Those in the Philadelphia area who headed to The Blockley on Thursday, June 20 to catch Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dopapod were not disappointed. Both bands have gained the attention of concert-goers through aggressive tour schedules with frequent festival appearances and the event drew a crowd eager to get down. Double D, Philadelphia’s Jedd Buller, opened the show with a psychedelic mix of synth and vocals that had attendees moving to the beat immediately upon entering. Double D invited saxophonist Max Swan of Dirk Quinn Band and LP Styles to join him on stage at one point, adding to the experiences of musical collaborations and cross-genre musicianship that pervaded the evening.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage in their usual dramatic fashion, letting fans know they were very much alive and well. They started their set with “Pop Off” and then played “Fade Fast.” Lead singer and guitarist Greg Ormont’s playful facial expressions were as engaging as his strong vocals, Jeremy Schon sang and played guitar with great commitment, Ben Carrey held it down on bass and vocals, and Dan Schwartz kept the funky beat on drums and electronics throughout the performance. The heavy beats balanced with uplifting chord progressions, a funky style, and strong lyrics guaranteed movement among the crowd. Eli Winderman of Dopapod displayed his musical versatility when he joined Pigeons on stage for their songs “Spacejam Spliff,” “The Hop,” and “F.U.” The original songs were played as a mega-jam and traveled from a mind-stretching spacey sound experience to the precise execution of putting the “F.U.” in “F.UN.K.Y.” Fans bopped along to “This is That” before Pigeons began another multi-song jam, this time interlacing originals “Julia” and “Landing” with Mario and Underworld themes, favorites of gamers and non-gamers alike. Even those first hearing “Julia” were tempted to sing along when the song came back strong after Mario and Pigeons were in full flight as far as vocals, instrumentation, and performance when they played “Landing.” The Blockley was filled to capacity, but there was still space to get down and when Pigeons finished up with an enthusiastic cover of “Psycho Killer,” nobody wanted to run away!
Then Dopapod took the stage, opening their set with “Black and White,” a song that reappeared several songs later in the set when it was transitioned into from “Psycho Nature”. The band also hypnotized the audience with “Present Ghosts,” swinging fans back and forth from breakdowns to mesmerizing vocals. Though vocals were not introduced prior to the album “Redivider,” the vocals are placed and executed so perfectly they seem to have been part of the band all along. The electronic sounds of “Onion Head” kept fans getting down as did the rock progressions of “We Are Not Alone,” playful sounds of “Sonic” and classic turned experimental sounds of “Bubble Brain,” among others. Guitarist Rob Compa, bassist Chuck Jones, keyboardist Eli Winderman and drummer Neal “Fro” Evans” seemed to all lead together as their talents joined forces in a show that allowed fans to dance in cathartic joy as they welcomed the summer concert season. Luke Stratton enhanced the show experience, adeptly handling both sounds and lights. Dopapod’s attentiveness to one another as they played was a testament to their professional musical training and their seamless improvisation further demonstrated their mastery of music. When Dopapod returned to the stage to demonstrate their range of talent with encore “Braindead,” they announced that themselves, Pigeons, and the Blockley all had off the following evening and invited the crowd to join them once again the next night. With this exciting news, the encore seemed more so like a celebration that there was more to come and less like a farewell.
Friday passed like an extended set break and a second night of the dynamic duo of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dopapod was just what Philadelphians needed to ring in the weekend. The recent familiarity established between the artists, venue, and fans who returned for a second night was apparent and set the tone for another enjoyable evening for all. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage first, playing a set of all originals. Prior to the performance, Greg said, “We love the Blockley! It’s a great room with great staff and we’re thrilled to be playing there again tonight!” His comfort with the space was perhaps best demonstrated by his pajama pants ensemble. The band maintained a high level of enthusiasm, professionalism, and pure fun throughout the performance and the excitement for the evening grew as the crowd filed in. Fans floated in the experience with “Funk E Zekiel” into “Zykedo” and were hooked when the next song “Kiwi” grooved into “Wireless.” Fans threw their arms into the sky and felt like they were at the height of the funk age during “Time to Ride” and continued grooving during “Melting Lights” and “Offshoot.” The band then showed off their funky rap game when they asked “Couldn’t We All” just get along? Fans arrived at the end of their set with a musical journey through “Schwantem.” Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s approachability, genuine excitement to be playing for their crowd, and encouragement of good times made concert goers feel as though they were watching their best friends’ band, if their best friends were extremely talented musicians.
