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Party time!ExcEllEnt

Something for every night The hottest weekly parties at

favorite local haunts

Home-brewing

After Hours

Free

BarNightlifeGUIDE

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Welcome

JEWISH MOTHER Fantastic Planet

BroWserBe a Beer Expert Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy. Read Brendan Kennedy’s intro to home-brewing in full online. Got tips? Have questions? Know a thing or two more than we do? Share your beer-making (or beer-consuming) expertise with the 24Seven community.

Something Taste-y Haven’t picked up a copy of Seven-Cities’ Taste? See what the buzz is all about at 24SevenCities.com. Devour the digital edition of our first delicious issue —featuring beautiful por-traits of the finest in local food + dining alongside the words of some of the region’s most respected food writers.

WinterSpring2009AGeNDA

Comment Page Seven A faith in film restored; another defended.

Album SevenCities’ Preview + 24SevenCities.com Launch Par-ties; Crush Groove @ Boar’s Nest.

Site-Specific Is There a Draught in Here? Beer distribu-tor Brendan Kennedy talks home-brewing.

Last Call Scene and Heard... Obama Day Part One; Party Time, Excellent; Surf ’s Up @ Longboards.

After 2`Hours Members Only PJs 19th Hole; Editor’s Letters Back Out, Losing it to PJ; Contributors; Directory; Top 7.

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There’s always something new at 24sevencities.comHere’s a preview of what you’ll find online

Haunt and each of the Seven-Cities magazines is published quarterly by Paper Pixel. All rights reserved. Distribution is throughout the region of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Send email to ads@24SevenCities.com or visit 24SevenCities.com for information. No part of this publication may be used with-out written permission from the publisher. © 2009

JCDC CRuSH GROOvE THE BOaR’S NEST | HOWaRD TaRpEy

REWIND Fashion + Art + Music Film | Shop 12.04.08 | Fea-turing pm looks from Provisions, Bahama Shop, and Sole Brother; bold hair + make-up by Wink Salon; art courtsey of Stuntkid, Chelsea Barnes, and Walls Fine Art; Berkvisual on the mic; and smokin’ hot musicians Gina Dalamas, Jo-Anna Lynne and Heather Jennette showing off the goods.

mANAGemeNTSevenCities

editorsPubliSherS

WORDS

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aDvERTISING

WEB DEvElOpMENT

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SpECIal THaNkS

Allison Hurwitz | Hannah Serrano

George Booker | Ty Bliss | Brendan Kennedy | Allison Hurwitz | Jesse Scaccia | Hannah Serrano | Alfredo Torres

Howard Tarpey DCPG | Ty Bliss | Alfredo Torres

Ashley Grove

Ty Bliss | George Booker Gregory Epps | Michelle M Falck Lauren Izzo | Brendan KennedyLeigh Rastivo | Jesse Scaccia Ernie Smith | Jerome Spencer Jen Stringer | Alfredo Torresads@24SevenCities.com757.478.1717 | 757.714.5854

Marathon Consulting

Travis Jones

Howard Tarpey | Merrit Press Alfredo Torres | Ty Bliss Jesse Scaccia

WEB DESIGNScott Clevenger, Marathon Consulting

Haunt EDITORIal+aRT DIRECTOR

Allison Hurwitz

Web DIRECTOR Hannah Serrano

In loving memory of Daniel. This one’s for you.

BarNightlifeGUIDE

HAUNT

“Just as my faith in the American people is at an all-time low (Obama’s election notwithstanding), what hap-pens? For the first time in a decade, I see four legitimately

good movies in a row.”

bar Cruzer’s | PhOTO HoWard tarpey

7“Just as my faith in the American people is at an

all-time low (Obama’s election notwithstanding), what hap-pens? For the first time in a decade, I see four legitimately

good movies in a row.”

he winter of 1992 was when I discovered music. And by ‘discov-ered’ I don’t mean I, like, got my first Walkman. I mean ‘discovered’ in the sense that I tapped into the yet-unexplored artistic regions of myself. First my parents trans-ferred me to Catholic school in Connecticut, where my new best friend was a Beatles fan, inspiring me to buy The White Album and Abbey Road. Within weeks of that, the only thing on MTV was the video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” I threatened to dye my hair pink until my dad ponied up for Nevermind and Ten.It’s almost unbelievable that one person can be exposed to such high pop art in one season. Up to that point I had been a rhythym-less kid from the suburbs whose favorite song might actually have been the theme song to “Fresh Price of Bel Air.” Suddenly I was wearing ripped jeans, head-bang-ing in basements, screaming the lyrics to “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road” during gym class and, in general, finding the music of my own life. Music had saved me from being boring.I thought this would be the peak of the way art could change me until the summer of 1999. I was living in Boca Raton, of all places, teaching swimming to toddlers between my sophomore and junior years of college. I saw the following four movies in the theater, in succession: Fight Club,

