Brian Slattery Photo
Quan Grant.
A rock duo and a single singer with a message were among the offerings Monday afternoon at Bear’s in Fair Haven, as the barbecue joint, partnering with the social services organization Marrakech, participated in Make Music New Haven, an event tied to a statewide and national effort that brought dozens of bands out to make music across the city from midday into the night.
Make Music New Haven, as its website stated, “is a part of the international Make Music Day movement which brings free, community-wide, musical celebrations to hundreds of cities worldwide. Every year, the celebration is held on June 21, the summer solstice, in more than 800 communities around the world.” In New Haven the effort brought 31 different music groups to 14 spots in the greater New Haven area, from a playground in Woodbridge to Edgewood Park to the Shubert Theatre to a street corner in Fair Haven Heights.
Among those artists were two of the members of Big Sigh — Peter Omalyev on guitar and vocals and Reena Yu on drums. From the amphitheater built in the grassy area near the barbecue place, Omalyev explained that he figured the smaller group was more suited to the venue’s stripped down, lunchtime vibes. He was right. Omalyev’s vocals may have been trained to cut through the sound of a full band, as on this recording made before the pandemic , but in the sparser context it was easier to appreciate the laid-back humor in his lyrics. Meanwhile, Yu, using a cajon, shaker, and tambourine, ably filled out the rhythms needed to propel the songs from the amphitheater, across the field, to the tables and chairs at Bear’s, where the lunching crowd received them with cheers and applause.
Next up was Quan Grant, who had a larger message of positivity and faith that he delivered between his songs. “I was taught to love where you’re from, and I’m from New Haven,” he said, which drew cheers from the audience. His first upbeat song gave way to a more simmering number about the need to abide in waiting for the things you want in life. “That job you’re waiting on? Be patient,” he said, as the music rolled underneath him. “That husband you’re waiting on? Be patient. That wife you’re waiting on? Be patient.”
As applause continued from the tables at Bear’s, Grant took the time to address the role music could play in bringing us out of a trying year. “We’re surviving a pandemic,” he said. “Racism and racial tension are all around us.” Against these divisive forces, “music is a universal language. It connects us all together.” He considered himself a “life artist,” because in his songs he tried to connect to real issues. Thus, in introducing the song “Not Going Back,” he said “this song speaks about not going back — whether it’s depression or anxiety or heartbreak.”
The song itself was a soothing ballad that spoke of compassion and strength. To finish his set he kicked up the energy again, getting people to clap along and snap their fingers. The lunch crowd at Bear’s was still coming, and they were still cheering.