For Steve Halleck, a New Canaan resident who moved to town three years ago, the music of the 1960’s holds a certain nostalgia, and it keeps him going out to see that cherished music live.
Scenes from the June 21, 2017 Waveny Summer Concert Series installment. Credit: John Bemis
So on a recent early evening, Halleck made his way to Waveny for the first midweek installment of the hugely popular Summer Concert Series that resumes on Wednesday with country western group Gunsmoke (a concert sponsored by the New Canaan Community Foundation).
“I’m here for the music,” Halleck said as foldout chair- and cooler-toting locals found their own spot of bright green lawn out back of Waveny House on June 21.
“I’m here for the memories, to hear the music I grew up with,” he said. The night marked Halleck’s first time at the concert series, and as an avid fan of ‘60s R&B, he couldn’t miss it.
T&T Dreamin’ plays its set at Waveny during the Recreation Department-organized Summer Concert Series. The series is sponsored by Bankwell. This particular June 21, 2017 installment was sponsored by TD Bank. Credit: John Bemis
“This really seems like the place to be,” Halleck said.
That’ll be true on Wednesday this week—it’s forecast to be 70 degrees and cloudlessly sunny
The overall concert series is presented by Bankwell and last week’s installment was sponsored by TD Bank. The live shows draw attendees who appreciate live music and show an enthusiasm for the concert series’ musical diversity.
For New Canaanite Carol Howe, a resident for almost 25 years, the memories that music can inspire played a vital role in the crowd’s attendance.
“There’s a band that plays here that used to play in the area when I was studying at the College of New Rochelle, called ‘Bookends’ “ she said. “We try to come when they’re playing. The concerts are such a good way to relax in the evening with the family.”
T&T Dreamin’ plays its set at Waveny during the Recreation Department-organized Summer Concert Series. The series is sponsored by Bankwell. This particular June 21, 2017 installment was sponsored by TD Bank. Credit: John Bemis
Recreation Director Steve Benko said the concerts bring him back to 1979, when live music started to be hosted on the Waveny House back patio.
“We had been talking about it for years, and finally on a Sunday afternoon someone got the Coast Guard band to play,” he said. “Soon after, a couple of guys heading the local musicians union were working with the Music Performance Trust Fund, and sponsored a concert with four or five acts. Since then it’s only grown.”
According to Howe, the concert series is indispensable as a way to bring New Canaanites closer as a community. “I just think it’s unique for a town like New Canaan to have a weekly evening where everyone can get together.”
She said that she would gladly attend other live music events in the town, were they to be planned. The Waveny concert series stands as one of the only regular venues for music performances in town.
New Canaan First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectman Nick Williams were in attendance last week, commenting on their hopes to bring more live music to the downtown area. Mallozzi, a longtime country music fan, said that he hopes to see more events similar to the concert on the front lawn of Town Hall on June 15.
“Felt that the Waveny shows are wonderful, but you have to get your car and go here,” he said. “We’ve got a beautiful lawn which overlooks Main Street, and an event probably feeds into the restaurants and businesses downtown.”
Williams called the Wednesday night summer concerts “critically important.”
“It shows off one of the town’s crown jewels and brings people into New Canaan from the surrounding area, as you can see tonight,” Williams said.
A number of people attending said that they had come to Waveny from out of town.
Some spectators happened upon the event. Adina, a Stamford resident and avid concert-goer, could not have been happier to discover T&T Dreamin’ while taking her daughter to the park.
“At a public concert everyone can come together, there’s no limit,” she said. “At a bar or something I couldn’t even bring my 5-month old, while at something like this you get to meet all kinds of people. Music out in the open is just perfect.”