THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 14, 1995 TAG: 9512120112
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT McCASKEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Some of Hampton Roads' hungry will have a little more food on their plates courtesy of a Norfolk movie theater and local musicians.
At 8 p.m. Dec. 21, the Naro Expanded Cinema in Ghent will lend its stage to two bands for ``A Winter Solstice Concert'' to benefit the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. Admission is $5 in advance, $7 at the door, plus a can of food.
``This is the first concert ever held specifically for us,'' said Camille Hinojosa, information manager for the Foodbank, which provides food to charitable agencies throughout Hampton Roads. ``What is raised will probably be used in January, but hunger knows no season.''
The show - timed to nearly coincide with the winter solstice, which is at 3:17 a.m. Dec. 22 - will feature two popular local bands: the Blind Venetians and the Michael Mulder Group. The Venetians' sound is an aromatic fusion of folk, acoustic and rock. Michael Mulder describes his group's genre as ``pop music with a rhythm and blues edge.'' Both acts do mostly original music.
The Naro holds approximately 500 people. Part of the admission cost will go toward theater and production costs. Most of the Foodbank's proceeds will come from beer and wine sales.
``We hope to make a couple of thousand dollars, but a lot of this is a public relations event,'' Hinojosa explained. ``We hope other people will think about putting on a function like this.''
The idea for the concert came about as a meeting between Venetians' flutist and vocalist Gabrielle Gerard and Naro co-owner Tench Phillips.
``We have always wanted to do a show at the Naro, and we've helped support charities in the past,'' Gerard said. ``We thought the Foodbank would be perfect because of the time of year.''
``We have movies every night,'' Phillips said, ``so now and then it's nice to have a concert, especially for local talent and a good cause.''
The theater had a big turnout for its October concert for the Hope House Foundation, which provides support services for Hampton Roads' mentally handicapped. The show featured national recording artist Joan Osborne, with the Mulder Group as the opening act. The winter solstice concert will be a test to see how a local-acts-only show will do.
``You never know around Christmas,'' Phillips said. ``A lot of people might be shopping. But we thought that the winter solstice and Christmas might be a good tie-in. If it's successful, it won't be the last.'' by CNB