Out of the Box: Joel English

Join us every Thursday night from January 8 through March 5* for a FREE concert by one of Hampton Roads' best local bands, curated by WHRO's Paul Shugrue! Every Out of the Box concert starts at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm.

Concerts are standing room only - please contact Todd McKeating at [email protected] or call 757.385.2528 regarding a VIP table purchase or sponsorship.

*No show February 12, 2026

Joel English
Joel English grew up in central Arkansas, where a mix of southwestern country and midwestern Americana influenced his songwriting style since he picked up the guitar at age 16. Though he has been a musician and songwriter since childhood, music took a back seat to his professional life during most of his adult years. With a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, English moved to Norfolk, VA in 1999 as a professor of Professional Writing at Old Dominion University, and he eventually became President and CEO of Centura College, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, and Tidewater Tech, serving career and technical education students around the country and playing in Hampton Roads bands on the side.

English has recently reclaimed his musical passion, recording his first solo album, The Healing, in 2022. A mix of acoustic and rock, English's music is original in its exploration of personal growth through emotional challenges, yet familiar in its intersection of acoustic rhythm and electric riff rock. In 2025, English released Omnia Polaris, an album that explores the extreme polarization of American politics and its unwanted influence on the relationships and lifestyle of American cities. In "The Town He Used to Love," "Inauguration Day," and "I've Had this Dream Before," English bemoans the negative impact that Washington politics has played on the American people: "There's little air for understanding when everything is polarized." In January 2026, English will release his third album, "Gravel Road." This collection of 13 songs reflects on English's early life, weaving tales from his past with an interplay of acoustic and electric landscape from his youth in Arkansas and other roads he has traveled. He and his band will debut the new songs and selections from all three albums at the Out of the Box series.