May 2023 VEER Magazine

Ghent Pride

In Search of Excellence

By Tom Robotham

One of my favorite moments in the history of television is the opening scene of Newsroom, a short-lived HBO series about a jaded TV anchor, Will McAvoy, played by Jeff Daniels. In the scene, McAvoy is asked at a college forum why America is the greatest country in the world.

“It ’s not,” he answers, and rattles off a list of our nation’s failings. Then, after a dramatic pause, he says, “It sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons… We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed. We cared about our neighbors. We put our money where our mouths were, and we never beat our chests. We built great big things, made ungodly technical advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and we cultivated the world ’s greatest artists and the world ’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars.”

The scene packs an emotional punch for me because I share the sense that we—as a nation— no longer strive for excellence. At the same time, I’m acutely aware that this response may be rooted, at least in part, in the natural tendency of people to imagine the era of their childhood as a golden age.

And so I’m moved to reflect on the question: Have our society and culture changed for the worse?

For starters, I reject simplistic answers: the facile yes from many people in my age cohort, and the reflexive dismissal from many younger people. There are many arguments to be made on both sides, but the question is valid. To argue otherwise is to suggest that cultural criticism is off limits—especially for people over the age of 60.

Whenever I watch the clip—and I have a number of times because I play it for my students as a catalyst for discussion—I immediately think, “Hold on, now,” when McAvoy asserts that America “sure used to be” the greatest country in the world.

During the era that we “reached for the stars,” after all—the 1960s—America wasn’t so great for women, Black folks, or gays and lesbians. That our country has improved dramatically in the sphere of civil rights seems undeniable to me—the recent backlashes from reactionaries notwithstanding.

The notion that we used to fight for moral reasons is also questionable. I believe that we did in World War II—but we certainly didn’t in Vietnam.

In many other respects, however, I would argue that our culture and society have declined.

Let ’s start with the notion that we used to reach for the stars—a phrase that can be taken literally, as a reference to the Apollo space missions, and figuratively, as a reference to a general striving for innovations of all kinds. That striving for innovative achievement, it seems to me, characterizes much of the 20th century, both in the public and private sectors. Consider two

prime examples. The first is the construction of the Empire State Building, which was completed in just over one year. Today it takes longer than that to complete some mediocre suburban office park—a fact that represents not only a societal slothfulness but an embrace of architectural mediocrity. The second is the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which Eisenhower signed on June 29, 1956 (the very day I came into this world, as it happens.) Yes, in time, the building of Interstates became problematic because many old neighborhoods were destroyed in the process. Nevertheless, the boldness of vision behind the project represented a belief in our ability to build a great infrastructure for a great nation.

I also think it ’s worth considering the phrase literally—for the Apollo missions were important in and of themselves. In addition to making scientific breakthroughs, they were profoundly inspiring, symbolizing the idea that if we put our minds behind an aspiration, we can do anything. In subsequent decades, the space program languished. And while it ’s true that in recent years it ’s gotten more attention, we have now handed over much of the project to Space X, as if to concede that we the people are no longer capable of great public enterprises. If the government has any role anymore, in the minds of many Americans, it ’s the building of walls to keep out undesirables. And that, too, is more than about the ostensible goal of immigration control. It is symbolic as well. It suggests that we have replaced great aspirations with a siege mentality, which reflects a sense of weakness at our core.

Trump's Wall, of course, symbolizes yet another way in which our culture has been degraded: the wall between Republicans and Democrats, which has made bipartisan cooperation seem almost as quaint as rotary telephones.

Back in the ’50s and ’60s, moreover, the middle class was growing vigorously, based on a widespread belief in the American dream. Since the ’70s, by contrast, it has been losing ground, according to many studies, including those done by Pew Research. Contributing to this were shifts toward policies favoring the rich and super-rich—shifts that reflected the “Looking Out for Number 1” mindset ushered in by Reagan. That mindset resulted, over time, in a disintegration of our sense of community.

A recent Wall Street Journal poll documented this decline, revealing that only 27 percent of respondents say community involvement is very important. The same poll, meanwhile, showed that only 38 percent of respondents think that patriotism is very important.

I realize that some folks may regard the latter statistic as a good thing, since patriotism is often associated with chauvinistic nationalism. But as Jill Lepore points out in her excellent 2019 book This America: The Case for Nation, nation-

alism has come to mean “something different from patriotism, something fierce, something violent: less a love for your own country than a hatred of other countries… and a hatred of people within your own country who don’t belong to an ethnic, racial or religious majority.”

Patriotism, in other words, is a love of our nation’s founding ideals, as well as the ideal expressed in Emma Lazarus’ great poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The idea of our nation as a beacon of hope— a sanctuary—is surely one of the things that marks its greatness, even though anti-immigration initiatives have stained our record many times throughout our history. But it ’s worth remembering the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act which ended a discriminatory quota system—a system that President Johnson called “un-American” and “cruel.”

Today, Republicans, at least, have fallen back into that aforementioned siege mentality, when it comes to immigration—an admission, once again, of weakness: the idea that we are no longer capable of being a beacon of hope for huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

So yes, I would say that on this count we were a far better nation in 1965.

Our culture, too, seems to have fallen into a kind of decadence, which I define not in moral terms but simply as a lack of energy, as the great historian Jacques Barzun did in his 1999 masterwork From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life. The lack of musical innovation over the last few decades seems to reflect this. Certainly there are a whole lot of people producing great music today, but the artistic energy pales in comparison to the innovative drive that characterized much of the 20 th century, from the birth of jazz to the birth of hip-hop. At the same time, our social energy seems to have flagged, defined as it is by TikTok challenges rather than a real sense of community that characterized the miracle of Woodstock, when a peaceful and joyful gathering nearly the size of the entire population of Virginia Beach took place on a single farm in upstate New York.

I realize that of all the things I’ve said, these last remarks are most likely to elicit, “OK, Boomer.” So be it. I’ll merely point out that when I asked my Gen-Z students recently, they overwhelmingly said that they thought today’s popular culture lacks vitality in comparison to earlier decades.

Their emphatic response reinforced my sense that I’m not just wallowing in nostalgia. It seems to me that we’ve lost a widespread vision of greatness—socially, politically and culturally—and faith in our ability to achieve it. Perhaps that will change as new generations emerge. In the meantime, if you disagree with me, make your best case. I’m listening.

Tom Robotham welcomes feedback at tomrobotham@gmail.com

Tom

Diane Catanzaro, Chris Jones, Jerome Langston, Marisa Marsey, Jim Morrison, Montague Gammon III, Betsy DiJulio and Jim Roberts, Kate Mattingly, Joel Rubin, Mark Edward Atkinson

Bobby Lawrence

1314 WILLOW WOOD DR. IN NORFOLK

Exceptional Lafayette Riverfront property, approximately 100’ of broad waterfront with quick channel access. This home has been reconstructed and reconfigured for added space and closets. Enjoy exquisite views from your wide back porch that leads to a patio with brick walkway to a pier and boat lift. This home features formal rooms, office, and a large Eat-In kitchen with custom cabinets, granite counters, and stainless-steel appliances. The primary suite has walls of windows with lots of light and a marble tiled primary bath with walkin shower, tub, and double sink vanity. There is a total of four ensuite bedrooms. The circular drive leads to a newer detached full 2 car garage. Additional features include Hardie Plank siding, Andersen windows, and an architectural roof. All electrical, plumbing, sewer line, & bulkhead have been replaced. Offered At $1,095,000

512 PEMBROKE AVE IN NORFOLK

Splendid turn of the century home located in Ghent’s Historic Hague waterfront community. Incredible architecture and detail throughout this home with extraordinary original mill work, handcrafted moldings, 12ft coffered ceilings, and quarter sawn oak floors. Elegant 16’X17’ foyer with magnificent staircase. Stained glass windows imported from Europe. Library & Family rooms have Tiger Oak walls. Two parlors, stately dining room, and kitchen (2016) with stainless steel Chef’s appliances, marble countertops, and French doors leading to deck and patio. Oversized primary suite with foyer, walk-in closet with built-in drawers, and primary bath with steam shower, separate tub, granite counters, and dual sinks. Exterior features a large front porch, tile roof, and generator (2021). Close to The Williams School, Ghent’s waterfront, EVMS, CHKD, & Sentara Heart Pavilion. No flood insurance required. Offered At $1,075,000

6600 NEWPORT AVE. IN NORFOLK

Extraordinary Contemporary home with the perfect blend of graceful and casual living that is ideal for entertaining. You will love overlooking a peaceful marsh and wetland views from your oversized deck. This home has oak floors, 10’ ceilings, French doors, and lovely moldings. The eat-In kitchen has custom cabinetry, granite countertops, and new Italian tile flooring. In addition, there is an Inviting sunroom with built-ins. Primary bedroom has vaulted ceilings, a dressing room with two walk-in closets, and a tiled primary bath with double sinks and walk-in shower. Pella windows throughout, a new driveway and new landscaping. Offered At $489,000

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Beautifully maintained home located on approx 1 AC lot. Inviting formal rooms with French doors, refinished oak floors & recently painted int. Kitchen has cherry cabinets, Jenn Aire appls, granite countertops that lead to a 13X16 sunroom that overlooks a brick patio & lovely backyard. Lg family rm with built-ins & fireplace. Primary bedroom has dressing rm & two closets. Tiled primary bath 2018 with walk-in shower, marble top vanity. Tiled hall bath 2020 with granite top vanity, tub/shower. Gutters and downspouts 2021. Exterior painted 2015, 40 year roof approx 10 yrs old, replaced vinyl windows approx 12 yrs old, HVAC approx 5 yrs old. Close proximity to interstates, Maryview and Portsmouth Naval hospitals. Well/Pump, playhouse & sheds with electricity in good condition but as is. No flood insurance required. Offered At $439,000

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Darrell Redmond is a Motivated Man on a Mission

By Joel Rubin

Languishing in both juvenile and adult Virginia lockups for 25 years, felon Darrell Redmond could not have imagined that this past April 16, he would be the star attraction at a Hampton fund raiser, attended by local mayors, business leaders, social workers, a TV news crew and a couple dozen children, Black like him, and thanks to him, hopefully never to be like him. His story reads like a movie script (I see Jamie Foxx as Darrell). A poor, pissed-off, problematic kid from Portsmouth, receiving minimal guidance from a drug addicted mother and a blind father, commences a depressing life of delinquency. No rapes or murders but a string of robberies, drug deals, gun charges and other infractions that, he figured, would surely result in an early demise.

At his last stop, the Lunenberg Correctional Center, but now with a GED in hand from the Department of Corrections though distraught over the death of his grandmother and the murder of a beloved first cousin, he joined a prison fellowship. “ They taught me to lead in a different way and to make better choices.” Released in 2019, Darrell returned to the scene of many of his crimes, Portsmouth and specifically London Oaks Apartments where he grew up, but this time, he stopped hating the cops and started talking straight with residents, particularly the kids, many of whom were afraid to walk to school and were arming up to defend themselves.

Darrell understood the despair but also the lack of proper home environments, leading to teens learning to settle arguments with weapons, not words. The mental health of his community was awful as was the seeming indifference of the rest of us to what was happening in London Oaks and so many other economically and spiritually impoverished neighborhoods.

Within two months, he had founded a non-profit, “Give Back 2 Da Block,” and was again hitting the streets, connecting with politicians, businesses and even police who

saw Darrell, not as a troublemaker, but as an “ intervener ” who could speak candidly to his people and lower both the vitriol and the body count. Indeed the city awarded him a grant to be a “credible messenger.”

Redmond though went further, organizing after school mentorship programs, distributing turkeys at Thanksgiving and toys at Christmas, taking kids to ballgames and generally being the willing ear at the other end of the line for whoever needed one.

His efforts caught the attention of local reporters, including David Alan at WVEC , Antoinette Delbel at WTKR and Andy Fox at WAVY, who produced compelling TV news stories. Ali Sullivan wrote a profile for the Pilot.

Susan Pilato read it. The award-winning local interior designer (Sandra Bullock would play her in my imagined film)

was moved. “I contacted Darrell and said I wanted to help.” But Susan went beyond just stroking a check, introducing him to her circle of friends, setting the stage for that elegant April fund raiser at the old Post Office in downtown Hampton that attracted Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover (who is connecting Redmond to resources in his hometown), plus Hampton’s Donnie Tuck and two council members (Hope Barrett and Chris Bowman) as well as Alton Bell, that city ’s eloquent and passionate Commonwealth ’s Attorney and the evening’s keynote speaker, who would love to work himself out of a job as the elected prosecutor tasked with sending too many mis-directed black males to prison.

Darrell is seemingly everywhere all the time, securing grants and other donations, meeting corporate and government types and attending civic events. He promotes evidence-based practices and is anxious for municipalities to bring in national experts to conduct training. “Intervention works faster than prevention,” he says. Financial help also came from his cousin LaShawn Merritt, an Olympic champion sprinter (Beijing and Rio), and others he’s met who rightly view him as one answer to the prayers of a region desperate for solutions to what ails it, the daily and nightly terror that keeps the authorities and media busy and places like London Oaks dangerous, though its crime numbers have plummeted since Darrell ’s engagement.

Until the movie is produced, we here in Hampton Roads have Darrell Redmond to ourselves and boy do we need him. Murder and mayhem, and its attendant victims and perpetrators, plague us. Racism, poverty, lack of values…they are all factors, but without men like Darrell and cheerleaders with checkbooks, volunteer time and connections to decision makers, little changes. Maybe there are more like him wasting away their days behind bars who could, with the right encouragement, turn lives around out here. Until then, let ’s be like Susan Pilato and Give Back 2Da Block.

Joel Rubin is president of Rubin Communications Group and a former television journalist. To learn more about Darrell Redmond and his non-profit, visit https://giveback2dablock.com .

Blues Dancing in Norfolk

Words & Photos

By Pat Jarrett

Nationally, the Tidewater region of Virginia is a focal point of Black culture: From contemporary artists like Pharrell Williams and Missy Elliott, to the beach music of the 1950s and ‘60s, to the Afro-Caribbean and gospel traditions, these roots run deep.

Social dancing in the African American community thrived in grand theaters like the Attucks Theater in Norfolk — referred to as the Apollo of the South — to houses all around the region. Neighborhood house parties, record parties, and rent parties inspired the early dancing of modern innovators like Junious Lee Brickhouse. Junious learned to dance from his mother Lynda in the early 1980s, and as a young man danced with City Limits crew, and today is a leader in the House Dance tradition.

Junious learned to dance where the communities gathered. “For young Black children like myself, that meant community centers, parking lots, dance competitions, any place where young people were sharing with each other and building communities around urban dance forms,” he said in a 2019 interview with the Virginia Folklife Program. In 2019 he was a mentor artist in our Apprenticeship Program and in 2022 he received funding from the Library of Congress to continue documenting Black community dance traditions.

Today, Joshua Purnell is carrying on the tradition of black social dancing in Norfolk. The self-described wallflower said dance and rhythm didn’t come naturally to him, but he had a crush on a girl who brought him to a dance night at Tidewater Blues.

“I started jonesing for more dance so then I started going to Attucks Theater up the street, and they taught swing there,” he said. “So then I started learning swing [dance], and then I started learning West Coast, and and then Chicago step, and Latin.” Now, Joshua is one of the organizers of Tidewater Blues.

Tidewater Blues is a social dance group that gathers once a week at the Fred Heutte Center in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk of about 30 people. The dances are held on the first floor of the narrow, two-story building in a space big enough to accommodate a small yoga class or a group gathering. It’s the perfect size for blues dancing, said Joshua. The intimacy of sharing a small space and dancing echoes the closeness of blues dancing.

“Sometimes I’ ll start by having the students or the dancers rotate and just simply hug each other,” Joshua said. “And wherever you can find a way to connect with your partner, you connect there. And the more that you guys connect, the better you can communicate through the dance.”

It ’s a physical conversation without words, sometimes without wide movements, but instead close dancing and smooth glides across the dance floor. The rhythm of the dance is dictated by the music, so slower R&B songs warrant slower movements than the kind of social dances made popular in the legendary dance halls of Harlem, like the Lindy Hop, a dance created at the Savoy Ballroom in the early 20th century.

“ You’ ll find that that blues dancing was one of the first products of African American culture,” fellow dance organizer Noah Stovall said. He added that when you follow

a modern Black dance back to its roots— like break dancing—it often points to blues dance. “[Blues dancing] was a means for my ancestors to just build a community and maintain that community during times where it was very hard to.”

Both Joshua and Noah underscored the lack of formal steps in blues dancing, emphasizing that it ’s more so a way to connect with and express the music through close, partnered dancing.

Apprentice and photographer Tom Norris met Joshua to make a portrait, with no intent on joining a dance community, but Joshua invited him to a dance lesson and social after the portrait session. He said he was hooked pretty early on.

“

You’re moving physically, you’re feeling that conversation with that person as you’re moving, and you’re listening to the music,” he said. “And have to be in the moment. Don’t focus on whatever is tripping you up. Don’t worry about those things that are making you uncomfortable … You know, you let go and you just go out there and live and enjoy the moment.”

Tidewater Blues meets at the Fred Huette Center in Norfolk on Monday evenings and is free and open to the public. The connections formed between dancers are building blocks to growing this fulfilling movement community. With the tradition of blues dancing at its core, Tidewater Blues, like so many dance groups across the country, nurtures a sense of wellbeing and connectedness. At its roots, as in 2023, moving to the blues has healing benefits.

This article is republished courtesy of Virginia Folklife Program.

Mentor artist Joshua Purnell, center, and Noah Stovall, left, dance with partners. Tidewater Blues meets every Monday at the Fred Huette Center in Norfolk for blues dance instruction and a social dance.

