On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 the energy in the air buzzed at the Brooklyn Bowl as Pigeons Playing Ping Pong funkified the audience, opening for Sophistafunk and Earphunk. The retro vibes of the Brooklyn Bowl complimented the electric funk rock of the Pigeons, creating a vibrant dance party on the floor next to the bowling lanes. Not only could you get groovy dancing to the band, but also enjoy the funk music, while bowling, relaxing or eating/drinking at one of the two bars in the venue.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong consists of four musicians, including Greg Ormont lead vocals and guitar, Jeremy Schon on the guitar, Ben Carrey on bass and Dan Schwartz on the drums. All of the Pigeons take part in the vocals for the band. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong recently signed with Hoplite Booking Agency, joining the ranks of bands such as Dopapod, Zach Deputy, Big Something, The Mantras and Turbine. The Pigeons tour quite frequently, as they enjoy the migration and play about 150 shows a year. 2013 will be no exception to their busy tour schedule. When asked about their plans for 2013 Pigeons Playing Ping Pong exclaimed:
“We have massive plans for 2013! We’re touring all year with a focus on spreading the funk-love to the Northeast and Mid-West. We’re going to hit festivals hard in the Summer and play as much as humanly possible year-round. We’re throwing a festival in Aldie, Virgina from April 26th to the 27th called Domefest, which is going to be insanely fun and a positive experience for all. The line-up is full of tremendous musicians that we cannot wait to play with at a beautiful lakeside camping site! We’re also in the studio recording our first full-length album, which will be our first studio release since Funk EP (2010).”
This epic group of Pigeons first met in 2006 at the University of Maryland in College Park. The band now hosts a rapidly growing fan base, including those who appreciate exceptional funk jam rock and improvisation, and flock to the dance floor! The Pigeons “flock” has grown quite a bit since last summer when they played at many festivals, including Catskill Chill Music Festival, Pink Moon Festival, and The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival in 2012. I saw the Pigeons play for the first time at Catskill Chill, which takes place at Cample Minglewood, NY, and have seem them many times since.
The story of how this group formed could possibly be attributed to some type of musical magnetism, as Jeremy Schon and Greg Ormont met on the first day of school. As serendipity would have it, their rooms happened to be on the same floor. Greg was making his way through the dorm hallway, guitar in hand, searching for someone to jam with. Who knows, maybe it was fate that brought them together on that first day as Greg’s ears led him to the funky sound emitting from down the hall. This promising sound was escaping the room of none other than Jeremy Schon. The two immediately began jamming together and wrote a number of songs, including some of their hit singles “I Like to Blaze” and “Dutchmaster”. They also started performing together as an acoustic duo in a number of small shows on campus. In the days of the acoustic duo, or possibly “The Jeremy Schon Experience,” Jeremy would often start the set off with a solo-looping project, and Greg would join in mid-way to play some of their originals as well as mash-ups such as “No Woman No Farmhouse” a Bob Marley/ Phish cover. The two continued to play in coffee shops and student functions throughout their Freshman year.
Then, in the Fall of 2007, Jeremy met Dan Schwartz, a drummer, in a “The History of Rock” class. Schon and Schwartz soon began jamming together after Dan posted in the classes’ online forum, “Drummer Looking to Jam.” Dan then brought his full drum set to school and kept it at a friend’s house off-campus. That is the house at which Jeremy, Dan, and Greg jammed together for the first time. The musical trio had a minor problem, however, as they were still in need of a bassist. As funkin’ fate would have it again, the owner of the house’s roommate, Ben Carrey, was a bassist. That day, Ben strolled into the jam room stringing together the last piece of the quartet that is now Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
The first show Pigeons Playing Ping Pong played together was at WMUC, the University of Maryland’s campus radio station. They then proceeded to book several dates in College Park, often playing at Santa Fe Café. The Pigeons then went on to book shows outside of the college town. All the meanwhile, the Pigeons never stopped practicing, booking gigs, and enjoying jamming together.
I feel that it is best to describe the effect of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s music in more abstract terms that can truly embody the energy and positivity they inject into the crowd. Their music is so full of energy that one becomes electrified with a funk jam dance infusion resulting in a contagious outbreak of everyone getting down with his or her funky self out on the dance floor. February 20, 2013 at the Brooklyn Bowl was no exception. Their vibrant music drew people onto the dance floor from both bars, and even caused the bowlers to get groovy amidst their bowling games.
The band opened their set with “Time to Ride,” which is a great example of the band’s musical talent. The vocals were extremely soulful, there was a sick guitar solo, and the combination of the drum and bass completed this exceptional funky tune. Next, they took it down a notch with a more mellow song, “Melting Lights,” which is a great display of the Pigeons’ ability to harmonize and play/groove in unison. Following this was “Fade Fast,” an uplifting song about unstoppable motivation as Greg sings “these wings were meant to fly . . . . this is my time”. Then, they played my personal favorite, “Julia”. Give me my dancing shoes, a cocktail with a little umbrella, and anytime I hear this song I picture myself dancing under the sun! Next they revert back to a more classical style of funk with their song “FU” while incorporating their funky Pigeon swag. By this time, everyone in the crowd is dancing around and it is very hard not to agree with the Pigeons; for, at this time, all the audience wants to do is “F-U-N-K” and we all pray that the set will never end.
