish bones; and Hennig-Loomas approaches interconnect edness differently and delicately through highly detailed large-scale drawings and silverpoint pieces focused on ghost forests, a result of rising sea levels.

18 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www visualaRt review

Pietrantoni ’s monumental panoramic series of some 30 accordion books, mount ed vertically, reads like Asian hanging scrolls with their emphasis on the majesty of the natural world, only here the subject is melt ing glaciers overlaid with the ephemeral text of a poem by Devon wootten; Pam Ponce’s poignant photo graphs, accompanied by text panels, record the devasta tion and renewal brought on by drought and forest fires in the Great Dismal Swamp; John Sabraw’s rondels depict topographi cal maps and aerial views of landscapes rendered with eco-friendly paints made from toxic waste extracted from polluted streams, the result of run-off from mining sites; and Milli cent Young’s large-scale, organic, and subtly kinetic sculptures crafted from horsehair, wood, and ceramic are referential of rain and other natural phenomena.

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 up state New York to washington state with a strong representation by Hampton roadsbasedThoughartists.some of the work falls under the rubric of art activism, this is not an overt ly political or polemical show, as viewers can read as much or as little between the lines—or the horsehair—as they choose. it is, rather, a strikingly beautiful one, both powerful and elegant. However, a prepon derance of text panels in one installation somewhat disrupts the visual flow and in troduces an otherwise absent didacticism, perhaps more appropriate to another space within the museum. even an artist like Kim Abeles (Califor nia), a pioneer environmental activism, avoids in-your-face protest. instead, Abe les uses smog as a printmaking medium giving traditional porcelain portrait plates a dirty little twist. Here, she incorporates portrait decals and smog into her process, creating a series of 10 wall-mounted plates featuring the likenesses of world leaders and passages about environmental issues attributed to them.

A couple of days before the August 5 opening reception, i caught up with Benv enuto to probe a bit into her series of work inspired by an odd occurrence in a reten tion pond—designed to contain and filter rainwater runoff from the road—near the corner of Cedar road and High Street in Portsmouth. Passing the pond either after work—she is now retired from her longtime position as a high school art and art his tory teacher—or working out, Benvenuto recalls that in 2018 someone had evidently thrown some lotus seeds into the body of water. Throughout the ensuing months, she tracked the growth of the plants as they took root and flourished. Benvenuto “had a year with the pond” before city workers sprayed the lotuses with herbicide, as the plants were clogging the pump. One day, captivated by the colors—an earthier and lower key palette than she typically uses—and the way the golden light of October fell across the pond and the pods, she pulled her car into a nearby park ing lot and began taking photographs. Her photos became her visual references for thisAseries.figurative artist, Benvenuto relished this direction as an opportunity to leave the human form behind and focus on design. As a result of immersing herself in art history during her teaching career, she reflects that she has become increasingly influenced by renaissance masters such as r aphael and the way they approached the picture plane. Yes, she points out, everyone who cares about such things knows about the rule of Thirds and the Golden Mean, “but there is so much more.” She has become intensely responsive to entry and exit points, ten sion around the edges, and arcs that create movement “rolling” through the spaces.The completed composi tions, with titles like Bitter Nocturne and Fantasia , are concurrently organic and geometric, contem porary and traditional, figurative and flat. Her use of Utrecht heavy-bodied acrylics achieves surfaces that read like luscious oil paint with the pods themselves functioning as both ex pressive visual forms and metaphors for the human beings to which Benvenuto typi cally gravitates. Fragile, resilient, tempo ral, and everlasting, these containers can be interpreted as penetrable repositories for all that accrues as life washes over us, rising and receding. Art & Cultural portmouthartcenter.coCenterm

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VEER: What do you hope viewers of this exhibition take away from seeing this work and use of hot lighting? Glen McClure: My main hope is that they will find these subjects interesting. Every day folks captured in a timeless manner. With just enough drama to hold the viewers attention.

Mark Lewis of Chrysler Museum

www.VEERmag.com 23august 2022 532 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23451 artcentervb.org SUMMER MAY BE COMING TO AN END, BUT YOU CAN KEEP THE FUN GOING BY TAKING A CLASS AT THE VB ART CENTER! Visit: artcentervb.org/classes or scan this QR code. OPENING SEPTEMBER 2ND “BODY OF WORK” CURRENT EXHIBITION “ENDANGERED”Hometomorethan40artists in The Artists Gallery ed talking and got Justin to do some things I had in mind. At this point John Toomey and Justin’s mom had left and it was just Justin and myself on the stage. The one thing that I hadn’t planned on was having the nice red chairs as a background. In my mind I was planning on shooting the opposite direction but once I saw those, I knew it would be fan tastic. I used about 8 lights on this image. I worked hard to get Justin to lean in just so and get my spotlight to reflect off the hands and keys and into his dark glasses. I remember being so excited when this shoot was over.

VEER: The portrait of Mark Lewis painting onsite at Chrysler Museum of Art is an other highlight of this series. How did this composition come together? Glen McClure: Mark is the Conservator at The Chrysler Museum of Art and a good friend. He agreed to let me photograph him where he works. I looked up what ex actly a Conservator does and found this, “Conservators manage, preserve, treat, and document works of art, artifacts, and specimens—work that may require sub stantial historical, scientific, and archaeo logical research. Conservators document their findings and treat items to minimize their deterioration or to restore them to their original state.” “A museum’s prime responsibility must be to maintain its col lections and to do everything possible to delay the natural laws of deterioration.” I went over prior to the day of the shoot and scouted some interesting paintings to use as a background. I chose this painting, The painting is called a Shepard and his Flock, by Charles-Émile Jacque, which was done in 1880. The image was chosen for the size of the work and its dark tone, which would help Mark stand out from the background. Mr. Lewis had worked on this painting in the past. I asked Mark if he could be photo graphed with some of the tools of his trade and he brought an array of beautiful props. This was fun image to light and I used many spotlights to highlight just certain areas, like the paint pigments in the foreground, his face, his hand and the background and so on. I also need a 9-foot roll of paper off to my right to block out some daylight that was streaming through a window.

VEER: As a professional photographer, how many hours and what overall expense went into producing this exhibition— framing and all? Glen McClure: When I first started out on this project, I only knew I wanted to try and make some unusual, for me, portraits. How many, I had no clue. Before long, I set my sights on making 100 of these. I made 101. I have spent a full year on this project with hardly a day going by I didn’t work on it in some capacity. And yes, I do it all my self, shooting, retouching, framing, caption writing, all of it. I don’t even want to know what this cost me, if I did I’d never do anoth er project like this again! It has been such a joy working with all these folks and spend ing time with them. A real honor for me.

VEER: This is a commercial gallery exhi bition so the works are for sale. I imag ine the “customer” for each these framed portraits is likely to be the subject in the photograph. True? Glen McClure: Yes, the works will be for sale. I could see some of the subjects be ing interested in these and perhaps a fam ily member or friend too. But I never really thought about any of that when starting this project. I just hope to show how inter esting people are, how different we all are, yet how much we all have in common. I call my subjects in projects like these ’the great mixing bowl of humanity.”

