By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
At this point in 2020, who doesn’t need a party? Well party band Funkie Jesse will be offering up the fun tunes this Thursday with all you needing to bring is a blanket or chair and be ready to bebop to the music.
Funkle Jesse kicks off the City of Kentwood’s annual summer concert series, which starts July 23 and runs for four consecutive Thursdays, ending Aug. 13.
Funkle Jesse is a four-piece pop/rock band based out of Grand Rapids. Its members are Lauren Kelly, a.k.a. The Queen, vocals; Marshall Eriksen, guitar and vocals, Teddy Westside, drums and vocals, and El Brandino, vocals and saxophone. The group’s song list pulls from a variety of genres, including pop, rock, oldies, and Motown, classic rock and current top 40 hits.
Funkle Jesse band members said they are very excited about performing at the Kentwood Summer Concerts.
“This spring and summer have obviously been difficult for everyone and there have been new and unique challenges for musicians, so it’s great that we can still perform at some outdoor events like this and give the community something entertaining and fun to look forward to,” the band members said. “We love being able to perform and do what we do, and now with our ‘slimmed down’ performance schedule, we’re reminded every time we do get to play how fortunate we are.
“We hope we can bring a really fun night of music and community to the city of Kentwood on Thursday!”
Social distancing guidelines will be followed at the event. Appropriately distanced areas will be marked for residents to safely enjoy the shows. Concertgoers are encouraged to follow CDC public health guidelines, including staying at least six feet away from others not in their household when in public settings. Concerts will be live streamed on the WKTV Facebook page for those who wish to watch from home. More information is available at: Kentwood.us/summerconcertseries.
Upcoming performances for the Kentwood Summer Concert Series include July 30, Crooked Root covering Americana, rock, jazz, and blues; Aug. 6, Brena Band, covering rock; Aug. 13, The Soul Syndicate, an award-winning classic soul, R&B, and funk group. For more about the concert series, visit kentwood.us/summerconcertseries.
