Baltimore-native jam quartet Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has officially announced a pair of upcoming “hometown” shows in early December, in addition to detailing their New Year’s Eve plans which singer Greg Ormont had initially introduced during the band’s set at LOCKN’ Festival over the weekend.
Pigeons will first host a two-night hometown throwdown at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club with support from lespecial on Friday, December 6th. The following night, on Saturday, December 7th, Pigeons will make their debut at Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem, where they’ll be joined by Here Come The Mummies.
The band will also head to Asheville, NC for a pair of concerts leading up to 2020. The Asheville New Year’s run will kick off with a show billed as “An Evening With PPPP” at The Orange Peel on December 30th, followed by a New Year’s Eve show at the US Cellular Center (also known as ExploreAsheville.com Arena) on December 31st with support from TAUK. The 12/31 show will mark the band’s first-ever headlining arena play.
Related: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Greg Ormont Recounts The History Of PPPP NYE [Interview]
For this year’s NYE run, Pigeons have taken a page right out of the Merry Pranksters‘ playbook in reviving the group’s infamous “Can You Pass The Acid Test?” branding used by the group of counterculture figures led by Ken Kesey at their Acid Test parties in the 1960s. The run’s official theme is “The Electric Kool-Aid Asheville Test”, although fans shouldn’t expect any LSD-infused kool-aid to be handed out at the door.
“It’s become a band tradition to go big for our New Year’s Eve runs, and this year’s themed celebration promises to be our craziest one yet with The Electric Kool-Aid Asheville Test,” frontman Greg Ormont mentioned in a statement along with the announcement. “We’re busting out all the stops for our first-ever arena show. All I can say is, expect the unexpected. Can you pass the Asheville test?”
The artist pre-sale for tickets to the Washington D.C. and Asheville shows start on Wednesday, August 28th beginning at 10 a.m. EST, with public on-sale following on Thursday, August 29th at 10 a.m. EST. Fans should note that tickets for the December 30th show at The Orange Peel are only available as part of a 2-night pass package and will not be sold separately.
Head to the band’s website for more info.