Sunshine and live music

FAIRFIELD — The huge crowd at Wednesday’s outdoor concert in Fairfield is proof that the public is hungry for live entertainment.

Grammy Award-winner Bo Ramsey and his band delighted the crowd that filled North Main Street outside the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center in what was the first of six outdoor concerts the arts center has planned this summer.

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center Executive Director Lindsay Bauer said everything about the evening went smoothly. Based on the number of flyers she distributed, she estimated 300 people attended the concert.

“So many people came up to thank me to tell me, ‘I needed this as much as you do,’” Bauer said.

It was the arts center’s first live concert with an audience in more than a year since the pandemic hit the state in March 2020. It was Bauer’s first concert she’s been responsible for since taking on the role of executive director last August.

“I’ve got a great staff, and everybody knows what they’re doing,” she said. “Bo Ramsey is such a gentleman. You know you’re going to get a good product when you put him on stage.”

Joining Ramsey on stage was his son, Alex Ramsey, who previously played in the band The Pines, with Fairfield connections. Fairfield resident David Hurlin played drums, while Marty Christensen played the bass, and Randall Davis played the guitar.

Bauer said she feels that returning to live music with outdoor concerts is the best approach because some people are worried about being in close quarters with others indoors.

The arts center sold concessions inside the building, though Bauer said that’s going to change at future outdoor concerts. She said the next concert in the series, June 16, will feature a beer garden, so patrons can relax with a beverage outside.

The series of free outdoor concerts is known as the Summer Sun Concert Series and will feature live music at 7 p.m. every other Wednesday from June 2 through Aug. 11. The concerts last between 70-90 minutes.

The next band to perform in the series will be Baraka Trio on June 16. Bauer said Baraka holds a special place in her heart because it was the first band that performed an indoor concert during the Live at the Sondheim series last fall, which allowed people to watch and listen to bands performing at the arts center online, since an audience could not be physically present.

The other four acts that will perform later this summer are:

June 30: Kevin Burt

July 14: The Boys

July 28: Awful Purdies

August 11: Nicholas Naioti, Fairfield artist