Drifter's Escape is Jason and Emmitt DeWater. A symphony principal and a young blues-rock bandleader: two different musical worlds, one family, and the same instinct that a room should feel right. Most of the time it does not, until someone who actually plays gets their hands on it. That is who shows up when you book us.
Jason spent eight years as principal horn of the Omaha Symphony, with guest principal seats at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. He taught at the University of Nebraska Omaha and founded Omaha's first chamber music academy for young players.
Then a fellow musician handed him a cracked phone backstage, and he found a second calling. He built a repair company from a basement into a business with locations across the metro, founded iFixAmerica, and created the country's first credentialed device-repair training program. His work has been covered by The Economist, The Guardian, and WIRED.
Through all of it, the ear never changed. He still hears a room the way only a lifelong musician can, and that is what he brings to your event.
At 14, Emmitt is already a force. He fronts the Emmitt DeWater Band and has shared stages and studio sessions with blues heavyweights like Kris Lager, Nick Schnebelen, and Gabe Stillman.
He came up through Omaha's BluesEd program, played lead guitar in Omaha Community Playhouse's production of School of Rock, and is recording his debut album of original blues rock with producer Nick Schnebelen. He hears a live room the way only a working player can, and he is the next generation of this family business.
See Emmitt's shows and book the band