Local Honey Sweetens Morris Cove

Stacy Leng (pictured), unexpectedtly found herself packing a blanket for herself and her three daughters on Wednesday evening when she heard the band Local Honey performing across the street from her home at the Pardee-Morris House.

Nearly 100 gathered on the historic property for the second evening of a four-part summer series named the Twilight Concerts. The free performance was hosted by the New Haven Museum, which own the site.

Leng said that the grounds were a perfect fit for the event, as her kids used the space to dance alongside their mom and the band performed both original songs and covers.

“We love to see people that have always lived around here be able to engage with their community and its history all at once,” said Rohanna Delossantos, New Haven Museum’s program coordinator.

Many families set up blankets and lawn chairs in the grass and brought along small picnics to relax with.

The first level of the house and outside property was open during the evening to visitors. The Pardee-Morris House at 325 Lighthouse Rd. is open free of charge on Sunday’s all summer.

For the last eight years, the New Haven Museum has used the Pardee-Morris House for programming like this concert series. Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky, executive director of the New Haven Museum, called the property the organization’s ​“summer home.”

To end the performance, Local Honey let the audience pick a ​“bonus” performance of a cover and mash-up of The Revivalists’ ​“Wish I Knew You” and Gnarls Barkley’s ​“Crazy.”

For tours, the Pardee-Morris House displays historic replicas of home decorations and tools.

The House is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places and was built around 1750 by Amos Morris. In the back of the property, a colonial garden is divided into four sections of herbs for culinary, medicinal, household and aromatic use.

The New Haven Museum tabled at the entrance of the House with brochures listing summer events dates and collected donations to reshingle the property’s roof.

As the band prepped for the next song, an audience member yelled out, ​“Can you tell us about yourselves?”

The answer: The indie rock band is made up of songwriter, Erin Smith, Mathew Seymour vocalist and percussionist, guitarist Frank Natter, Paul Emmerling on bass, Abraham Wilson on drums, and John Martorelli on lead guitar. Together their varying musical experiences buzzed the East Shore.

A local food truck sold pizza to visitors who may not have come prepared with a picnic.

Ages ranged in the crowd. Yale student Aidan Pillard came in the belief that the event was a local tasting of real honey. When he learned otherwise, he dived into the groove. ​“We made our own dance party,” he said.