By Montague Gammon III From the l ake Matoaka a mphitheater in Williamsburg to the First Flight Elementary school in Kill Devil Hills, stoping at Yorktown’s Riverwalk, the c hesapeake c ity Park and the 31st street Park at the Virginia Beach Ocean front, the Virginia symphony Orchestra brings some fun for all ages, music for the ages con certs of accessible, stirring, familiar, short and just plain great orchestral compositions from the honored past and the popular present.

Wagner’s great “Ride of the Valkyries,” is “kind of a centerpiece of the program,” said Martell. it’s familiar even to elementary school students, the symphony’s outreach programs have discovered. a symphonic suite of the flying theme from the animated and “really fun” flic How to Train Your Dragon was picked with younger members of the audience in mind. Edvard Grieg’s “in the Hall of the Mountain King,” traditionally classical and just 3 minutes long, is another piece that goes from a calm be ginning to a frenetic finale. John Williams showed that he is “great at evoking the imagery of flight” in his “The Flight to Neverland” from the movie Hook, Martell said. The Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird by igor stravinsky, which Martell proclaims “One of the greatest symphonic scores ever written,” has an eerie, unmistakably otherworldly tone that draws its hearers into yet another fantastic world, and then releases them with one of those triumphant finales that characterize several of theseMorepieces.ofJohn Williams wraps up the program with “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone. The Potter phenomenon, as fans of both the books and the movies can attest, is a “huge, multi-generation al thing.”Martell promises a surprise encore as well, some theme music that is very much a part of fantasy tales’ current cultural and media popu larity.

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(Popularity is not unclassical. Were Mozart living today, he’d be partying heartily in a Bev erly Hills mansion funded by screen and video residuals and concert tickets costly enough to shame the stones.) in Williamsburg, Yorktown and c hesapeake these are concerts Under the stars; in VB this is the final performance in the symphony by the sea series. it’s truly a fantastic program: a com pilation of works with connections to tales of… fantasy.VsO a rtistic a dministrator and Bass Trom bone Rodney Martell, who chatted on the phone between meeting with the symphony’s interim Executive Director, Monica Meyer, and a meet ing about the program for the Orchestra’s Janu ary Martin l uther King concert, pointed out that “We always try to have our foundation be the Theclassics.”oneminute orchestral curtain raiser that begins each concert will get audiences singing along. The tune is an old English drinking song called “To a nacreon in Heaven,” (“The a nacre ontic song”) by late 18th-early 19th century composer and musicologist John stafford smith. Prominent (and slave owning) Baltimore lawyer Francis scott Key whipped off alternate lyrics for it in 1814. Baseball fans hear his version a lot. The fantasy themed elements begin, Martell pointed out, with John Williams’ Main Theme from star Wars. He called it “the most familiar piece of symphonic music in the past 50 years… everybody knows that one.” Even better known is the medley of excep tional “multi-generational appeal” that comes next. Orchestral versions of “We’re Off to see the Wizard,” “if i Only Had a Brain,” “The Merry Old l and of Oz,” and inevitably, “somewhere Over the Rainbow,” come from the most viewed movie of all time, The Wizard of Oz. The music swings into traditional classical, still in the fantasy vein, with Maurice Ravel’s brief “The Enchanted Garden” from his Mother Goose suite. a languorous string voiced begin ning leads into a stirring climax of tympanic thunder.lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring, at only 10 minutes the concert’s longest selec tion, goes back to cinema. This one, in Martell’s words, “alternates between fun, playful and tri umphant and very dark…capturing the moods” of that multi-part epic.

music classical Open Air Symphonic Experience

Symphonies Under the Stars Adam Turner, conductor 7:30 PM, Thurs., Sept. 1 Lake Matoaka Amphitheater, Williamsburg 7:30 PM, Sat., Sept. 3, Yorktown Riverwalk, Yorktown 7:30 PM, Sun., Sept. 4, Chesapeake City Park, Chesapeake 7:30 PM, Sat,, Sept. 17, First Flight Elementary School, Kill Devil Hills Symphony by the Sea Adam Turner, Conductor 7:30 PM, Thurs., Sept. 8, 31st Street Park, Virginia Beach

www.VEERmag.com 25august 2022 All day Zoo admission, silent auction, Help familiessupportwithchildreninthehospital! © 2022 Ronald McDonald House Charities Norfolk $50 – 13 and up $15 - 5-12 Free – 4 and under www.RMHCNorfolk.org/events 757.627.5386 www.RMHCNorfolk.org/events $45 - 13 and up $15 - 5-12 Free – 4 and under 757.627.5386

26 WWW.VEERMAG.COMAUGUST 2022 WWW AROUNDTOWN AROUNDTOWN Festivals & Events Virginia Honey Bee Festival August 20, 10 AM - 4 PM Norfolk Botanical ornorfolkbotanicalgarden.Gardeng ViBe Mural Festival August 19-28 ViBe Creative District/ Virginia vibecreativedistrict.orBeach g 60th Annual East Coast Surfing Championship August 21-28 1st Street Jetty @ Oceanfront Virginia Beach Funk Fest Beach Party August 26-27 24th Street @ beacheventsvb.coOceanfrontm 39th Annual WaterfrontJazzNorfolkFestival August 26-27 Town Point festevents.orParkg 7th Annual Coastal Craft Beer Festival Presented by Neptune AugustFestival27, 1-6 PM 31st Street Park @ neptunefestival.coOceanfrontm Sunflower Music Festival August 28, Noon - 6:30 PM Norfolk Botanical ornorfolkbotanicalgarden.Gardeng Taste of DowntownSuffolkStreet Festival September 10, 11 AM - 5 PM tasteofsuffolkva.com 25th Annual Fall Wine Festival Presented by Neptune September10-11,Festival Noon-5 PM 31st Street Park @ neptunefestival.coOceanfrontm 3rd Annual Local Brew Fest Presented by Coastal Virginia Brewers Alliance September 10, 1-5 PM, $45 in AtlanticadvanceUnion CheckPavilion/PortsmouthBankFacebookPage for details. Nashfest 757 September 17, Noon - 10 PM, TownFreePoint festevents.orParkg Hermitage Handmade Festival September 17 Hermitage Museum & thehermitagemuseum.orGardens g Wasserhund Oktoberfest September 17 Summit wasserhundbrewing.coChesapeakePointe/m Oktoberfest September 17-October 1 Elation elation.beerBrewing Performing Arts Chrysler Hall “Wicked,” September 14-25 sevenvenues.com Feldman Chamber Music Society Los Angeles Piano Trio, September 19, Chrysler Museum’s Kaufman feldmanchambermusic.orTheater g Ferguson Center Johnny fergusoncenter.orSeptemberMathis,9 g Harrison Opera House War On the Catwalk, August 16 Black Jacket Symphony, “Van Halen’s 1984,” September sevenvenues.co9m Hurrah Players “Big Dreams & Ice Cream,” August 20-12, Hugh Copeland hurrahplayers.coCenterm Miller Jazz Series After Bebop, August 18, Sandler sandlercenter.orCenter g Scope Arena Kevin Hart, August 21 sevenvenues.com Virginia Chorale “Tudor Treasures,” Sept. 17, Galilee Episcopal Church, VA “TudorBeachTreasures,” Sept. 18, St. Paul Catholic Church, vachorale.orPortsmouth g Visual Art Museums & TheGalleriesArtistsGallery @ Virginia Beach Arts Center “Endangered,” Through August artcentervb.or28 g Virginia MOCA “Maya Lin: A Study of ThroughWater,” September 4 “Open (C)all 2022,” Through September virginiamoca.or4 g Rolls Royce performs as part of Funk Fest on 24th Street @ Oceanfront on August 27 Virginia Chorale will present the musical vocal works of Thomas Tallis and others as “Tudor Treasures,” Sept. 17 at Galilee Episcopal Church, VA Beach and Sept. 18 at St. Paul Catholic Church in Portsmouth.