Magnolia, American Beauty, and Being John Malkovich. Seeing those particular movies in one short time period didn’t just tune me into the beauty of film, it in-spired me to question my follow-the-middle-class-road trajectory. Movies saved me from myself.As anyone who likes going to see movies knows, they tend to suck these days. They’re all action or horror or cartoons or dance contests between hot white chicks and hot black chicks. What happened to the summer of ‘99? Or, for that matter, the winter of ‘92? Is it the art, or what we want from it? Have we become completely, totally, irretrievably base? Because what’s popular says a lot about who we are as a people, as a culture: our tastes, our values, whether we just want to be pacified, or if we demand to be inspired.Anyway. Just as I’m about to move to South Africa, just as my faith in the American people is at an all-time low (Obama’s election notwithstanding), what happens? For the first time in a decade, I see four legitimately good movies in a row.Brad Pitt in the title role of The Mysterious Case of Benjamin Button.Benjamin Button made me cry over something that I cannot relate to in any way, something that makes no logical sense, and which even had little to do with

Films that move

commeNT

WOrdS Jesse sCaCCia

Page Seven

HoWard tarpey paRTy aT TIME lOuNGE CluB | DOWNTOWN NORfOlk

AlBum

Got a great eye? Contribute your photography to submissions@24SevenCities.com, and you could see your images in the next Album.

Sevencities launch party 01.16.08 1the scence at big easy 2blogger lauren izzo, the in-fluence’s bassist chris tul 3editor-publishers hannah serrano and allison hurwitz celebrate the debut 4the preview party, also at big easy 10.21.08 PHOTO ALFREDO TORRES

AlBum

cheerS! guests look alive project’s jarrett beeler, justin davis, and reese graif

Got a great eye? Contribute your photography to submissions@24SevenCities.com, and you could see your images in the next Album.

las Fiestas de sevenCities

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MOre beer, leSS bar One OF The Many inTOxicaTing beneFiTS OF hOMe--breWing

Site-Specific

beer distributor brendan kennedy talks home-brewing

is there a draught in here?

o I’m sitting here after a day of selling other people’s beer, trying to write this article, sip-ping what was my attempt at a homemade barleywine (a very strong flavorful type of beer). The alcohol content fell well below what the style calls for; and yet it stands on its own as a beer, having strong malt and roasted flavors, a heavy-handed hop bite, and a creamy finish. I take a sip, and each level flavor highlights some aspect of what can be an infinitely complex or simple process (depending on how you do it). As fruity beer aromas wave past my nostrils, and alcohol past my taste buds, I think of how this beer that I’m experiencing came to be.It starts with a man standing over a giant pot full of a boiling liquid. At care-fully paced intervals he adds more ingredients to the brew, causing chemical reactions that will affect several characteristics of the final product, and draw

s

Find it at 24Sevencities.com

13MOre beer, leSS bar One OF The Many

inTOxicaTing beneFiTS OF hOMe--breWing

pHOTO | HOWaRD TaRpEy

various reactions from whomever consumes it. Then, when the concoction cools, it will alter the mind of its maker. Though it may sound illicit, like a kitchen for crack or methamphetamine, the scene I am describing is far more common (and legal). It’s how beer is home-made, and it is beyond a mere underground Hampton Roads hobby--it is a certain way of life.There is no such thing as an average home brewer. Some begin their odyssey into the culture of alcohol later in life. Others (my-self included) try their own hand at it immediately, after a few first tastes of the surprising and expansive world of beers. To get a little deeper into this world, I stopped in at Homebrew USA. And what I found, however, in this unassuming location in the Janaf Shopping Center, was one that is probably not unfamiliar to most beer-lovers. A don in a kennel, a football game on the flat-screen TV, and three guys on a couch watching intently. Rob French, a store salesman, was kind enough to answer some questions from his spot on the couch.French has been brewing for five years and has worked at Home-brew USA for three. Like most brewers, he not only enjoys the fruits of his labor but the labor itself. “It’s really fun, and I can make beer that I can’t buy anywhere else or beer that is more expensive to go out and buy, like Samichlaus and Chimay,” (Both are beers that are known for their wonderful complexity of flavor, high alcohol content and, unfortunately, the amount of time and money that can be spent tracking them down). “You can make a batch here for, on average, 35 maybe 40 dol-