Chandler “Al” Motley wore his best dancing shoes.

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LIKE I AM AN

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“I FEEL LIKE I AM AN IMPORTANT LIFELINE TO THE COMMUNITY.”

A Beloved Teacher and a Norfolk Native: Eva May Morris Gregory

By Kathryn Finney

Inside a large Victorian house on Lafayette Boulevard in Norfolk, thousands of students studied the art of dance with their teacher, Eva May Morris. Her legacy lives on through a merit-based scholarship at Old Dominion University. Its most recent recipient, announced this month, is Alayna Vilardi, an ODU student who is majoring in Dance Education.

Growing up in Norfolk, Morris was one of nine children. At age 3, she started dancing and loved these classes. She told one reporter that she considered dancing as natural as breathing. As a student at Maury High School, she tried to study business but couldn’t stand the classes.

At age 15, she began teaching ballroom dance for the Mabel St. Clair Swift Dance School, and found her lifelong calling. A young Dr. Lewis Webb, the first President of ODU, took private lessons from her during this time.

Morris was determined to run her own dance studio, despite pushback from family members. Her brothers feared she wouldn’t make any money because dancing was considered a “ luxury.” Post-Depression years were economically hard, but Morris persisted.

In 1938, she started teaching in her mother ’s home in Lafayette Park, holding classes in the living and dining rooms. Alongside teaching, Morris pursued her own study of dance by spending summers at the Lucille Stoddard Dance Congress in New York City. There she was a student of Gene Kelly, who was performing on Broadway in “Pal Joey.” Kelly chose Morris as his partner during a class, and the moment was captured in a photo that became a life-sized poster for Morris’ retirement party in 2002.

Even though New York played an influential role in her studies, Morris encouraged students to focus on working with local communities. Family was an important part of Morris’s vision and she hoped that the teachers she trained could run studios, while having families and children of their own.

Morris met the love of her life, L. Cameron Gregory, when they were both children, and reconnected as adults after Gregory saw a photo of Morris in the society pages. They fell in love and married quickly, since Gregory was beginning his career as a naval officer during World War  2. When he returned to Norfolk, they had their daughter, Cam Gregory Williams.

While raising  Cam, Morris continued to teach dancers, sometimes multiple generations within a single family. Cam recalled, “Everyone came away from her classes feeling special.” Because their house was in a residential neighborhood, there was no sign for the Eva May Morris School of Dance. Norfolkians knew the home’s first floor was dedicated to dancing.

Winona resident Ericka Volk, who took ballet classes from Morris in 1987, recalls, “There was no furniture in the rooms, but there were a few freestanding oval mirrors with Queen Anne feet. I remember being really excited to have class with her because she was so nice. All of my friends from the neighborhood went too. She made it fun.”

Morris not only taught dance, but also dispensed lessons in manners and etiquette. She produced yearly showcases for her students at Norfolk ’s Chrysler Hall. Her productions featured singers and comedy routines, plus tap, ballet, jazz and ballroom dancers. She received awards from the United Services Organization, Governor Mark Warner, President George W. Bush, as well as the first Hampton Roads Professional Woman of the Year Pioneer Award.

In 2001, the Eva May Morris Gregory Dance Scholarship was established for ODU students. Its first recipient, Tamika Steeley, remembers meeting  Morris, “She really stressed the importance of community.” Steeley worked as the Director of Dance at Booker T. Washington High School ’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts for 14 years before becoming a dance teacher at Old Donation School in 2022. Steeley says, “Her legacy lives on. I find my life mirroring hers. I am now teaching the children of children I’ve taught. It is an extremely rewarding journey to share dance with students. They are my extended family.”

Morris’s love of dance lives on through ODU students, and they tend to agree with her: dancing can be as natural, and as life-giving, as breathing.

ODU student Alayna Vilardi. Photo by Lyn LeFevre.

THESCENE

25th Anniversary at St. George Brewing Company in Hampton

Our favorite beach community is about to become your new favorite beach community.

7 Miles of Clean Beach, Great Food, and Unique Shops

Ghent Pride Returns

By Jeff Maisey

On Tuesday, June 20, Ghent Pride will return in style thanks to the perseverance of event organizer Robert Roman.

Together with his husband, Claus Ihlemann, Roman has been one of the most active people in Hampton Roads lobbying politicians, businesses, and ordinary people on topics near and dear to the hearts of the LGBTQ+ community, with marriage equality top of the list of major accomplishments.

Robert Roman focused his effort this year on seeing Ghent Pride return as a community event in the paved parking lot of the Palace Shops.

“The big thing is community,” insisted

2023 Pride Month

Events Calendar

Pride Month Launch

June 1

The Bold Mariner Brewing Company

In celebration of Pride Month, Bold Mariner Brewing unveils its Mango Pride Seltzer for an all-day party from Noon to 10 PM. Pride Trivia starts at 6:30 PM.

2023 Pride Month Kick Off Party

June 3 & 4

MJ’s Tavern

Join the Tavern staff and Stonewall Sports as they kick off Pride month Tavern style. Drag queens, bands (including Red Stapler), DJs, food and drink, dunk tans and more. This year it is a 2-day event, outside activities will be from 11 AM until 8 PM both days. Lady Bunny will perform live on stage on Sunday the 4th.

Portsmouth Pride

June 3

Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion portsvacation.com

From 11 AM to 6 PM, enjoy music, dancing, food, beverages, and a large variety of venders will be available. Walk through or stay all day, just come out and show your PRIDE.

Clyde’s Pride

June 3

Sly Clyde Ciderworks

Sly Clyde’s will do their famous tye-dying station and will release Dark Pride of the Moon Cider, full of grapes and pride with a beautiful purple color. Live music, food trucks and more from noon to 6 PM.

The I Am What I Am (IAWIA) Pride

Festival

June 4

Tradition Brewing Company

The Inaugural IAWIA Pride Festival will have c raft beer, food trucks, music, live entertainment, shopping and more.

Celebrate Pride

June 7

Vibrant Shore Brewing Company

Drag queens, craft beer, and more at Vibrant Shore. 5-7 PM.

Pride in the ViBe

June 11

ViBe Park

vibecreativedistrict.org

Enjoy an afternoon for camaraderie and show your Pride. Music, drinks, food, and more.

Pride Burlesque Night

June 12

Gershwin’s Dinner and a show at Gershwin’s.

Virginia Queer Film Festival

June 14-16

Old Dominion University

This first-ever festival of film provides a first-look forum for LGBTQ+ filmmakers and lovers of movies. Come see some amazing new cinematic works. More info at vaqff.org

Phabulous Phoebus Street Festival

June 17

Downtown Phoebus

A colorful, fun street party with entertainers, food, drink and retail vendors.

(continued on page 22)

Roman. “We’re going to have music, food, drag performers, singers, dancers, and vendors. You’re going to be able to bid on vases painted by local artists to promote diversity, inclusion, and love.”

One signature drink will be named after Charles Kirtland, the owner of Gershwin’s, who passed away last year.

The event will cost $13 for entry and the all proceeds — after covering the costs associated with producing the event — will benefit six local non-profit organizations.

“We will make sure that everyone can come to the table,” said Roman. “If you can’t afford that $13, we’ll say come; come anyway.”

Robert Roman takes the lead in organizing the return of Ghent Pride.

Bold Mariner Brewing Company shows its support for Pride Month with this label for its Hard Seltzer with Mango.

(continued from page 20)

Dance Like Dad Pride Party

June 17

The Wave

Sounds like disco music, New Wave and more dance party fun.

Friends of Dorothy Pride Party

June 18

The Virginia Beer Company

Food t ruck, drag bingo and live music while enjoying a pint of Friends of Dorothy Pride

IPA. $10 from every barrel of beer sold goes to support Equality Virginia.

Ghent Pride

June 20, 6-10 pm

The Palace Shops & Station, Norfolk

www.ghentnorfolk.org

Ghent Pride will be hosted by our Master of Ceremonies Mercedes Douglas a nd Robert Roman with performances by local Drag Legends including Sandra Lopez, Jennifer Warner, Jasleane Jade, Diana Rhoss and more. DJ Pup will be spinning music all night with special surprise appearances all night long. Live music, cocktails, food and more. Benefits LGBT Life Center, Hampt on Roads Pride, the

Ghent Business Association, and others.

Pride Night at The Chrysler

June 21

Chrysler Museum of Art

Get dressed up and visit some of the greatest pieces of art the region has to show.

10th Annual Pride Block Party

June 23

The NorVa hamptonroadspride.org

The fun, day before party like it’s 1975.

Hampton Roads Pride Fest

June 24, Noon to 8 pm

Town Point Park, Norfolk

www.hamptonroadspride.org

Entertainment, music, vendors, food, drink, and activities. Plus the not-to-bemissed Boat Parade.

Pride at The Beach

June 25

Neptune Park @ The Oceanfront

A day at the beach with food, drink, and retail vendors. Plus take time to lather the suntan lotion and hit the sand.

Friends of Dorothy Drag Brunch

June 25

The Virginia Beer Company

Live music, and entertaining drag show and more while enjoying a pint of Friends of Dorothy Pride IPA. $10 from every barrel of beer sold goes to support

Equality Virginia.

Pride Party

June 30

The Garage Brewery

Drag queens, craft beer, and more at Garage Brewery in Chesapeake. 4-8 PM.

Virginia Beer Company celebrates Pride

Sponsored

Irene O’Brien

Financial Advisor

Bobby Lawrence Berkshire Hathaway

Ian Holder

Calvin & Lloyd

Ben Munson

Greg Smith

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Using AI Art Programs as a Tool to Create Collaborative Artworks

By John Koehler

On April Fools Days I posted a portrait of myself on Facebook. It was silly, happy, with rainbow colors.

presented at a high level of sophistication.

You can ask a chatbot to write something for you based on a theme. This can be quite helpful for a copywriter or a student looking for details on a given subject, such as history.

The results are so good that the writer or student can actually use the finished chatbot product and claim it for their own.

Same in the art world. A non-artist can type some keywords into an art bot and create a work of art that is amazing.

But if the AI essentially creates everything from scratch, can the humans claim it as their own?

use it with my personal artwork and within my publishing company.

I wanted to use artwork and photos I owned to create new images, and collaborate with the artbot.

I decided to start with artistic

How We Did it

self-portraits and photos of myself. I studies the systems and BOOM, I got some amazing results that were based on my original input. And I felt good about claiming them by using these new tools.

The image that Jeff chose was one of 100 I created using an AI Art program called Runway after loading Jeff and my imagery. I did not type in keywords and ask the program to come up with something cool. Nope. I directed it. Here then is the process.

I wrote that I was coming out as a man of the Rainbow, and at the end said “APRIL FOOLS.” The response from many of my Facebook friends was instantatneous and hilarious, from straight and LGBT friends.

I am a straight arrow!

A few days later I heard from Jeff Maisey, publisher of VEER. Jeff said he liked that image, and wanted me to create something similar for the cover of the Ghent Pride issue, where Robert Roman would be featured to represent the LGBT community.

No question rainbows ruled as Jeff and I laid out the parameters for the cover image.

The Rise of AI

Likely you have become aware of AI in the news over the past year. Chatbots have become available for anyone to use in a conversational manner.

The bots not only operate as a search engine, but they can solve problems in a much more interactive and intuitive manner. The feedback is not a series of optional links for you to wade through, but actual solutions

The Controversy

The advent of AI has created moral issues in our society. Many people are concerned about the potential for trademark or copyright infringement of text and, in particular, imagery.

It is not clear in some cases if the artbot has permission to use an element, or exactly where it pulled an image from.

In education the rules require that students write the majority of the material. Sourcing elements is just fine, but asking a chatbot to write the entire paper is.... not?

Imagine if you asked Nelson Demille or another famous author to write a story for you. It will be great, but you didn’t write it.

Or if you got Michaelangelo to come back from the dead and make a painting under your direction.

Could you claim it as your own?

Just a Tool

While I recognized the moralistic and legal issues surrounding AI, I also realized it was here... now. And that I needed to understand it so I could

Step 1: Fortunately Jeff had not yet taken photos of Robert Roman. Robert has an amazingly charismatic face, gorgeously expressive. And then there’s the moustache, not to mention the cool glasses.

Step 2: Because we wanted a rainbow effect with intense colors, I created several vibrant color fields, did a rainbow linear drawing similar to my VEER cover from last June. I input 20 square images into Runway.

Step 3: Within 30 minutes Runway output 100 variations of the Roman imagery I input. I sent Jeff perhaps 40 selects and he picked #89, the one you see here. On the opposite page you can view some of the others.

Step 4: Jeff commented it would have been nice if the format was vertical, not square, to fit the format of the magazine. So I went back to Runway and used their Extend Background app and there you have it.

The Many Faces of Robert Roman

John Koehler is an award-winning visual artist using digital and AI tools. He has created over 500 pieces since 2018, and owns koehlerartworks.com gallery. Koehler is also the publisher at Koe-

Powerful Public Art

Conceptual End of Massive Resistance installation is impressive

By Betsy DiJulio

From the Berlin Wall to the US-Mexico Border Wall, the West Bank Wall and even the conceptual “ fourth wall” in theatre, walls, often steeped in controversy, divide, barricade, contain, and, conversely, keep out.

But in 1979, Maya Lin, then a 20-year-old Asian-America senior at Yale University, won a nationwide competition sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Out of 1,400 entries submitted by blue chip architects, landscape architects, and sculptors, her minimal, sunken V-shaped black granite wall inscribed with the names of nearly 58,000 deceased or missing soldiers was chosen, eventually becoming known simply as “ The Wall.”

During the selection process, Lin faced intense congressional grilling, even public and venomous criticism, for her concept which invites visitors on a metaphorical— and continuing—journey. Along the way, we

are asked to confront death absent any heroism traditionally associated with war memorials. Nothing, though, is ever about one thing, and the controversy raging around the memorial highlighted the complexities of our country’s deep division over the Vietnam War, as well as over what constitutes a fitting memorial or commemorative structure. Today, far from an obstacle, The Wall attracts some 5 million visitors annually and is the most visited memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

But what does that have to do with the end of massive resistance? For the uninitiated, Norfolk was front and center in the national school segregation/desegregation battle of the mid-20th century. In 1956 Virginia’s state government adopted a policy they called Massive Resistance to block the federally mandated desegregation of public schools (Brown vs. Board of Education, 1954).

The Norfolk School Board conducted ex-

tensive interviews with 150 black students who applied to attend white schools. Only 17, who would come to be known as the Norfolk 17, were deemed suitable to attend. In the fall of 1958, as they prepared to enter their white schools, officials delayed the opening of all schools until late September with one caveat: the six middle and high schools where these 17 students were enrolled were padlocked shut.

As the result of a lawsuit filed by the parent of a white Norfolk student, the Supreme Court deemed the public school closings unconstitutional and in February 1959, the Norfolk 17 were finally allowed to attend class, but not without first undergoing extensive mental, emotional, and psychological testing. The white students due to graduate that year became known as “ The Lost Class of 1959.” Most went without schooling, while some moved in with relatives in other states, some were homeschooled, and others joined the military. Meanwhile, for those six months from September 1958 to February 1959, the NAACP ensured that the Norfolk 17 would be prepared to excel at their white schools when the doors were unchained by arranging for rigorous tutoring in the basement of the Bute Street First Baptist Church.

Though Karen Rudd, Norfolk’s Art Manager, recounts that the 17 all have quite different, individual, and hard-earned stories to tell, they were all physically and emotionally harassed and abused throughout their school careers by classmates and adults alike, despite contrary media accounts at the time. Upon reflection, the living members of the group credit their strong faith with helping them endure the daily assaults and develop fortitude, asserting that they would do it all over again to establish a path forward for those who followed.

It was not until a 1968 Supreme Court Ruling (Green et a v. County School Board of New Kent County) that desegregation commenced on a large scale and in the 1970s a court order required Norfolk to bus students to help ensure better integration. But, when released from the order in 1986, schools were re-segregated along neighborhood lines.

On April 27 of this year, concluding a protracted process, the City of Norfolk welcomed 200 attendees to the dedication of a commemorative wall in Flatiron Park entitled End of Mass Resistance. Among the guests were six of the eight living members of the Norfolk 17 who were able to travel as well as family members of the others. This

local example is a wall that, like Lin’s, is not intended to be a barrier—rather a symbolic dismantling of a barrier—and is the embodiment of an ongoing journey. As such, it takes its place within a broad public art movement for which, according to Rudd, Lin paved the way when she “took down the white man on horseback.”

Norfolk’s newest public art installation— and most expensive at $625,000—is an 8’ x 57 ’ translucent wall that, as Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander remarked at the dedication ceremony, serves as a reminder of “the courage and persistence of the Norfolk 17 and the Lost Class.” Designed by Texasbased RE:Site artists Shane Albritton and Norman Lee, the image of a redbrick school wall dissolves, brick-by-brick, into now iconic black and white photographs: chains on the entrance to a Norfolk school which gives way to some of the 10,000 white students whose educations were disrupted followed by the Norfolk 17. The composition concludes with a poem entitled Seventeen Ways, commissioned by the artists from Tim Seibles, ODU professor and former Poet Laureate of Virginia, who collaborated with members of the 17 (see sidebar). More than 40 of the bricks are inscribed with a meticulously researched timeline by Lydia Bean, Ph.D.

The nearly inevitable prolongation of a process such as this helps ensure what Rudd cautions against: “not telling your history too soon.” Discussions around how to commemorate the end of Massive Resistance waxed and waned for some 14 years beginning in 2009. That year, City officials formally apologized to the Norfolk 17 on the 50 th anniversary of their admission to white schools and bestowed honorary diplomas on the Lost Class during several days of symposia and events. This proved to be the catalyst for the Council to take their idea to the Norfolk Arts Commission.

