Crowd favorites Umphrey’s McGee and moe. will return to headline the 2020 edition of Summer Camp, each band playing all three days of the weekend-long festival. Ween, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Billy Strings, Rezz, STS9 and Tipper are among the bands announced to play. Joining them will be The Wood Brothers, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lettuce, Twiddle, The New Deal, Spafford, Andy Frasco & The U.N, SunSquabi, Keller Williams, Kyle Hollingsworth Band and Dirty Heads.
Three-day Passes, VIP Upgrades, Thursday Pre-Party Passes, and RV campsites sales are on now. Summer Camp will be May 22-24, 2020 (Memorial Day Weekend) at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL.
Fast-rising indie-rock band Goose kick off 2020 with two sold out NYC shows, and then fly west to join Pigeons Playing Ping Pong for 13 shows on their first ever West Coast tour. The Norwalk, CT based group has taken flight this year, with notable performances at Peach Fest and sold out shows throughout their Fall Tour.
Not only will Goose open for Pigeons to start 2020, they’ll be on the Rock Legends Cruise, setting sail in late February, then head to Pelham, TN to perform at The Caverns for a PBS special.
January 24 — New York, NY January 25 — Brooklyn, NY February 5 — Tempe, AZ* February 6 — Solana Beach, CA* February 7 — West Hollywood, CA* February 8 — West Hollywood, CA* February 12 — San Luis Obisbo, CA* February 13 — Santa Cruz, CA* February 14 — San Francisco, CA* February 15 — San Francisco, CA* February 16 — Crystal Bay, NV* February 19 — Eugene, OR* February 20 — Bend, OR* February 21 — Portland, OR* February 22 — Seattle, WA* February 28-March 1 — Rock Legends Cruise March 27 — Pelham, TN April 16 — Asheville, NC April 17 — Raleigh, NC April 19 — Baltimore, MD April 22 — Syracuse, NY April 23 — Philadelphia, PA April 25 — Boston, MA April 26 — Boston, MA
On the heels of the Jeff Austin tribute show ‘What the Night Brings,’ Backline has announced the release of two singles by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Leftover Salmon, both of whom have joined Backline as partners.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong released “Dawn a New Day,” a psychedelia-inspired lyric video via Billboard in announcing their partnership with Backline, in an effort to help those struggling with mental health “dawn a new day.” Contributions to Backline’s “Dawn A New Day” fundraiser can be made .
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong singer and guitarist Greg Ormont said in a statement:
“Our new single ‘Dawn A New Day’ is all about looking on the sunny side of life. We’ve been fortunate to be able to spread that message of positivity to The Flock for years now, and we’re always looking for even more ways to give back. While we always encourage people to ‘dawn a new day’ when they’re experiencing a difficult chapter in their lives, we also recognize that it’s easier said than done. It made perfect sense to partner with Backline around this single to help raise awareness about mental health and offer a direct line to mental health resources for those who need it. We’re honored to give back to the music community in this way and we’re determined to find even more ways to help people ‘dawn a new day’ moving forward.”
Likewise, Leftover Salmon, a band with a close connection to the late Jeff Austin, released “Songs You’ve Left Unsung” as a tribute their dear friend. The song was penned by Leftover Salmon bassist Greg Garrison and is available via Backline.Care in a ‘pay what you want’ format.
Greg Garrison shared the following about “Songs You’ve Left Unsung” and his memories of his friend:
“I first met Jeff Austin when we were in 7th grade. Through the 80’s and 90’s, we somehow always wound up in the same places at the same times…Rolling Meadows, IL as kids, Decatur and Urbana, IL during our college years, and eventually Colorado as adults. And then, maybe predictably, as members of touring bands in the same scene. “Songs You’ve Left Unsung” is a reflection on some of these times…the verses move chronologically, starting in Illinois and winding up in Colorado. The chorus is meant to be bittersweet but also hopeful for those of us that are still here writing songs, experiencing music, raising families and living life with all of its turbulent ups and downs.”
Garrison spoke of his connection to Backline, noting:
“I think their mission is exceptionally important; providing mental health and wellness support to people in the music industry while also providing an opportunity for those of us who deal with issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse to share our stories. Hopefully, these stories will provide comfort, clarity, support, inspiration and a helping hand to anyone who is in need.”
Backline is a hub for music industry professionals and their families to quickly and easily access mental health and wellness resources. Backline has partnered with leading support organizations and care providers to streamline access to a wealth of services and educational resources specifically geared towards this work and lifestyle. A hub to discover existing organizations, unique content, peer networks, and case managers who can help create a plan that addresses your unique mental health and wellness challenges–on and off the road, the website was created by music industry professionals for music industry professionals. More information is available at Backline.care.