lars. That’s two cases of beer,” French explains. “And you get a lot better quality than what you can buy for the same price at the store. It’s definitely not your average Miller Lite.”Rob’s beer-drinker attitude reflects the appeal of taking up the hobby. “It’s real simple to do. I think a lot of it is just that people are hesitant. They want to make sure they’re not messing it up before they actually do it. “You can’t mess it up,” he assures me, “You can’t make anything that’ll hurt you.” Smiling he adds, “If you can boil water, you can make beer. There’s certainly nothing hard about it.”If it’s so easy, then how exactly does one make beer at home? The short and most straightforward answer is this: take a solution extracted from malted grains soaked in piping hot water; bring it to a boil to make it a wort; add hops at various intervals; then after it cools, add yeast to convert the boiled malt-water into a wonderful drink.So making a beer is actually pretty easy. But the subtle manipula-tion of each ingredient can result in rather dramatic and different results. The most obvious is with the grain itself. Grain used in beer is largely malted barley, although most domestics add adjuncts like corn and rice. Malting involves soaking the barley seeds until they sprout, releasing enzymes that will enable them to convert the seed’s starch into fermentable sugars. When the kernels are sprouted enough, they are roasted in a massive oven. Additional roasting and processes can impart other flavors to the malt. For example, Guinness stout achieves its dark tone and...

“you Can’t mess it up,’ he assures me, ‘you Can’t make anything that’ll hurt you.’ smiling he adds, ‘iF you Can boil water, you Can make beer. there’s Certainly nothing hard about it.”

read The reST + PlenTy MOre @ 24SevenCities.com

Site-Specific

lAsT cAll

bama Day Part One was a transcendent night for me (and I have drank more

before, more times than I care to admit or can count anyway, so it wasn’t just sweet lady Pabst talking). What was wonderful was a sense of communion as red became blue (bad for complexions, good for states). After years of a common malaise and pessimism, an atmosphere of hope and belonging became contagious and I found myself embracing people I’m usually a distant prig to for no good reason.I was not alone in this intoxication with hope and alcohol. My closest friends who can usually go blow for blow with me in neurosis and depression were similarly uplifted. We could feel it on the street, in the air, and beneath the surface. It was our time to gloat insufferably. This golden feeling persisted for all of us generally until the next pay period, wave of bills, or eviction, one of which came for all of us within a week or two.Such is life or bipolar disorder (six of one half dozen of another), a wild oscillation be-tween luminous infinite and dank nothing-ness. One week we were bright beacons of Obama’s America on a mission to lead a new age of free love and subsidized medicine. By the next week, we were back to just being poor.As in cinematography, life needs both shadow and light if we are to make anything out of it. Recently (approx. 8 years) it feels like way to much of the former. I want desperately to get back to that fleeting euphoric feeling of election night (yes, I have dealt with addiction before, but now Barack is my anti-drug). I encourage everybody to take my friend Brendan’s advice tonight, and moderate your moderation. That means that the best thing we can collectively do to embody hope is to make a personal commitment, wherever we are, to engage in pansexual booze-drenched bacchanalian freak-fests. Yes, that’s my proposed solution for most things, but I mean it more than usual this time.There is plenty going on in the well-mon-eyed area closest to me. Tidewater NOW,

HROC, and Phem will be percolating the New Belmont like it was old times. For up-lift and uprock, stop by the Taphouse after 10 for a nightcap of boogiedown provided by Berk and Cornbread. It should be one of the best nights of my life, but unfortu-nately I’m effectively broke (as opposed to the “broke” people talk about when they only have $3000 in savings and $1000 left on their favorite credit card, I actually don’t have money right now).So what does that have to do with you? Maybe everything. For this is your opportu-nity, dear reader, to accompany me and pay for my inaugural debauchery! Yes, I know, you are very lucky. No promises, but if this goes well, you might get luckier than you ever dreamed. It’s all about hope tonight.Not to be modest, but at a towering 5′9′ and a slender 190 lbs, I am sexier than any-body I know. I wouldn’t say I have a mes-sianic complex, but my beard certainly does. Although much of this blog has featured me complaining about being poor, I have limit-less earning potential. I could do anything I wanted to if I set my mind to it, but I’m far too humble to do that. Some people say you can’t put a price on potential, but I’m setting that price as whatever my bar tab winds up being tonight. I’ll get drunk on bourbon and PBR, and you can get drunk on my potential. Plus we can both take bumps of hope throughout the night to keep our spir-its up. I am a progressive gentleman. Say something progressive and I will do you one better even if it becomes completely asinine. Here’s a sample dialog:You: I think convicts should have the right to vote.Me: Baby, I think only convicts should have the right to vote.Long walks on the beach…well, I’ve been around beaches enough and it is kind of cold, but I’m not averse to them if that’s your thing. Cozy evenings by the fire? Well, as Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez once said, I love to burn things.So, are you my special sugar companion at the dawn of a new age? Will you be that special somebody (or if a group of you wants to pitch in together for this, I like rolling deep, too) to pay for my boundless sense of optimism tonight? Will you inaugurate with me?

1:40 pm 02.20.09Featured blogger

George Booker

Scene and heard...