Early on, a design by Walter Hood, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, despite being quite far along in the development process, was never approved. Hood’s abstract and conceptual tensegrity structure featuring black and white tubes and voice recordings would have been erected on Civic Plaza at City Hall. In hindsight, Rudd feels that such a contemporary piece might not have been the right defining statement regarding this deeply fraught chapter of Norfolk’s history.

In addition, the project kept getting postponed, with much discussion about the appropriateness of the proposed site. But over the years, the national conversa-

Seventeen Ways

By Tim Seibles

Beyond resistance, beyond the locked doors of hate, Hope—a kind of fuel for walking seventeen ways into history, into a future beyond those who’d been blinded by their own bright skin.

What did it mean to enter the halls packed with snarling faces, to live every day under the insults, the sharpening threats? Here, now, it’s easy to forget—easy to think “ it wasn’t so bad.” Close your eyes.

You can still see each of them alone in class: bobby socks, polished shoes, pressed slacks, good skirts, eyes lit by this one rough chance. The Seventeen

given no other way but through the festering mob: their fellow students caught in the old snare of bigotry. Why did none of them turn back, go home when Cruelty spat in their black faces?

Be here with them for a moment. Open your eyes. Try to remember what has been won, what it means after all the madness, to see the doors everywhere, finally open.

tion changed and, to Rudd’s way of thinking, allowed or perhaps encouraged us to embrace our discomfort around issues of racism, both individual and institutional. Many other sites were considered, but none had the prestige of a downtown site. When Flatiron Park was identified, Rudd says she felt it seemed made for the project. The site of a former bank building, the piece of land is elevated so that the commemorative wall appears elevated atop a pedestal.

However, it was not her decision to make. A carefully curated committee of stakeholders and other experts conducted extensive interviews with the Norfolk 17 while mindfully and scrupulously vetting every decision related to the project, including the stated goal of telling “a multilayered story” about this part of Norfolk’s past. As Rudd notes about all public art projects, she cannot defend the art; she can only defend the process.

Though Pink Floyd was likely far from the minds of the wall’s creators, this public project seems to pose a question to viewers: are we going to be—or remove—another brick in the wall of racial inequity?

WANT TO SEE? End of Massive Resistance, Flatiron Park, 114 W. Charlotte Street, Norfolk.

4 To Explore

Compiled by Staff

“Ray Johnson: For My Brothers with Sons I Paint This”

Through June 23

Offsite Gallery at MacArthur Center

“My Happy Place”

Through May 28

Virginia Beach Art Center

“My Happy Place” is a juried art exhibition exploring the concept of mental health and finding joy. This exhibition features artwork from regional artists from the Hampton Roads area, including Gina Buzby’s “Hammock Time” (pictured).

“From Sea to Shining Sea”

Through June 17

Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center

Works by 25 artists will explore motifs from the representational to the abstract, including paintings, sculpture, glass, photography, and mixed media. This exhibition celebrates how the simplicity of a city motto can reach across geographical and artistic boundaries to touch on the economic, creative, and place-making impact Hampton offers to all of Coastal Virginia. Pictured is a Hampton fisherman photographed by Glen McClure.

The work in this exhibition focuses on the positive impact of male figures on young men. “Aimed not only to praise fathers, the exhibition also is a special way to honor the man who believed in me more than I could ever believe in myself. I want young people to see that there are positive role models right here in the communities they live in,” said Johnson. “As an artist, I aspire to create art that is meaningful and emotional. My art engages representation of black beauty, strength and perseverance.”

“LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish”

Through June 11

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

LaToya M. Hobbs creates large-scale portraits of women from her community. Her portraits challenge entrenched assumptions of beauty and identity about Black women and turns them inside out. The artist deconstructs these ideas and reframes them from a place of love and celebration.

Coastal Collective is co-working with a twist! We offer several different types of workspaces with amenities, but we also offer something no one else does. We have a fully functioning sound studio for any manner of media production. Whether you need a space to roll up your sleeves and work or a place to film your music video, we’ve got you covered.

Schedule your free tour today.

MARCH 9–JUNE 11, 2023

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE:

Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson & Nadd Harvin

This spring Virginia MOCA presents Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish, and an artist residency program and exhibition featuring Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson, and Nadd Harvin. Engage with the exhibitions through a series of expansive community programs inspired by the work in our galleries.

June 8

Imagine Isabella: A Solo Performance

Written, produced, and performed by Julianna Siddiqi

June 11

Get Well Soon Workshop: Beyoncé Yoga

Curated by Norfolk-based self-care sanctuary Get Well Soon. All levels are welcome.

Poetry Jackson, The Power and The Passion, from the artist’s RoyGBiv series, 2019. Acrylic, mixed media, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist

www.GhentNorfolk.org

Ghent – One of the 2018 Great Neighborhoods named by The American Planning Association. With its unique blend of fine restaurants, boutiques, cafes, specialty stores, hip salons & spas, and professional services, Ghent is truly a diverse urban destination. And, remember, buying from locally owned businesses, not only supports the local economy, but it also supports your friends, neighbors, and the community as a whole.

Festevents to Commemorate The Boathouse During Harborfest

By Jeff Maisey

“ We were backstage and there was a buffet spread out with chicken, roast beef and all kinds of good stuff,” recalled singer David Middleton, whose local band, the Waxing Poetics, opened for numerous nationally touring acts, including the Ramones, at the Boathouse during the 1980s. “Paul (guitarist) and I were starving, skinny little musicians and we were looking at the buffet, drooling. And some road manager came out and said, ‘Hey, you kids get away. That’s not for you. That’s for the Ramones.’ But then Joey Ramone came out of the dressing room, and he said, ‘No, no. Go ahead. Grab some plates; there’s fried chicken, some beans…’ He was like the classic Jewish mom making sure we got fed. And later he stood beside the stage, watched our set and shook our hands as we came off the stage. That was such a great experience to have as your first opening band experience.”

Seems everyone has a story to share about the Boathouse — of favorite concerts, personal tales and future mates met.

During this year’s Norfolk Harborfest 2023, event producer Festevents will pay homage to the legendary music venue on what would have been its 40th anniversary. A unique Boathouse stage with memorabilia and live bands will be setup in Town Point Park June 9-11.

The Boathouse, a waterfront concert venue, located in downtown Norfolk on the Elizabeth River next to Harbor Park, was celebrating its 20th anniversary season in 2003 when Hurricane Isabelle crashed the party, ripping fiftypercent of the roof off and caused some of the support pilings to shift.

Neither the city of Norfolk, the property owner, nor Clear Channel, the entertainment company renting the building at the time, felt the million dollar-plus estimate to repair the Boathouse was worth the investment. So, ironically, the storied career of the Boathouse, as a concert hall, ended almost as it began.

The Boathouse was located next to where Harbor Park baseball stadium and the Amtrak station are located today. The whole parcel of land was once was owned by the railroad. The building that became the Boathouse was originally a freight terminal. Trains cars would deliver and receive shipped goods through the Boathouse.

As times changed and more items were being transported by trucks over land, the Boathouse building became idle. Peck Equipment Company acquired the property in a land trade agreement with the railroad. Owner Stanley Peck, while trying to determine what to do with

the land, spied something on the river.

“Off in the corner, one day, I noticed this dilapidated building, and I thought we ought to tear that down; it looks like it couldn’t serve much purpose,” said Peck. “But when I went in the building, I was really taken aback by how charming it was. Of course, it needed some repairs but it just had some kind of ambience to it. It looked to me like it could be some kind of destination.”

In those days, the premiere entertainmentbooking agent in Tidewater (as Hampton Roads was called) was Whisper Concerts. Peck said he made several attempts to reach Whisper owner Billy Douthat, but his calls were never returned. That’s when an employee of Peck’s approached upstart Cellar Door Productions.

“ When Jeffrey Lefcoe called me, he said there is this place on the water and you need to see it,” said the late Kathie Moore, who handled the local and regional band department of Cellar Door at the time. “And me, not being the person who did the nationals, I passed that word on to Bill Reid.”

Reid, who would later go on to open numerous venues including The NorVa, Elevation27, and both amphitheaters, grabbed Bobby Melatti, and the two Cellar Door employees went

down to assess the vacant structure.

“ We walked in and here was this old wooden structure and you had to walk around the holes in the floor,” recalled Melatti, who served as the stage/production manager at the Boathouse. “ We stood up against one of those pilings that holds the ceiling up and we looked at each other and said, ‘This place is magic.’”

The two parties soon formed a partnership where Cellar Door booked the entertainment and produced the shows and Peck’s company managed the property and concessions.

Originally, the Boathouse floor was nothing but wood planks like you’d see on a pier. Cement trucks were brought in to lay a more stable surface on top of the wood.

Jerry Meltsner, who today owns No Frill Grill, was hired by Peck to run the foodservice end of the business. His management duties would expand outside the sheet metal shack.

“It was a dirt parking lot back then and we used to have this old 1939 fire engine that we used to drag a piece of fence with bricks on it to get the parking lot smooth enough for people to park,” said Meltsner. “ The pot holes were big enough to swallow a Volkswagen.”

Dee Larion, currently executive marketing director of Live Nation in the Mid-Atlantic region, remembers selling the first ticket to the venue’s 1983 debut show — the Skip Castro Band and Nighthawks. But the concert that put both the Boathouse and Cellar Door on the map was Tina Turner, in the summer of 1984.

Larion said the Boathouse was the place everyone played on their way up and on their return entry from stardom. Tina Turner had been an immensely popular R&B artist when she and husband Ike were together. But that had been long before Cellar Door booked Tina as a solo act at the Boathouse.

“A friend of mine, who’s an agent, said, ‘ Tina Turner ’s releasing a rock record and the guys from The Fixx are playing on it,’” said Bill Reid. “I took a big chance and booked Tina in the middle of summer. The record, “ What’s Love Got to Do With It,” came out, and when she played The Boathouse, it was number one in the country.”

Reid said Turner hated the Boathouse because “ it reminded her of all those days when she played as Ike & Tina Turner in those roadhouse places.”

Meltsner, though, had fond memories of her. “ Tina Turner was an unusual show because there were seats put down, which they normally don’t,” he said. “In my experience, Tina Turner said, ‘Honey, you’d make me the happiest woman in the world if you’d just get me a full-length mirror.’ So we ran out to K-Mart and got a cheap mirror and stuck it on the wall so she could see her whole body before she went out. The dressing rooms weren’t even done then. That show gave us validity that it (the Boathouse) was going to be more than a local band room.”

Bobby Melatti, who produced every show

Concertgoers lineup up at The Boathouse in the late 1980s. Photo by Jeff Moore.

early on, actually watched Turner from out in the audience.

“Seeing Tina Turner in the Boathouse,” said Melatti, “ is just an experience that’ll never be replicated — the sweat, the heat, the summer, the beautiful legs — it was like all the stars and planets lined up on that one magical night.”

Another important concert in the early history of the Boathouse was Bruce Hornsby. The show was broadcast live across the nation on the Westward One program.

The reputation of the Boathouse was improving vastly with every show. It was being listed in national industry trade magazines as one of the top venues people liked to come to and one of the places bands most preferred to play in the entire country. This notoriety soon caused some unexpected friction at home.

“As we had it running and organized really well, the city started taking notice of the property,” said Peck. “Bob Smithwick, who at the time was the head of industrial development in Norfolk, decided it would be better in the hands of the city than it would be in our hands. He started making moves that he was going to condemn the property and take it for the city. We were really disappointed because we didn’t want to sell it. We thought it had a great long-term future.”

The city paid Peck a fair price for the entire area, which included Bessie’s Place, the farmer’s market next to the Boathouse; both were Peck creations in 1983.

Peck said Reid negotiated a deal with the city to allow Cellar Door to run the Boathouse as a concert hall. The city of Norfolk, at the time, was also working diligently to keep the New York Mets organization from moving the Tides to Virginia Beach. Norfolk prevailed and built a new stadium on the Bessie’s Place site, but had the baseball team selected the Beach, said Reid, the plan was to build, what would become the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, where Harbor Park sits today, thus creating one large entertainment complex.

The Boathouse endured the construction zone of the baseball stadium. The bands Cellar Door brought in began to evolve from Southern rock acts, like Molly Hatchet and Marshall Tucker, to alternative rock bands, including the Psychedelic Furs, Siouxie and the Banshees, PIL and Lords of the New Church. Everyone from Phish to Steel Pulse, Iggy Pop to Megadeath, No Doubt to Black Crowes, Gregg Allman and Jeff Beck to 311 and Dinosaur Jr performed at the Boathouse. The Connells sold over 25,000 tickets in ten shows at the Boathouse.

Selling beer, too, at the Boathouse was a big deal at the time. Peck said he met with Mayor Joseph Leaf, who gave his approval as long as it could be controlled.

“ We were the first club in the country to go all ages,” said Reid. “People used to laugh about the chicken wire; eighteen and under were segregated by chicken wire.”

The chicken wire was eventually replaced with a chest-high chain link barrier. “ Tool was the first band, besides The Ramones, that the barrier was ripped out of the wall,” said Larion about the force exerted by the kids in the audience.

What Ken MacDonald, who began managing the Boathouse in 1988, liked best about the club was the simplicity of the space and how close the crowd could get to the entertainers.

“Seeing a show at The Boathouse was being as close to a band as possible,” said MacDonald. “It was a great stripped down experience. There were many nights with bands like Oingo Boingo or The Violent Femmes when the bands and the audience connected in a way you rarely see at more formal venues. I can’t remember the number of times when a band would finish their planned set list and there usual encores, and then come back on stage and play songs that they hadn’t played in years or cover a tune just so they could keep playing.”

Demolition of The Boathouse began in November 2011 with just a few signs of the past hanging on. Photo by Jeff Maisey.

(continued from page 36)

The States, perhaps the most successful act from Hampton Roads in the 1980s, performed its final show at the Boathouse in August of ’84. They would reunite five years later to headline the Dave Sherry Benefit concert, the late owner of the King’s Head Inn.

According to the late States bass player Butch Germano, the Boathouse stage was the place every musician wanted to be.

“ The setup was great,” he said. “ They always had a great PA; they always had good monitors. Whenever the lights would come on, as hot and bright as they were, it would bring you to life. And you could play as loud as you wanted.”

Though the music industry has evolved and the way we experience live music has changed, the Boathouse gave fans the naked truth about an artist’s performance capabilities.

“After a band played there, you knew whether they were for real or not,” said MacDonald. “ They couldn’t hide behind fancy light shows or big stage sets, they had to perform and entertain. Sure the stage wasn’t very high and the ceiling was too low; the air conditioning wasn’t adequate for 2,000-plus dancing bodies on an August night in Virginia, but if you were there to see Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Faith No More you had an experience! It is ironic that the things that made The Boathouse great are what seems to have lead to its obsolescence.”

Today’s success in downtown Norfolk is the fruit born from the seeds planted in 1983 by the Waterside, Festevents and the Boathouse.

“ There was a time when there wasn’t much exciting about downtown Norfolk except the Boathouse,” said Melatti. “And look where we’ve come as a community, as a city, as a region. The memory of the Boathouse can stand proud. And all the people who worked there can be proud that, for whatever little bit that we had to do with the revitalization of a really great urban community, at the end we can stand in front of the curtain and take our bow. I think we’re all better off because there was a Boathouse.”

Boathouse Stage at 2023 Harborfest

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

2:45pm – JuJu Drum

4:45pm – Nate Sacks & The Lifehacks

7:00pm – The Gold Sauce

10:00pm – Littkeys

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

12:30pm – Dustin Furlow

2:45pm – Allen Hudson & the Halfmoons

4:45pm – Big Al Staggs & The Ja Jas

7:00pm – The Chong Band

10:00pm – DJ CanRock

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

12:45pm – Bobby Blackhat Walters

3:15pm – BJ Griffin & Galaxy Groove

Harborfest Main Stage

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

3:15pm – Erin & The Wildfire

6:00pm – Kendall Street Company

8:00pm – The Allman Betts Band

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

3:15pm – Wonderland

6:00pm – Cracker (played numerous times at The Boathouse)

8:15pm – Morris Day & The Time

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

2:00pm – Cody Christian Band

4:30pm – Parmalee

Big Al Staggs & The Ja Jas

Friday: 12pm – 10pm

Saturday: 12pm – 10pm

Sunday: 12pm – 6pm

Indulge in the flavors of New Orleans at the Bayou Bon Vivant, a three-day celebration of the tastes, tunes, and traditions of the Crescent City. From juicy handfuls of crawfish to world-renowned N’awlins jazz musicians, the Bayou Bon Vivant captures the vibrant spirit of Louisiana and transforms it into a weekend-long party Friday-Sunday, May 19-21, 2023 at Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront! A wide-ranging and fun experience for the entire family, the Bayou Bon Vivant also features an Arts Market featuring dozens of New Orleans crafters, reptile exhibits, mouth-watering Cajun dishes such as beignets, gumbo, etouffees, and jambalaya.

Admission: 1-Day Pass: $10 in advance; $15 day-of, 3-Day Pass: $20 in advance; $30 day-of

#Festevents #BayouBonVivant @FESTEVENTS

For more information call 757-441-2345 or visit festevents.org

ChaWa Embodies Mardi Gras Indian Culture

By Jeff Maisey

This year’s Bayou Bon Vivant Festival featuring Cajun cuisine like crawfish and jambalaya, folk art from souther Louisiana, and live music equal in caliber to the famous New Orleans Jazz Festival will be one to remember.

