Self-described as “a cabaret singer with a rock attitude,” Storm Large returns to Norfolk for the first time since 2019 for a one-night only performance at Perry Pavilion on May 31. When jokingly asked what took her so long, she quipped, “We all had a cold that lasted three years.”
That’s the irreverence with which Storm approaches life, and it shows on stage. When not performing as guest vocalist with Pink Martini, she’s out the road with her arranger and pianist James Beaton, and her ukulele entertaining audiences with her unique covers of classic rock songs.
“Think AC/DC’s ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ sung in the style of Janis,” she says.
When Pink Martini took a break this spring (before departing on a tour of Europe this fall), Storm found herself slipping back into a malaise she hadn’t experienced since the COVID lockdown.
“I’m A.D.D., and I can’t sit still for more for then ten minutes,” she said, “So when this opportunity to come back to Norfolk came up, I jumped on it.”
I asked her how she and James (her arranger) went about selecting a set list. “Well, for this show, it’s just James on piano and me in an intimate environment,” she said. I’m not sure about the set list. We might just pull it out of the air and surprise everyone.”
Either way, it will be a show to remember. Tickets are on sale now.