Backstage with ... J. Staton
Home base  Norfolk
Style of music  Jazz and gospel – saxophonist
Bio  Staton’s interest in music started at an early age. “I came from a family of musicians,” he said. Both his parents were singers, and his sister played keyboards and flute.

Backstage with ... Bria Kelly
Home base  Smithfield
Style of music  Country, rock and blues
Bio  The 13-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist – with her own five-piece band – started singing a couple of years ago when she performed the national anthem at a Norfolk Admirals hockey game.

 
Backstage with ...
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BASE OF OPERATIONS Norfolk

STYLE OF MUSIC  “Refreshingly listenable, original rock ’n’ roll”

BIO  Bassist Karl Ziemann and guitarist/singer Russ Barnes are the founding members of the band, which has been going strong for 10 years.

Backstage with ... Dave  Cynar Base of Operations  Chesapeake

Style of Music  New country

BIO  The country music bug took hold of Cynar in his late 20s when he was singing along with Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Brooks and Dunn at karaoke nights at Chevy’s Nightclub in Chesapeake.

Hope Askew Base of Operations  Portsmouth

Style of music  gospel

BIO  Thirty-five year old Askew began singing when she was 15. “I did a couple of shows on Channel 27. That was way back then,” she said with a laugh.

Derek Smith
Base of Operations: Portsmouth
Style of Music:  acoustic/folk

Triumph the Vessel
Base of operations  Mathews County
Style of music  Gospel rap

Chasing Arrows
Base of Operations:  Newport News
Style of music:  Contemporary rock
Bio:  Christopher Newport University students Nate Fender  (lead guitarist) and Graham Todd  (lead vocalist) formed the band after meeting at an open-mic night in 2005.

BASE OF OPERATIONS
Norfolk
 STYLE
Experimental garage
BIO
Former band mates and high school friends from Maury –  guitarist Josh Christian and drummer Mark Griffin formed this all-original experimental garage band a couple of years ago when the two of them reconnected.

BASE OF OPERATIONS Newport News, but its members live all over Hampton Roads   STYLE Alt-Americana – all original, mixing everything from bluegrass to swing with traditional American rock ’n’ roll.   BIO