Entertainers such as Blues Traveler, North Mississippi All=Stars, and Anders Osborne are big-time names most music fans know, but perhaps one of the most authentic sounds of New Orleans will be heard from Cha Wa, an exciting group of musicians who tap into the soul of Crescent City’s blues, funk, and rhythmic Mardi Gras Indian vibes.

Cha Wa bring the beats, the heavy kick-ass brass, funky bass lines, charismatic vocalists. Songs like “My People,” “Wildman,” and “JockA-Mo” sonically illustrate why the group was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category.

Audiences will have two opportunities to check out this intriguing band during the Bayou Bon Vivant at Town Point Park in downtown Norfolk: Saturday night at 7:15 PM on the Crescent City stage and 12:30 PM Sunday on the Main Stage.

To learn more about the band and its origins, I called Cha Wa founder/percussionist Joe Gelini.

VEER: When did you learn about the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians?

Joe Gelini: I was at Berklee College of Music in 1995 and I had a chance encounter with seeing a famous drummer from New Orleans named Idris Mohammad. He was playing with John Sco -

field at the time.

It was the first time I had heard an old school New Orleans drummer play. I went up to him after the show and asked if I could take a lesson from him. He was so kind. I took a two-hour lesson with him.

He said he was playing the tom-tom parts like the Mardi Gras Indians and he was playing the bass drum like the brass band drummers play. Then is said, “You got to get to New Orleans so you can hear the Mardi Gras Indians play.”

That was in ’95, so it was before you could really research that stuff online.

I had listened to a lot of the Meters, The Neville Brothers, and Dr. John. Those recordings were heavily influenced by Mardi Gras Indian music. Then I got a chance to hang out with Mardi Gras Indians and learn from that.

My mission is that I want people to be as blown away by seeing and hearing Mardi Gras Indian music and culture as I was when I first experienced it.

It’s probably some of the earliest American music, and it goes back to the pre-Civil War era. You can hear it in all the different music from ragtime to jazz to early rock ’n’ roll and funk in the ’70s.

VEER: New Orleans is a great cultural jambalaya. What makes the Big Easy that special place in America where such an interesting blend of music, food and style blend together so well? It’s unlike any other place in America.

Joe Gelini: It is, and it is the cradle of American music.

It was the first place slaves (from Africa) were allowed to practice their customs and religions in the Americas.

There’s just something about the music in New Orleans that’s very indicative of the culture. We live in a swamp that’s filled with concrete so it’s incredibly humid. The food is hot and delicious. So there’s like a relaxed feeling to it. You can’t be in a rush in New Orleans in the summertime. You’ve seen the iconic images of people bringing umbrellas in the summertime parade. Well, they’re not doing that because it’s raining; they’re doing that because it’s so hot.

A lot of that comes from the African influence because after the Civil war, back in the day, Black people were playing marches. They were popular at the time, like John Philip Sousa. The (New Orleans) brass players and percussionists were taking adding that African influence and making everything swing.

In New Orleans, everything’s just thrown in the mix. Everything has this incredible feel to it.

VEER: The music of Cha Wa seems heaviest influenced by funk from the 1970s. What were the most influential bands of that era on your music?

Joe Gelini: I would definitely say The Meters. That’s probably the biggest influence from the funk music of the ’70s. The Meters were from New Orleans and started by Aaron Neville.

There were other New Orleans bands — Dr. John. Bands like the Wild Magnolias. They were the first Mardi Gras Indian band that played with a rhythm section. That was backed up by

Willie Tee & The Gaturs.

All of those bands were central and pivotal in influencing New Orleans musicians then and now.

VEER: Cha Wa is carrying those traditions of New Orleans music culture forward. Are there other up-and-coming bands doing the same?

Joe Gelini: Ummm, yeah.

Music chose me. It’s not like I had an option to do it or not.

Something that is unique about New Orleans is that you have families that are only a handful of generations removed from the cradle of jazz music and ragtime music. Each generation gets trained (by the previous).

My daughter has been watching me play gigs since she was a year old. There’s that environmental learning that happens. There’s a lot of importance put on learning traditional New Orleans music. It gets passed on from generation to generation. Each generation puts their own spin on it.

VEER: The song “My People” has a great, uplifting melody and lyrics. How did that song come together?

Joe Gelini: The trumpet player and keyboard player wrote that song and obviously did a fantastic job.

It represented what was happening at the time in 2020. It was very relevant. As songwriters in general, we try to take what’s happening in our lives and turn it into a song.

Bayou Bon Vivant

Friday, May 19

Main Stage

3:30 PM: Amanda Shaw

6 PM: Honey Island Swamp Band

8:30 PM: Blues Traveler

Crescent City Stage

2 PM: Hot Gumbo Brass Band

5 PM: The Rumble

7:30 PM: Big Sam’s Funk Nation

Saturday, May 20

Main Stage

3:45 PM: Bonerama

6 PM: Big Sam’s Funk Nation

8:30 PM: Anders Osborne

Crescent City Stage

1 PM: Erica Falls

2:30 PM: Eric Johanson

5 PM: Geno Delafose

7:15 PM: Cha Wa

Sunday, May 21

Main Stage

12:30 PM: Cha Wa

2:15 PM: Kings of Brass

4:30 PM: North Mississippi Allstars

Crescent City Stage

1:30 & 3:30: Terrance Simien

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Valerie June’s Intoxicating Organic Moonshine Roots Music

By Jim Morrison

Valerie June recorded her latest set of originals, “The Moon and the Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers,” before the pandemic. When the lockdown descended, her label delayed its debut.

As a performer who quipped that she only returned to her Brooklyn apartment long enough to wash her clothes and head back onto the road, June suddenly was anchored. She returned to her roots, spending time in her Tennessee childhood home, where her mother still lived. There she grounded herself in the Earth, getting on her knees in her vegetable garden, visiting the frogs, snakes, and lizards out behind the house, and sitting quietly taking in the blue heron that made a pilgrimage.

“I really feel guilty sometimes saying this, but I didn’t realize that I needed to be home,” she says in a phone call before hopping on a plane to Italy for pleasure, not business. “I really felt like in the pandemic that I needed to just be in touch with the earth and I needed to be planting things and growing things and watching the cycles of the season. So there really was a time for me to stop and rejuvenate and realize that I can slow down.  I don’t have to work like a crazy woman.”

June will be working in Norfolk on June 7 when she plays in The Perry Pavilion downtown as part of the Virginia Arts Festival’s collaboration with North Shore Point House Concerts.

She grew up in a small Tennessee town, learning to sing in church by studying the voices of the congregation. Through her father, a parttime promoter of gospel singers and touring stars like Bobby Womack and Prince, she got a glimpse of the secular side of music. Moving to Memphis opened another gusher of influence. “You know, you can’t really grow up on planet Earth and not be influenced by the music made in Memphis,” she says.

Throughout the pandemic, music was more than art. It was a guide, a balm, a bridge between communities. “I realized that art and creativity are ultimately a prescription for people,” she says. Hearing Sam Cooke sing “A Change is Gonna Come” helped her through that challenging time. Hearing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” provided a reminder about how to deal kindly with the mail carrier or the grocery store clerk or other essential workers.

True to her latest album’s title, she penned her prescriptions -- what each song meant to her -- as a prologue to the lyrics in the liner notes. For “You and I,” about a relationship without regret but on unsure footing, she wrote “Impermanence+Being Present+Interconnectivity. For “Smile,” about

dusting yourself off and getting back up, she said “Transcendence+Hope/Possibilities+Rebirth/ Growth.” For “Call Me A Fool,” about blind love, she wrote” “Beginning/The Leap+Fear of Failure+Confidence.”

Listeners bring their interpretation. One couple asked her to sing a little of “Call Me A Fool” so they could play it at their wedding. “I was thinking, hmm, that’s interesting,” she says in her Tennessee twang, laughing, something she does throughout the interview. “ I don’t know if I would have that song at my wedding.”

June says she has a catalog of 150 songs. The ones that spoke to her for this album tended towards looking inward. Digging in the dirt, as it does, spawned introspection about the broader possibilities of art in a time of fear and division. Music, art, sculpture, and dance, she says, create an opportunity for people with different beliefs to get together. “You’re all there together as one enjoying something,” June added. “That is a prescription to me. That is, that’s what keeps us in a place of love and society. And I think we need more of it.”

Her prescriptions for albums change with the times. She’s not chained to a genre or a sound, calling her style “organic moonshine roots music.” Critics have called her rural and cosmopolitan, mystical and down-to-earth. Her songs are delivered in a nasal twang that’s spellbinding and unique. She slips in and out of soul, country, folk, jazz, bluegrass, and blues.

“Shakedown” on her second album evokes Stonesy blues. “Astral Plane” on that disc veers towards Van Morrison. “Workin’ Woman “Blues” on her 2013 debut, “Pushin’ Against a Stone” is stone-cold country blues. “Call Me a Fool” on “The Moon and Stars” could perfectly fit any Sixties Stax album.

Her choice of producers reveals her desire to explore. She’s worked with Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys (he brought in Jimbo Mathus of Squirrel Nut Zippers and North Mississippi guitar star Eric Deaton), and most recently with Jack Splash, a Grammy-winning Los Angeles producer who has worked with Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and Anthony Hamilton.

“I think every record I do is just going to be a different record than the record before,” June says. “We are living beings and we’re growing and changing.”

Growing and changing means she dives into other outlets. “I’m an exploratory artist,” she says. “I like to write books and poetry and do art and illustrations and so many different styles, I love fashion and sewing and creating outfits and all kinds of styling. I don’t really think that my creativity must have bounds. I want to use my creativity to do what feels right to me in the moment. That’s kind of how the records happen.”

Taking time off was new. Taking time off from listening to music was not. “I experience great periods of time where I don’t listen to any-

thing,” she adds. “I just listen to the world and go into silence. So I’m in a silent place right now. And I’m looking forward to coming out of it. “

Her albums have universally won over critics during the past decade. Rolling Stone listed her second album, “The Order of Time” as one of the best 50 of 2017 citing “her handsomely idiosyncratic brand of Americana, steeped deep in electric blues and old-time folk, gilded in country twang and gospel yearning....a blend of spacey hippie soul, blues and folk with June’s pinched, modern-Appalachian voice at the center”

“Call Me A Fool” from her latest was nominated for Best American Roots Song for this year’s Grammy Awards.

For “The Moon and Stars,” Splash brought in Lester Snell, a string arranger from the Stax Records studio band, and a collaborator with Isaac Hayes back then. Another Stax connection came from Carla Thomas, who had a hit with “BA-B-Y” and recorded with Otis Redding and her father, Rufus. She sings on “Call Me a Fool.”

Thomas is just one of the soul legends who have worked with June. Booker T. Jones and Mavis Staples have also made cameos on past songs.

“Carla is truly my fairy godmother. She is such a positive energy. And I can say the same for Booker T. and Mavis Staples,” she says. “I feel like we are all one age, but they are my elders. And I’m walking in their footsteps.”

While the pandemic delayed the release of “The Moon and Stars,” it gave birth to another disc, “Under Cover.” The collection features a typical range of choices including Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon,” David Rawlings and Gillian Welch’s “Look at Miss Ohio,” Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms” and Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” The latter has more than 2.7 million views on Youtube.

“I’m so surprised,” she says. “I don’t really cover songs, right? We were bored during the pandemic. Nobody was working and so I was like, let’s just go in and have some fun and record songs that we love.”

She sent it to her label, which loved it, but she told them she didn’t want to do any press. Just keep it quiet. “And it turns out, this is one of my biggest releases,” she says. “It actually has gotten more listeners than anything I’ve done. And I’m like, oh my god, well, maybe I need to quit writing songs and just cover them.”

With that, she laughs and it’s clear there’s no chance she will become a cover artist.

The songs call. In Tennessee during her days in the garden and her walks out back, she heard them. She heard a song that became the coda for “The Moon and Stars,” an album she’d finished.

They were the sounds of the birds. She recorded them. Splash added keyboards, flutes, and the soothing sounds of a Tibetan singing bowl to create “Starlight Ethereal Silence,” the album’s coda.

Her prescription for the song: “Mindfulness +Transformation+Awakening.”

Valerie June Presented by Virginia Arts Festival

Reliving the Music of Luther Vandross

By Jerome Langston

“If you’ve never been to a Luther Vandross show, the real thing—we’re gonna be as close as you’re gonna get,” says singer William “Smooth” Wardlaw, during our recent phone chat about his upcoming tribute show honoring soul music icon, Luther Vandross, which will take over Norfolk ’s historic Attucks Theatre during the Juneteenth and Father ’s Day weekend. The show, which is a co-production of the Virginia Arts Festival and NSU Theatre company, serves as a kick-off to the 10 th Anniversary season of NSU Theatre company, under the direction of Professor Anthony Mark Stockard.

“ This kicks off that season, and I wanted to make sure that this season we celebrate all of our partnerships,” says Stockard, who is the theatre company ’s producing Artistic Director, a day later. The Luther tribute show had been produced years before, featuring William and the soul band that he fronts, but as a campus show coordinated with the HBCU’s homecoming. There was high demand, according to Stockard, for its return—and so now it ’s back, but as part of

VAF ’s summer programming. “Here we are again, but this time at the historic Attucks,” he remarks.

Luther Re-Lives featuring William “ Smooth” Wardlaw, as a band has been  in existence since 2011, according to its music director and producer, Deginal Boykin, who also plays bass in the band. It was Deginal who “ discovered” William back in 1996, at a then popular happy hour spot in the DMV. William tells me that he was singing the Luther classic, “Superstar/Until You Come Back to Me (That ’s What I’m Gonna Do),” which impressed Deginal, and they quickly became friends and musical collaborators, akin to the famous musical partnership between Luther and Marcus Miller. Since those early beginnings, the band has performed throughout the country, where they ’ve played high profile venues like The Birchmere, and performed on major R&B music cruises, including Tom Joyner ’s and the Soul Train cruise. They ’ ve played major festivals and have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in

soul music; including Anita Baker, Smokey Robinson, Mary J. Blige and Babyface. William, who was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, has an uncanny resemblance to the iconic crooner, who sadly passed away at the untimely age of 54, back in 2005. And the resemblance goes well beyond their physical similarities but is much more rooted in their similar musical language, including the same vocal tone and phrasing. American radio media legend, Tom Joyner, reportedly called William “the reincarnation of one of the greatest R&B crooners of all times.”

plishment.” Even when performing his own music, he leans into the Luther sound, and musical aesthetic.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr., was born on April 21, 1951, in New York City. He was the fourth child of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr. Luther famously got his start in the music business as a backup vocalist for some of the biggest names in popular music, back in the 1970s. The breath and range of these artists is still impressive by today ’s standards. They include Roberta Flack, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and even Cat Stevens. Luther wrote and performed popular jingles, fronted his own group, and contributed songwriting and his gorgeous tenor vocals to several high-profile musical projects. Never Too Much, released on Epic Records in August of 1981, became Luther ’ s proper debut album as a solo artist, and was a huge success. The double platinum album, now considered an R&B classic, kicked off a greatly heralded solo career which produced a string of platinum albums, number one singles, and eventually an impressive eight Grammy Awards. Beyond those accolades though, his artistry as an impeccable singer/songwriter and producer—influenced almost every R&B male singer of note, who came after him.

When Luther Re-Lives plays the Attucks Theatre next month, William will sing many of Luther ’s classic songs, including “ Wait for Love,” “Here and Now,” “Superstar,” and so many others. Besides William and Deginal, the band features Stephanie James and Alisha Andre on vocals, Jimmy Kerns on sax, Glenn Douglas on keys, Mark Dooley on guitar, and Perry Selden on drums. Malik Savage is the band ’s sound/technical engineer and production manager. The concert will last approximately 90 minutes or so, with an intermission, according to Stockard.

Presented by Virginia Arts Festival & NSU Theatre Company

June 17  Attucks Theatre  vafest.org

The Virginia native has numerous musical influences, but Luther was a major influence on William’s artistic development. “Luther can tell a story,” says the singer. “He makes love beautiful... there’s the uniqueness of his voice itself... For me to emulate that, that ’s a pretty good accom-

“He could almost have a second career as a comedian and announcer,” says Deginal, referring to William, during my call with the talented crooner.

“He’s like this giant teddy bear— lovable, so much bubbly personality, engaging the audience...everybody can’t do that.”

They both say to expect a high-energy show, which audiences that have seen the band have already come to expect. “ When I get on stage, it ’s magical,” says William, towards the end of our chat. “If you’re doing Luther, you gotta come correct.”

Five Songs of Freedom

By Montague Gammon III

Old friends and new music mingle for the Virginia Arts Festival “Five Freedom Songs” concert mid-June at Norfolk ’s historic Attucks Theatre.

That ’ s “old ” as in long time, not aged. While conductor Eric Jacobsen and composers Jessie Montgomery and Curtis Stewart go back quite a while –  Montgomery and Jacobsen were playing chamber music together in their undergrad days – they and soprano soloist Julia Bullock cluster around the mid-30 to 40 mark.

The oldest work on the program, and the one which sounds most conventionally classical, is George Walker’s “Lyric for Strings.” He wrote its first version, Inspired by his grandmother, as the second part of his String Quartet No. 1., when he was a 20 year old grad student at the Curtis Institute of Music. (He had entered Oberlin Conservatory for his undergrad freshman year at 13 or 14 – sources differ. He got his Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music in 1957.)

mally known as his String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, written in 1893 and premiered in Boston on New Year’s Day, 1894. (Another of Jacobsen’s musical endeavors, the forward thinking touring orchestra called The Knights, commissioned Toward America.)

Five Freedom Songs Presented by Virginia Arts

Festival & Virginia Symphony Orchestra

“Curtis Stewart is such an inventive human and such a creator,” said Jacobsen, expressing his delight in “ having him on this program, taking a piece of the repertoire that is so beloved and giving it something that is totally fresh.” Virginia Symphony audiences will remember that Stewart was here to play his reimagined version of Dvorák ’s Slavonic Dances just last March.