28 WWW.VEERMAG.COMAUGUST 2022 WWW AROUNDTOWN AROUNDTOWN Hermitage Museum & Gardens “Roberto Lugo: Pottery with Purpose,” Through thehermitagemuseum.orOctober g Chrysler Museum of Art “MC Escher: Infinite Variations,” Through August ThroughofPrints“Lasting28Impressions:fromtheCollectionDavid&SusanGoode,”November6 “To See a World in a Grain ofThroughSand,” January 22 chrysler.or g Muscarelle Museum of Art “The Human Frame: Prints by Leonard Baskin,” Through September 25 muscarelle.wm.edu Charles Taylor Arts Center “Artists Who Teach,” Through August 27 “Virginia Artists,” September 17 through Nov. 12 hamptonarts.or g Gordon Galleries at ODU “ALLiGATER HELLHOUND: Works from the Permanent Collection of Baron and Ellin Gordon,” Aug. 30 –Dec. “DesignHer:17. Works by Contemporary Women Graphic Designers,” Aug. 30 – Nov. 12 More at gordongallerieodu.edu/s Karen Waller’s “Dreams of Rescue” is on view through August 28 as part of the “Endangered” exhibition at The Artists Gallery @ Virginia Beach Arts Center

30 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www Mixing, recording, live recording, voice-overs, band recording, movie sound design, and commericials – we can help you with almost anything in Hampton Roads, VA. Focused on producing the best sounding tracks 757-825-2441 | www.BlackLabelMultiMedia.com

Jazz Fest Time in Norfolk

Pieces of a Dream continued to release al bums that charted very well on Billboard’s Con temporary jazz Chart. These recordings include “In The Moment,” “On a nother Note,” “a ll In” and “Pillow Talk.” It was a unique era for the band with upsides and some down. “It was good in some ways and not so good in others,” Harmon said. “It helped us in our writ ing because we didn’t have a crutch to lean on for writing. It forced us to become (the primary) writ ers ourselves. Though we were writing the whole time, now we had to write the whole album. “When the record companies tried to force us in a direction it kind of made us lose our iden tity at one point. “There was one album we did that was a total R&B album,” Harmon continued. “We were not sticking to the versatility in our music, but the record company was trying to force us to go one way or the other. The novelty of us being jazz mu sicians wasn’t there anymore with that album. a fter that we decided to basically put the Grover back in our music, and not try to com pete with Teddy Riley and Bobby Brown. “We had some people in Teddy Riley’s camp produce and write some stuff for us and it did not go over well. We actually liked the material, but it just was not Pieces of a Dream.” Curtis Harmon is delighted to have Pieces of a Dream stay true to its mission today as pres ent the full spectrum of what the crossover genre of smooth jazz can be. “When we started there were no labels for that genre,” explained Harmon. “I think it was basically called contemporary. But contemporary (jazz) music actually covered a wide spectrum of music. From Randy Crawford to Herbie Han cock and Miles Davis. He (Davis) evolved from straight-ahead jazz to a contemporary vibe. “People often try to label us. When they ask, ‘Now, what would you consider yourself?,’ we would just say ‘versatile.’ We’ve been on concert bills with people from Count Basie to Rick james. We were the most versatile group around.” Pieces of a Dream

By Jeff Maisey music jazz

Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival Town Point Park August 26 5:30 PM - Chris Standring 7:30 PM - Pieces of a Dream 9:30 PM - Tower of Power August 27 5:30 PM - Althea Rene 7:30 PM - Peter White & Vincent Ingala 9:30 PM - Brian Culbertson

Festevents will present its 39th annual Nor folk Waterfront jazz Festival in Town Point Park with some major players in the popular smooth jazzTheformat.musical lineup over two evenings on the waterfront includes the likes of Tower of Power, Brian Culbertson, Vincent Ingala, and Pieces of a Dream.Recently, Pieces of a Dream marked its 40th anniversary with the release of its 20th studio album, “Fired Up.” That’s quite an accomplishment since three teenagers signed to Elektra Records and contin uously ranked high on R&B, contemporary jazz, and traditional jazz charts. Pieces of a Dream rose from the streets of Philadelphia after catching the attention of jazz legend Grover Washington jr. “He is the one who got us the record deal,” explained drummer Curtis Harmon. “We were all on the same label together. It was a three al bum deal. He produced. “We did most of the writing for those first three albums (“Pieces of a Dream,” “We a re One,” “Imagine This”), and he wrote a couple of things on these albums.” a fter the group’s three albums on Elektra, Pieces of a Dream moved on to Manhattan Re cords for “joyride.” They were paired with two producers: Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire and Denny White, a drummer who played with Return to Forever. “It was really amazing because you can ac tually hear the different coasts on that album,” Harmon said of the styles of the two producers. “Maurice was west coast, Lenny was east coast. Maurice’s side was brighter sounding and a lit tle more pop sounding, where Lenny White’s side is more underground, a little more funk vibe.”

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Atlantic Union Bank pavilionconcerts.coPortsmouthPavilion,m

Wow, this kid is really, he’s got it, you know. And then I remem ber the first time we were playing some festival, I can’t remember where it was, but he was on the lineup,” he adds. “And so I went out of my way to get to the show early, so that I could watch his set and went up and introduce myself to him and, and told him that I was a fan of him and his music and his playing.”

32 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www music blues

Backroad Blues Stops in Portsmouth

AugustIngram21

by Jim Morrison Blues great Kenny Wayne Shepherd is excited for audiences to hear up-and-coming star Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (pictured). 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 a gig at a venue in Deep ellum, the legendary Dallas music hotspot. They got to Dallas and ended up hopping into a car with Guy, who was being driven around town to radio stations promoting the show. They watched an interview and then ended up at the performance. “He put on an amazing show and the whole experience obviously left an impres sion on me,” shepherd says in a call from home. No kidding. Fast forward three decades and the son from shreveport has created a travel ing blues roadshow with the l egend from l ettsworth, two l ouisiana natives sharing stages with an up and coming blues star, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. shepherd ’s backroads blues Festival makes its final stop at the Atlantic union bank Pavilion in Portsmouth on Aug. 21. “You have three generations of some of the hottest names in the genre,” he says. “I think it’s a fantastic lineup for the very first year.”The tour, too, grows out of his child hood love of the blues and blues festivals. “It’s been in the works for some time now,” he says. “I’m just really proud that we’ve been able to get it together, especially considering all the challenges that we’ve endured, that everybody endured over the past couple of years.”The goal, he adds, was to create an annual touring blues festival with a changing lineup. “I have so many fond memories as a kid going to see the blues festival that was touring that b.b. King had, and seeing so many great artists,” he says. “so I just wanted to give people an opportunity to create their own memo ries.”He discovered Kingfish in a more mod ern way, checking him out for the first time on his phone. “I came across a video.

