Cool Sounds Heat Up an Already Warm Summer Night

According to the National Weather Service, it was a sticky 83 degrees in Rocky Hill on July 7 at 6:30 p.m.. But to a 500-person crowd at Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in , the temperature probably felt even hotter.

At 6:30 precisely, Jus Us, a nine-piece outfit from Springfield, MA, took the stage for the Parks and Recreation Department’s and proceeded to set it ablaze with their fiery funk-and-soul sound. The band's set consisted of Motown, funk, and disco hits from the 70s.

Jus Us specializes in extended medleys -- some that lasted nearly 10 minutes -- that are better described as jam-sessions with lyrics. The force behind Jus Us lies in its four-man vocal section (including keyboard-maestro Michael Gaynor), highlighted by the smooth, tender crooning of Rex Greene.

The rhythm section definitely brought the funk -- the guitarist and bassist were artful practitioners of the 70s-popularized “slap” playing-style. The energetic two-man horn section added pizazz to the guitar-section‘s groove, and drummer Trevor Pitts held the whole unit together with his driving backbeat. 

Grandparents, parents, and children sat in lawn chairs or on blankets listening to the band, while other children clambered on monkey bars or played with one of the scores of dogs who tagged along to see the show. But, not every audience member soaked in the band’s performance so passively.

From their first funky strains, Jus Us inspired many to rise and dance. By the third song, at least 30 adults, kids, and couples had filled the pit area by the base of the stage.

Everyone at the concert had their own way of enjoying Jus Us’s hot grooves. But on this balmy summer evening in Rocky Hill, everyone felt the heat.

The continues Thursday with the Billy Joel tribute band “Big Shot.” The concert is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in Elm Ridge Park.

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 860-258-2772 or at their website.