June 14

Crispus Attucks Cultural Center

www.vafest.org

757-282-2822

Walker was also an accomplished pianist, making his pubic debut at the New York Town Hall in 1945. That Town Hall performance and his Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996 – the cited work was called “Lilacs” –were firsts for any Black musician.

In 1946 Walker reworked the second movement of that Quartet into the standalone piece that ’s on this program. Jacobsen puts “Lyric for Strings” on a par with string works by Samuel Barber and Gustav Mahler, saying “It ’s a beautiful piece…It has that sense of mournful loss but beauty it ’s so gripping… so captivating, “It ’s just a beautiful song with gorgeous harmonies.”

There’s another chronological disclaimer needed when calling Curtis Stewart ’s 2023 Toward America – Symphonic Rhapsody (for timpani, percussion and strings) the most recent piece, because it is, in the words of Stewart’s website, a “symphonic fantasy on Dvorák ’s American Quartet. That’s for-

Dvorák, as Jacobsen has pointed out in earlier interviews, encouraged American composers to tap into American musical traditions, especially the “sound world ” of African-Americans. Jacobsen said that Dvorák “would be so happy that his music” is being played on a program like this, with music written by Americans and played by Americans, using source material drawn from American culture.

That comment about source material especially refers to the concert ’s central work, Jessie Montgomery’s “Five Freedom Songs.” The lyrics come from an 1867 anthology called Slave Songs of the United States, which was not only the first compilation of African American slave songs, but, according to America’s Music: From the Pilgrims to the Present, by Gilbert Chase, the first published collection of any American Black music. Montgomery and Bullock separately encountered that collection, and from that began this collaboration, their first.

Montgomery said in a telephone conversation, “Some of these songs are considered spirituals and some are inspired by the gospel and by Christian ideology. Christianity has been a binding force for Black culture….You grow up hearing them… Black spirituals [have] left a lasting imprint in American music... they became the blues

and popular music, something what we celebrate as Black people and as Americans and as Black Americans.”

Montgomery program notes on her website have this to say :

“ ‘My Lord, What a Morning’ is actually the original lyric to the mosre popular spiritual ‘Stars Begin to Fall,’ which also originated in the Southeastern slave states. ‘I Want to Go Home’ also originates from the Southeastern states, and my setting is inspired by the simple way it was transcribed as a simple seven-note melody without an indicated rhythm, which inspired me to write it in a hybrid Gregorian chant/spiritual style. ‘Lay dis Body Down,’ a funeral song said to originate from the region surrounding South Carolina, is set in an improvised style, wherein each part of the ensemble chooses their own pacing of the line to create a swirling meditation. ‘My Father, How Long? ’ contains the refrain ‘ We will soon be free, we will soon be free, De Lord will call us home,’ the words of which reflect the dual meaning between spiritual salvation and freedom from oppression. It is a song that emerged from a jail in Georgetown, S.C. at the break of the Great

Rebellion [The American Civil War], and accompanied by percussive sounds in the strings evoking the chain gang. ‘ The Day of Judgment ’ originates from the region surrounding Louisiana and is set as an uneasy celebration over the refrain of a traditional West African drumming pattern.”

Montgomery found importance in the history of the Attucks Theatre: designed by a Black architect, financed by subscriptions in the local African-American community, opening in 1919 and host to so many great Black performers – vaudevillians such as Red Fox and Moms Mabley, musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway, Billie Holliday, Dizzy Gillespie, Norfolk ’s Gary U.S. Bonds, Portsmouth’s Ruth Brown – that it was termed “The Apollo of the South,” after the famous Harlem nightclub. Joe Louis visited too, and Marcus Garvey lectured there.

Montgomery said, “ The significance of the theatre,...sends us the message that we are doing these pieces... to continue telling the story and the history of Black People I hope that framing these songs reminds you …why people are struggling today It ’s actually history, the history of our country.”

Soloist Julia Bullock . Photo by Allison Michael Orenstein

FRIDAY JUNE 23

7:30PM

ANTHONY HAMILTON TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE

STEPHANIE MILLS

JONATHAN BUTLER

SATURDAY JUNE 24

7PM

CHARLIE WILSON CHRIS BOTTI AVERY*SUNSHINE

THE CHUCK BROWN BAND

SUNDAY JUNE 25

2PM

FANTASIA BABYFACE KENNY G

PETER WHITE

PRESENTED BY

Chris Thile Unveils World Premiere

By Jeff Maisey

Known to most as the dynamic mandolin player in Nickel Creek, Chris Thile has in recent years developed as a composer blending his traditional stylings with musical influences and fabrics spanning centuries and cultures.

Thile’s latest work, Mandolin Concerto/ Narrative Song Cycle, is a world premiere commissioned in part by the Virginia Arts Festival.

In advance of the work’s debut — which we’ve not heard — we posed a few questions to the composer. Because Thile was under mandatory voice rest, we were asked to submit questions via email.

VEER: I’ve read where you described the new work as a composition that “ tells, plays, and sings the true story of the time I attempted to impress a Starbucks executive and accidentally met Carrie Fisher as a result.” Can you expand a bit upon that story starting with why you were trying to impress a coffee company executive?

Chris Thile: The story takes place at the 2005 edition of the erstwhile National Associated of Retail Merchants Convention in San Diego, CA. My band, Nickel Creek, were there promoting our then new record, ‘Why Should the Fire Die? ’ and the music buyer from Starbucks asked for a meeting, which (we were informed by our manager) was a potential professional game changer for us.

VEER: Can you share how the composition tells this story? Are there numerous parts like songs on an album? Have you included a lyrical component for vocalists?

Chris Thile: While the orchestra and the mandolin do a fair amount of storytelling over the course of the piece, I sing (and even talk!) throughout. There are four main sections, each of which have their own twists and turns, which at times flirt with something like traditional song structure, but content really dictated form on this one!

VEER: Is there a specific instrument used for the “role” of Carrie Fisher?

Chris Thile: No, but there is a certain gorgeous John Williams theme that makes a cameo!

VEER: How about the role of the Starbucks executive? And I assume YOU are the mandolin, right?

Chris Thile: I sing as the Starbucks executive at a couple points, but his true essence can only be conveyed, fleetingly, by wind chimes.

VEER: When you are commissioned to compose a new classical music work, what is that process like? Things like the original pitch/request, deadlines, duration/time length, subject?

orchestra wouldn’t let me go, and it was just a matter of imagining it vividly enough to where I could transcribe it from my imagination.

VEER: Have you always had an appreciation of classical music?

Chris Thile: That word again! I love music with all of my heart, and have never felt like any of the ways it gets divided up mean anything significant. So like, my folks attend a weekly bluegrass session at a pizza place in SoCal, hell yeah! I find my dad ’ s copy of Kind of Blue, hell yeah! Mom checks out Rubber Soul from the library, hell yeah! Grandma sits me down with Gould ’ s second recording of Bach ’s Goldberg Variations, HELL YEAH.

VEER: Has Bela Fleck been an influence as a bluegrass musician crossing over to explore other traditional music styles?

Chris Thile: Bela has been a tremendous influence on me in all regards!

VEER: To me a banjo’s tonality can sometimes clash with the warmer instrumentation of symphonic instruments. The mandolin seems to be a better match. In your view, how does the mandolin compliment a symphony?

Chris Thile: Anything can work with anything if it ’s well-conceived and carefully executed.

Chris Thile with Virginia Symphony Orchestra

May 19, Ferguson Center

May 20, Chrysler Hall

May 21, Sandler Center vafest.org

Chris Thile: I don’t think of music as being classical or not. It ’s more like whether or not it needs to be written down. If it does, like if one is collaborating with an orchestra, my inner ear starts cranking on how best to take advantage of the scale and detail that notating music enables. The idea of telling this story with the help of an

VEER: Are there solos for mandolin throughout each segment of your new work?

Chris Thile: There will be an ABUNDANCE of mandolin-ing, rest assured!

VEER: What sort of flow or dynamics did you set out to compose to set and change mood?

Chris Thile: Always chasing my inner ear ’ s infatuations.

VEER: How does the story end?

Chris Thile: Not telling!

COMING SOON!

We are re-locating our original Mermaid Winery location from Ghent to 101 Granby Street in Downtown Norfolk. Our new home is both a registered National & State Historic Landmark on the corner of Main & Granby Street. The building is a Beaux-Arts NeoClassical style and was built in 1908 as a bank. The building’s exterior is made of limestone and has stately, massive columns. The interior is spectacular with intricate ornate plaster. The beauty of this building is truly unparalleled.

Norfolk Wine Club Members: you will be able to pick up your May wine at our Virginia Beach location or we can hold it for you until we open Downtown. All members will receive grand opening celebration invitations coming soon.

The Game’s Afoot for the Norfolk Chamber Consort

By Montague Gammon III

The Norfolk Chamber Consort closes its 54th Season with a concert titled “ The Game of Pairs.”

Husband and wife performers, father and son composers, deux French composers, sibling string instruments, twinned string instruments, two ways of playing string instruments, and European style matched up with American jazz are its prominent one plus one pairings.

Consort co-artistic directors Andrey Kasparov (husband, Russian born) and Oksana Lutsyshyn (wife, Ukrainian born), who together are the Invencia Piano Duo – another pair to draw to – chatted about the May 29 concert between professorial duties at ODU’s Diehn School of Music and Consort rehearsals.

Both as Invencia and individually, they’ve earned international competition awards and racked up critical paise and awards for numerous CDs on Naxos and other labels, and played with some of the biggest names and at the most famous venues of classical music. (Joshua Bell and Carnegie Hall, for example.)

The two part “Game of Pairs” program begins with Frenchman Maurice Ravel ’s Violin Sonata #2 (1923-1927), featuring À nnika Jenkins on violin and Lutsyshyn on piano. Jenkins is a Hampton Roads native who has forged a burgeoning international professional career while touching down at Juilliard and Columbia, soloing on NPR’s “From the Top,” and adding forays into writing and arts advocacy.

Ravel is popularly known for his protominimalist and familiar Bolero, but this three movement Sonata, with its American blues influenced second movement, is a horse of a different genre, and not a war horse at all.

Lutsyshyn says that the Ravel can be a “ difficult collaboration.”

It begins with a delicate piano intro, which becomes a sometimes mournful duet that ranges from rather languorous to almost frantic. (Lutsyshyn remarked on a “ dark” quality of Ravel ’s compositions.) The second movement, which is titled “Blues. Moderato” sounds at the beginning like something out of Broadway’s Chicago and

then Gershwin’s “Summertime,” of 1934. The lively third movement, “Perpetuum mobile,” has a sort of runaway “Flight of the Bumblebee” quality that resolves itself with a hint of blues again.

A pair of Johann Sebastian Bach ’ s “Inventions,” each little more than a minute long, in which Jenkins’ violin joins with Elizabeth Richards’ cello, is next on the program. (Kasparov pointed out that “Invencia” translates as “ invention.”)

Richards is Executive Director of Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia, an active music educator and chamber player with a Doctorate of Musical Arts.

pieces for various instrument pairings, but completed just three before dying of cancer in 1918, while German shells rained down on his home town of Paris.

valedictorian of her EVMS Masters Degree program.

Kasparov, mentioning that the strings “play pretty much pizzicato,” added that the harpsichord is a plucked string instrument as well. Unlike the piano, in which the keys activate felt covered hammers that strike strings, the keys of a harpsichord lift a jack that holds a small plectrum, a piece of plastic or quill that is shaped to pluck a string and sprung in such a way that it does not pluck the string a second time when the key is released.

The three movement concerto is an intricate, and in the first and third movements, virtually a toe-tapping, display of virtuosity of composer and musicians. Kasparov sums it up as simply “a very powerful combination.”

The Game of Pairs Norfolk Chamber Consort

7:30 p.m., Monday, May 29 Chandler Recital Hall, Diehn Center for Performing Arts, Old Dominion University 1339 West 49th Street, Norfolk, 23529 https://ncconsort.org/product/thegame-of-pairs/ 757-387-0010

Bach wrote these in 1723 for a pair of harpsichords, but, Kasparov notes, Bach ’ s “structure is so solid” that they “can be played by violin and cello and they work just as well or they could be sung by a choir.”

World War I was raging across Europe when the terminally ill Claude Debussy, Ravel ’s countryman, composed his Sonata No. 1, for cello and piano (1915). He planned six

The Prologue is unsurprisingly alternately somber and ominous, but there’s a turn to a livelier albeit still mournful Sérénade that begins with the cello strings being plucked rather than bowed. Throughout the Sérénade and the Finale, the cellist switches between plucking (pizzicato) and bowing (arco, a less familiar term for bowing), through a forceful and percussive final bars.

After intermission, it’s J.S. Bach to the fore with his ca. 1734 Concerto for Two Harpsichords and Orchestra in C Minor. The Kasparov/ Lutsyshyn duo joins forces on harpsichords, supported by Jenkins (violin II) and Richards (cello), and by Gretchen Loyola on violin I and Celia Daggy on viola. Daggy is Principal Viola for the Virginia Symphony, Loyola a veteran of the VSO who now plays with the Harbor String Quartet and works as a Physician Assistant, having been

One of the few surviving copies of that J.S Bach piece was commissioned by his son, Carl Philipp Emanuel, known as C.P.E. Bach. Kasparov made the interesting point that “When Mozart said ‘The great Bach he is the father, we are the children,’ he meant C.P.E. Bach not J.S Bach. His work was more well known and influential than his father’s. He influenced Beethoven, Haydn [and] he was also influential as an author. You cannot be serious about the art if you have not read this book. [True Art of Keyboard Playing]...He was the most experimental of the ‘Bach batch ’.”

C.P.E.’s Concerto in F for Two Harpsichords, Orchestra and Continuo, (17340 wraps up the concert with an intricate musical lacework of delicacy, charm, and finely focussed energy. Marlene Ford and Jeffrey Warren on French Horns I and II join the string players on this one. Ford ’s a veteran of the VSO, with whom Warren has also played. Both teach privately, and Ford in on the adjunct faculty of ODU’s Diehn School. Conductor Jeffrey Phelps is Chair of Instrumental Music at the Governor’s School for the Arts and Music Director of the GSA Orchestra, cellist and conductor with other local and national groups.

“

Two gigantic French composers,” father and son of the greatest family of musicians ever, two stellar keyboardists, and lots and lots of great music. That ’s the Norfolk Chamber Consort ’s lineup for “ The Game of Pairs.”

TWO-GETHER: Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn

Mission:

Ronald McDonald

House Charities of Norfolk helps families stay together, and close to the care they need when they have a sick child.

ADOPT-A-ROOM SPONSORS

Groups and individuals can support families by sponsoring a guest room. The amount covers nights for families staying at Ronald McDonald House. RMHC of Norfolk housed families for 3,010 nights in 2022. This is an ongoing sponsorship program.

Benefits to Sponsorship

Listing on our website

Name on Guest Room door for one year

Recognition on RMHC Facebook

Sponsorship Levels

$1,000 40 nights

$2,500 100 nights

$5,000 200 nights

$7,500 300 nights

$10,000 400 nights

To learn how you or your business can become a sponsor, visit www.rmhcnorfolk.org.

One of our families wrote,

“Unless you have a child who is facing the very frightening prospects of complex medical treatment, you may not be able to understand the true value of the house to those who stay there. Of course, there is great relief from financial burden for those who are unable to afford to stay elsewhere, but it is also more than that. It is in fact a quiet place of love and compassion, where parent and child take refuge from the storms of life that surround them.”

What Happens in Hampton …

Steep Canyon Rangers looking forward to “unique” show at the American Theatre

By Jim Roberts

Mike Ashworth grew up in North Carolina with members of the Steep Canyon Rangers, but he didn’t officially join the band until 2013, the same year they won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. In the 10 years since, the band has released eight albums, including a live recording with Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, and Ashworth has evolved from a percussionist to a jack-of-alltrades multi-instrumentalist.

The band will perform on Saturday, June 10 at the American Theatre in Hampton as part of the three-day Brews & Bluegrass Festival. Ashworth has been to Hampton before; he told Veer Magazine he and bandmate Mike Guggino road-tripped to “the Mothership” to see Phish in the 1990s. Here are more highlights from the conversation.

Veer: When you think about bluegrass, you don’t necessarily think of a drummer sitting in the back of the band.

Ashworth: “I tried to keep my footprint really small when I joined. It was sort of a nervous moment for me because I didn’t know what the hardcore Steep Canyon Ranger fans would think. I just brought this sort of unique instrument to the band that was this

little box, and I still play it occasionally.”

VEER: So what other instruments are you on now?

Ashworth: On any night, I’ll probably play dobro, guitar, banjo. Some nights, I’ll play the bass. I used to play the mandolin. … It’s really cool to be able to be in that position. I’m just trying to support the song is all I’m doing. I grew up learning to play the drums. But in the late ’90s, I just fell in love with the string band. There was that movement in America. It wasn’t our first folk movement, but to me, in my life, it was the one that really pushed me over the edge to sort of explore that world. It’s really cool in the last 10 years to be able to join the two worlds. We now have layers that other string bands don’t have. I mean, we have a power that almost isn’t fair. We can reach highs and lows now that were not accessible before. The dynamic range is completely different now for the band.

Veer: Are you promoting new music right now?

Ashworth: Yeah. We found this old lodge on top of a mountain that has eight bedrooms. We brought in equipment from Nashville,

Tennessee, and Dave Sinko—a fantastically talented engineer—and Darrell Scott—our producer. We stayed in this place for a week. It ’s a bed and breakfast, but we used it like a studio. We had equipment in every room almost. We thought that would be nicer than having a studio with controlled hours. We ended up finishing that record in January or February. It ’s scheduled for release in the fall, and we are very excited about it.

