This story is featured in CityBeat’s Nov. 29 print edition.
In 1950, behaviorist B.F. Skinner trained pigeons to peck at ping pongs, proving anything is possible. Years later, in 2009, a group of college students at the University of Maryland formed a band around the experiment. For some reason a lot of these bands hail from the East Coast, including Phish and Goose. (What’s in the water there?) Six full-length and self-released albums later, the psychedelic funk quartet have jammed around the world with their fans, who call themselves The Flock. In April 2022, they released their sixth album, Perspective. The pandemic inspired the record.
“The album title speaks to the perspective of the pandemic as well as our growth over the years,” lead singer and guitarist Greg Ormont said in a press release. “During this turbulent time, everyone in the world has been forced to look in the mirror and ask what’s truly important. If there’s anything we’ve all gained from this, it’s perspective, and a recurring theme from our band is to not waste time.”
Recently, they released their ebullient new single “Alright Tonight.” They’re known to play two hundred shows a year, and this year they’re wrapping up with a stop in Covington with fellow jam band Houseplant, who hail from Louisville. Next year, Pigeons have even more dates in store. Annually, they put on Domefest, which takes place in Thornville, Ohio, at Legend Valley. At this year’s fest, they played five sets.
“We like to bring the party and show people a diverse time that is positive and fun, and everyone leaves a happier person,” Ormont told American Music Supply. “We also like to get down and dirty with our funk jams.” They bring their good vibes and high energy to every show, from Red Rocks to Madison Square Garden. “We play every show like it’s the last show we’re going to play,” Ormont said. Yes, life is short, so we might as well jam through it.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong perform at Madison Theater on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. Info: madisontheater.com.
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This article appears in Nov 15-28, 2023.