Fairfield Arts & Convention Center moves concerts online

FAIRFIELD - The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center has not held an in-person concert since closing its doors to the public in mid-March, but that hasn't stopped it from hosting live entertainment.

Since early May, the center has put on concerts every Thursday, performed before an empty theater but viewable for free on the center's Facebook and YouTube pages. The series is known as 'Live from the Sondheim,” and is a completely volunteer effort. Even the center's paid employees volunteer their time during the shows.

Mendy McAdams, the center's development director who has worn several hats lately filling in while the center is between executive directors, said the center lay dark for nearly two months when it began these weekly shows.

'We didn't want people to forget about us,” McAdams said. 'As a nonprofit, it's important for people to remember we're here. Without donors, we can't meet our mission.”

The shows range from blues music to country to singer-songwriters. LeAnne Edgeton and Dee Sandquist performed a duet on May 28 when Edgeton played the piano and Sandquist played the historic Barhydt Organ. McAdams said the shows typically garner 25-30 viewers who watch them live, and many times that number who watch a recording after the fact.

'Our estimated reach for most of the shows is between 1,000 and 1,500 people,” McAdams said. 'Facebook lets us see how many minutes people have watched the shows, and for some, we get up to 60,000 minutes of viewing.”

A subcommittee within the center's board of directors lines up the programming. That committee is composed of Erika Richards, Sally Johnston and Jean Greco. McAdams takes care of the publicity. The technical team consists of Werner Elmker, the center's official photographer and videographer, Jason Strong of the Fairfield Media Center, and Jesse James, the center's technical director.

Elmker was the one who hatched the idea of the series. He was scheduled to give a piano recital at the center at the end of May, but that was canceled once the pandemic began. Elmker talked to James about trying to salvage the concert by holding it as a livestream event people could watch online.

James took the idea to the center's board of directors. They liked it so much they decided to do a livestreaming event every week. Ironically, Elmker got so busy behind the camera he didn't have time to perform his piano concert.

'Plus, I'm getting enough exposure on YouTube, I thought we should give other people a chance to get on stage,” Elmker said.

Elmker said he volunteers his time on this project because he considers the center his 'second home.”

'I would do almost anything to stop it from closing down because of a lack of finances,” he said.

Strong said Fairfield Media Center has made it a point to help support the community by capturing and streaming local events.

'When asked by Werner Elmker and the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center if we would be interested in helping with this project, FMC jumped at the chance,” Strong said. 'We were already looking for ways to stretch our livestreaming abilities, and had just purchased some new equipment which gave us a chance to do something just like this.”

In addition to hosting live events, once a month the 'Live from the Sondheim” show is a throwback to an earlier event. For instance, the center has recently livestreamed its 2019 Coming Home-Coming Together Concert, a Motown R&B show from 2010, and a compilation of Independence Day videos showing fireworks and Art Walk from 2013-2019.

The center hosted a special livestreamed Memorial Day ceremony this year, which Elmker and others threw together in just 24 hours.

McAdams said the concert series is done on a shoestring budget. Not only are the helpers backstage volunteering their time, the performers are, too.

'The artists see this as their opportunity to support the center,” McAdams said. 'When we get to our new normal, the center will be here for them.”

The center has relied on the generosity of its patrons to support 'Live from the Sondheim.” New this year is the ability to donate to the center through texting by texting the word FACCLive to 44-321. Patrons may donate to its PayPal account, or send a check to 200 N. Main St. in Fairfield. McAdams said she hopes the text donations will catch on once people become familiar with it and learn how easy it is. She noted that the amount of donations has not been as high as she thought.

The center has planned one more month of 'Live from the Sondheim” shows, and right now it's not clear what September holds for the center. The building will undergo a 'soft reopening” in August, where it will host board meetings of under 25 people. McAdams said it could be back to hosting in-person entertainment in September, but it's too soon to tell. The center's new executive director, Lindsay Bauer, will officially begin her duties Aug. 1, so she may give the center some direction about the future of the 'Live from the Sondheim” series.

The remaining schedule of events in the series is as follows:

July 30: Seth Moore and Tray Good

Aug 6: Amine Kouider and Baraka Band

Aug. 13: Throwback Woodstock

Aug: 20: Dave Leffler Quartet

Aug. 27: Tray Cal-El and band