shepherd says his first guitar was plas tic with nylon strings when he was about four. “The first notes that I played when somebody actually turned their head was “smoke on the Water’,” he says, recalling his grandmother taking notice. “I mean, you know, it’s not the hardest thing.” He’s never learned to read music. l earn ing a song for him is note by note. “I wanted to read music, but by the time I decided to try, I had already kind of developed my way of learning, which is really tedious,” he says. “Then it’s just repetition, repetition, repetition, until I get it figured out from the beginning to the end. And then I would memorize the songs. If you do that, to a certain point for so many years, then all of a sudden, it’s like the instrument starts to kind of make more sense. One day, you look at the thing, and all of a sudden you’re like, oh, wait a minute, I get it. And then that opens up so many opportunities for you to find your own voice.” shepherd found his at an early age. He released his debut at 18 in 1995. seven of his singles have broken into the Top 10. His sophomore effort, “Trouble Is...” is the lon gest running album on the billboard blues Chart.Writing with others proved to be the prescription for him. “I was messing around with some songs when I was younger, and I was always very shy about them. so when I started writing songs for my very first al bum, I was co-writing with other people,” he says. “Once somebody else’s name was on the line, then I kind of felt more com fortable about putting it out there because I wasn’t 100 percent to blame if it wasn’t any good. “ The pandemic has tested his patience. He finished an album before everything shut down. It’s been in the can for two years and will be there a little longer. There will be a release related to the anniversary of “Trouble Is...” later this year. so the new re cord will not venture into outside ears until nextHe’syear.played with everyone from b b King to Keb Mo. He’s recorded with stephen stills and, most recently, with Ann Wilson. He’s opened for The Rolling stones, The ea gles and Dylan, among others. being out with other blues masters, though, is the antidote to the past couple of years. “everybody does their own set. King fish will go on first,” he says. “I’m gonna go on second, and we’re gonna let buddy go on last and close the show. because, you know, I mean, he’s buddy Guy.” Did he imagine at 14 that he’s be on the road with buddy Guy? He pauses. “I really don’t know,” he says. “I had no crystal ball. I can tell you that.”

Backroad Blues Festival Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Christone “Kingfish”

Where the high velocity “I’m on Fire” cooks with slide guitar, fancy picking, and a 1950sera rockabilly groove, the poignant “Two Week Notice” is a workingman’s country-blues drinkin’ tune and “Saints of appalachia” draws the listener slowly around a wooded dirt road bend and then provides a soundscape as captivating as an unexpected mountain view. My kinda country.

local Cody “CanaryChristianinaCoal Mine” (Self-Release)

— Jeff Maisey “BurnAttenuatorItDown” (single) (Self-Release) Tom Wilder’s electro-pop ultra-ego continues to shine bright with this latest release — a single — as we continue to await a full-length album. “Burn It Down” introduces more guitar than previous at tenuator tunes we’ve heard, but the driving beat, heavy De peche Mode-esque synths, airy vocals, and overall pop sensi bilities remain front and center. — Jeff Maisey Kristi K. “Born to Run”/“Leaving Again” (Self-Release) Virginia Beach-based pop artist Kristi K has dropped two songs recently on streaming services. “l eaving a gain” is her latest track, an anthem-like inspi rational piece with a big production given a boost with the injection of Noah Motion’s rapid-fire hip-hop rhyming.

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Former l eft Wing Fascists frontman Big a l Staggs has been a prolific songwriter and recording artist in recent years, and he reemerges with a fun 11-track album produced by his col laborating pal Stacy Heydon. The studio record leads off with the well-distributed and shared “Dummy ate a Gummy,” a slow stumping metalmeets-reggae-ish tune with humorous lyrics about edibles. Stylistically, “Dummy” is very much in keeping with Staggs’ popular, comical ditties from yesteryear like “I Drive a Yugo” and “Met My Baby at an a ll You can Eat.” “Welcome to Island Time” rocks out 1980s metal style like ozzy-meets-Scorpions but with the vocals mirroring a Blink 182 tune. “Ready to Go” hints at Red Hot c hili Peppers and today’s c alifornicated punk-pop. a s the “I’m Back” song title suggests, Big a l Staggs has returned in grand style with a suitcase full of memory lane melody experiences nicely packaged for today’s return trip.

“Born to Run” is dramatically more powerful pop tune with a range of dynamics, lush layering of sounds, upfront heavy guitars and hooky vocal melody and chorus. — Jeff Maisey

— Jeff Maisey Big Al Staggs “So (Self-Release)No”

If you have a hankering for the old timey sounds of coun try music’s roots in the heart of a ppalachian culture, cody c hristian’s “canary in a coal Mine” provides a a refreshing breath of clean air. The title track tinkers along with acoustic stringed in struments and then kicks in with a nice shuffle beat, fiddle and infectious vocal melody that’s instantly likable.

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FEATURE

Byron Barnes Syd’s Fish Pig Cafe Byron Barnes is an interesting example of someone who has a passion for the restaurant business. By day, Byron works for Truist bank as a wealth management advisor. On Saturday evenings, he moonlights for fun as a waiter at Syd’s Fish Pig Cafe in downtown Norfolk.“I enjoy talking about food and wine over the stock market anytime,” he said with a laugh. He’s not kidding. Byron got his first taste of the restaurant biz when he worked at The Trellis in Williamsburg. He would go on to work with local legend chef/owner Sydney Meers at Cowboy Syd’s in Newport News and again when Meers opened Stove in “ThesePortsmouth.guysaremy friends,” said Byron. “That’s why I do it.”

Devon McCutcheon

Big Ugly Brewing Devon has been with Big Ugly Brewing for almost a year, and she is one of the sweetest people you will come across. Always quick with a smile and a funny story. Her outgo ing attitude and sense of humor makes her an absolute delight to work with, say fellow employees. Swing through the brewery and let her serve you a smile and a beer to make your day better.

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Ledi MermaidBrockwayWinery

Talk about dedication: If Yvonne Coffman seems like a familiar face, perhaps it’s be cause she has worked as a waitress at Dou mar’s for 33 years. Yvonne is quick to greet you at the in side counter or booth, and asks slaw or no slaw when BBQ is ordered. She squeezes the green citrus by hand for your limeade and scoops the double-dip chocolate ice cream onto one of Doumar’s famous cones. Then she’ll process your credit card and thank you for coming. Such dedication and energy is a marvel to behold.Whatkeeps her going? “I love my customers,” said Coffman. “They keep me upbeat. I watch their kids grow up and then they bring the next gen eration of kids in. This is a family busi ness.”Many customers can confirm her heartwarming words. “I brought my daughters to Doumar’s on Saturdays for lunch when they were very young,” said one customer. “She still asks how they are doing nearly 30 years later, and when they are in town Doumar’s is a must stop, but mainly to get a hug from Yvonne.”