Words 24Sevencities.com Photo horward tarpey

OBaMaraMa on inauguration night, george

booker pops the question

o

14

crush groove THE BOaR’S NEST pHOTO HOWaRD TaRpEy

aRE yOu GONNa BE My GIRl? george booker pops the question on inaugura-tion night.look differ-

ent.tion look different.tion look different.

Words 24Sevencities.com Photo horward tarpey

lAsT cAll

sunday$5 pizzas at Cogans: Well, actually, it’s now

$5 off any pizza, but seeing seeing as though a cheese pizza’s about $10, it pretty much

works out. The deal goes on all day, brings out a good amount of people trying to hang

out and see friends on a lazy Sunday and is even sweeter for the $5 pitchers of PBR.

TuesdayPint Night at Cogan’s: from 7 to 9 get a $2

pint of anything they’ve got on draft. Gets a little crowded with regulars; jeans-and t-shirt

20- and 30-somethings who’d rather shoot pool and shoot the shit than dress to impress.

open-mic night for djs with no cover. Ama-

Influx at the Wave: electro-indie meets arts-and-craft. In the front room of the club, Ordinary Boy and Grizz Le Beast spin booty-shakin’ electro, while in the back room craft-influenced art is on display... [continued]

mondayWith not much going on the first night of

the week in Hampton Roads, Monday nights have become The Unofficial Day of Rest.

continued on page 18

Wednesday

Something for Every Night the hottest weekly parties at favorite local haunts

crush groove THE BOaR’S NEST pHOTO HOWaRD TaRpEy

Thursday80s night at the Wave: like no other, this long-time party has grown to be one of the most consistent dance parties in the area. The line out the door and around the front of this Colley Ave haunt near ODU and Colonial Place, is filled week after week with dressed-up dolls...

FridayIndie night at The Wave: Ordinary Boy and Danny (the Wave’s unofficial house DJ, who also spins their Goth and gay nights) in the front room, Adam Gecking of Goodlove (owner of the now-closed Volume Records) in the back room, spin...you guessed it...

saturdayFantastic Planet at Jewish Mother. The monthly party, which started in Richmond, is now on its third round. It’s put on by the Noah Larmz crew, a group of local artists, musicians and (reformed) graffiti writers, who painted the back wall of Jew Ma’s ...

17contributors Berkvisual Howard tarpey

Edited Hannah SerranoSomething for Every Night the hottest weekly parties at favorite local haunts

Party time!ExcEllEnt

and newer electronic beats by DJ El Capone and DJ Lockdown

and costs about $10 at the door.sunday

$5 pizzas at Cogans: Well, actu-ally, it’s now $5 off any pizza, but

seeing seeing as though a cheese pizza’s about $10, it pretty much

works out. The deal goes on all day, brings out a good amount

of people trying to hang out and see friends on a lazy Sunday and

is even sweeter for the $5 pitchers of PBR.

TuesdaySubstance at New Belmont: an open-mic night for djs with no

cover. Amateur and experienced DJs sign up beforehand to spin a

half-hour to hour-long set. The event is hosted by the Substance crew; an eclectic mix of local art-ists and DJs, including Christo-

pher Bird and Sean Grimes. Not as busy as it once was, Substance

is a consistent weekly party where you can listen to a first-time or

regular DJ play what they really want to play, hear and dance to.

Rebel E at Ohana: the Virginia Beach crew including Max Mega, Dante Lewis and Justin Battle put

on a party sponsored by Shmack and Restless Bodies among others. It’s pumped with a mix of hip-hop

Thursday...and pretty gay boys ready to

party. The mix is inspiring: young VB kids, Norfolk scenesters,

gawkers and groovers let loose. Quite a time to be had. If you haven’t been to 80s Night, you

haven’t partied in the Seven Cities.

The Boot Jazz series: two sets keep it going from early in the

evening, during The Boot’s dinner hours, and on into the night. The rotating acts have twice included

Jae Sinnett Trio--so you know this is the real deal. One of the rare

events that manage to be hip but adult.

Friday...indie. For the $2 PBRs, it’s a

solid good time.

Joe Fu at Time Lounge: this popular radio DJ spins house,

dance and top 40 to the delight of sexy 20-somethings trying to meet up and get down. If you’re feeling

the Granby Street party vibe, come back out Saturday night for

Joe Fu at Granby Theater.

saturday...patio (which gets packed

with the overflowing crowd) for the first Fantastic Planet last summer. A guy in a gorilla suit

always seems to show up halfway through, as do a flock of hot

hipster Asians.

“Custom-made music party” at Bar None, an out-of-the-way

Western bar in Virginia Beach. Brought by Art in Heart aka

Dave Allison, a guy who’s been in the local music scene for a good while, this event features seven

DJs spinning rock-and-roll, punk, shoegaze and indie.