PPPP will perform in Buffalo December 13-14 at Town Ballroom, with Lespecial supporting them on December 13. For a full list of upcoming tour dates visit Pigeons’ website.
Leftover Salmon are currently on tour, with Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman embarking on an acoustic tour in December with New York dates in February.
Simple ingredients, assembled one at a time, in careful order add up to more than the sum of their parts. In the kitchen: eggs, flour, water, sugar and heat become cake. Musicians are no different as guitar, drums, and bass join together to become a collective far greater than the sum of their parts. In musical costume, the creative behemoth known as Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, dressed as chefs for their performance of “Stop Making Cake,” sliced a mashup of originals, garnished with Cake and Talking Heads covers for night two on their Halloween run through Boston, New York, and Connecticut.
“Macho Man” Andy Frasco & the UN, dressed as their favorite 80s wrestlers, got the crowd going early with a high energy opening set of fun covers and originals, along with a heavy dose of Andy and his shtick. He’s hard not to love, funny as hell, backed by great musicians with a singular desire to party and have a good time. He delivered. Some set highlights included covers of “Baker Street,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Bulls on Parade,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Killing in the Name,” and original “Change of Pace.” Music is just a a part of Andy’s show, as he came down from the stage several times to either smoke a joint with some folks up front, crowd surf, or, best yet, a crowd-surfing pillow fight on an air mattress with Ernie Chang, the UN’s saxophonist.
Andy’s quote of the night, “I may not be as good at music as everybody else, you know, I’m not the best, but I like to have a good time.” It’s just this type of self-awareness that makes his shtick authentic and his show worth seeing. Bravo, sir.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in matching chef jackets and hats took the stage shortly after 10:30; the adoring crowd received their “kitchen staff” eagerly: “Scrambled Byrne” Greg Ormont, “Frank Sinatra” Jeremy Schon, “Chef Gator” Alex Pretropolis, and “Baker Ben” Carrey. “Too Long” got the kitchen party going before the band added a few extra ingredients, The West End Blend(er) Horns, for “Burning Up My Time” > “Love You Madly” (Cake) > “Burning Up My Time.” Accompanied by Jeremy Schon’s dizzying solos and Greg Ormont’s chicken scratch guitar, the rhythm section of Ben Carrey on bass and Alex Petropolis on drums drove the crowd into a frenzy all night. Just to highlight that point, the first set drum solo featured Chef Gator playing not only his drum kit, but an assortment of mixing bowls – with a mix of spatulas, whisks, and wooden spoons. “Julia” sandwiched the first Talking Heads cover of the night with “Flowers” to close the 75-minute set.
After a moderate 20-minute break, PPPP returned with “Henrietta” to whip the crowd up some more. The next ingredient was a cover of “Burning Down the House,” which was a highlight cooked to perfection. Just like its first set counterpart, Ben was still way up in the mix, dropping consistent bone-rattling bass-bombs mixed with frenetic beats that kept the crowd moving. The West End Blend horns continued to be in and out, adding beautiful layers of trumpet and trombone solos to the Cake, served up by Pigeon, especially during the “Horizon” > “Sheep Go to Heaven” > “Horizons” combo that ended the set. “Ocean Flows” in the encore slot gave the crowd one more chance to boogie down after several moments of raucous applause.
It’s always a pleasure to share increasingly bigger rooms with this band, as they continue to grow and please their adoring Flock. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has a unique creative edge that keeps their fans coming back time after time. Enjoy.
Set 1: Too Long, Burning Up My Time*> Love You Madly (Cake)*> Burning Up My Time> Sunny Day> The Distance (Cake)*> Sunny Day, The Liquid*> The Great Curve (Talking Heads)*> Upfunk> Drums> Upfunk, Julia> Flowers (Talking Heads)*> Julia.
Set 2: Henrietta, Naive Melody (Talking Heads)*> Porcupine> Burning Down the House (Talking Heads)*> Porcupine*, Lightning*, Crosseyed and Painless >Horizon*> Sheep Go to Heaven (Cake)*> Horizon.
There are times when a festival lineup drops and you immediately thinking to yourself, “Damn, I really need to go to that!” The sixth annual Resonance Music and Arts Festival which took place September 19-22 in Slippery Rock, PA is a perfect example.
Presented by Papadosio, in partnership with Mammoth Music Group and Essential Productions, itâs clear that Resonance truly gets its audience.
The festival features a diverse cross-section of music on five stages ranging from jam to jamtronica to electronic with a common thread being that it’s all music everyone in the Resonance community digs, including the arists themselves.
Along with Papadosio itself – who played four sets including a Gorillaz tribute, which was something special to behold – tons of artists played multiple sets on different stages at different times of day and night throughout the weekend, giving them a wide latitude for creativity and exploration and channeling the unique energy of each environment.