Of course, Darrell Scott is a genius. He’s got us singing parts we never would have thought of, but they’re very natural. We had most of the stuff arranged for these tunes, but he would just come in with a little nugget, and it would just spark the whole thing up. You know, he’s really good at what he does. … It’s called ‘Morning Shift.’ You’ll start hearing about it in the summer, I reckon. We’re very proud of it. It’s a pretty cool record.

Veer: What has the relationship with Steve Martin done for the band?

Ashworth: It ’s done a lot for introducing people to the band. But you know, I’ d say more what it ’s done is it ’s helped us learn to read people. Steve is a master performer. He can feel the rhythm and the energy in

a room like no one else I’ve ever met in my life, and we’ve taken a lot from him over the years as far as performance—how to time things and how to weave things in. He’s like a master boxer or something. It ’s incredible to watch him play with timing. But aside from that, he’s also this brilliant musician. At 77, he still is just one of the greatest Scruggs-style and clawhammer banjo guys. More than giving us audience members, I think Steve has given us the gift of: What is the performing arts if you boil it down and find its truest essence? What does it mean to stand in front of an audience and give them a good show? I think that ’s the biggest thing that we’ve gotten from him. That ’s more important than ticket sales.

Veer: What else do you want people to know about the band? What would you say that you’ve not had an opportunity to say?

Ashworth: I do have a hope for the people of Hampton—that they come away from the show really seeing how much we love what we do and how much we love each other. That ’s part of the experience when you go see a Rangers show: the chemistry. I don’t think it ’s hard to pick up on, and I don’t think it ’s hard to pick up on the fact that we’re in the moment so much as well. What happens in Hampton is a totally unique thing—not just the order of the songs, but the way everything is played. We’ve brought in a bigger element of improv in the past five years. We can weave songs together where we’re a pretty nimble machine. We can just put two songs on the setlist, and we’ ll make them work together somehow. If we have to change key and change tempo, we just do it on the fly. I think a large part of that comes from the chemistry that we have developed over the decades of knowing each other and making music together in many different forms. The show is kind of a reflection of who we are on that day or that week or that month. It ’s always a different show. You’ ll never catch the same show twice. … I hope the folks in Hampton enjoy the show because it ’ ll only be for them. The next night, it ’ ll be a totally different approach.”

The Steep Canyon Rangers will perform as part of the Bluegrass & Brew Festival at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 10 at the American Theatre in Hampton. The festival will also include performances by Dailey & Vincent on June 9 and Carbon Leaf on June 11. Ticket prices for all shows start at $35. For tickets or more information, visit hamptonarts.org.

Various Artists

“Lenis Guess Presents Unbroken Melodies”

(Plut Records)

Lenis Guess, known for his regional hit song “Workin’ for My Baby” and as a legend of the Norfolk Sound working alongside with Frank Guida, built a studio of his own and recorded various soul groups in the 1970s from Norfolk and the southeastern region of Virginia.

As a surprise, retrospective vinyl album release by Plut Records, “Lenis Guess Presents Unbroken Melodies” digs deep into the Guess studio archives and compiles 11 songs from long forgotten bands such as The 35th Street Gang, Deltones LTD, and The Symbolics.

Lenis Guess, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 81, operated as LGA Records at 633 35th Street in Norfolk (next to where The Venue on 35th is today).

Like Guida’s Le Grand Records, the recording quality of the songs coming out of LGA Records was a bit “tinny” at times, yet the rarity of these recordings makes their existence a real treasure trove.

The album (available at Birdland Music) compiles songs that were either never released or saw only a very limited distribution as singles (45s) in the ‘70s due in part to Guess’ limited financial resources.

“Records went to the recording artists and when they couldn’t sell them they often were thrown away by the box,” Brent Hosier, who compiled the album, told me. “They became rare.”

The Symbolics, who were from Portsmouth, have two tracks included on this record — the outstanding “Find Yourself Another Baby” and “Home Ain’t Home.” Both are mid-tempo tunes with moving bass lines, lush horns and strings (played on keys), and a beautiful soulful lead vocal melody and supporting backup sining. The group would have been right at home on the roster of Philadelphia International Records.

Jack & The Mods, who hailed from the Suffolk area but hung out in Norfolk, are represented on the compilation with the young Michael Jackson-esque “Don’t Wake Me Up.” Only 300 copies of this slow soul ballad were pressed, and half of those arrived warped and were returned to the manufacturing plant.

Deltones LTD are remembered here with three songs: “Keep My Company With You,” “You Won’t Believe I Love You,” and an instrumental version of the later.

A prime highlight on the album is the inclusion of two upbeat, highly danceable recordings from Jato Vondel: “How Long Have I Been a Fool” and “You Don’t Miss Your Water (Til Your Well Runs Dry).”

Lenis Guess steps out from behind the sound board to perform “No Steps Away” with The Royal Robins. The tune has a wicked edge, change in key, and lets passion take the lead. What a great song to open the album with.

A must-have gem. —

Jeff Maisey

Ron Fetner

“Down a Gravel Road”

(FetSong Music)

Earlier this year, singer/songwriter Ron Fetner release a crisply produced album of new originals reminiscent of a Gordon Lightfoot.

Each song comes across as a storytelling experience compelling the listener to sit still and pay close attention.

The vocal melodies are convincing in emotion on the title track, “Carolina Rain,” and “Crossed The Scarecrow.”

Fetner drives down that country gravel road on “White Cotton” with the inclusion of harmonica and a slide, acoustic guitar solo.

The highlight on the 9-song album is “Newport Blue,” a tune benefiting from additional instrumentation building a soundscape, pulsing rhythmic flow, multiple layered guitar tracks, and interesting lyrical storyline. —

Jeff Maisey

All proceeds benefit Hope House Foundation a local non-profit providing services to adults with developmental disabilities exclusively in their own homes.

GIGGUIDE

The Bunker Brewpub

5/18 - Legendary Shake

Shakers w/Dexter Romweber

5/19 - Origami Angel

6/1 - Nattali Rize

6/20 - Mad Caddies w/ Jackmove/The Last Gang

Toast

6/3 - Pretty Bitter/Pet Name/ Reptile Tile/Long Division

Scandals Live

5/18 - Trophy Eyes

6/15 - The Murder Junkies

Atlantic Union

Pavilion

5/17 - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

5/27 - Boyz II Men

Veterans United Home Loans

Amphitheater @ Virginia Beach

5/14 - Janet Jackson w/ Ludacris

6/8 - Morgan Wallen/Ernest & Bailey Zimmerman

6/24 - Rebelution

Acoustic Carnival

The Coffee Shoppe/Olde Towne Portsmouth

5/18 - Troy Breslow & Jacob Vanko

6/22 - Dakota & Jasper Smith

Attucks Theatre

5/20 - Bak N Da Day

6/14 - Julia Bullock

American Theatre

5/13-14 - Desiree Roots

Chrysler Hall

5/14 - Kountry Wayne

5/20 - Chris Thile

5/21 - Smokey Robinson

Perry Pavilion

5/18 - Sierra Hull

6/1 - American Aquarium

6/7 - Valerie June

6/8 - Over The Rhine

6/9 - Bria Skonberg

6/10 - Alisa Amador

Scope Arena

5/13 - KEM/Ledisi

Sandler Center

5/13 - The Sound & Soul of Puerto Rico (Free)

The NorVa

5/16 - Frank Turner & The Interrupters

5/17 - Dark Star Orchestra

5/23 - Badflower

5/24 - Rival Sons

5/25 - Matt Maeson

5/26 - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

5/28 - Big Boi

6/9 - EMO Night

6/10 - Cocoa Tea & Friends

6/17 - Gimme Gimme Disco

Elevation 27

5/16 - Eric Gales

5/19 - David Nail

5/20 - Abacab

5/25 - Austin Meade

5/26 - The Stews w/Bennett Wales

5/27 - Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

5/28 - Demun Jones

6/2 - Shot Thru The Heart

6/6 - Halocene

6/5 - Chest Fever

6/8 - Shane Smith & The Saints

6/9 - Stove God Cooks

6/10 - Skydog

6/11 - Kidd G

Williamsburg Live

2023

6/16 - The Wood Brothers

6/17 - Kenny Loggins

6/18 - Keb’ Mo’

Big Pink/Victorian Station

5/18 - Open Mic w/Ben

Lassiter

5/20 - World Fiddle Day Celebration

5/28 - Open Mic w/Karl’s Community

6/1 - Open Mic w/Mike Lille

6/9 - Michael Gurley of Dada

6/15 - Open Mic w/Annie Johnson

Froggies

5/17 - Joe Heilman

5/18 - Intangible Cats

5/19 - Hot Cakes

5/20 - Feeling Fine

5/21 - Cole & MaryAnn

5/24 - Jake Ryan

5/25 - Brad & Fred

5/26 - EverAfter

5/27 - Almost Famous Band

5/28 - Commitment Issues

6/2 - Plastic Eddie

South Beach Grill

5/19 - River Boyz

6/7 - Borderline Crazy

Grace O’Malley’s Irish Pub

5/14 - Mossy Moran

5/17-21 - Pat Garvey

5/24-28 - Donal O’Shaughnessy 5/31 - 6/4 - Beth Patterson

6/7-11 - Glasgow Kiss

Marker 20

6/9 - The Dharma Initiative

Hilton Tavern

5/17  Rusty Ancel

5/18  Nathan Lane

5/19  Marie-Claire Evans

5/20  The Hobo Mariners

5/24  Nadia Koz

5/25  Second Wind 5/26  Rich Ridolfino 5/27  Karl Werne 5/31  Troy Breslow 6/1  Rich Ridolfino

6/2  Thru w/ Therapy

6/3  Jonny Walker and Magic Mike

6/7  Brian Bleakley

6/8  Troy Breslow

6/9  Lana Puckett and Kim Person

6/14  Larry Lively

6/15  Alex Woodland

6/16  The Hobo Mariners

Open Mic Nights

Mondays - South Beach Grill

Mondays - Tap It Local

Tuesdays - C.I.P.H.E.R. at Noir

The

Vanguard Distillery & Brewpub

5/19 - Harper & Midwest Kind

5/20 - Into The Fog w/Matt Holloman

5/26 - Rob Oliver & The Attractors

5/27 - The Champagne Band

6/2 - Lane Rice

6/3 - Nashville Nights Band (outdoor stage)

6/8 - Songwriter Night

6/9 - Heavy Spirits

6/10 - Runnin’ Shine

6/15 - My Son The Hurricane

6/16 - Chris Duarte and Caleb Wolfe

Zeiders American Dream Theater

5/26 - Songwriter Swap

6/16 - TA Gatling

Tuesdays - Hilton Tavern w/ Megan & Zach Moats

Tuesdays - Abbey Road w/ Doyle & Dunn

Tuesdays - STUFT Open Jam

Tuesdays - Winston’s Cafe w/ Joey Wood

Tuesdays - Froggies w/Fred Karam

Tuesdays - 501 North 4th Tuesdays - St. George Brewing Co.

Wednesdays - Sunset Grill

Wednesdays - Capstan Bar Brewing Co.

Wednesdays - Stellar Wine Co.

Wednesdays - BLVD Bistro

Thursdays - Blue Ribbon BBQ

Thursdays - Poppa’s Pub

3rd Thursdays - Victorian Station

Wanna

Alisa Amador plays June 10 at The Virginia Arts Festival’s Perry Pavilion

Boyz II Men perform May 27 at Atlantic Union Pavilion in Portsmouth

Music Series Are Heating Up

By Staff

Summer is a ways off but music series events are already setting their schedules. Here’s an early list of what’s happening.

New Town Tunes After Hours

Concert Series

Sullivan Square, New Town Williamsburg

5/17 - Bullet The Blue Sky

5/25 - Lionsbridge

Sunsets on the River

@ Hermitage Museum & Gardens

5/18 - Kaboombox

6/1 - Brackish Water Jamboree

6/22 - The Fuzz Band

7/6 - Good Shot Judy

7/20 - Grateful Jed

8/3 - Roberta Lea & Band

8/17 - Allen Hudson & The Halfmoons

Oceanfront Concert Series

24th Street Park

6/7 - The Marshall Tucker Band

6/15 - Proyecto Uno

6/21 - DJ Jazzy Jeff

6/28 - Straight No Chaser

7/12 - Moe

7/19 - Andy Grammer

7/26 - Soccer Mommy

8/2 - Arrested Development

8/9 - Moon Taxi

8/16 - Ace Frehley

YNOT Wednesdays

@ Sandler Center Outdoor Plaza

6/14 - Brasswind

6/21 - The Gentlemen & Their Lady

6/28 - WOAH! 90s Band

7/5 - Allen Hudson and The Halfmoons

7/12 - The Nashville Nights Band

7/19 - The Groove Motive

7/26 - The English Channel

8/2 - Buckshot

8/9 - Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos

8/16 - The Fuzz Band

8/23 - Lucky 757

8/30 - The Party Fins

Concerts in The Park

Cape Charles Central Park

6/24 - USAF Concert Band

7/1 - Morgan Lynsey Band

7/8 - Can U Dig It

7/15 - The Jangling Reinharts

7/22 - Good Shot Judy

7/29 - Better By Tuesday

8/5 - Mashup & Cozy Condition

8/12 - Allen Hudson & The Halfmoons

8/19 - The Delorans 8/26 - Brasswind 9/2 - The English Channel 9/9 - Cat5

Church Street Jazz Series

7/15 - Richard Elliot & Rick Braun @ Harrison Opera House

Towne Bank Jazz Series

@ Sandler Center

5/25 - “A Nod to Sinatra, Bennett, Martin & Darin”

6/22 - “The Modernists”

7/20 - “The Originals”

8/17 - Lori Williams

9/14 - “Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn”

Sunset Thursdays

Festival Park @ Atlantic Union Bank

Pavilion 6/15 - Soul Intent

- Champagne Band

New Realm Brewing Company

Concert Series

5/26 - Neal Francis

6/6 - Artikal Sound System

6/15 - Badfish: Tribute to Sublime

6/25 - Collie Buddz

6/29 - Andy Frasco & The UN

7/6 - Black Joe Lewis

7/27 - Living Colour

8/10 - Bumpin’ Uglies

First Fridays in the Courtyard

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center

6/2 - The Band Vontrelle

Big Bands on the Bay

Ocean View Park/Norfolk

6/11 - The Top Hats Orchestra

6/18 - Khedive Notables Dance Band

6/25 - Southside Little Big Band

7/2 - Glen Boswick & The Sounds of Swing

7/9 - The Top Hats Orchestra

7/30 - The Top Hats Orchestra

8/6 - Southside Little Big Band

8/13 - Glen Boswick & The Sounds of Swing

8/20 - The Top Hats Orchestra

8/27 - Khedive Notables Dance Band

9/3 - Glen Boswick & The Sounds of Swing

Classic rockin’ The Marshall Tucker Band plays the 24th Street Stage at the Oceanfront June 7

Brasswind kicks of YNOT Wednesdays at Sandler Center on June 14

The Champagne Band bring the funk and old school soul June 22 to Sunset Thursdays’ Festival Park @ Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth

Jesus Christ Superstar Ascends Once Again

By Jerome Langston

“ This is a role that I’ve been hoping and praying for—for years and years,” says actor Elvie Ellis, who portrays the meaty role of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which begins its eight performances at Norfolk ’ s Chrysler Hall, later this month. Ellis, along with the rest of the touring cast, is currently in Philadelphia, having just begun their run at the Miller Theater, as part of the show ’s current North American Tour which launched last October. This production is being marketed as the 50 th anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, in celebration of the classic album musical which topped the main Billboard album chart in 1971.   Ellis grew up in Oklahoma City, where he attended a performing arts high school, before eventually completing a degree in music education at the University of Oklahoma. “I grew up really immersed in the arts,” he says. “ There’s a lot of artistic things going on in Oklahoma City—which people are usually shocked to find out.” The acting bug came from watching his older brother, actor Michael Preston, perform in well-produced high school musical productions, when Ellis

was still attending middle school.   “

The stage has become this place where I can be authentically Elvie Ellis,” remarks the actor, who moved from Oklahoma to New York City in March of 2020, unfortunately right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down all theatrical productions in the Big Apple. That period of lockdowns and shutdowns kept Ellis in his apartment with a new roommate, performing remote work for 2 years...till new work in professional theater became available again last year. The Oklahoma City native had landed a role in the touring production of Waitress, as a swing, when he auditioned for Jesus Christ Superstar, eventually winning the role of Judas, a character that he’ d wanted to play for years.

Back in 2019, Ellis performed as a soloist in a rock musical revue performance in London, where he got to perform songs that Judas performs in Jesus Christ Superstar. And even more serendipitously, the iconic songwriter Tim Rice, who of course wrote the lyrics to the classic show, hosted the London event that Ellis performed at. “ When I finally got it, it was very much like an answered

prayer, and a dream,” he recalls.

When Jesus Christ Superstar first opened on Broadway in October of 1971, the rock opera was already well known to the American public, due to the huge success of its same named musical album that preceded it. That concept album, released in October of 1970, became Billboard magazine’s top album of 1971, even finishing ahead of the Carole King classic, Tapestry. And the popularity of its music even led to many unauthorized productions of the show, prior to its Broadway debut. Starring Jeff Fenholt as Jesus, and the great Ben Vereen as Judas, the Broadway production, featuring music and lyrics by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, was a success—running till June of 1973, and earning five Tony Awards nominations, despite its rather mixed reviews. Its West End production, however, was a much bigger success in London, as it ran from 1972 to 1980, which was a record for a West End musical at the time. Since then, the show

has been performed throughout the world, and has spawned numerous adaptations, for both television and film.

