Christopher Cross in Norfolk

About Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross emerged in the late 1970s as the unlikely face of yacht rock, a genre that would define him completely. His 1979 debut album was a commercial juggernaut, anchored by the breezy sail-away fantasy of "Sailing," which became inescapable on AM radio and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. That same album also spawned "Ride Like the Wind" and "Arthur's Theme," proving Cross had a genuine gift for melodic pop songwriting that felt effortless and expensive. His follow-up, "Another Page," maintained the soft-focus aesthetic but couldn't sustain the momentum. By the 1980s, yacht rock had become something to apologize for, and Cross's earnest, perfectly produced sound fell out of favor. He's spent decades existing in a strange cultural space—genuinely talented but permanently associated with a sound that became shorthand for excess and poor taste. His songs endure mostly as nostalgia and irony, though "Sailing" remains legitimately lovely.

Cross plays nostalgia crowds who know every word to "Sailing." The energy is polite, occasionally wistful. He's a competent performer without particular charisma, steady and professional. Audiences are older, here for the songs themselves rather than the man.

Known for Sailing, Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do), Ride Like the Wind, All Right, Think It Over

Christopher Cross + Norfolk

Christopher Cross rolled through Norfolk in January 2012 at Infinity Hall, pulling together a 22-song set that mixed the obvious hits with deeper album cuts. Sure, he opened with "All Right" and worked in the yacht-rock essentials like "Sailing" and "Ride Like the Wind," but the real meat of the night came from songs like "Deputy Dan" and "Walking in Avalon"—the kind of stuff that separates the casual listeners from people who actually know his catalog. He closed out with "Say You'll Be Mine," a quiet way to end a show that proved Cross could still navigate his own catalogue with the kind of ease that comes from living inside these songs for decades.

Christopher Cross in Norfolk News

• First Listen: Yacht Rock Vs. Soft AC RadioInsight · Feb 19, 2026
• Yacht Rock Crashes Into Norfolk On 92.9 The Wave RadioInsight · Feb 6, 2026
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Miles Long Experience @ The Attucks Theatre Live In Norfolk. June 14th, 2025 Chatham Star-Tribune · Jun 8, 2025
• Concert Connection: Candy Dulfer coming to New Haven The Register Citizen · May 16, 2017
• Opening night at fall fair features well-known acts from 1970s Simcoe Reformer · Jul 23, 2013

Live Music in Norfolk

Norfolk's music scene has always been more hip-hop and indie-leaning, which makes a Christopher Cross appearance here slightly left-of-center. The city's connection to yacht rock and '70s-influenced pop-rock is thinner than you'd expect for a place with such an active live music community. When Cross does show up, it's less about fitting into the local landscape and more about an artist touring his own nostalgia to audiences who grew up with those records.

Norfolk road trip to see Christopher Cross?

Stay in the Ghent neighborhood — it's got actual character with tree-lined streets and converted warehouses. Dinner at Commune, which does locally-sourced food without the pretense. After the show, grab late-night food at d'Egg in Ocean View. Spend a day at the Chrysler Museum of Art if you want something substantial, or walk the waterfront at Town Point Park. Norfolk's food scene has gotten genuinely good in the last five years. The military history is everywhere if you're interested in that angle too.