To that end, this year’s music schedule was particularly stacked, featuring two headlining sets from Tipper along with multiple performances from each of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Umphrey’s McGee, Twiddle, Black Moth Super Rainbow, TAUK, Goose, Andy Frasco & The U.N., EOTO, SunSquabi, and Dizgo.Â
But the incredibly chill vibe of Resonance is always about more than just the music and a literal change of scenery this year went along way towards making everyone feel welcome. Held for the first time at the bucolic Coopers Lake Campground in Western Pennsylvania, there was a ton to like about this new, smaller and cozier venue and site setup.
Want to car camp? It’s included, for free, for everyone in attendance. Prefer shady wooded spots or a lakeside view? Take your pick. No matter where you setup camp, all of the stages were close by and only a short stroll from each other. No lengthy hikes, arduous hills or tedious security checkpoints to be found anywhere. As an added bonus, Resonance is BYOB-only event and the ability to go back and forth between your campsite and the stages with a beverage of your choice is priceless.
Attendees at Resonance this year were also treated to near-perfect late summer weather, featuring sunny but not scorching daytime sets and hoodie-friendly evening air. Twilight sets each night at all stages were accompanied by spectacular sunsets with surreal hues. Even a brief storm delay Saturday afternoon gave way to a delectable double rainbow.
Not to be outdone by nature, artisitic and technological visuals were equally as impressive at Resonance, with live art installations aplenty and projection mapping illuminating the dragon-adorned castle as well as an intricate web weaved into the ceiling of the barn.
In its sixth year, Resonance has found its groove and an exceptionally fitting new home for its family.
This Fall, Goose flies West after a run of shows along the east coast, starting with a show at Parish Public House in Albany on Friday, October 18. The eight week run finds the band in New York City on Halloween and also makes return visits to familiar haunts in Buffalo and Boston, and will be supporting The Disco Biscuits in Pittsburgh and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in New Haven, CT.
Goose’s fall will culminate with their sixth annual holiday celebration, Goosemas VI, on December 21. For the first time, Goosemas will be held at the historic Wall Street Theater in South Norwalk, CT. Surprises are always in store for Goosemas attendees, as the band regularly surprises attendees with a theme, special guests, and a healthy mix of new covers and well-known songs.
The quartet, based in Norwalk, CT, is comprised of Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Trevor Bass (bass), and Ben Atkind (drums).
The band returned to the studio in 2019 for the first time since the 2016 debut LP, Moon Cabin, releasing two singles, “All I Need” and “Time to Flee.” Mastered by Grammy Award winner, Emily Lazar, the singles exhibit a developed live band showcasing their studio voice.
In August, Goose played two nights at an intimate music festival in Kentucky, Birds of a Feather Music Festival. Goose premiered just this week the entire multi-cam 80 minute set from night two. Watch here, and check out their buzzworthy set from Peach Fest in July below.
Goose Fall 2019 Tour Dates
OCT 18 – Albany, NY, Parish Public House
OCT 19 – Cambridge, MA, Middle East Upstairs
OCT 25 – Wilkes-Barre, PA, River Street Jazz Cafe
OCT 31 – New York, NY, Mercury Lounge
NOV 02 – New Haven, CT, College Street (supporting Pigeons Playing Ping Pong)
NOV 07 – Harrisburg, PA, Club XL
NOV 08 – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club (supporting Sunsqabi)
NOV 10 – Richmond, VA, The Camel
NOV 14 – Pittsburgh, PA, The Roxian (supporting The Disco Biscuits)
NOV 15 – Columbus, OH, The Summit
NOV 16 – Buffalo, NY, Nietzche’s
DEC 05 – Fort Collins, CO, Aggie Theatre
DEC 06 – Denver, CO, Cervantes Other Side
DEC 07 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 08 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 11 – St. Louis, MO, The Bootleg
DEC 12 – Chicago, IL, Schubas
DEC 13 – Cincinnati, OH, Top Cats
DEC 14 – Indianapolis, IN, The Mousetrap
DEC 21 – Goosemas VI – South Norwalk, CT, Wall Street Theatre
The two-day music and arts event, Adirondack Music Festival, returned to Lake George this past weekend for its fifth year in a row. Held once again on the serene LG section that is Charles R. Park, this year’s ADK Fest felt like the most well-received and celebrated yet, as many attendees seemed to vocally attest. If you were in attendance this weekend, you most likely at some point overheard someone discovering the festival for its special charm. Something along the lines of: “I can’t believe how nice this festival this is” and “Well, I am definitely coming back next year.”
As with every year since its start, ADK Fest opted for a classic setup with two main stages of music, set side by side—the style adopted by big-time events like Gathering of the Vibes and the first few years of LOCKN’. This format, which has bands perform back to back without delays, kept the energy on the field, and white hot, from early morning through sunset, as well as kept collective excitement packed into one shifting, intimate crowd.