Wednesday...Influx has only been going on for a month or so, but it’s slowly starting to pick up more regulars and may gain ground as the new “Secret Dance” night. For 3 to 5 bucks, it’s definitely nice to get a

different crowd than your typical 80s night kids.

continued from page 17

ParTy FantastiC planet PhOTO HoWard tarpey

AFTer Hours

EDITORS Back to the Wave; Letting Loose.22

20 AFTER HOUR Surf’s up at Longboards; Partythrough the ngiht at PJ’s

TOP 7 things to do @ 2 am.34

24 CONTRIBUTORS Hoard Tarpey; Alfredo Torres, Ty Bliss.

24 DIRECTORY Your Guide to Bars + Nightlife in the SevenCities.

continued from page 17

aloha, braaaa!

longboards POrTSMOuThWOrdS | PhOTOty bliss

t’s no secret that a cold snap will raise a person’s level of stress and frustration. I have tried many methods to cure the deep winter blues, and after years of trial and error I assure you, Longboards is the remedy for this condition. That is not to say that the refresh-

ing Hawaiian vibe of this High St newbie wouldn’t be the perfect compliment to a hot summer’s day. The minute I step in, all the day’s unease vanished. And the calm that overtook me when General Manager Llew Kennison, an original Hawaiian native, brought on the exciting and complex martinis and authentic island barbecue, persisted right through to the next day.Longboards tastes kind of like a chocolate macaroon when you first walk in: soft, warm light bouncing off cozy earth tones with flashes of yellow, orange and red in their boldest states. The place feels cozy, and only after very close inspection do you realize that the area is actually quite large. (Kennison assures me this is no mistake: “Having an island bar really opens the space up and encourages communication.”)There’s a flutter of vegetation in the decor that’s hard to identify at first. But if you stand by the bar and look up, you’ll see that it is a living garden on a large

sushi mat. The place is all soft woods and bamboo. Like the décor, Kennison’s approach is warm, low-key and slightly metropolitan. No stranger to the industry, his mother owned a popular nightclub and his sister is a renowned chef in the Hawaiian culinary scene. An artist and designer at heart, he endeavored to create a style for the restaurant that carries a hint of his native Hawaii and makes you feel at home. He has achieved this and more. Kennison himself eats at Longboards every day, alongside owners Tod Leutner and Vincent Ranhorn and their families. Later, the place becomes a pretty lively bar. Longboards seems to attract a clien-tele that suits the atmosphere: happy, friendly people.Next door at Fusion 440, an ajoining restaurant also owned by Leutner and Ranhorn, wall-sized wine-colored paintings, small black tables and excellent cocktails transport you to what feels like the upper West Side of Manhattan. From the “pineapple upside-down cake” with a hint of vanilla Stoli to the delight-ful raspberry Cosmopolitan, Fusion 440’s martinis are perfect for any casual drinker or thirsty connoisseur.Between these two great Portsmouth spots, the Seven Cities has got itself a great new watering hole, where you know you won’t leave hungry and you definitely won’t leave broke.

I

AFTer Hours

20

members only

pJ’s 19tH HoleghenT

WOrdS | PhOTOalFredo torres

hat do actor Bruce Willis, wrestler Ric Flair, basketball great Allen Iverson, Nascar racer Kurt Busch, members of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the rock band Hoobastank and cast members of Broadway plays “Mama Mia,”

and “Phantom of the Opera” all have in common? They’ve all partied after 2 am in what could be the best hole-in-the-wall after-hours club in the Seven Cities: PJ’s 19th Hole. This exclusive members-only bar, which is located at 4402 Colley Avenue in Norfolk, is not just another hole in the wall, oh no my friends, it is the best hole in the wall—where at any night of the week, you can find your favorite bartenders, door/security guys and other people who serve you during your night life, winding down and relaxing. Whether you’re playing pool, foosball, video crack or cranking out tunes on the jukebox, PJ’s does away with being preten-tious. It’s not trying to be like other trendy after-hours places; it’s the place to go to relax, and get away from people who are trying to be bigger and better than they really are. With regulars Paul, Pat or Steve either working the door, or positioned behind the bar, you can tell this is the kind of place that has seen it all and is not impressed by any of it. The only thing that matters at PJ’s is having a good time and these guys make sure you have one. One of my favorite things about this place is its hotdogs. I know that it sounds stupid, but when you are at that point after

partying all night long where you just have to get something in your stomach, and you all know what I’m talking about, there is nothing better than ordering a couple of PJ’s famous hotdogs with the toasted buns. Two regular-looking hot dogs have never tasted sooooooo good. I don’t know how they do it, but believe me, if you make it through the door, (remember, you either have to be a member or be invited in by one), you will see a line at the bar, just to or-der those delicious hot dogs. For that alone you would want to become a member, but the real worth is seeing all your friends. PJ’s is the place to hang out with people just like you. Most of them have worked hard, and are ready to let off a little steam of their own. Like I said, these are the guys and gals who have been serving you all night long and now want to be catered to themselves. These are the people who are tired of Johnny Cool Guy who has been a douche bag all night and Missy Noseintheair who thinks that you’re not “in style” because you don’t have a….what is it called……oh yeah, a Juicy handbag. What the hell. After dealing with Mr and Ms In Style, they want to relax and just hang out, and for that, there really isn’t any other place that even comes close. There isn’t anyone trying to impress anyone here, and for someone who might have been dealing with that all night long, it is refreshing to just be able to order a drink and relax. Trust me, once you become a member of PJ’s 19th Hole, it really does become the place where every-one knows your name.

