THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 8, 1995 TAG: 9503080087
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
TWO YEARS of some of the area's most adventurous live music programming came to an abrupt end last weekend when Hampton's Nsect Club unexpectedly closed its doors for good.
The nightclub, located in a strip mall on Armistead Avenue, has been sold and will be converted to an upscale, urban, dance-oriented club by April 1, said Joe Castellanos, the Nsect's talent buyer.
The announcement - made at 11:30 Saturday night - came as a surprise to club employees and patrons alike.
``A lot of people were upset,'' Castellanos said.
The Nsect's bold, broad format attracted such diverse acts as surf-rock legend Dick Dale, jazz-funk guitarist Sonny Sharrock and psycho-billy wildman Reverend Horton Heat as well as current alt-rock radio staples like L7 and the Offspring.
``We were there for two years, we accomplished a hell of a lot,'' Castellanos said. ``Two years is about the longest that a venue that size, of that type, has lasted consistently doing what we've done. I'm just upset that we went out in the middle of the night, sort of like when the Colts left Baltimore.''
``We fell into the abyss,'' Castellanos wryly quipped, referring to the only other area nightclub comparable, the Abyss in Virginia Beach. That venue, which is similar in size and music format, certainly stands to gain from the Nsect's untimely demise.
More disappointing news: The 11th annual Elizabeth River Blues Festival, originally scheduled at Norfolk's Town Point Park this September, has been scrubbed.
The 1993 board of directors of the Natchel' Blues Network, the festival's organizing body, failed to deliver a grant application to the Norfolk Commission for the Arts and Humanities for the 1994 event. The oversight was only recently discovered, said current network board member Mark Johnson.
``That grant's a large chunk of our seed money,'' he said. Rather than proceed with a reduced budget, the network opted to forgo this year's waterside showcase of local, regional and national blues talent. ``But we'll be back again next year,'' Johnson said.
Meanwhile, plans are under way for a second Blues at the Beach Festival, a similar but smaller shindig slated for the July Fourth holiday at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Johnson said.
No talent confirmations as of yet; we'll keep you posted, or you can call the 24-hour Natchel' Blues Network hotline for area blues news, 456-1675.
Home-grown bands looking for a leg up should check out Budweiser's In-Concert sponsorship series. The big brewers are seeking fresh talent in most every musical genre for a nationwide grass-roots program.
Participating groups receive a sponsorship fee (read: money!); promotional materials, including posters, electric art signs, banners and customized apparel; advertising and public relations support; and endorsements from music industry leaders.
Sound good? For more info and application details, call Heidi Calkins at (312) 644-0600, ext. 24, or write to Budweiser In-Concert Program, c/o Entertainment Marketing Inc., 350 W. Hubbard St., Suite 430, Chicago, Ill. 60610. MEMO: Got a comment about local music, radio, nightlife? Leave it on the
Soundcheck squawkbox, 640-5555, category 3277. by CNB