A number of recently highly popular musical acts made their debut at ADK Fest. Midnight North, for starters, features members of The Terrapin Family Band and have been a hot ticket over the last year or so. Dead-relation aisde, Midnight North is its own beautiful creation, an americana powerhouse of band that displays a strong breadth of songwriting through dynamic, soulful musicianship. Members of this band were well connected within this music scene from the west coast and sat-in with many other artists as well.
Other buzz-generating artists performing at ADK for the first time ever were artists like The People’s Blues of Richmond, Marco Benevento, and G. Love and Special Sauce. People’s Blues, PBR for short, surely must have unexpectedly knocked a number of ADK patrons out of their musical comfort zone with their fearlessly-intense style of garage-punk blues. But the trio’s ceaseless, air-tight musicianship won many fans over as well. Marco Benevento’s own power-trio took the main stage just a few hours after them and wielded their own no-holds-barred mash of indie-pop, funk, and glam rock.
It felt strange to see G. Love perform a midday set at three in the afternoon -here was an artist, after all, that surfed high through the 2000’s on a number of big hits, but he was a highly received set nonetheless. In addition to a solo acoustic intro, the guitarist and hip-hop-inspired vocalist careened the edge of the stage above a swath of outward hands and starry-eyed expressions. G. Love’s collaboration with Twiddle frontman, Mihali Savoulidis, saw the two trading vocals for guitar riffs on a version of Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That,” which was much better than the “What I Got” that happened between the two in Twiddle’s headlining show later.
ADK Fest Day 1: G. Love and Mihali cover Hall and Oates. Photo: James Sullivan
Yet the four man dance-ready jamband, Twiddle, still performed a huge couple of sets to close out Saturday evening, to an elated audience that swamped the park’s concert area all the way to the vendors in the back. Highlights of their two closing sets were a guitar-shredding collaboration with Midnight North frontman, Graham Lesh, on their original “Subconcious Prelude” and then the foursome’s searing finish on “The Box.”
Another artist who met the crowd with a freewheeling sense of stage presence was the northeast jam scene’s golden girl, Hayley Jane. Fronting her band, The Primates, for a midday Sunday set, Jane sang face-to-face with a rail-climbing mass of highly excited young women. Hayley and The Primates as a unit announced their decision earlier this year to go on hiatus. This set at ADK Fest was undoubtedly an emotional one for many, despite the fact that Hayley, in her true style, beamed with smiles and soul through her own set. The joy transcended others that she guested on stage such as with polyrhythmic dub-rock band, Bartika, and then Jane sat in with Everyone Orchestra’s set a bit, after her own.
In a very special move, Adirondack Music Festival booked an Everyone Orchestra set for its day two second-to-headlining spot. EO shows are, of course, completely improvisational from start to finish and are always performed by a mix of artists from different bands. Lake George’s set was pretty substantially stacked for its members. Solo artists Haley Jane and Ryan Montbleau handled lead vocals (with the latter also offering some nice guitar solos here and there), while Deep Banana Blackout’s, Fuzz Giovanni, handled lead guitar work.
Saxaphone legend Sam Kinninger was a secret weapon here, shining up the band’s various types of funk and rock jams with amazing melodic work. Kinniger and the rest played beside a hefty rhythm section that included moe.’s Vinnie Amico on drums, TAB’s Tony Markelis on bass and Steve Moltiz on keys. Highlights here were a belly-laugh inducing, reggae-tinged sing-along about golf pirates. Super creative vocals led by Ryan Montbleau followed with an extremely moving, soul inspired jam which Everyone Orchestra impresario, Matt Butler, built a vocal tribute to the recently passed Neal Casal.
ADK Fest Day 2: Everyone Orchestra Pays Tribute to the late Neal Casal. PC: Miles Hurley
While some roll their eyes at cover bands, Pink Talking Fish works extra hard and thinks creatively to stand out from the ever-growing pack. The quartet began their set with a great surprise in The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which Phish has covered on rare occasion. In a climax to their set, PTF reprised a bit of the magic from their Junta album extravaganza at The Capitol Theatre earlier this year, which had Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Greg Ormont act as Master of Ceremonies. Here at ADK Fest, PTF began with a beautiful segue-sandwich from “You Enjoy Myself” to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and back. Upon returning to the Phish hit, Ormont joined the band mid-song, to first engage in some trampoline-style jumping with bassist, Eric Gould, and new guitarist Cal Kehoe. They finished with a very kooky vocal jam.
It was another strong move to have Pigeons Playing Ping Pong return to close the festival Sunday evening, just as they did last year. These four jam-funk players having seen a truly meteoric rise recently (they will be headlining Explore Asheville this coming December). A few highlights for their near-explosive set included an electronically charged collaboration with Steve Moltiz on their own tune, “Live it Up,” and a very colorful jam on Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart.”