W

longboards POrTSMOuThWOrdS | PhOTOty bliss

21

members only

“The only Thing ThaT maTTerS aT PJ’S iS having a good Time, and TheSe guyS make Sure you have one.”

allison hurwitZ | managment Losing it to PJ

editors

hannah serrano | management

The first time I remember going to the Wave I was about 16 years old and had snuck out of my house and into the gay bar with my gay friend and my nervous curiosity. Dressed to the nines, we were thrilled with our own rebel-liousness and worldly sense of danger. The Wave was at that time a silver and black-light mix of seedy and sexy, and I remember ecstasy was rampant all over the country. But this was no rave. For that there was Flood, an epic weekly party that happened at Kaos, a nightclub that no longer exists on Brambleton and Bote-tourt. And neither was it a meat market like so many Beach bars. No, The Wave had something else. Something rarer and cooler. They played really good dance music.And I make a distinction here because techno and Top 40 are also danceable styles of music and were spun every-where else. But this music was booty-shakin disco-house with quirky blasts of hip-hop, 80s synth and 90s grunge. It was like nothing else I’d ever heard played around here. It was a party.I remember a few details about that night, which is a blur now in my mind, yet somehow it affected me in ways I probably will never understand. I remember ordering my first martini, which I found disgusting but drank anyways. I remember smoking a couple of Virginia Slims that a sleek transvestite boy had given me with a kiss on the cheek. And I remember another saying, “Girl, you are looking gorgeous, but don’t you know these are homosexuals in here?” But I also remember feeling more beautiful and wanted there than I’d ever felt in high school or in college bars. The vibe was different for me there. I didn’t feel like I was being preyed upon. I felt free.Nearly a decade later I still think the best place to dance your heart out in the Seven Cities is The Wave. I gotta say, though, it’s a much different vibe, and a much younger crowd, but no less fabulous. The line goes out the door and is filled with girls and boys of every sexual orientation. Last time I went to 80s night I may have been--at the ripe young age of 26--one of the old “vets” looking around and thinking of my early illicit days as a curious minor, but somehow I felt akin to these kids, and for whatever reason, a little more at home.

At not-quite-25 years old, I should not be feeling I’m losing my mojo. But as sit here chugging water by the bottleful, popping aspirin like Tic-Tacs, and moaning like a wounded animal, my body is telling me, “Yep. You’re getting old.”You see, I am writing this the day after accompanying Alfredo Torres to PJ’s 19th Hole (pg 16)—an awesomely divey after-hours spot down Colley Ave. As a borderline alcoholic, I’ve pretty much been to every bar in the region and know downtown Norfolk after dark like the back of my rum-and-diet-clenching-hand. Alas, I had yet to experience the legend myself. I was a PJ’s virgin—a state that both Torres and myself felt needed immediate rectifying.The place doesn’t open until 2, so we met at Scotty’s a little after 1 am and when most people headed home, we headed to PJ’s.I’ve heard lots of stories containing the name “PJ’s” and they all tell it as real dive. And compared to other places in grit-lacking Norfolk it is. Despite general exhaustion, I was thrilled to finally be doing it with PJ. It’s easy to have a good time in a place with no pretensions with people who are as equally unpretentious. We drank a few beers, I beat Torres in pool, then lost to a girl who was a total shark. I met interesting people, although my recollection is strangely missing a good portion of detail. Mostly, the hours between 3 and 5 am, when I was dropped safely back home.That was last night, and this morning I woke up on my deathbed. Though I may take it a little easier these days—and my physical self adapted in kind—it did feel fantastic as I remembered how much crazy, ridiculous life is out there. While immersing myself in SevenCities has been productive and mostly kept me out of trouble, I’ve missed out on those kind of nights you can’t have after a certain age and survive. And to be quite honest, I’ve actually missed these hangover days a bit too.

photo alfredo torres hannah + alliSOn raised a glass (many times,

thank you) at the taste magazine launch party

Back Out

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Top Seven

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...things to do @ 2 am

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4 5 6 7

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For more than seven years, Alfredo Torres has helped spread joy, laughter and music over the local airwaves. A regular on the “Mike

and Bob Show,” and star of “Alfredo Torres Debacale,” he now hosts 100.5 Max FM’s

“Locals Lounges,” where he features the area’s most talented rock bands. Torres has been

there, done that and has the T-shirt to prove it, even if the T-shirt doesnt fit anymore. Widely

respected for his quick wit, knowledge of music, and passion for local artists, The Silver Fox doesnt follow the politically correct path.