Yvonne Doumar’sCoffman

According to Mermaid Winery owner Jen nifer Eichert: “When one visits Mermaid Winery, they are loaded with options: white or red, sweet or dry, or perhaps a rosé? One of our servers, Ledi, is always there to help our guests select a wine and then pair it with one of our amazing food selections. She also enjoys conversation and ban ter with people from all different back grounds. She will be the first one to warmly greet someone when they arrive and tend to their needs immediately. Ledi’s dedica tion to the service industry doesn’t stop there: from carrying the Mermaid Winery A-Frame sign to 22nd Street when we open (the sign is the same height as her!), her un wavering upbeat positive attitude and, of course, chatting it up with Mermaid ‘new bies’ and our tenured Wine Club members. Ledi is a shining start in the Norfolk service industry“Workingscene.in this industry, you must be open-minded, versatile, inclusive and adapt able. Ledi not only has the great skillset that this industry requires but also has a great memory and always remembers what our guest’s preferences are. Servers like Ledi are the reason guests come back and enrich all our lives with those connections and interac tions. She’s one of those people that inspires our team to do better, ask a question, take the chance and make the connection. She is one of the reasons we are who we are and we are proud of her in her growth and development.”

WWW.VEERMAG.COM 41AUGUST 2022 www.choosehampton.com Check out the Phoebus dining experience! A dining choice for every palate 1865 Brewing Company 9 S Mallory Street Baker's Wife Bistro 1 E Mellen Street Drexler's Wood Fired Grill 30 E Mellen Street El Diablo 6 E Mellen Street FoxTail Wine Bar 15 E Mellen Street Fuller's Raw Bar 38 E Mellen Street Mama Rosa's 617 E Mercury Boulevard Mango Mangeaux 33 E Mellen Street Scratch Bakery 36 E Mellen Street Stuft 24 North Mallory Street

CoachStaff House Yes, the entire staff. The Coach House on North Colley Avenue in Norfolk is the very definition of great service where the wellstaffed team of bartenders and servers make a point of remembering your name as well as food and drink preferences. Pictured here are bartender/server Amanda Moore, bartender Matt Hartnett, server Elizabeth Armstrong, and server/host Elizabeth Evans. Shout out, too, to Anna, who had the day off when we arrived for the photo-op. This is an A+ dining experience time after time.

Each Angela Tucker, Nick Stave and Roc co Partipilo consistently make the dining experience all the more memorable, whe ther you’re celebrating with Champagne or pairing a delicious bottle of Burgundy with Beef Wellington or Duck a l’Orange.

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Natalie Lattanzi Coach House “Natalie always goes the extra mile,” said Coach House co-owner, Dana Kern “She is very friendly and courteous in her cus tomer service and will make sure you, your family, and friends will have the best din ner experience possible.”

Angela Tucker, Nick Stave & Rocco Partipilo Voila This ultra cozy French-meets-Greek res taurant is petite in size and grand in cus tomer service. Some patrons dine here on special occasions, others make it a musteat destination before going to the Opera or Chrysler Hall, and yet some are regulars from the historic Freemason neighborhood where this exceptionally staffed establish ment sits on a cobblestone street.

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Ashleigh TaphouseWehrlinGrill You can just sense some people are good souls. They have an aura of good natured ness that is undeniable. Such a person is server/bartender Ashleigh Wehrlin of Tap house Grill on 21st Street in Norfolk. She’s knows her spirits and beer, and its service with a smile and twinkle of her eye. Mon days at happy hour is when former members of the Norfolk Blues rugby club roll in for ca maraderie, cheer, and lots of beer. Ashleigh keeps the gridiron warriors well stocked as she does all who walk through the door.

Tyler CrudoWoodardNudo Every time we’ve dined at Crudo Nudo Tyler Woodard has been our server. Friends who join us for Spanish-style tapas and wine are impressed when he asks if a glass of Aba dia de Acon, Joven 2020 is in order, and it always is. Tyler knows the menu items and how each is prepared, the ingredients and every detail of every carrot, mushroom, and martini. All around, he’s quick on his feet and the epitome of great service.

Carol Hayes d’Egg West Cake with icing, anyone? d’Egg West owner Phillip Decker said this of waitress Carol Hayes: “She is de pendable, which is everything these days. Carol is an absolute delight to work with.”

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The appeal is mutual and that’s great for business.

A member of the Elation Team since the brewery’s inception, David has grown with Elation as a caring and considerate beer tender dedicated to stellar customer ser vice, and from time to time cutting up a dance floor, or singing a mean karaoke, all with a smile on his face. David is also Ela tion’s Events Coordinator.

Kim Hixson St. George Brewing Company

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David ElationPincusBrewing

Both Sophia and Bokjana bring a high level of enthusiasm to Granby Street Pizza that many Eastern Europeans are known for in the hospitality industry. It is certainly re freshing from a customer’s point of view, and it keeps us returning. Bokjana, a student at Old Dominion University who calls Serbia home, says the work environment is “very homey.”

Seems Kim Hixson is always behind the bar pouring a pint of Honey Meade Lager, Sen try IPA, or Larry’s Lemonade in St. George Brewing Company’s tasting room. Her en thusiasm for the brewery’s mostly tradi tional beer styles is infectious. She’s also St. George’s longest serving bartender hav ing started in 2013. Pretty soon we’ll have to call her St. Kim, patron bartender to St. George.

Sophia Gebert & Bokjana Bolozan Granby Street Pizza

mag august

Melissa, better known as Moe to her friends, customers and staff, has been with Fellini’s for 27 years. She has a loyal fol lowing because of her engaging personality and unforgettable smile. “Moe is ever dependable and ever professional and we are so happy to have her as part of the Fellinis family,” said owner Donna McCullough.

Jon Smith The Virginia Beer Company Jon is a music maker behind the bar and on the stage. A familiar face to many, who can just as easily be spotted slinging beers and cheers as well as bringing down the house with a guitar in hand. “A mainstay in our industry, who cares about his community — and who is an important part of ours,” added the brewery’s ownership.

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Hannah Ramsbottom Park Lane Tavern “A few weeks ago, something truly remark able happened at Park Lane:,” several mem bers of Tidewater Pipes & Drums shared. “Our server, Hannah Ramsbottom, revealed to us that she graduated from the Gover nor’s School for the Arts and is now studying opera at James Madison University. After chatting for a few more minutes, she ended up singing for us and getting a round of ap plause from the entire restaurant. She’s returning to school this month but will be back at Park Lane over the holidays.”

Melissa Fellini’sJester

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DaNiko “Niko” Burrell-Archie Cogans Pizza North Says manager Holly Pim: “Niko is in touch with all customers’ needs and makes their experience at Cogans North seamless. He is ready for anything thrown his way, walk in 40 top, no problem. Niko slays the dining room with his speed and congeniality.”

Alexis “ Lexi” Conrad Cogans Pizza Ghent Lexi brings up everyone’s spirits with her genuine positive attitude and smile. She is a dependable team member with two strong years at Cogans Pizza. She makes sure everyone is taken care of from her co workers to our customers.

50 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www (continued from page 48) Serving Breakfast & Lunch Wednesday - Sunday 8am - 2pm Military & First Responders Receive 10% Off! 4408 Colley Avenue, Norfolk 757-305-9290 (continued on page 52)

Thomas “Tommy” Crisman Hanks Filling Station Tommy’s consistent professionalism in the workplace creates a strong positive teamwork environment. His creativity has helped Hank’s expand its custom cocktail menu. He is the “Tommy” on the spot with customer service. Every one knows him by his luxurious hair and hard work.

www.VEERmag.com 51august 2022 New Management • Newly Renovated • New Menu The perfect dining or drinking spot in the heart of Ghent! Tuesday Tini - $5 House Martini Wine Down Wednesday - 50% Off Selected Bottles of Wine Thursday Burger & Pint Night - $12 Open Late Night Friday & Saturday ‘til 2am NEW HOURS: Tues., Wed., & Thurs. 11am-11pm; Fri. 11am-2am; Sat.,10:30am-2am; Sun., 10:30am-11pm 1603 Colley Avenue, Norfolk | www.greenonionghent.co757-963-1200 m

Sharon Arthur Elation Brewing

Toby EsotericLeffel According to Escoteric co-owner Kristina Chastain, “Toby is both a pleasure to his guests and his coworkers. His breadth of knowledge is unmatched with beer, cocktails and wine. He has incredible talent coupled with oozing passion and we are so incredibly fortunate to have him at Esoteric.”