Major music events in Lake George, NY like Adirondack Music Fest often share in a little community-favorited crown jewel—a post festivities top-off at local music hub, King Neptune’s Pub. Being a time-tested spot for upstate bands to play, King Neptune’s always sees great crowds, but then really turns out when late night performances go down.
For Saturday night’s musical extend, nearby favorites, Funktional Flow from Buffalo, and New Haven, CT’s, Eggy, offered a proper finish to a full first day of music. Eggy, coming from the fertile music scene in New Haven, made a grand introduction for themselves in this venue, and they rocked the opportunity big time. The groove rock four-piece blasted their way through intense versions of originals like “Shadow” and “One More Dance,” along with improvisationally-heavy takes on covers like Traffic’s “Low-Spark of High-Heeled Boys.” For a set-topper, Eggy invited Midnight North keyboardist, Alex Jordan, for a blissful and high-powered take on the band’s “Buying Time.”
ADK Fest Day 1: Eggy rocks late night w/ Special Guest Alex Jordan. PC: Miles Hurley
While night one’s crowd was impressive, festival buzz Sunday afternoon must have spread like wildfire to make late night two’s crowd even more massive and energetic, for Neptune’s at the tail end of the weekend was nearly flooding out the door. After Sunday night’s originally scheduled openers, psychedelic funk outfit The New Motif, had to cancel their slot and the evening switched around to second act, Annie In The Water, opening before a festival-family superjam close out.
Annie in The Water thus kicked off with a very uplifting display of original music, with some cover hits thrown in for good measure. A presentation of styles ranging all the way from folk rock to reggae to even some hip-hop was connected via strong, confident solos and endearing vocals. Members of Lucid, Magic Beans, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong coalesced into one family-type super jam set, for a final set at Adirondack Music Festival, that seemed to represent everything this dynamic music scene is about. At one point in this performance free-for-all, three keyboardists—Magic Beans’ Scott Hatchey, former Formula 5’s Matt Richards, and PTF’s Richard James—hammered away on one rig at the same time, for a spectacle that was also technically impressive.
As with any festival, there’s more musical experiences than can be reported on. From piano wizard Marco Benevento and his trio debuting material from their new record (Let it Slide), to upstate jam favorites Lucid commanding the main stage mid-Saturday as they do with fervor every year, ADK Fest’s fifth year was artistically overflowing. All of this top-notch live music was met resolutely throughout the weekend with a positive and welcoming vibe, upheld via a sense of strong community and creativity. For mid-size festivals Adirondack Music Festival is one of the best you can experience in the ever-musically-fertile land of upstate NY—yet here’s to a steady growth from mid-size to who knows how big.
Check out a gallery of images of Adirondack Music Festival 2019 below, courtesy of photographer James Sullivan.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong threw their 10th annual Domefest this year at its new location, Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, WV. Previously held in Bedford, PA, the fest moved to the new site to allow for an expansion in size and attendees. As people arrived Thursday afternoon, they knew they were in for a treat as Marvin’s scenic wide open views showcased West Virginia’s natural beauty.
Thursday kicked off with Chalk Dinosaur on the main stage, a fun, dancey, electronic group that provided an entertaining start to the music. Following the prehistoric groovers came Cycles, a jammy power rock trio from Denver, CO that knows how to explore new territory and shred the audience’s faces off in the same jam. Cycles crushed their set, gaining new fans and satisfying returning fans alike. Next came another Colorado group, The Magic Beans, who seem to be a favorite among Pigeons’ crowd, and for good reason, performing their first set of the weekend. The highlight of the Beans’ set was by far the segment of “Mission” segued into “Dr. Bubbleman,” featuring some exemplary type 2 jamming that was backed up by lighting designer Tim Farquhuar’s impressive work.
Closing out the main “Gallery Society” stage, came Pigeons Playing Ping Pong for their first set of the weekend. Thursday’s theme was “Domecoming Weekend,” so the band was dressed in matching sparkly gold jackets and snazzy white pants. The group played a number of their biggest songs including “Melting Lights,” “Scwanthem,” and “Something for Ya,” and debuted a cover of Metallica’s legendary “Enter Sandman,” led by drummer Alex Petropulos on vocals. For an encore, the band wished guitarist Jeremy Schon a happy birthday and performed their song “Su Casa” with John Denver’s “Country Roads” sandwiched in the middle of the tune, an homage to the festival’s new home in West Virginia.