Read his blog at 24SevenCities.com

contributorsAs a teenager, photographer Howard Tarpey began documenting his friends skateboard-

ing. Since then, Tarpey has canvased coast to coast perfecting the art of action shots and

landscape portraits. An ODU graduate and Virginia Beach native, Tarpey has exhibited at Relative Theory Records Art Gallery and

shot for Shmack Clothing, Ceerius Apparel, Old Dominion University, and Resolve

and Carbon magazines. Tarpey currently freelances in Hampton Roads. See more at

tarpeyphoto.com or his photoblog, getri-diculous.blogspot.com

Virginia Tech alumnus Brendan Kennedy knows good comedy. A transplant from

Queens, NY, He is always quick with a droll critique of modern culture. He also likes

doin’ it, and has a ton of jokes about that. His most recent project, This Is Me, is an

album incorporating both his stand-up and the dubby electronic music compositions

produced by his alter-ego “B.” You can catch him working with his comedic colleagues

the Beicide crew or at hoppin’ local venues like Cozzy’s in Newport News and the

Funny Bone in Virginia Beach.

Howard Tarpey

Alfredo Torres

Brendan Kennedy

66

Contributors

As a teenager, photogra-pher Howard Tarpey began documenting his friends skate-boarding. Since then, Tarpey has canvased coast to coast perfecting the art of action shots and landscape portraits. An ODU graduate and Vir-ginia Beach native, Tarpey has exhibited at Relative Theory Records Art Gallery and shot for Shmack Clothing, Ceerius

BERKVISUAL

Virginia Tech alumnus Brendan Kennedy knows good comedy. A transplant from Queens, NY, He is always quick with a droll critique of modern culture. He also likes doin’ it, and has a ton of jokes about that. His most recent project, This Is Me, is an album incorporating both his stand-up and the dubby electronic music compositions produced by his alter-ego “B.”

STUNTKID

cOnTinued FrOM Page 7

luminous as Cate Blanchett, what made this movie so wonderful is how it made the argument that true love isn’t born out of circumstance or lust or insecurities that need filling: true love is just true love.Clint Eastwood in Gran TorinoSee Gran Torino because you want to believe that people can change. See it because there aren’t enough good, honest movies about aging old men, or the immigrant experience. See it because the non-professional actors are really, really good, and because no one has ever done anything tougher than Clint Eastwood pretending to shoot gang members with his index finger. See it because it’s that good and has made $100 million, and that says something positive about us as a people.Mickey Rourke as the title character in The WrestlerFind your way to the NARO to see The Wrestler while it’s still around. Some might say that the heart of the American story is ambition. I say it’s redemption. In this movie an aging, broken-down wrestler (think an alternate life path for Hulk Hogan) struggles with the decision to either risk his health in the ring or sacrifice his dignity and start a new life making ends meet however he can. Mickey Rourke’s character magnifies the identity issues that are in the forefront of many American lives and choices. He confronts his own in the story

with a heart-wrenching humanity rarely seen in theater, film, or even real life. The Wrestler is a gift.Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett in Revolu-tionary Road.Finally, last night I saw Revolutionary Road. “Nobody forgets the truth,” Kate Winslett’s character says of suburbanites abjectly not living their dreams, “They just get better at lying.” And isn’t it the truth? This movie might not be recommended for anyone who has been divorced, is considering a divorce, feels stuck in their life, has had or has admitted to having an affair, misses the city, wants to move to Paris but knows they never will, or wants to believe that everything will ever be ok. Or maybe, actually, it’s just the film for all those people.This winter of films doesn’t belong with the winter of 1992 or the summer of 1999 in the pantheon of popu-lar artistic achievement. But for all of you who worry that Americans just want candy-coated, lighter-than-air art, these four movies can get you to believe again.

CArt

many thanks to the following individuals and businesses for

working on this shoot

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gina dalMaS myron davidson Joanna lynne heaTher jeaneTTe

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MaTT MunSOn Jamie ratCliFe

face Wink salon

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clothingboutiques

bahaMa ShOP Hilltop east 428.2667 PrOviSiOnS palaCe sHops 747.7452

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locationWink SalOn

photography photography

berkviSual myspaCe.Com/berkvisual

eventsounds

berkviSual myspaCe.Com/berkvisual

event gallery

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Styles Winter Spring 2009

A simple outfit turns stunning with the right special details. Pair a favorite dress with bright, fresh make-up and a retro-inspired updo for a sexy change. Add a great new bag or sassy footwwear to pump up your look without spending a fortune. On theses pages, we outfitted smokin’ hot local musicians Gina Dalmas, Heather Jeannete, and joAnna Lynne in clothing from Provisions and Bahama Shop, and put their fabulous faces (and

hair) in the capable hands of Wink Salon. We paired these lovely ladies with men ‘s looks from Sole Brother and Provi-

sions. The result? Gorgeous looks gauranteed to steal the show.