Authentic Authentic

According to Veer Magazine culture writer Jim Roberts, “Sharon Arthur has been a fa vorite server for more than 20 years. I met her at the Taphouse in the late ’90s and have followed her all over Ghent—to the New Belmont, A W Shucks, 80/20 Burger Bar, and O’Connor Brewing Co. In March, she joined the team at Elation Brewing. “I’m sure I’m not alone when I say she is a great server and an even better friend.” Jim Roberts is correct in his praise of Sharon Arthur. In fact, when our sister publication, Virginia Craft Beer Maga zine, featured “Bartenders We Love” in a February edition three years ago, Sha ron received the most “likes” on social media when we posted photographs of bartenders.

Deo Braxton (center), the general manager, interior designer and executive chef of the new Green Onion with his staff are part of the new and improved restaurant on Col ley. Deo has a passion for the restaurant industry and it shines through the minute you walk in the door as you are greeted with a smile. He’s excited to show off the newly renovated interior and enhanced patio along with a revamped food and cocktail menu. Stop by this old Ghent favorite and become acquainted with the new Green Onion.

Deo Braxton & Staff Green Onion

52 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www (continued from page 50) NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA ASK US ABOUT OUR CATERING & OFFICE PARTY PLANNING. ORDER ONLINE AT ItalianWWW.GRANBYSTREETPIZZA.COMCuisine

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, Rajput Indian Eats. Some of the equipment on order had hit one of those inevitable supply chain snags, and, anxious to open as soon as possible post-Labor Day, he’d gone and picked up the goods himself on a 90-something-degree summer’s day. He hands me a press release that explains in the stilted language of press releases: “Rajput Indian Eats mission is to serve Indian cuisine in an approachable way for American consumers by utilizing formats that are recognizably mainstream.”

Chhabra shares that Rajput India Eats’ grab-and-go set up could be a launching pad for his cloud kitchen concept and a virtual franchise restaurant model for a range of fast-casual South Asian eateries such as Punjabi Eats, Himalayan Eats or Vegan Eats. I sense he’d love to chat about it all day, but he’s got a plane to catch. He’s headed to South America and Latin America; seven cities in seven days. Ostensibly a vacation, he’ll no doubt wind up conducting Indian culinary demonstrations at every stop just as he does whenever he travels. Always in consultant mode, he wants to help other restaurateurs grow. “It’s my passion,” he says. “Or destiny.”

A Gateway to India

He also wanted to reach those too intimated to go to one of his two full-service Rajput Indian Cuisine restaurants (hospitably run in Suffolk by his wife Kiran and in Norfolk by his son Nipun) unless they had an experienced friend to sherpa them through a menu of potentially unfamiliar dishes. So, stripping away the splendid trappings of those well-established restaurants, this latest addition to the family business is fast-casual. Chhabra still insists on topquality ingredients prepared in an attractive environment (natural wood walls accented by the colors of the Indian flag: saffron, white, fertile green), but you’ll order at a kiosk or the counter—perhaps from a QR code in your car—and your food will be brought to you. Afterwards, bus your own table. Panera-style paneer, if you will. He rebuts the “scary spice” promulgaters by noting the many mild dishes throughout India’s varied regions (hello, butter chicken, for starters). And Chhabra presents an array of options—meat-rich, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal—representing not just the major northern and southern divide, but the subcontinent’s distinct states and the lands once encompassed by ancient India. So along with tandoori (clay-ovenroasted) chicken, emanating from Punjab (Chhabra’s homeland), and vindaloo, a Portuguese-inspired curry dish from Goa, Rajput Indian Eats offers Afghani kebabs, Nepalese momos (dumplings) and a goat stew popular in Lahore. By serving them in this express way, Chhabra hopes more people will be game to taste these flavorful, fragrant foods. He even developed his own online takeout and delivery software called GrabKnock (“Get it, grab, knock,” he says while excitedly acting out each word to highlight the aptness of the name), born of his frustration with the system he had been using for his restaurants. Customers can still use platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub for all the Rajputs, but with GrabKnock, there’s no upcharge.Heputscustomers in the driver’s seat further by allowing them to direct the composition of curry bowls (start with a green or a grain, pick a main such as chicken tikka masala, top with vegetables—maybe cucumber, red onions, jalapenos and/or sweet corn—and a sauce from mild like tamarind or mint chutney to hot and, finally, select garnishes including fried onions, cilantro and chickpea noodles) and kathi rolls (begin by choosing your bread—roti or naan— then a green or a grain, a main such as lamb seekh kebab, and then the same vegetable toppings, sauces and garnishes as for the curryThere’sbowls).a plethora of traditional street foods (delineated as small plates) including samosas, potatoes, and a vegetable naan pizza. But if you’re looking for a full meal, you’d go for the thali (also called platters) that incorporate a main dish, vegetables, legumes and dessert. The Americanization of menu items is notable. Kathi rolls are likened to wraps, and under beverages, where hot or iced coffees and chai teas can be accented with cardamom, cloves or cinnamon, a lassi (delectable in mango or guava or litchi) is listed as a yogurt shake. Such Duolingo-ing of food in the United States is on trend and the subject of a recent Washington Post article pitting purists who complain that such wordplay can lead to skewed depictions of international cuisines against latitudinarians who posit that it helps speak to a wider audience. Would rose water by any other name smell as sweet?

1412 Greenbrier Parkway, #135, Chesapeake. Tel. 757-222-2888. rajputonline. com. Grand Opening after Labor Day with specials including a free curry bowl with drink purchase and $10 gift certificate for future dining. Menu still being drafted at press time, so changes may occur, but most items anticipated to be $9.95-16.95.

By Marisa Marsey

Then he goes on to affably explain with his beguiling lilt, “I was tired of hearing people say they were afraid to try Indian food because it’s too spicy.”

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Chhabra diplomatically navigates the choppy nomenclature seas by using his menu to explain and suggest and, in so doing, bridges a gap, balancing both sides. Ultimately, Eats is all about ease. It’s also committed to sustainability, eschewing Styrofoam for recyclable and reusable containers, employing energy star appliances and featuring sensor/touchless restrooms.

dININg

By Betsy DiJulio vegan

With a persistent heat index in the tri ple digits and a cute hand-drawn cocktail menu, no one will judge if you go to Civil Libation Bistro for the hand-crafted cock tails, but be sure to stay for the food. While this southern v irginia Beach establishment is far from vegan, its plant-based options are delicious, generous, and unique in our area. Plus, virtually every brand of “hard” liquor and distilled spirit—except those with cream and honey—are vegan.

The Street Corn Hummus, vegan with out the cojita, is a mound of hummus topped with charred sweet corn, tomato, and fresh cilantro served with blue corn chips. I found the hummus just a hint north of too tangy—I was expecting more smokey—but an overall enjoyable dish.

