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Summertime in Suffolk is in full swing as the TGIF Summer Concert Series kicked off with a bang.

The Hampton University-formed Fuzz Band brought Suffolk residents to their feet on Friday, June 14, at the Constant’s Wharf as the first of eight bands taking the stage during the season. The free concert saw residents young and old groove as the band performed funk, soul and disco hits such as “Got to Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye, “Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose” by Teddy Pendergrass, as well as “My Girl” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by The Temptations. During a break, Fuzz Band Lead Vocalist K’bana Blaq had a chance to talk about the band.

“We do it all because we’re classically trained. A lot of us went to college for it. I am a rugrat! I am just lucky enough to be gifted, but our band – we love to make people have a good time,” Blaq said. “We like to take people on a journey, we like for them to escape, because music is healing. Music is therapy. Music is just more than just art, it’s a way of life. Entertainment allows people to have a moment from their problems and be happy.”

The concert also saw Blaq get off stage to help get audience members moving for a line dance. He talked about the impromptu moment.

“I am a feeler person. I use my gift of discernment to read the audience and I just know in my gut when it’s time to engage and to pull people out,” Blaq said. “…I am a preschool teacher, so that young energy is in me, and that teaching energy’s in me. So, the crowd just needed a little nudge and they got it. But as you can see, they are very happy. And another thing is, most people have a good time actually sitting down, but they need to be encouraged to get up.”

Suffolk Parks and Recreation Supervisor of Special Events Sarah Slate talked about the annual event while thanking attendees for coming after the location change from the upcoming Downtown Festival Park.

“We are very happy that everybody was open to us having to change our location back down to Constance Wharf this year, and we’d like to invite everybody to come out and join us on July 13 at our Downtown Festival Park for 50 Fest,” Slate said. “But for TGIF, this is our first concert. We have seven more concerts going on, three more downtown here in Constant’s Wharf, and then we have four at Bennett’s Creeks Park starting July 26.”

On the overall experience, Slate further emphasized the series is for “family.”

“And we want to bring families together to have fun, to have something to do in our community, and see what Suffolk has to offer,” she said.

The following “TGIF” shows up to bat will be:

• Constant’s Wharf
• Nashville Nights on June 21
• Vinyl Headlights on June 28
• The Original Rhondels on July 12

Bennett’s Creek Park

• The Deloreans on July 26
• Roberta Lea on August 2
• Slap Nation on August 9
• Anthony Rosano and the Conqueros on August 16

For more information, go to www.suffolkva.us/1526/Special-Events.