The band proceeds with a medley, which started off with “Landing” from their FUNK E P, sequenced into a drum solo, then into a Talking Heads cover, “Psycho Killer”. “Landing” is yet another phenomenal dance number with wonderful vocal harmonization. The drum solo was mind-blowing and they could not have picked a better song to cover than “Psycho Killer”. It all flowed perfectly with their musical vibes! Sadly, they closed out their set (which I know many of us did not want to come to an end), with another epic song from their FUNK E P, “Couldn’t We All”. This song questions the human capacity for peace. By nature it is a groove song with a beautiful message that can never be emphasized enough. Honestly, if we all took the time to immerse ourselves in good music and physical activity, such as getting funky on the dance floor, then yes, I do believe we all “could just get along”. In the end, that is what the Pigeon’s music strives for, bringing people together, sending out good vibes, and making everyone feel funkin’ great!
All of the songs played during this set at the Brooklyn Bowl, aside from “Psycho Killer”, were Pigeons originals. Most of these songs will be making an appearance on Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s upcoming album, which they hope to release in 2013. The Music Vibes was lucky enough to chat with Greg Ormont from the band and learn more about their music, epic plans for 2013, and recent signing with Hoplite Booking Agency:
Rebecca Wolfe: How did the name Pigeons Playing Ping Pong come about?
Greg Ormont: Haha! We have definitely gotten that question before. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong actually happened. B.F. Skinner, the behavioral psychologist, trained pigeons to peck a ball back-and-forth through operant conditioning. You can actually see a clip of this on YouTube, right above all of our videos. So back in college when we were just an acoustic duo, Jeremy and I saw the phrase in our PSYC100 textbook, and I leaned over and said “Dude, that’s the name of our band.” He laughed and said “down.” It was a no-brainer, especially considering we weren’t even a full band yet.
R: Can you tell us a little bit about your recent signing with Hoplite Booking Agency? How did that come about and how is that going for you?
G: We worked with a lot of their bands and agents in 2012, and after seeing their professionalism and dedication for their bands, it became a clear choice to join the Hoplite family. It’s been great working with the entire Hoplite staff. They have great insight and are a hardworking group of good people.
R: What are some of your inspirations in creating your music? Are there any artists in particular that have influenced your sound?
G: Our music is a reflection of what we love to listen to, with our own funky twist. Even more so, our shows are a reflection of all the bands that we love to see. And with all the music that’s being produced these days, we have endless inspiration. Our main musical influences are Phish, Talking Heads, The Motet, Lotus and The New Mastersounds, but the list can go on for days.
R: You guys seem to love dressing up and are always looking funky fresh! What has been your favorite concert theme?
G: Great question, and so many options to choose from! We love themes and we love dressing up. This past Halloween show in Baltimore was Beatles-themed, and we all rocked different colored Sgt. Pepper’s costumes. That was fantastic, both musically and visually. Another theme that comes to mind is our 2011-12 New Year’s show. It was Prohibition-themed, and we rocked bright pink zoot suits!
R: What is the story behind “Shave my Kiwi”?
G: Yes.
R: The 8×10 in Baltimore Maryland is where Pigeons first started playing. Is there an intimate attachment to this venue in particular?
G: We actually met and started playing in College Park, MD at the University of Maryland, but we eventually found our home in the 8×10 in Baltimore. The 8×10 will always have a special place in our hearts. Always. We’ve seen some amazing shows there, some of us in high school and all of us in college. Then we started playing there ourselves, and I feel like we kind of grew up as a band at the 8×10. The owners and staff are all incredible. They’ve treated us with the same respect and genuine kindness from our first opening gig to our headlining shows on consecutive New Year’s Eves, because it is in their nature to be warmhearted, friendly and appreciative. The 8×10 is just full of flat-out tremendous people. They really feel like family at this point. Not to mention the venue itself, which is so intimate. The dance floor is spring-loaded so everyone is literally bouncing and grooving together, plus the low hanging balcony that surrounds the stage adds even more intimacy between the band and the crowd. It’s home for us, and we’re so happy to be able to support them as they have us.
R: What do you love the most about laying the funk down for your audiences?
G: I can only speak for myself, but I love adding to the energy at our shows. Getting people ramped up and grooving is probably my favorite thing to do in life. I love walking on stage when people are just hanging out, and leaving the stage with people moving and smiling. The power of live music is palpable, and to contribute to the scene is a fantastic opportunity that I do not take lightly. Not to mention, our fans are awesome people. They truly understand that we’re all here to have a good time and take care of each other. I will gladly continue to give them everything I can muster at each show. All I ask for is their smiles in return.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong is a funkadelic experience that you do not want to miss out on! Be sure to check them out on their current tour, the next stop being tonight, at the Hideaway Saloon in Louisville, KY. Some Music Vibe highlights are the upcoming shows at The 8×10 in Baltimore, MD on March 6th,13th, 20th, & 27th, their appearance at The Blockley on March 16th, and don’t forget the festival the Pigeon’s are hosting in Aldie, VA on April 26th called Domefest! The Funk Don’t Stop.
Live Review by Rebecca Wolfe
Photography by Rebecca Wolfe
Interview by Rebecca Wolfe
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