The Sandler Center's "Out of the Box" Emerging Artist Series takes place every Thursday from January 11 – March 1, 2018 in the Miller Studio.

Virginia Beach’s Bennett Wales & the Relief are living proof that raw talent, ambition & honesty can still prevail in an ailing music industry. The bands musical discoveries take flight with a compelling combination of rich pop layers & mixed stylings of rhythm & blues, rock & Americana. By melding hook-filled melody within groove-able rhythms, Bennett Wales & the Relief show their ability to compact a vast array of influence & experience into a singular & distinct sound. Together the quintet provides a vast amount of influences & gifts a broadened door of multiple genre stylings to music enthusiasts & listeners alike. Some of the top band influences consist of: Alabama Shakes, Chris Stapleton, The Meters, Little Feat, Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears, Vulfpeck & Black Angels.

Though Bennett Wales & his musicians have spent a lifetime saturated in music, song writing & performance, it is the release of the debut album (October 21, 2017) that will mark their true musical introduction to the world. The album was recorded in April at a Blue Ridge Mountain cabin retreat-turned-music studio with engineer, Chris Utley (Steven Tyler, John Mayer & more) of Benchmark Sound off Music Row in Nashville. As a very young band, they are experiencing a quickly blossoming career of festival bookings, one off shows & regional tours.They have already shared the the stage with some notable national acts such as: The Record Company, Anderson East, Sister Sparrow, Rusted Root, Ripe, Ocean Blue, Peoples Blues of Richmond, Kai Mani Marley, Red Man & Method Man. Additionally, over 2000 copies have been sold from pre-album singles with no major distribution & the group has formed enough of a regional fan base to directly finance their freshman album themselves.

This great after work event is in collaboration with Paul Shugrue from Out of the Box on 89.5 WHRV. It's the perfect setting to meet-up with co-workers and friends to enjoy a night of music, food, and drinks. Admission is free and kicks off right at 6pm until 9pm. **Live Music begins at 7pm. **Limited seating available.
VIP Tables are available. Please contact info@sandlercenter.org or 757-385-2535

Out of the Box benefits the Sandler Center Foundation's Local Heroes program, which provides tickets for Hampton Road's "Local Heroes" (first responders, teachers, and military) and their families to attend a performance at the Sandler Center.

WRG attorney, Adam Carroll, serves on the board of the Sandler Center and proudly sponsors the "Out of the Box" music series.