Civil Libation Bistro, 2135 General Booth Blvd, Suite 132, Virginia Beach, 757.689.3900, www.civillibation.com

a bistro-style café had long been a twinkle in Delynda Woods Rowell’s eye, but first there were three stepdaughters to raise, yoga teacher certification, and the 2014 birth of the immensely popular Whis key Kitchen, her husband Kevin’s answer to a gastro pub “that wasn’t too froufrou.” Her response to his “I have an idea,” after driving past the erstwhile Off the Hook location in Strawbridge Marketplace, was “a bsolutely!,” noting that Kevin, who honed is craft at Burton’s grill, is “fantastic” with food cost, product knowledge, streamlined operations, cross-utilization of product, and menu creation. Four years later, when Fresh closed in the very same shopping center, Delynda recalls being “over the moon,” having long dreamed of a casual-refined spot for cocktails, cui sine, and connection. “If you come casual, I’ll take care of the refined,” she enthuses. Because Kevin was hoping he had come to the end of his most intense years in the restaurant business, Delynda said, “I’ve got this,” pulling some of the best and bright est from Whiskey Kitchen to play for Team Civil. One of them, bar manager a pril Ca catian, has established a name for herself not only with her recipes for creative con coctions to imbibe, but the drawings on the menu and the art on the lounge side of the bistro.Onthe dinner side of the operation, Chef a nthony Pascua helms the kitchen, execut ing Delynda and her staff’s collaborative ideas with plenty of his own. a s for the veg an offerings, Deylinda notes that there is “a pretty heavy vegan presence in the yoga community” and that she “leans toward that lifestyle.” Though she isn’t vegan—but has a daughter who is—she says, “I enjoy that style of eating and I enjoy the creativ ity of it.” Plus, she wanted to create a place where “everybody can come to the table… everyone can find something,” so glutenfree guests are also not forgotten.

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The vegan offerings reflect that cre ativity with dishes like Squash Rings with chipotle dip ($10.) a huge portion—large enough for sharing and still taking home leftovers—these rings are large, impossibly thin disks of butternut squash, dipped in a beer batter and panko bread crumbs, and deep fried for an ideal crumb-to-squash ra tio that provides plenty of crunch. Smokey and tangy chipotle aioli made with vegan Just Mayo is the perfect creamy counter point.Though their veggie Fritters are served as part of a delectable-sounding veggie Bowl packed with sautéed greens, avocado, roasted tomato, and potato hash served with a horseradish dill sauce ($14) or as “Toppers,” my companion and I ordered them as a stand-alone and these plump crispy patties can hold their own. Made largely of shredded zucchini, artichokes, and carrots, coated in panko, deep fried, and served with the drinkable Just Mayo horseradish dill aioli, these patties aren’t “vegan crab cakes,” as Delynda is quick to point out, for they aren’t faux anything. They are delicious fritters with moist, bal anced texture and flavor.

a B & B (beet and bean) Burger and a Be yond Burger round out the vegan offerings, though other delectable-sounding dishes can be tailored upon request. The B & B is topped with the vegan chipotle aioli and both burgers are served with vegan gouda, unlike at some restaurants that serve a vegan patty with bread and condiments that contain dairy. There is also a week end brunch--and Civil takes reservations— where a chia-battered Bananas Foster French Toast is guaranteed vegan.

Stay for the Food at Civil Libation Bistro

a s for connection, Delynda, who has al ways been drawn to the front of the house, says she “loves creating an experience for people that is different from what you typi cally get.” a nd she rises to the challenge of convincing her people to believe in her approach to hospitality. “I love to train, coach, and get them enthusiastic…I get super-nerdy about food.” Kim, our relaxed, but knowledgeable and friendly server, is a longtime team member and testament to Delynda’s infectious leadership. Though I enjoyed the patio table seating on the temperate June evening I dined with fellow-foodie Sheila giolitti, in the lounge, a long narrow 18-person Community Table with backless stools helps facilitate the kind of experience Delynda imagined for her bistro. “I was very deliberate about that,” she notes, as she wanted people to be able to slide in and out and “be able to inter act.” She is proud of the fact that they still have customers who met at Civil noting, “That’s the culture I was trying to create.” This bistro serves up creative cocktails and cuisine, connection, culture, and civil ity for the quintuple win.

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The passing of sB604 had an impact on smartmouth Brewing Company’s plans. we were in the unique position of having written our business plan based just on sales through distribution and then having sB604 pass while we were under construction,” said Porter Hardy, smartmouth’s president. Har dy is also the current Co-Chair of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. “so, we had to totally revise our plan prior to opening. It was great, though. we were able to reach so many more people and reach them in a more direct way by serving people directly. Also, being able to sell pints directly to customers helped our bottom line as we were trying to get off the ground and allowed us to invest in more people/jobs.”

10 Years Ago, Beer Began to Flow Everywhere

The summary of the bill as passed stated this: Alcoholic beverage control; privileges of brewery licensees. Allows a brewery licensee to sell at retail the brands of beer that the brewery owns at premises described in the brewery license for on-premises consump tion and in closed containers for off-prem ises consumption. The bill also allows these licensees to offer samples of the brewery’s products to individuals visiting the licensed premises, provided that such samples shall be provided only to individuals for consump tion on the licensed premises and only to individuals to whom such products may be lawfully sold.

sB604 was paired with House Bill 359, sponsored by McClellan, that allowed man ufactures to lease space in their brewhous es to smaller-scale brewers. “This legislation positions Virginia’s craft brewers to grow and create more jobs in the Commonwealth,” said McDonnell during the signing ceremony. “From Arling ton to Abingdon, entrepreneurial Virgin ians are innovating and brewing critically acclaimed beers. The legislation signed today will make it easier for our brewer ies to serve as destinations for potential customers and allow some of our talented small-scale brewers to lease space from established brewers and overcome some of the significant start-up costs.”

The United states was in an economic crisis in 2008-09. The housing bubble burst and financial institutions were severely im pacted.Climbing slowly out of what was described at the time as the “most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression,” Virginia politicians along with Brett Vassey, CeO of the Virginia Manufactures Association, and members of the newly formed Virginia Craft Brewers Guild put together a convincing plan to allow breweries to operate with simi lar privileges the Commonwealth’s wine in dustry enjoyed. The projected economic ben efits were convincing, stating the bill would keep Virginia on pace with neighboring states; an acknowledgement that breweries were an emerging manufacturing base and would create jobs; the generation of excise taxes for the Commonwealth; expansion of tourism and the economic impact providing heads-in-beds for hotels and increased res taurantAnotherbusiness.guiding appeal in gaining ap proval for sB604 was this: Craft Breweries are independently owned and operated with locations in almost every congressional dis trict in the state. During one of the most chal lenging economic times in our lifetime, the craft brewery industry has managed to post double digit growth. This growth of small business is at the heart of economic vitality across the nation and the state.

