The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Winston O?Brien recently moved from Virginia Beach to New York City with hopes of broadening his music career.
The 25-year-old bought his first guitar five years ago and describes his music as ?aggressive indie folk.? He has written 92 songs, including one inspired by a road he often traveled in Virginia Beach.
?I delivered pizza on Elbow Road for a long time for Papa John?s,? O?Brien said during a recent phone interview. ?There?s a myth that if you go at night and look in your car?s rearview mirror, a witch will appear.?
Witches make for good lyrics.
O?Brien started his public music career as a regular performer at the KOA campground on General Booth Boulevard.
?There?s a bunch of older people there who liked to do the cover music,? O?Brien said, ?then I was the young buck coming in with the simple songs. It was a great community.?
Until last month, O?Brien was a server at Steinhilber?s restaurant in Thalia and a singer at various small venues in Hampton Roads.
He grew up in the Pocahantas Village neighborhood and graduated from Kempville High School in 2005. Back then, his name was John Myers Jr. Two years ago, while retuning his identity, he started going by Winston O?Brien.
O?Brien would organize his own music festivals and perform in his grandmother?s backyard in Birchwood.
?He had always enjoyed journaling and writing,? said his grandmother, Pat McNeil, ?and that was the piece that gives him his desire to make music.?
Within days of his move to New York, O?Brien found a room to rent in Manhattan and started performing his music on nights when he?s not at his restaurant job.
His grandmother has her fears of what life might be like in the big city, but is very proud of her grandson?s stepping out.
?He?s more reflective than outgoing,? McNeil said. ?It?s a real wonderful gift that he?s doing this, because he?s not a risk-taker.?
Here are reports from O'Briend from?his first days in the Big Apple:
Jan. 24: ?I canvassed 70th to 90th streets on Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. Arriving with 50 resumes, I had 13 left when I was done.
Jan. 25: ?Continuing the momentum, I went to find several specific restaurants that were hiring from Craigslist. I entered Firehouse restaurant, and Carl Wilson called the manager of A.G. Kitchen (the two restaurants are part of the same family business), where I quickly walked for an on-the-spot interview, and was hired.
Feb. 8: ?I?m feeling established and settled in. I?m making some friends. I can see upward momentum with the job thing, and I?m still focusing on making music and playing music. I did a four-day mini-tour to get to know New York. ?
Listen to Virginia Beach native Winston O?Brien?s brand of aggressive indie folk at www.reverbnation.com/winstonobrien. The Beacon hopes to regularly check in with O?Brien to see how his career is going in New York City.?
Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/virginia-beach-songwriter-taking-bite-big-apple
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