As for the sneakers, pink dog, and plastic pigeon that were tied to the mics during their performance, Pigeons reports, “They all have special meanings for us, and hopefully people will build their own relationships with them too.” It certainly does seem like fans are building their own relationships with the band, keeping busy with tons of dates Pigeons shares, “”Definitely starting to see more familiar faces in the crowd. We’re starting to notice that some people are travelling with us for multiple shows in a weekend, which is great to see too. We love playing, so the busier we are, the better.” Pigeons will certainly be busy this summer, as they announced, “ We have a jam-packed summer full of great shows and festivals. We’re playing every Wednesday this July at The 8×10 in Baltimore, and we’re bringing in some tremendous bands to support us. Twiddle, BIG Something, The Mantras, Jimkata, The McLovins, Tauk, Sophistafunk, The Hornitz… the list goes on…it’s gonna be a crazy month! We’re also really looking forward to Camp Barefoot, The Big What? and Mantrabash.” Check below this article for a full schedule of dates at the 8×10. Considering how well the band played in Philly, it can be pretty much expected that they will tear up their home town!
When Dopapod took the stage again, the crowd was in full weekend rage mode. Though Vol. 3 #86 had a gamey sound, nothing about the band’s musical expertise suggested they were playing around in this opening song. Fans were “Drawn Onward” when Dopapod played “French Bowling” from that album and rocked their way to release during “Eight Years Ended.” Everyone felt like the coolest kid in their class as they grooved to “Trapper Keeper.” “Faba” and “My Elephant vs. Your Elephant” were among other songs that kept the crowd moving. At one point, the band broke down into a well-orchestrated moment of screechy playing and screaming that resulted in a surreal Cinderella-at- the –ball experience where the strokes were better aligned with the bar’s closing time than midnight before effortlessly coming back into playing full force. They finished up with crowd-pleaser “Nuggy Jawson.” There was perhaps no better testament to their genre-defying appeal than spotting Philly legend, rapper Freeway in the crowd. Like their palindromic name, Dopapod’s music brings their crowd’s experience full circle.
Both Pigeons and Dopapod introduced songs and then invited fans to lose themselves in jam and improvisation until they were surprised by the resurfacing refrain that the bands had planned all along. In this way, the bands encompassed everything their audiences love about their monumental favorites and inspirations, but in a way that is entirely of their own and keeps the music scene fresh. There comes a time in a band’s career where people stop asking “Who do they sound like?” and know that they are in for an experience unique to that band. I am confident in saying that the music of both Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dopapod has matured to the point where each band has a sound and a reputation all their own.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Setlists
June 20th @ The Blockley (all originals except Mario Theme, Underworld and Psycho Killer)
Pop Off
Fade Fast
Spacejam Spliff > The Hop > F.U.*
This is That
Julia > Mario Theme > Julia > Underworld Theme > Landing
Psycho Killer
*with Eli Winderman of Dopapod
June 21 @ The Blockley (all originals)
Funk E Zekeil >
Zydeko
Kiwi >
Wireless
Time to Ride
Melting Lights
Offshoot
Couldn’t We All
Schwanthem
Catch Pigeons Playing Ping Pong every Wednesday at the 8×10 in Baltimore!
7/3 with Jimkata, Deaf Scene
7/10 with The McLovins, The Golden Guns
7/17 with The Mantras, Sophistafunk
7/24 with Twiddle, The Hornitz
7/31 with BIG Something, Tauk
Pictures of Dopapod’s Setlist:
Review by Mia Jester
Photography by Mia Jester
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