Vintage Lens (Dec. 12, 2018)
In the early 1980's Portsmouth native Mac Quayle began his professional music career in High School when fellow P-Town musician friend Kelly Miltier asked him to join his popular New Wave/punk band the X-Raves. Since leaving the Tidewater area he has forged an amazing career in Hollywood working on critically acclaimed projects like Mr. Robot, a riveting TV series on USA Network about a gifted hacker who tangles with the 1% of the 1%. The edgy, synth heavy soundtrack makes the suspenseful series even more chilling to watch. The music Mac created pairs so well with the storyline that he walked away with an Emmy for his work on Mr. Robot in 2016.
Mac Quayle performing at a reunion show with the X-Raves at the Norva in 2008. Mac was such a familiar presence behind the keyboard for my generation. The reunion show evoked memories of hot summer nights spent playfully slam dancing around the packed floor of the Wave in Virginia Beach. Beer sloshing, arms flailing, everyone packed together and singing along to the X-Raves cover of Dancing With Myself. A snapshot in our collective minds that we all hold dear.
Danna Cullen
Local historian, photographer
I have been photo documenting the local punk scene since the early 1980's when I began shooting my friends’ bands and the scene around them when they played around the area. Decades later it's comforting to see many of the same faces still rocking out and inspiring new generations of artists to express themselves in a world that seems to have less tolerance for freedom of expression with each passing day. Check out my Facebook page Vintage North End Virginia Beach Illustrated History Archive if you are into local history!