In between all of these sets, Asheville-based funk band The Fritz performed tweener sets at the festival’s smaller stage, the “Bamboo Eater” stage, which was immediately to the right of the main stage, making it extremely easy for attendees to move between both. The Fritz absolutely killed it during all of the sets, bringing fun and funky covers of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” (dedicated to Ben Carrey from Pigeons) and Michael Jackson’s dance hit “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” to the ears of the ‘domies’ that stuck around for their sets. These guys are definitely a band to keep an eye on, every member just exudes talent and creativity, and frontman Jamar Woods has dance moves that are just as impressive as his keyboard skills.
There was a bit of rain from Thursday into Friday, but that didn’t break the domies’ spirits, as more and more people started embracing the mud and walking around barefoot. Friday was opened up by Mateo Monk (or White Wolf) on the main stage, performing a really spiritual solo looping set that ended with a song that repeated the line “music is my prayer.” Following Mateo came Deaf Scene, a heavy post rock band that seemed out of place at the festival, but absolutely crushed their set and had members of the Flock on the rail head banging by the end of their set. Bassist Eric Courtney performed the entire set in his boxers, and remained in that state for a good chunk of the day. West End Blend came next, an 8-piece funk band from Connecticut that bares a resemblance to Turkuaz. Lead singer and de facto front woman Erica T. Bryan soothed the souls of the crowd with her spectacular voice, backed up by a tight, get-shit-done rhythm section and horns.
Chicago prog rockers Mungion followed soon after, bringing the heat with spectacular versions of their songs “Quemaste tu Cabello,” “Nuthead,” and “Beneath the Shallows,” as well as a jammed out “Myrtle” that featured Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer on guitar. The group also performed Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” with their original song “Return to Sender” sandwiched in the middle of it. Mungion’s first set of the weekend was fantastic and got the crowd rowdy and ready for Aqueous, the Buffalo-based groove rock band that has been steadily gaining popularity across the country over the past few years. The group opened their set with fan-favorite “Origami,” debuted a new song called “Be The Same,” which featured drummer Rob Houk on supporting vocals, and brought out West End Blend’s horn section for a performance of the album version of “Weight of the Word.” The set also contained a bustout of Cake’s “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” featuring Justin Reckamp of Mungion on guitar and Michael Bafundo of West End Blend on trumpet, which made the crowd go wild and had nearly everyone singing along.
Closing out the main stage per usual was Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, this time with two sets and following the theme of “Magic Kingdome.” The band was dressed in matching Mickey Mouse outfits of red pants, suspenders and black t-shirts. Both sets were jam-packed with Disney tunes, from Pocahontas’ “Colors of the Wind,” Lion King’s “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King,” and a medley of tunes from The Jungle Book, including the classic “Bear Necessities.” The group also encored with an original debut of a song called “Water,” adding to an ongoing list of songs that frontman Greg Ormont has written about cups. Highlights of the sets include the back half of the first set, which featured the West End Blend horns, the “Henrietta” second set opener, and the sandwich of “Poseidon” > “A Whole New World” > “Magic Carpet Ride” > “Abracadabra” > “Poseidon.”
Friday’s “Bamboo Eater” stage lineup featured the Dirty Grass Players, who showcased an impressive version of “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad,” a number famously covered by the Grateful Dead; Schwa, Pigeons bassist Ben Carrey’s electronic side project that featured live bass and guitar as well as looping jams; and Fletcher’s Grove, the only band from West Virginia on the lineup, who brought their Appalachian rock sound and turned a few heads with their cover of “Shakedown Street” before Aqueous’ set. The real treat of the smaller stage was the Magic Beans’ second set of the weekend, a late night set that was originally only supposed to last until 3:30, but due to a lightning-induced set break, lasted until 5 in the morning instead. The group performed a 2-part “Lazer Lady” (only because of the lightning) as well as stellar versions of a bunch of Casino Cabaret tunes, including “Here On Out,” “Hanky Panky,” and “Mr. Scientist.”
Saturday’s weather was sunny and hot, not harboring a single drop of rain the entire day and officially cementing the best weather in Domefest history. Virginia’s Kendall Street Company opened the main stage, offering a mix of folksy rock tunes, acoustic driven ballads, and a portion of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” Swimmer took the stage next, with the Burlington jam quartet landing their spaceship of funky electronic jams right smack in the middle of Marvin’s muddy, hay-covered concert bowl. The group then made way for Funk You, a progressive funk band from Georgia that’s led by soulful singer and frontman Gavin Hamilton who laid down melodies that made some people stop in their tracks and turn to the stage. Funk You was a really fun act to watch and listen to, staying true to the “progressive funk” genre they classify themselves as with driving, intricate funk grooves. Next up were Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, a band of musicians so in touch with their third eye that it made audience members want to give up everything and start following the rainbow. The Rainbow Seekers had one of the most entertaining stage presences, with members dancing around the stage while playing each song, bright colored outfits, a giant inflatable rainbow, and visibly having a good time being on stage together playing music. These guys are definitely a band to see live if you’ve never seen them before, their groovy, almost Motown-like sound, is sure to sooth whatever is ailing you.