In its exploration of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the lens of Judas, who infamously betrays Jesus in the scriptures—the two-act musical has courted controversy from its inception, in large part due to its intentional exclusion of Christ ’s resurrection, as well as its sympathetic portrayal of Judas. For its time, the rock opera also incorporated modern themes and sensibilities in its lyrics, which was also offensive to some religious audiences. Overall, Jesus Christ Superstar, despite some of its campiness, is largely regarded now as a theatrical classic. This current version of the show, which will soon hit Norfolk, is directed by Timothy Sheader, with new choreography by Drew McOnie. It won the prestigious 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

I ask Ellis how he regards Judas as a character. “Surprisingly enough, I think Judas does everything that he does in the show from a motivation of love for Jesus,” he remarks. “He believes that everything that he is doing is an effort to save Jesus from himself...” The actor listened to many podcasts from religious scholars, and read articles about Judas, to prepare for his portrayal. He also says that, as a person who comes from a Christian based religious background—he always felt that the teaching about Judas was largely one-dimensional. “I just kind of always felt like there has to be more to the story.”

Jesus Christ Superstar

The actor and singer ’s favorite musical number to perform in the show is “Heaven on Their Minds,” which launches Act I, and is a solo by Judas. He also enjoys “ The Last Supper,” which is in Act II, and features the argument between Jesus, portrayed in this production by newbie actor Jack Hopewell, and Judas. “It feels new every single time we do it,” remarks Ellis.

50 th Anniversary Tour  May 30-June 4  Chrysler Hall  sevenvenues.com

The actor who plays Jesus is from this area, according to Ellis, so the cast is particularly excited to perform for Hampton Roads audiences. He also remarks towards the end of our chat, that East Coast audiences tend to be rowdier—which they enjoy. I laugh in response to that. He later says, “ We’re just excited to spend a week there, to bring this story to life, and to share this story with people...and hopefully it impacts them in a special way.”

AROUNDTOWN

EVENTS

Chesapeake Jubilee

May 18 - 21

Chesapeake City Park

chesapeakejubilee.org

The Jubilee finally returns with an amusement park, Shrimp Feast (May 18), Fireworks (May 20), and lots of live music.

Suds & Buds

May 18, 5:30-8:30pm

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk sudsandbuds.org

Tickets include garden admission and features food from area restaurants, craft beer, wine, and live music by David & Gabe. Proceeds benefit Norfolk Botanical Garden and the Rotary Club of Norfolk.

Nauticus After Dark: Spring Fling

May 18, 6-9 PM Nauticus nauticus.org

Grab your friends and start your weekend early with Nauticus After Dark, an evening event series exclusively for adults 21+. This is your chance to explore and experience Nauticus, after hours and without kids, while enjoying groovy tunes, boozy punch, tasty mocktails, permanent jewelry, karaoke, photo booth and more.

Bayou Bon Vivant: Cajun Music, Food & Art Festival

May 19-21

Town Point Park www.festevents.org

Indulge in the flavors of New Orleans with this three-day celebration of the tastes, tunes, and traditions of the Crescent City. From juicy handfuls of crawfish to world-renowned N’awlins musicians, the festival offers a fun experience for the entire family. Plus, there’s an Arts Market featuring 30+ New Orleans crafters, mouth-watering Cajun dishes, and an upgraded VIP tasting experience.

Neptune’s 18th Annual Spring Wine Festival

May 20

31st Street Park @ Oceanfront www.neptunefestival.com

31st Street Park is transformed into a hub of tasting stations from around the world with over 70 wines from 8 countries, each featuring blends and styles that are sure to ignite the traveler in you.

Each tasting ticket includes a commemorative wine glass, unlimited tastings, live music from two bands, and the ability to purchase food from two local food trucks.

Common Grounds: A Collaboration Beer Fest & Camp Night

May 20

Holiday Travel-L Park, Virginia Beach commongroundsfest.com

Sample beers collaborated on by regional breweries for a unique experience. The night culminates with a huge bonfire. Camp overnight and stay safe.

Dockside Seafood Feast

May 20, 6 PM

The Landing Hotel

The Dockside Seafood Feast, a popular annual fundraiser featuring music, fun, and all-youcan-eat seafood returns after a four-year hiatus in downtown Hampton

This year’s theme is the Jazz Age—a tribute to both the current museum exhibit on Prohibition and the founding of Old Point National Bank in 1923. Dance to the music of Hard Times Band and we encourage you to dress in Roaring Twenties style. In addition to seafood supplied by Graham and Rollins and presented by The Landing Hotel, the event offers a silent auction and drinks. Dishes include the blue crab Hampton is known for (cakes, claws, soft-shell, and soup); oysters (fried and on the half shell), scallops, fried flounder, and shrimp cocktail.

Stockley Gardens Arts Festival

May 20-21

Stockley Gardens/Ghent

www.hope-house.org

A beloved neighborhood outdoor art show featuring over 100 regional artists, plus live music, food and drink.

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

Saturday, May 20

11:00 AM - Allegra DuChaine

12:15 PM - Jordan Cooper

1:30 PM - MaryAnn and Cole

2:30 PM - Karl Werne

3:30 PM - The Overnite Lows

5:00 PM - Suburban Key Party

Sunday, May 21

12:00 PM - Jasper and Dakota Smith

1:00 PM - Ruth Wyand

2:15 PM - Ron Fetner

3:30 PM - Tret Fure

31st Annual Portsmouth UMOJA Festival

May 26-28

Festival Park @ Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion

www.umojafestportsmouth.com

A grand celebration of unity at Portsmouth’s Annual African American culture and heritage celebration promoting cultural diversity and unity.

Bring the entire family to enjoy all the festivities including live music, kids’ activities, international foods and so much more. Live music includes Boyz II Men (on the big stage), plus RaJazz, New Sisters in Christ, 2nd Wynd, Ricky White and The Believers Kamp, and the Tidewater Chapter of GMWA Choir.

Memorial Day Salute to Summer

May 26-28

17th & 24th Street Stage @ The Oceanfront www.beacheventsvb.com

Enjoy the cool sounds of summer as the season of sun and fun kicks off on Memorial Day Weekend. Music starts at 7 PM. Free admission.

Friday, May 26

17th Street Park: Cultivated Mind

24th Street Park: Buckshot

31st Street Park: School of Rock

Saturday, May 27

17th Street Park: Wonderland

24th Street Park: 5Starr

31st Street Park: Brasswind

Sunday, May 28

17th Street Park: Chong Band

24th Street Park: The Deloreans

31st Street Park: Rocky 7

Patriotic Festival

May 26-29

Scope Arena & Town Point Park

www.patrioticfestival.com

May 26: Walker Hayes

May 27: Sam Hunt w/Jordan Davis

May 28: Cody Johnson w/Randy Houser

Rock The Dock Music Festival

May 27

Billsburg Brewery

Music includes The Fighting Jamesons, Ben Phelps Project, RapJack, and DOG Street Boys.

139th Annual Memorial Day Parade

May 29

High Street, Portsmouth portsvaevents.com

Portsmouth tradition since 1884, the annual Memorial Day Parade salutes the service and sacrifices of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and celebrates Portsmouth’s proud military heritage.  Enjoy floats, marching bands, and lots of excitement.

The parade travels on High Street from Peninsula Avenue (at I.C. Norcom High School) to Water Street. Starts at 10 AM.

Newport News Greek Festival

June 1-4

Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

www.newportnewsgreekfestival.org

A celebration of Greek culture through food, dance, and traditional music. Opa!

OV’s Mermaid Festival 2023

June 3

Ocean View Park

757-535-6142

This will be the largest congregation of Mermaids ever in Hampton Roads. Mermaids of all ages: Mermaids, MerKids & Aquamen. Activities for all ages include face painting, bubble machines, music, a rtist s, vendors and more. Noon to 3 PM. Free.

Clean The Bay Day

June 3

Chesapeake Bay Shorelines

Pitch in for 2023’s Clean the Bay Day and help ensure the health of our beautiful Bay. The main event will be held on Saturday, June 3, but we know not everyone will be able to make it which is way we have a DIY Week! Clean the

Enjoy a glass of vino with friends during Neptune’s 18th Annual Spring Wine Festival May 20 at 31st Street Park @ Oceanfront

Pop/rock recording artist Kenny Loggins plays June 17 at Lawn of the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Known for hits such as “Footloose” and “I’m Alright,” this is Loggins final tour.

Bay Your Way gives you the option of cleaningup when you want with friends, family or by yourself! You’re able to conduct your own cleanup effort on smaller sites like your private property, school, workplace, or anywhere else you have permission. Registration is open now! Visit www.cbf.org/clean to learn more. For any questions contact ctbd@cbf.org

2023 Hampton Black Beard Festival

June 3-4

Mill Point Park

www.visithampton.com

Pirate re-enactors take over the downtown Hampton waterfront with period vendors, crafts, history stories, musical entertainment, and more. A must-do for families.

44th Annual Seawall Music Festival

June 9-10

Olde Towne Portsmouth Waterfront

portsvaevents.com

Two days (June 9-10) of great food, local and national entertainment as well as Saturday night fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Children’s Activities on Saturday, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Bounce Houses and Games).

Friday, June 9

6:00 p.m. - Janitors

7:45 p.m. - The Fuzz Band

9:30 p.m. - The Original Rhondels

Saturday, June 10

2:00 p.m. - Sam Floyd Band

3:15 p.m. - Calden and Company

4:30 p.m. - 6Ways2Sunday

5:45 p.m. - Seamless

7:00 p.m. - Brasswind

8:15 p.m. - 2nd Wynd

Norfolk Harborfest

June 9-11

Town Point Park

www.festevents.org

America’s largest, longest-running, free maritime festival, Norfolk Harborfest celebrates all of the elements that make Norfolk and Hampton Roads a historic maritime and naval community. Featuring the annual Parade of Sails featuring international tall ships, one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast, a drone show, interactive family games and activities, Navy exhibits and demonstrations, artisan foods and beverages, live entertainment, and more. New this year is a special celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Boathouse.

HARBORFEST MAIN STAGE

Friday, June 9

3:15pm - Erin & The Wildfire

6:00pm - Kendall Street Company

8:00pm - The Allman Betts Band

Saturday, June 10

3:15pm - Wonderland

6:00pm - Cracker

8:15pm - Morris Day & The Time

Sunday, June 11

2:00pm - Cody Christian Band

4:30pm - Parmalee

Bluegrass & Brew Festival

June 9-11

The American Theatre

Enjoy a cold pint of regional craft beer while checking out some stellar bluegrass from Daily & Vincent (June 9), the dynamic Steep Canyon Rangers (June 10), and the roots rockin’ Carbon Leaf (June 11).

Summer Jazz 2

June 9-11

Virginia Beach Convention Center

The Jazz Legacy Foundation presents a threeday indoor Jazz Fest as follows:

Friday, June 9: Cameo, Average White Band, Lakeside

Saturday, June 10: Incognito/Maysa, Eric

Benet, Norman Brown

Sunday, June 11: Marcus Miller, Lalah Hathaway, Michael Lington/Paul Taylor

La Fiesta Virginia Beach

June 16-17

29th Street Park @ The Oceanfront

www.beacheventsvb.com

La Fiesta Virginia Beach possesses the key ingredients of authentic food, colorful cultural costumes, and high-energy national Latin music. Latin Grammy Award nominees and winners headline concerts on the Beach stage at 24th Street each night.

Authentic Latino and Hispanic food vendors as well as retail vendors round out the festival experience.

Friday, June 16

5 pm: DJ

7:45 pm: Diveana

9:30 pm: Jose Alberto “ El Canario”

Saturday, June 17

4 pm: DJ

5 pm: Ballet Folklorico Mexican Tradition of Julio Ruiz

5:30 pm: Eddy Kbrera

6:30 pm: Ballet Folklorico Mexican Tradition of Julio Ruiz

7 pm: Wanda Lopez

8 pm: La Banda Blanca

9:30 pm: Rubby Perez

Celebrating Juneteenth

June 17

ViBe Creative District Outdoor Stage

virginiabeach.gov/culture

Join folks from the Virginia African American Cultural Center in the ViBe for storytelling, music, dance and more from 9 AM to noon. Free admission.

Juneteenth in the Park

June 17

Town Point Park

www.festevents.org

A celebration marking the arrival of Africans to North America. Music, education, and more.

Chalk The Walk

June 17

Between 16th & 18th Streets at The Oceanfront Boardwalk beacheventsvb.com

Chalk the Walk takes over the Virginia Beach Boardwalk as artists gather to turn the boardwalk into an impromptu canvas of color. At Chalk the Walk, participants draw four by four-foot chalk drawings for three blocks along the boardwalk.

2nd Annual Lawnmower Beer Festival

June 17

St. George Brewing Company stgbeer.com

Some 20 regional craft breweries compete for who has the best crisp, light lager. Sample and vote for your favorite. Noon to 5 PM.

2nd Annual Peninsula June Teenth Freedom Fest

June 18

Darling Stadium/Hampton 757-287-0277

Family activities, cultural arts and entertainment, book authors, health and wellness screening, and music headliner EU, best known for the song “Da Butt.” Free admission.

PERFORMING ARTS

American Theatre

Soundscapes/Peninsula Youth Orchestra, May 21

Dailey & Vincent, June 9

Steep Canyon Rangers, June 10 Carbon Leaf, June 11 hamptonarts.org

Attucks Theatre

Bak N Da Day, May 20 sevenvenues.com

Chrysler Hall

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” May 30 - June 4 sevenvenues.com

Ferguson Center

“Madagascar: A Musical Adventure,” May 27 Eleve Dance Re-Mix, June 3 fergusoncenter.org

Governor’s School for the Arts

Spring Dance Concert, May 18-20, Susan Goode Fine & Performing Arts Center 757-451-4711

Harrison Opera House

Fortune Feimster, May 18 sevenvenues.com

Hurrah Players

“Madagascar,” May 20-21, Perry Pavilion hurrahplayers.com

Little Theatre of Norfolk

“James & The Giant Peach,” Through May 28 ltnonline.org

Little Theatre of Virginia Beach “Murder on the Orient Express,” May 12 through June 4 ltvb.com

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra, May 19

Celtic Throne, June 14 sandlercenter.org

Virginia Beach Chorale

“There’s No Tune Like a Show Tune,” May 20, Sandler Center sandlercenter.org

26th Annual Virginia Arts Festival

May 15, Emerson String Quartet, Hixon Theater

May 18, Sierra Hull, Perry Pavilion

May 19, Chris Thile World Premiere, Ferguson Center

May 20, Chris Thile World Premiere, Chrysler Hall

May 21, Chris Thile World Premiere, Sandler Center

May 21, Smokey Robinson, Chrysler Hall

May 23, Evening Chamber, Hixon Theater

June 1, American Aquarium, Perry Pavilion

June 7, Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players, Hennage Auditorium

June 7, Valerie June, Perry Pavilion

June 8, Over The Rhine, Perry Pavilion

June 9, Bria Skonberg, Perry Pavilion

June 10, Alisa Amador, Hixon Theater

June 14, “Five Freedom Songs,” Attucks Theatre

June 16, The Wood Brothers, Lawn of the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

June 17, Kenny Loggins, Lawn of the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

June 18, Keb’ Mo’, Lawn of the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

June 17, A Musical Tribute to Luther Vandross, Attucks Theatre

More info at vafest.org

4 To Explore

Compiled by Staff

Jubilee Maibock

St. George Brewing Company

Hampton

With the motto “Slaying ordinary beer since 1998,” Hampton’s St. George Brewing Company brewed an impressive, rarely served maibock as its official 25th anniversary beer. Coming in a 7.2% ABV, this malty, traditional German-style bock is full of flavor. Perfect on a cool spring evening.

Dark Helmet Schwarzbier Big Ugly Brewing

Chesapeake

From their May The 4th Star Wars tribute series, Big Ugly explores the dark Darth Vader side with this nicely produced German-style schwarzbier. The delightful malty character gives this brew a nice body without being too heavy. Tempting even for Luke Skywalker. Limited supply.

Navarro Mexican Lager Coastal Fermentory

Newport News

On those hot, humid late May and early June days nothing seems to be more refreshing than a Mexicanstyle, super light lager. This version from Coastal Fermentory with a slice of lime is a thirst quencher and brewed flawlessly. Salud.

The Rocket COVA Brewing Company

Norfolk

Named in homage of the rollercoaster that made Ocean View Amusement Park famous, this red ale is a medium bodied red lager with roasted toffee malt flavor. Well brewed!

Beyond the Beer: The Artistry of Virginia’s Craft Beer Labels

By Chris Cook

For all the biology and chemistry involved in brewing, making beer is as much art as it is science. While variables like fermentation temperature, alpha acid isomerization and yeast propagation contribute heavily to a beer’s profile and quality, brewers also wield an array of malts, hops and adjuncts as an artist wields a paintbrush and palette.

But as the popularity of craft beer has expanded, a different form of art has emerged as an inseparable part of craft beer culture: the beer label, which has evolved to represent the depthless creativity and ever-ranging personalities that make up Virginia’s craft beer scene.

With labels that range in color from bright and tropical to dark and muted, in art styles that range from abstract to gothic, and with detailed illustrations worthy of framing, the craft beer aisle has become an art gallery unto itself. The competitive nature of the industry paired with the creativity inherent in brewing has led Virginia brewers to create packaging and labels that are literally works of art—both as a means to catch the eye of consumers and a form of creative expression.

“ We’ve always said you drink with your eyes before the beer ever touches your lips,” said Robby Willey, co-owner of Virginia Beer Company in Williamsburg.

