Omaha Invades: Lincoln’s next big music festival
- izzylewismedia8
- Feb 8, 2025
- 3 min read
These pieces are part of a larger coverage effort by multiple reporters for Omaha Invades. The piece in its entirety can found on the Daily Nebraskan. The following pieces on this post are written solely by Izzy Lewis.
P.A.R.F.A.I.T., 10-10:40 p.m.
P.A.R.F.A.I.T. immediately set themselves apart when they took the stage with a sousaphone. The trio instantly captivated the crowd with their genre-bending funky vibe, playing originals, video game soundtracks and covers.
J Cuad captured the attention with his dynamic, brass instrument playing. In their electric cover of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, holding both his trumpet and sousaphone, Caud switched effortlessly between the two. His athleticism was outstanding as he bounced around with the giant instrument for most of the set.
Jordan The Ninja provided a nice groove on drums while also singing lead vocals. His voice was almost buttery, highlighted on their cover of “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. He also scatted over some songs, one being a song from “Animal Crossing.”
Nidhal Keddah was on keys and provided backing vocals. He provided walking bass lines as well as complicated melodies and fills.
By the end of P.A.R.F.A.I.T.’s set, what started as a three person crowd grew into many people dancing along. If the audience didn’t know P.A.R.F.A.I.T when they first took the stage, their name and sound will remain in their minds now.
Virgin Mary Pistol Grip, 11-11:40 p.m.
Virgin Mary Pistol Grip (VMPG) seemed to draw a larger crowd before they even started performing. The alternative rock band features lead singer and guitarist Jales Hupke, guitarist Wyatt Mason, bassist DJ Sumerall and drummer Otto Johnson.
Their cover of “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was definitely a crowd pleaser. A man in the audience brought out his harmonica and played along with VMPG.
Hupke’s emotions were the most visually interesting thing about VMPG, his facial expressions and body language helping to tell the stories of the band’s songs, particularly on “Dragonfly.” This song also highlighted Hupke’s vocal ability exceptionally well.
The crowd directly in front of the stage dwindled out a bit as the set progressed. VMPG’s sound didn’t lend itself to as much dancing as the previous band, but the crowd was still enthusiastic as they performed. Hupke led the crowd in singing along to their original songs, and even threw his guitar picks and a tambourine out to the audience as he engaged with them.
One of their last songs was “Give Me A Reason,” where Hupke altered the lyrics to sing, “give me a reason to stay here chilling at the Zoo Bar.” The crowd was very receptive of VMPG’s set, and refreshing shift of genre in between the other bands of the evening.
Blake DeForest Collective, 12-12:40 p.m.
Blake DeForest Collective was the closer of Omaha Invades. The group brought in “nine musicians and some friends” to play through a jazz-funk fusion improv set. There were two guitarists, two on keys, a drummer, bassist and a bongo player.
The highlight of the show is, of course, Blake DeForest himself who is an absolutely incredible trumpet player. The collective invited P.A.R.F.A.I.T.’s Caud up for some trumpet battling and Jordan to provide some vocals.
This set truly was just some guys groovin’ together and the crowd loved it. It was the most crowded the stage was on Saturday evening. The collective was a fantastic way to end the evening, showcasing some of the best of Omaha’s talent.
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