Following Joe Hertler were Aqueous for their second headlining set of the weekend, a little earlier than their set the previous night which made perfect timing for the sun to set right as their music started. The group performed a slightly different set than usual, with the majority of the setlist broken up into 2 big segments of “Strange Times” > “Marty” > “Timmy’s Blades” > “Say It Again” and “Split the Difference” > “Rocko’s Modern Life Theme” > “Rugrats Theme” > “Random Company,” a truly career spanning setlist, as well as a reprisal of some covers from their Nickelodeon-themed Halloween show last October. Following those two segments, the group debuted a cover of “Walking on the Moon” by Empire of the Sun that featured drummer Rob Houk on lead vocals, which doesn’t happen very often. Houk crushed his vocals and was praised by the crowd with cheers of “Let Rob sing!” which fans have been asking for since the last time Houk led a cover. The group closed their set with their classic “Dave’s Song,” which featured a tease of AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” before playing the rare ending of “Dave’s” and closing out the set.
Pigeons came next, performing their last two sets of the weekend. Saturday’s theme was “Dome for the Holidays,” so the band was adorned in various holiday-themed outfits, including Ormont who wore a Hanukkah sweater and giant hat that said “Mazel Tov” across it. Both sets featured holiday songs of course, including the classic Bar Mitzvah song “Hava Nagila” and a mashup of the “Dreidel” song and “Jingle Bells,” as well as a show-closing “Auld Lang Syne.” Surrounding these covers were some stellar segments of “Julia” > “Beanstalk” > “Julia,” “Lightning” > “Moonwalk” > “E-Funk”, and “Zydeko” > “Sir Real” > “Dreidel Bells” > “Zydeko,” showcasing the group’s affinity and proclivity for long segued segments. Closing out the mainstage for the weekend was the much anticipated “Domefest All-Stars” set, featuring musicians from Aqueous, Mungion, Goose, Puremotion, Pigeons, Litz, and Funk You among others. The set mainly consisted of standards like Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon,” from his infamous synth funk Headhunters album, and a version of The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” that featured Justin Reckamp, Sean Carolan, and Matt Kellen of Mungion, Peter Anspach from Goose, Mike Gantzer from Aqueous, Jeremy Schon from Pigeons and the Funk You horns. The set also featured performances of classic songs such as the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World,” featuring all of the Pigeons besides Petropulos as well as Litz’ own Austin Litz on keys and Aqueous’ Rob Houk on drums, and Prince’s party anthem “1999” with Ormont trading verses a la the original version with Funk You’s Gavin Hamilton (who breathed a whole new life into the song with his soulful voice) and their saxophone player. The All-Stars closed off around 6 in the morning, just as the sun and temperature started rising for the dawn of a new day.
Over on the “Bamboo Eater” stage, Connecticut-based folk rock band Goose performed 3 tweener sets and absolutely lit the small stage on fire. Opening their first set with The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping Paper” to fit the “Dome for the Holidays” theme, the group performed exemplary versions of “Time to Flee,” “Tumble,” “Jive Lee,” “Yeti,” and “Hot Tea,” as well as unique takes on The Who’s “Eminence Front” and the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.” Goose had the crowd moving and grooving during all 3 of their sets and definitely gained a lot of new fans throughout; check these guys out if you haven’t yet. The last band on the side stage was Mungion, back for their second set of the weekend. The group opened with a heavy hitting “Chatterbox” > “SteveO’s Waffle” > “Justice” by Jimmy Herring, followed by a version of “Herbert” that blew the minds of everyone in the audience with its complex composition and exploratory prog jam. The band closed out their set with a mashup of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and Primus’ “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” that worked so well it was almost like the original artists planned it.
The tenth annual Domefest was a shining example of what small festivals should be. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong know what their audience wants and they delivered beyond expectations. Hopefully the fest will return to Marvin’s Mountaintop next year, as the grounds provided the perfect setting for Domefest’s family vibes and tight-knit feeling. All of the bands that performed did so with energy and purpose and were met by love and respect from the Flock, which is a beautiful thing to experience at festivals. If you missed this year’s Dome, make it a point to make it out next year. You won’t regret it.
Check out our photographer Matt Shotwell’s photo gallery below for a look into how beautiful of an experience Dome really was.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen a jam show in a shopping mall. If anyone could pull it off, it’s Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, who brought the flock to an upstate NY mall filled with buzzing Saturday night consumers. Albany’s Crossgates Mall quickly melted from its usual demographic into a sea of sequins, tie dye and feathers as a sold out crowd poured into Lucky Strike’s concert venue, Jupiter Hall.
