Funk, fireworks and fun at Memorial Park

There is, apparently, no better way to celebrate the birth of a free country than to lure 45,000 people into an Omaha park with promises of free fireworks, glow sticks and live music from two bands famous for songs whose titles include some form of the word “America.”

Officials said attendance at the 19th annual Bank of the West Celebrates America festival was slightly lower than a two years ago, when the event drew approximately 50,000 people to Omaha's Memorial Park — but the park's green space was still packed with a vocal audience that seemed to enjoy The Guess Who's performance, which included “American Woman,” and Grand Funk Railroad, whose set featured “The Locomotion” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

Last year's concert never started. Wind and hail damaged some of the concert's sound equipment, leading to a late cancellation.

“We are very comfortable with 45,000,” said Bob Wolfe, a Bank of the West spokesman.

The show's festive atmosphere was embodied by a group of people, some of them shirtless and slightly intoxicated men who crowded around the front of the stage. Several tried crowd surfing, with mixed results. Others chose a safer route and formed a conga line.

Bellevue resident Doug Fink gyrated energetically to Grand Funk Railroad's performance. He's seen them six times.

“I thought it's been great,” he said of the show. “Everybody's been great.”

But why hadn't the band played their most famous song, “We're an American Band?” It was, after all, their biggest claim to fame.

“It'll be the encore,” Fink said. “Don't worry.”

It was, and as the last notes of the tune died out at 10:01 p.m., the first fireworks exploded in the sky over Memorial Park, with red and white bursts reflecting off downtown Omaha's skyline.

Eight minutes later, it was over, leaving the crowd to spill out of the park and jam the streets on their way home.