ALL EYES ON ME

6

the look

DRess provisions,

bag &

shoes bahama shop

A simple outfit turns stunning with the right special details. Pair a favorite dress with bright, fresh make-up and a retro-inspired updo for a sexy change. Add a great new bag or sassy footwwear to pump up your look without spending a fortune. On theses pages, we outfitted smokin’ hot local musicians Gina Dalmas, Heather Jeannete, and joAnna Lynne in clothing from Provisions and Bahama Shop, and put their fabulous faces (and

hair) in the capable hands of Wink Salon. We paired these lovely ladies with men ‘s looks from Sole Brother and Provi-

sions. The result? Gorgeous looks gauranteed to steal the show.

ALL EYES ON ME

CoMMent

When first conceiving the fashion pictorial in this issue, SevenCities approached three local musicians to be our models. Why? Well for one, JoAnna and Gina and had already wowed us with their talent in our November Acoustic Hangover Series. But mostly it’s because, well, these ladies are smokin’ hot (and have style to spare). So we rounded up Gina Dalmas, Joanna Lynne, and Heather Jeanette, grabbed a few good-looking dudes, and headed to Wink Salon in VA Beach. There we dressed the ladies in fabulous goodies from Provi-sions boutique in Norfolk and the Beach’s Bahama Shop. The guys get all decked out by Soul Brother and Provisions; and the rest is pictorial history.The photos in this Album were taken during our fashion event 12.04.02 at Wall’s Fine Art in the Monticello Arcade. The evening featured music by DJ/emcee Berkvisual and artwork from Shop fea-tured artists Jason Levesque (aka Stuntkid) and Chelsea Barnes.Video footage of the event and fashion show, shot by Travis Jones, will be available at 24SevenCities.com. Special thanks to Gina Dalmas, JoAnna Lynne, Heather Jeanette, Jim-my LaGrange, Myron Davidson, Dan Zwart, Berk, Charlie Restless, Chris+Lauren Dial, Provisions boutique, Bahama Shop, Sole Brother, Corey+James at Walls Fine Art, Travis Jones and Robert Simmons.

-AH

ShOP Talk

AlbuMpHOTOSTIllS | vIDEO By travis JonesSEvENCITIES’ Shop FaShiOn evenT | WallS Fine arT

12.04.09

EDITORS | puBlISHERS

pHOTO

24SEvENCITIES BlOG

aDvERTISING

WEB DEvElOpMENT

Shop and each of the SevenCities magazines is published quarterly by Paper Pixel. All rights reserved. Distribution is throughout the region of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Send email to ads@24SevenCities.com or visit 24SevenCities.com for information about advertising. No part of this publica-tion may be used without written permis-sion from the publisher. © 2009

Allison Hurwitz | Hannah Serrano

Stunkid | Berkvisual

Ty Bliss | George Booker | Gregory Epps Michelle M. Falck Lauren Izzo | Brendan KennedyLeigh Rastivo | Jesse Scaccia | Ernie Smith | Jerome Spencer Jen Stringer | Alfredo Torres

ads@24SevenCities.com757.478.1717 | 757.714.5854

Marathon Consulting

stAFF

behind the scenes

Stunkid in action12.04.09 Video FootageTravis Jones

The girls and boys of Shop

broWser

SHOp EDITORIal + aRT DIRECTORAllison Hurwitz

vIDEOTravis Jones

Hannah Serrano WEB DIRECTOR

INTERNSAshley Scheelper | Bryan Tanenhoz

100% HaND-MaDE IN THE SEvENCITIESTHE alTERNaTIvE NEWS+CulTuRE MaaGazINE

a vaRIETy Of NEW fEaTuRE aRTIClES aND BlOGS WITH STylE aDDED DaIly.

lOG ON TODay (aND EvERy Day) fOR aNHONEST lOOk aT lIfE IN HaMpTON ROaDS.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

where to go for the hottest events, news, blogs, musiC, shopping, style,

and anything else that floats your boat in the 757.

all aBoUt local, all the time.

( not too cool for

)

WEB DIRECTOR

100% HaND-MaDE IN THE SEvENCITIESTHE alTERNaTIvE NEWS+CulTuRE MaaGazINE

CAtAlogue

WinTer SPring 2009

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photo stUntkiDmodel RaQUel ReeD

WINTER SPRING 2009

pROvISIONS attireBERkvISual photo

Welcome

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Styles Winter Spring 2009 ALL EYES ON ME

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