Nashville‑via‑Miami quintet Pump Action blended Red Hot Chili Peppers‑style funk, Santana‑esque Latin grooves and pop hooks into one of Treefort’s most dynamic sets.
Early on a Friday afternoon, the Cyclops Stage in Grove Plaza echoed with slap bass, tight drums and horns. The culprit was Pump Action, a band formed by University of Miami Frost School friends who now call Nashville home. Treefort’s ability to spotlight up‑and‑coming artists from across the country was on full display as curious passersby stopped, listened and quickly became fans.
Pump Action’s music defies easy categorization. Their sound melds funk, indie rock and R&B, prompting comparisons to a mash‑up of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake. The core lineup; vocalist David “Lebo” Lehman, guitarist Isaac Stallworth, bassist Nicholas Wicelinski, drummer Xavier Valdez and keyboardist Jon Poindexter; released the EP Coronation in 2022 and the single “Maybe It’s You (Shroom Riff)” in 2023. They’ve since been finalists for NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk contest and even landed on ESPN’s TikTok when a clip of their drummer went viral.
On stage, Pump Action were equal parts musicianship and showmanship. Their Treefort set kicked off with a tight funk groove that had festival‑goers dancing within seconds. Lehman’s powerful vocals slid between soulful crooning and rock belting, while Stallworth traded searing guitar licks with Poindexter’s synth lines. During their Latin‑inspired instrumental “Crashing Wave,” the rhythm section locked into a percussive jam that invited call‑and‑response claps from the crowd. Between songs, the band joked about the Boise chill compared to Miami humidity, endearing themselves to the audience.
By the time they closed with the infectious “Maybe It’s You,” the Cyclops plaza looked like a dance floor. Pump Action’s seamless blend of funk, rock and R&B; and their willingness to have fun with it, made their Treefort debut unforgettable. For a festival that prizes genre‑blurring creativity, Pump Action fit right in.