A long line trailed past an abyss of arcade games, around the corner and right out of the venue’s front doors while a Denver, CO three-piece, Cycles, instantly grabbed hold of the crowd with demanding stage presence and a larger than life sound, jam packed with fast, frenzied bass slaps and hard hitting notes.
With a fired up stage and audience waiting in the tightly packed hall, Greg, Jeremy, Gator and Ben hopped onstage just as excited to see their devoted fans as each gig prior.
With a warm welcome and a few simple words, Greg admitted that its been “Too Long” since they’ve played in Albany, segueing into the Pizzaz party favorite. Momentum kept moving with “Yo Soy Fiesta” followed by
a blissful and beautifully performed “Poseidon” which brought the biggest jam of the night so far. Energy skyrocketed through the bowling alley music hall you instantly forgot you were inside of as “Pop Off” and “Upfunk” came next. Pigeons bowled a strike by sandwiching Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” between “J Town,” as the classic rock tune had all heads banging, including bassist Ben and his luscious, wavy locks. Winding down the set, P4 served up another tasty sandwich, this time with “Julia” > “Beanstalk” > “Julia.”
Set one ended at a perfect time, allowing for both musicians and fans to breathe, regroup and re-energize for an equally powerful second set. Every song seemed to be the crowd’s favorite, as the Maryland natives cycled through a “Havana” opener and a mesmerizing double whammy of “Melting Lights” and “Whirled.” The show was perfectly composed of party anthems and the deep, groovy jams kept pleasing with “Somethin’ For Ya,” an unfinished “Zydeko,” and “Lightning” with a “Kiwi” sandwich between two slices of “Time to Ride” bread. An encore of “Snake Eyes” and “Dawn a New Day” kissed the Albany audience goodnight to end the unsuspected mall party everybody was confused about, yet didn’t know they needed.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Albany’s Jupiter Hall on 3/30/19
From playing tiny venues like Albany’s Red Square back in 2015, opening for Dopapod in Saratoga Springs in 2016, to selling out Jupiter Hall and various venues on tour to date in 2019, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong keep climbing the rungs to success while showing their fans endless appreciation along the way. Catch them at their very own 10th Annual Domefest from May 16-18 in Masontown, West Virginia.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong March 30, Jupiter Hall Setlist:
Set 1: Too Long, Yo Soy Fiesta, Poseidon, Pop Off, Upfunk, J-Town > Black Dog > J-Town > Julia > Beanstalk > Julia
Set 2: Havana > Melting Lights > Whirled, Somethin’ For Ya > Zydeko^ > Lightning, Time To Ride > Kiwi > Time To Ride
Pink Talking Fish literally brought the circus to the Capitol Theatre with Greg Ormont from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong stepping in as The Ringmaster. There was talk of circus performers and antics happening during the show, but what occurred can be described as nothing short of a spectacle!
Scrambled Greg was the perfect fit for the role of ringmaster. He stepped up whole heartedly and was silly, incredibly enthusiastic and hilarious. It appeared that he was having the best time out of anyone in the theatre. Greg sat in on guitar for a couple of songs, doing vocals on “Icculus” and even manning a trampoline during “You Enjoy Myself.”
Pink Talking Fish burned down the house with an incredible musical performance featuring amazing takes on Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and songs off Phish’s Junta including “Y.E.M,” “Divided Sky,” “David Bowie,” “Fluffhead” “Fame,” “Foam,” “Dinner and a Movie,” “The Great Gig in the Sky,” “Brain Damage” and so much more. There was even a memorable sit from Ben ‘Junta’ Hunter, the first manager of Phish.
The Big Apple Circus featured an eclectic group on incredibly talented performers featuring clowns, aerialists, and a woman who could hoop ten-thousand hula hoops. The circus kept the show incredibly visually stimulating while PTF kept the jams going all night long.
Seems that this display is a notch up for PTF. Undoubtedly, this show took an immense amount of preparation and coordination by everyone involved from lighting designer to clown. They’ve showed that with a lot of dedication, with the power of music, and a little help from your friends incredible spectacles can be created.
“The circus is the place for me with bears and clowns and noise. I love the shiny music that descends from overhead”.
Pink Talking Fish: Junta Circus ft Greg Ormont 2/23/19
Set 1: Fee > Once in a Lifetime, You Enjoy Myself > Learning to Fly > You Enjoy Myself, Free Four, Esther, Life During Wartime, Golgi Apparatus
Set 2: Foam, Have a Cigar, Dinner and a Movie, Cities > Divided Sky > The Great Gig in the Sky > Divided Sky > David Bowie > Fame > David Bowie, This Must Be The Place > Fluffhead > Contact, Union Federal, Brain Damage > Sanity > Brain Damage > Eclipse > Icculus