For craft beer professionals that imbue their very personalities into the beers they brew, each label is a way to express something about the beer inside or the brewery that fermented it. Some breweries rely on a core design with slight color or artwork variations between brews, while others approach every can or bottle as a blank canvas. Ultimately, what ends up on the shelf is a reflection of the brewery itself, says Taylor Smack, owner of Blue Mountain Brewery.

“Sense of place is definitely what we go for,” said Smack, whose taproom and restaurant sits in rural Nelson County. “It’s an easy vision for us to honestly convey because we love this place: spring and summer river trips, fall hikes and winter snow fun—all in this chill place with one stoplight and miles of

mountain and river road.”

The label artwork on Blue Mountain’s flagship brews features a series of handdrawn illustrations depicting the rurality of their location in the shadow of the Blue Ridge mountains. From the rolling hills and mountain peaks depicted in their Full Nelson Virginia Pale Ale to the tractors, farm trucks, hop vines and wheat fields on others like A Hopwork Orange and Kolsch 151, the packaging provides a sense of Blue Mountain’s rural, scenic setting.

“I smile every time I see our package art looking back at me from the shelves because it really does feel like Blue Mountain and Nelson County.”

But Blue Mountain’s artistry doesn’t end there. Their Barrel House allows for regular experimentation that is represented in both their array of beers and the labeling that accompanies it.

“Our Barrel House brand has a totally different story to tell for our brand [than

our core Blue Mountain brand], and it’s way farther-ranging,” Smack said. “Barrel House is a mixed bag of crazy when it comes to branding, and we like it that way.”

Blue Mountain Barrel House labels range from the dark, brooding and gothic designs of their iconic Dark Hollow imperial stout to the cartoony and curious Slow Donkey doppelbock. Among Smack’s favorites is a gold-foil-accented Anglo-Saxon-style label for “Adamboer ” that was the product of a collaboration with a University of Virginia professor of Old English.

And, as Willey states, while every brewery ’s individual beer labels provide an opportunity to say something about the beer inside or the people that produced it, altogether a brewery ’s portfolio of packaging art can say much more.

“It becomes something you hope translates over time into a larger tapestry,” said Willey, whose Virginia Beer Company has produced more than 400 beers since their founding in 2016.

“You want people to look back and see all your labels and hope they can tie them all together and say that’s a Virginia Beer Company beer, that’s a Commonwealth beer, that’s a Hardywood beer. We all probably have that feeling of wanting to have those dots that connect the history of your brewery.”

Virginia Beer Company puts colors at the forefront of its label designs, allowing the iconic VBC shield logo to take center stage. Everything else on the label is fair game, however, which has resulted in boldly pink and flowery designs like their Tropical Contact hibiscus gose or the festive, yet snarling Santa Clause on Evil Santa. Willey notes he and his VBC team have received requests to put specific label designs on t-shirts and merchandise not directly because of the beer, but more so because of the label design.

“ There’s this fun, animated side of the industry, and that translates to how you display your brand,” Willey said. “ That’s not just your logo and your taproom, but how the beer is reflected in cans and bottles. It’s a pride point. I would imagine every brewery is proud of how they display their liquid before it’s even sampled.”

When shelved together in a bottle shop or inside a craft beer connoisseur ’ s meticulously cultivated refrigerator, the array of those labels and cans exemplifies the creativity and diversity of Virginia’s craft beer culture itself.

ITS A BEER RAINBOW

22 TAPS OF LIQUID GOODNESS!

22 TAPS OF LIQUID GOODNESS! DON’T FORGET ABOUT OUR WINE ON TAP, GUEST BEERS, CIDERS, MEADS AND OF COURSE FOOD FROM THE ELATION KITCHEN!

Jimmy Loughran Departs Smartmouth

By Jeff Maisey

Smartmouth Brewing Company head brewer Jimmy Loughran announced April 25 that he was parting ways with the brewery.

“This week marks my last week at Smartmouth Brewing,” Loughran posted on social media. “I’ve been here for over 10 years, and it has been an amazing ride.

“The first series of questions that have been asked are, ‘What happened? Why?,’ he continued. “The answer is, I want to see what comes next. I have poured more of myself into this part of my life than I ever thought possible. It has paid back more than I expected as well. I have made amazing beers (and plenty of mediocre ones too). I have been fortunate. As a part of such a small business, I was lucky enough to witness an idea grow into something bigger. While awards and accolades are always an easy thing to point to in terms of success, I take more

All Aboard For Afterglow

pride in the fact that I was part of people’s lives. People visited the brewery to see friends, enjoy music, or support a local charity.

“There are changes occurring in the industry. Consumers change. The business model has changed. These aspects have led to some burnout (many times, honestly).”

Jimmy Loughran was the key ingredient to some of Smartmouth’s important successes, including taking the Virginia Craft Beer Cup trophy for Best-in-Show for Safety Dance Pilsner in 2017.

Loughran said he would be taking time to ponder future opportunities both within and upside the craft beer industry.

Moving up to the head brewer position is Jared Smith. Smith, who had been lead brewer, joined the Smartmouth team back in 2013. What a nice anniversary opportunity for the hardworking Smith.

Afterglow Brewing will be one of the first business to open in the new Railyard District in Norfolk. Josh Evans is the owner/brewer. Retiring from the field of physical therapy, Evans is turning a passion and hobby into a full-time career. He earned his brewing certificate from Cornell University. The micro brewery will focus on small batch craft beer and hard seltzers.

Commonwealth Satellite in NOVA

Virginia Beach-based Commonwealth Brewing Company announced it will be opening a new location this summer in the historic section of Fairfax City.

The renderings of the new brewery feature an open, modern design with lights strung across the ceilings. An inviting, covered outdoor patio with tiled flooring and gas fire pits looks inviting. Commonwealth is known for its fruited sours, flavor-forward beers that explore the boundaries of today’s specialized hops.

Best in VA

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild will host its annual Virginia Beer Cup awards ceremony July 31 at Hardywood Park West Creek. Both Smartmouth Brewing and New Realm Brewing Co. are past overall winners in the statewide competition.

Jimmy Loughran (pictured left) with Smartmouth founding president Porter Hardy IV and then packaging specialist Sarah Johnson.

TALBOT PARK FARMERS MARKET EAST BEACH FARMERS MARKET

La Patrona Taqueria is All about The Food

By Betsy DiJulio

In a landscape dotted with mostly fungible Mexican restaurants, Taqueria La Patrona is a welcome respite for the hungry traveler, even if you just traveled from down the street, even if you crave far more than tacos, and even if you subscribe to an entirely plant-based diet.

Located on Lynnhaven Road in a former drive-through restaurant with ample parking and directional arrows still visible on the asphalt, the unremarkable gray building belies what lies in store. And, evidently, the word is out because this humble taqueria was humming on a recent Tuesday evening.

With standard neutral tile floors and both booth and table seating in turquoise and navy, a note of charm is injected by the abundant use of highly patterned tile in soft blue and sage green floral motifs. Absent any of the standard Mexican market décor, this establishment is all about the food.

Sure, there are tasty but typical renditions of chips and salsa upon arrival and guacamole on the side. But where else can you score Soy Ceviche ($12.99), not to mention an entire 10item vegan menu plus vegetarian? For any omnivores in your party, there are plentiful versions of birria, huarache (also vegetarian), pupusas, and tortas in addition to a long list of other dishes, both familiar and refreshingly unconventional.

Sharon Clohessy, my omnivorous but mostly vegetarian foodie friend, and I both ordered from the vegan menu so that we could sample more of the dishes, sharing all selections. I was so tempted to order the Soy Ceviche, but the menu notes described the soy as marinated in avocado—to which I am allergic—in addition to citrus, jalapeño, and pico de gallo with a side of saltines and tostadas.

Sharon ordered the Quesadilla ($9)—a real test of plant-based prowess because it ’s all about the cheese—and I ordered the Esquite ($6.50) and enchiladas ($11.50) Our favorite dish was probably the simplest: the quesadilla, served with a side salad, guac, and Mexican Rice. Filled with Daiya brand mozzarella cheese, it was perfectly toasty and melty, the crunch and caramelization addicting. We also loved La Patrona’s version of rice: deep in red-orange color and flavor, it was a hint thick and almost creamy, plumply residing somewhere between rice and risotto.

Our second favorite was the ample serving of Esquite. This cousin of the more widely known Elote (4.99) is essentially the same dish with the

corn served in a cute aqua ceramic mug rather than on a cob. Both are topped with vegan mayo, sour cream, parmesan cheese, chili-lime powder, and a fresh lime wedge for squeezing. Next time, I would probably order the Elote, which is a little more tricky to eat, only because I think the greater ratio of toppings to corn would be a bit more pleasing.

The enchiladas were tasty, with each vegetable in the filling bursting with color and flavor: sautéed spinach, grilled pepper, and corn, but I would have enjoyed something a little decadent binding them together. The trio was topped with a perfectly fine and fresh-tasting tomato-based sauce and a sprinkle of Daiya mozz. Here, though, I would have preferred a sauce with more depth and richness and cheese that was more melty.

Would I go back? Certainly. And when I do, I look forward to sampling the Burrito ($10.99), Burrito Deluxe ($12.50), Torta made with Angie’s Bakery telera bread ($10), and Shroom Tacos ($7.99). Sharon and I were too sated for dessert—and we took leftovers to go—but Sopapillas with agave syrup, cinnamon-sugar, and vegan vanilla ice cream ($5.99) are such a treat for the plant-based patron.

And speaking of, I am uncertain as to what patron saint La Patrona refers, but she should be the Patron Saint of Plants.

More at https://taquerialapatrona.mobilebytes.com/menu , 1153 Lynnhaven Parkway Virginia Beach, 757.301.4527

Waters Edge Winery of Norfolk Sets Sail

By Jeff Maisey

Pop open that bottle of sparkling wine, it’s time to celebrate at last the arrival of warm, seasonal weather and a newly christened establishment in the 757’s dining scene—Waters Edge Winery & Bistro of Norfolk.

After nearly a year repurposing the former Taste gourmet food location on Hampton Blvd., the wife and husband team of Dylan and Jason Witt opened Waters Edge Winery of Norfolk in March.

The Witts did an outstanding job with the interior design. The dining area feels open, spacious, and the colors — a lot of white and blue — are easy, and pleasing to the eyes.

An attractive tasting bar with an interesting rich blue tile backsplash with taps coming out is inviting.

Waters Edge Wineries is a growing national brand that allows would-be folks with a love of wine and food like the Witts to operate a franchise. The average investment to open a Waters Edge Wineries location ranges from $555,000 to $1.3 million.

At the moment, Waters Edge Winery and Bistro of Norfolk is the only location in the state of Virginia. Dylan and Jason were given the freedom to shape the building layout to their wishes, and that personal touch included the label logo, which incorporates a naval vessel anchor as a nod to Jason’s service in the US Navy.

Waters Edge Winery and Bistro of Norfolk sources crushed grapes from vineyards across the globe to make its wine in-house. The grape juice is then poured by Jason into the fermenting tanks — as viewed through a large glass window in the tasting room — and given time for nature to do its thing and later becoming wine.

Jason Witt explained the process during a Ghent Business Association happy hour, comparing his process of wine making to that of local craft breweries, noting breweries purchase, by and large, all of the ingredients for creating a batch of beer.

According to the corporate leadership, “Waters Edge Wineries trains its incoming franchisees in every step of the winemaking process to ensure both the quality and standard of the wines crafted and served at every location. The grape must is inspected to meet quality grade before it is supplied at each individual winery. Waters Edge Winery and Bistro of Norfolk also follows rigorous guidelines to meet and ensure the health and safety of its guests.”

Jason Witt shared that once the wine has fermented it is then bottled and corked by hand, and then bottle-aged rather than cask/barrel aged. The labor intensive duty also includes labeling the bottles.

Having sampled a variety of the wines, I personally prefer their sparking and white wines. The Brut Almond Sparkling is particularly enjoyable ($35/bottle) as is the fruity Peach Mango Sparkling ($35/bottle).

I noticed a popular item as being the Mimosa by the Bottle with the choice of two fresh juices mixed with Brut ($42/bottle).

Others wines to give consideration: Pearl Viognier ($13/glass, $42/bottle), 2021 Monterey County Rose of Pinot Noir ($11/glass, $37/bottle), and the White Cranberry Sangria ($10/glass, $35 bottle). Wine is perhaps best enjoyed when paired with food, and the menu offers several delicious choices. Each food item is highlighted by a suggested wine to pair it with. Ultimately, though, you can select any wine you prefer.

For my taste buds, I’d say go for the Crab Cakes ($18) and Zesty Shrimp Skewers ($18 for 8) as starters for a couple of foursome of friends. An alternative would be the Virginia Is For Charcuterie Lovers board (local cheeses/meats/pickled vegetable/ peanuts/baguette).

For entrees, I like the Chicken Piccata (with its zesty capers and creamy lemon sauce served over pasta, $25), the vegan grilled Cauliflower Steak, and the Blackened Shrimp Jicama Tacos ($19). All three make for nice summertime dinners. Also offered are a variety of sandwiches and flatbreads.

Drop anchor, and dive right in.

Waters Edge Winery and Bistro of Norfolk, 6464 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, 757-904-3821, wewnorfolk.com

Friendly tasting room experience at Waters Edge Winery of Norfolk.

Saturday, June 11th, 2022

Saturday, June 11th, 2022

Saturday, June 10th, 2023

8:00AM – 1 Mile Run/Walk

8:00AM – 1 Mile Run/Walk

8:00AM - 1 Mile Run/Walk

8:45AM – 5K Run/Walk

8:45AM - 5K Run/Walk

8:45AM – 5K Run/Walk

10:00AM – Post Race Celebration

10:00AM – Post Race Celebration

10:00AM - Post Race Celebration

Virginia Wesleyan University - Boyd Dining Hall 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502

Virginia Wesleyan University - Boyd Dining Hall 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502

Virginia Wesleyan University - Boyd Dining Hall 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502

All proceeds directly benefit adults with disabilities in Hampton Roads!

All proceeds directly benefit adults with disabilities in Hampton Roads!

All proceeds directly benefit adults with disabilities in Hampton Roads!

presenting sponsors:

Eggleston’s garden center has expanded to include a fixed indoor farmers market. Our year round farmers market will carry seasonal produce and other locally produced products. We also carry locally grown plants that thrive in Hampton Road. Garden tools, soil, natural and organic chemicals, and much more to make your garden spring to life!

Open: Tuesday – Saturday 9-7 and Sunday 9-5

Restaurant Reds

By Jeff Maisey

Often times the bottle of wine enjoyed while dining at local restaurants can be difficult to find on the grocery store shelves. That’s because many wine distributors have a selection almost exclusively set aside for non-retail.

I have had some luck finding such bottles at smaller specialty retailers like Yannis Wine & Food in Virginia Beach as well as Great Bottles in north Suffolk. Even if it’s not on the shelves the mom-and-pop store owner can special order what you need for at-home consumption.

Discovering new wines on the menu at local restaurants is a great first step, especially if the knowledgeable server, chef, or bartender have provided reliable advice on past visits. Wine distributor reps often provide a sampling session with restauranteurs and staff to educate them on new vino.

Here are three reds I found to my liking while dining out locally.

Patricia Green Cellars 2020 Pinot Noir Reserve Oregon

A good rule on thumb when ordering an unknown bottle of Pinot Noir is to go with almost anything produced in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Such was the case when I selected this bottle for a celebration dinner at Todd Jurich’s Bistro.

Priced in the mid-$70 range — an average price point at the Bistro — I was impressed by the smoothness of this pinot. It has an almost silkiness feel when swirling in one’s mouth.

The winery produces a plethora of Pinot Noirs with grapes sourced from its many vineyard plots. The price can vary as will the taste of each specific bottle depending on the terroir grown.

Above all, any Patricia Green selection will be a winner with dinner.

Dalrymple 2021 Pinot Noir Tasmania

Maggie at Voila spied me seated for dinner and rushed over to the table. She was more gleeful than ever to share a new find — Dalrymple 2021 Pinot Noir.

“I think you’re going to like this one, and I just wanted to bring it to your attention,” she said.

“Wow, Tasmania,” I relied, looking at the label. “How exotic is that?”

Pinot Noir grapes grow best in cooler climate zones, making Tasmania — south of Australia — a good environment.

Talk about flavorful: The result here is a very unusual, delightful tasting pinot with vibrant cherry notes. It does not come across as sweet, but rather a complex fruitiness unlike anything I’ve previously tried.

A paired this wine (14% ABV) with Voila’s consistently great steak in pepper sauce entree, making it a memorable dining experience.

The Dalrymple was priced at about $74, the same cost I as I saw on on the menu at Aldo’s.

Worth every penny.

Egervin 2020 Bulls Blood Hungary

For whatever reason I often overlook The Monastery restaurant in downtown Norfolk when deciding where to dine with friends.

The restaurant has been in business for 40 years and specializes in Old World European cuisine.

Owners Anna and Adolf Jerabek immigrated to America in 1967 from what was Czechoslovakia and opened a restaurant under the same name on NYC’s upper west side. They moved to Norfolk and immediately opened their restaurant.

Sticking with the Eastern Europe theme, I ordered a wonderfully flavored goulash. I couldn’t resist pairing it with a bottle of Hungarian wine called Bulls Blood, priced on the menu at just $30/ bottle.

The waitress, who was from Ukraine, said it was popular with regular customers, and I could taste why. The rich, bold wine was surprisingly fruit-forward.

The vineyard region of Eger, in northern Hungary, has been producing wines since the 1600s. There’s a tradition most know little about.

All the more reason to explore this bottle over dinner at The Monastery.