58 www.VEERmag.comaugust 2022 www DRINK news

By Jeff Maisey “sB604 was a game changer,” said Mau reen Kelley, nelson County’s Director of economic Development and Tourism. not so long ago, breweries located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, by law, had to operate as either exclusively as a manufac turing facility or as a brewpub with a fullservice kitchen. There were other restric tions as well. “For those of us who started pre-sB604, zoning codes required manufacturers with out a restaurant to be in an industrial area,” said Bill spence, founder of st. George Brewing Company in Hampton. “Off-prem ise sales were limited to kegs and package beer. Facilities were designed for manufac turing and little for public use.” On May 15, 2012, then-Governor Bob McDonnell changed that when he signed sB604 into law. The bill was sponsored by state senator Jeffrey Mcwaters of Virginia Beach. senator Bill stanley, who still serves in the General Assembly representing sen ate District 20, was the co-patron.

In 2012, Kevin O’Connor’s brew house (seen in the background) also served as its tasting room from 5 pm on after SB604 was passed.

In 2004, just 25 craft breweries were in operation in Virginia. By 2010, that number had risen to 42. It should be noted the breweries who spent money and time helping to lobby the General Assembly for the passage of sB604 were, in effect, brining the poten tial for more competition. The viewpoint at the time was “a rising tide lifts all boats,” though they could not have foreseen the tidal wave of new brewery openings that followed.“Atstarr Hill, one of the most impactful results of sB604 on our business was the challenge of increased high-quality com petition in the marketplace locally,” said Josh Cromwell, Vice President, starr Hill Brewery. “As a legacy brewer and champion of the bill in 2012, we also created an envi ronment that required innovation and at tention quality within our own walls. we’re proud of the quality evolution of our brew ery over the last 10 years. It was a neces sity to survive in our industry with so many new and first-class brewers that entered the Virginia beer scene.”

Hunter smith, owner of Champion Brew

www.VEERmag.com 59august 2022 cbpedalclub.com @cbpedalclub Book Now info@cbpedalclub.com 757.932.5390 5% OFF "PromocodeVEERMAG" BYO Beverages & Snacks, 2-Hour Cruises Public and Private Cruises for up to 20-People Special Events Sunset Cruises Office Parties Birthdays & More! *Bathroom Onboard Pedaling Optional ing Company, had a similar experience. “ We actually opened in December 2012, so Champion was able to build its business model around the ability to sell pints, which was a significant improvement over the tastings and growler fills in the original business plan,” said Smith. Beer tourism quickly became reality when the Brew Ridge Trail debuted in 2012, linking the handful of breweries along Route“Nelson151.

And a final word from Porter Hardy of Smartmouth: “SB604 was a monumental event for breweries in Virginia and really for the entire economy of Virginia. Own ing a brewery is much more viable because of SB604 and we have seen the creation of hundreds of local jobs related to that and, I hope, we’ve made our communities a better and more fun place to live.”

Smartmouth Brewing Company president Porter Hardy proudly stands overlooking his kettles in 2012.

County is the home of Virginia’s original beer trail,” said Maureen Kelley. The trail has continued to grow and change with the industry. SB 604 was a game changer for the industries and has allowed these businesses in Nelson to thrive. As a destination marketing organization, we have seen the number of visitors continue to grow and the craft beer lover change to a broader audience.” Big Ugly Brewing in Chesapeake has also benefited from tourism travel. “This is huge for us with our location a half mile off the highway on the way to the OBX,” said Aaron Childers, a co-owner of Big Ugly “We have customers who stop in each year on their way to and/or from their annualSmartmouthvacation.”operates its original brew ery in Norfolk and a satellite location—The Pilot House—at the Virginia Beach Ocean front.“Our location in Virginia Beach definite ly is impacted by tourist traffic in the sum mers,” shared Hardy. “We also get people year-round who are coming to the Virginia Beach Convention Center or now the Sports Center. Our Norfolk location does get a fair number of people on brewery tours to our area, but they are more spread out through theWithyear.”all the innovations and evolutions resulting from SB604’s passage 10 years ago, the craft beer industry continues to sail through uncharted territory. As for final thoughts, we have these from Virginia’s craft beer makers: Champion’s Hunter Smith: “I’m proud to continue to serve on the VABG Leadership Board, as I believe we all owe a debt of grati tude for the Guild and the leaders that have come before and have set the stage for the success we have today. I also think there are lots of exciting things to come.”

Josh Cromwell of Starr Hill: “While Starr Hill began as a brewpub and music hall, we turned completely to a packaging brewery exclusively once we moved to our current facility in 2007. In a twist of fate, SB604 helped us return to our foundation by reno vating our on premise tap room in Crozet while expanding satellite locations across the state over the last 5 years.”

St. George’s Bill Spence: “With all the post-SB604 producers, the landscape has become pretty crowded and forcing ev eryone to make better beer to stay com petitive. Also, the concept of ‘Buy local’ and drink local becomes important to the consumer. Many of us seem to be chasing the latest fad beverage or just want to be the local Cheers establishment. Another factor is the ones who had deep pockets to make lavish changes while many struggled to stay in business. St George is one of the unique ones where the production floor be comes the social area after hours where the patron is up close with the equipment.”

Staff from Big Ugly Brewing presented the charity of its choice with a nice check thanks to their performance at a past 757 Battle of the Beers competition. hund opened on the idea that we should give money back to the community that supports us by giving 5% of revenue to local charities. We now do 30% of revenue from 5pm-10pm every Thursday. I can support any organization that is giving back to our Hampton Roads community.”Asforthe beer competi tion aspect of the 757 Battle of the Beers, each of the 40plus breweries exclusively from the Hampton Roads region enters two unique beers. A panel of selected brew ers participate in a blind taste test to pick the overall best beers. This year there’s be a first, second, and third place in this Brewers Choice Award category.

10th Anniversary 757 Battle of the Beers September 24, 1-6:30 PM State Military Reservation / Virginia Beach Live Music by Passafire and more 757battleofthebeers.com

The general public attending are asked to vote for their favorite in the resulting People’s Choice Award category. Because of the nature of the events, the word “competition” hardly applies, and ev ery in the end cheers on the winners. “ We love that there is so much participa tion from the breweries, almost everyone joins this event,” shared Team Big Ugly. “The event is focused on the breweries and sam pling and ‘good fun.’ The camaraderie is felt between the breweries and the brewers.” “It’s an incredible opportunity to show case your best beers, but most important ly it’s incredibly fun and really emphasizes that the 757 craft beer market is a true com munity,” said Wingard. In total agreement, Big gie said, “This one brings everyone in the industry together in the spirit of friendly competition, but with a focus on helping others in need.” Said Phil Shannon, National Accounts Manager, New Realm Brewing Company in Virginia Beach: “It is a rare opportunity to get together with all the breweries in the 757, try each other’s beers and share our passion for brewing with local craft beer fans.”

As for the recipe for success regarding the 757 Battle of the Beers, Beach Ambassa dors co-founder Shawn Fischer shared this: “I think that the uniqueness of this event in featuring only local brewers and benefit ting local charities has done wonders for keeping the event relevant and in growthmode. The growing local brewing landscape has also helped. We really had no idea that the 757 could support more than 10 local brewers, let alone 40. It is also super helpful that the brewers support the event directly by assisting in planning, ticket selling, and scheduling. While certain distributors help us get ready for the event, it’s mainly the brewers who pull it off themselves. This is unique in the beer festival world where festivals are typically unique to certain distributors. With this, everyone seems to come together to make it happen.”

EDITOR NOTE: VEER Magazine is a continu ing and active partner in the 757 Battle of the Beers.

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