by Kerry Dougherty

Happy New Year, fellow suckers.

I’m speaking only to residents of Virginia Beach where Pharrell Williams apparently has the city by the short hairs.

After staging a hugely successful music festival on the beach in 2019 – one I supported and attended – it’s been one disaster and delay after another as the Beach native pronounced the city “toxic” then reversed his opinion once city officials traveled to New York City and kissed his ring – or something else – in a secret meeting.

Still, no festival in 2024 and 2025 is looking iffy.

Who will ever forget when Pharrell cancelled October’s Something In The Water festival in September after tickets went on sale?

The excuse? Blah, blah, blah, something about the concert not being ready.

I’ll say.

Instead of saying goodbye to the city’s favorite son and wishing him well after that fiasco, the Beach politicians with spines of jellyfish signaled that despite their stern warnings they were willing to put up with endless shenanigans to toss hundreds of thousands of tax dollars at a billionaire.

All to keep a rap festival in the city. Continue reading.