Josh Coplon wants The Annex to be about the music and the menu.
The local promoter behind LAVA Presents opened the new music venue in Norfolk in August, and it was immediately celebrated as a distinctive, mid-sized concert space.
The venue at 2500 Church Street, formerly occupied by the Five Points Community Farm Market, has already hosted several shows that pushed close to its capacity of 460 — but this weekend it will achieve Coplon’s true ambition.
The Annex will have its official grand opening Nov. 22-24, introducing a full-service dining room adjacent to the live music space.
“We want people to come here and hang out, regardless of if they’re coming to a show or not,” Coplon said. “We want to create a great spot to see a show that sounds good and feels good. But we also want to create a fun spot to hang out at, have drinks, meet your friends and have dinner.”
Coplon partnered with Tom Wilder, who founded Young Veterans Brewing Company, and restauranter Chris Holyfield from The Bunker, to develop a spot that is equal parts bar/restaurant and standing-room music venue.
The bar serves craft beers from Young Veterans and other mostly local breweries, and the new dining menu will be highlighted by the fried chicken sandwiches that have become Holyfield’s signature item at The Bunker. Burgers, bowls and vegan options will also be available.
“We have a French dip fried chicken sandwich, which is my personal favorite,” Coplon said.
Coplon launched LAVA Presents in 2015 with an all-day music festival on the grounds of the Suffolk Regional Airport. Since then, he has stayed busy promoting shows and mini-festivals around South Hampton Roads. He kept his eye out for a location that he could operate as a mid-sized venue to book national and regional acts.
In 2018 he was promoting LAVA’s annual Halloween Extravaganza when a rainstorm forced a move indoors. In a fortuitous turn of events, he ended up in the space that adjoins The Annex.
“That was how I got access into the space and met the landlord,” he said. “I’ve seen this building my entire life because my family lives a couple of neighborhoods past 26th Street.”
At close to 6,500 square feet, it is the right size for what he had in mind, and the location on a bustling section of Church Street felt ideal. Parking is available in two lots and spots are ample on the street.
“It’s convenient and very visible,” he said. “The amount of traffic that is going through that intersection on any given day is pretty substantial. I’ve already had people come to shows who said, ‘I had no idea what The Annex was, but I drive by here on my way to work and I saw the band on the marquee and I had no idea they were even coming to Norfolk.’”
Country singer-songwriter Michael Paul Lawson, who knows Wilder from playing at The Bunker, performed at The Annex in October. He liked the feel of the new room.
“I had been very impressed with The Bunker, and to have a similar room and experience in Norfolk is really cool,” Lawson said. “The layout is nice, and the crowd really seemed to enjoy the place.”
While most shows are standing-room only, some will have seats, and tables and chairs are in the restaurant area. Patrons can play ping pong, cornhole and Giant Jenga in the event space on nights without live music.
The Annex will have ticketed shows throughout its grand opening weekend. Friday will feature indie rock, a Grateful Dead tribute is on Saturday and hard rock on Sunday.
After the grand opening, the restaurant will be open daily, with concerts booked for most weekends.
For a schedule of and tickets, visit The Annex online or follow The Annex on Instagram.
