People got funky with the funk, R&B and soul bands at the Friday Night Concert in the park at Cesar Chavez last week.

The Bell Boys and the Gerald Pease Combo put on great shows that had people bopping their heads. The Nibblers headlined, with people dancing and filling the dance area in front of the stage.

The Bell Boys, made up of brothers Erik, Jacob and Elijah, opened the evening with a fresh sound mix of hip-hop and electronic sounds echoing through the park. They were joined by singer James Cavern.

The young guys’ energy was infectious as Jacob and Erik played their hearts out on guitar and drums while lead singer Elijah Bell smiled as he sang to the crowd.

The Bell Boys got people smiling and nodding their heads to the music right away,

The last song ended with cheers and applause, with the evening off to a good start.

People were already waiting for the Gerald Pease Combo to get on stage and play.

The 10-piece band had a smooth sound with belting brass instruments. Many of the members were from Pease’s original band, “Bucho”.

“Omit the Harsh”, originally a Bucho song but played with a great vibe from this new group, brought people out of their shells and into the dance area.

One mother danced with her little girl. The girl’s smiling face and quirky dance moves encouraged other moms and their kids to join in.

Pease’s voice rang out over the crowd with high and low tones of soul as he strummed his guitar.

“Sacramento is my home,” Pease said before his set. “I’ve been playing here for 15 years. (Sacramento) is appropriate (to play) because of the successful bands that come out of here.”

Keyboard, guitar, trumpet and drum, women and men, older and younger, the Gerald Pease Combo gave the crowd something to remember.

“We don’t play a lot,” trumpet player Ryan Robertson said. “But when we do, we want to go all out.”

The Nibblers heightened the energy going for everyone in the park.

The area in front of the stage swelled with fans singing along, kicking up a cloud of dust with their dancing. Several kids got on stage and danced their hearts out.

Lead singer Hans Eberbach joined the kids dancing around on stage.

Midway through the seven-piece funk band’s set, everyone in the park was moving to the beat.

Eberbach belted out The Nibblers’s popular song “Memphis Train”, along with many in the crowd.

“The music we do is all about people having good times,” Eberbach said.

Hans’s soulful voice and the band’s energetic sounds ended the evening on a high note.

For little kids and folks wanting a taste of Sacramento culture, extra entertainment was available in the park: a clown making balloon animals, art sales, food trucks and, yes, a man performing as a dancing robot.

“It’s good vibes,” Eberbach said.