New Haven, CT’s Westville Music Bowl continued to be the prime summer stop for jam bands in the Northeast this weekend with a Saturday night performance by Baltimore-based quartet Pigeons Playing Ping Pong featuring an opening set by local favorite foursome Eggy.
Eggy kicked off the proceedings with a brief but memorable set at the professional tennis stadium-turned-premier outdoor music venue. The band’s members—three-quarters of whom grew up just minutes away—seized the opportunity for their big debut at the stadium, taking the stage in matching, all-white tennis regalia.
Related: Eggy Delivers Sold-Out Homecoming Show At The Warehouse At FTC [Photos/Videos]
After shedding their breakaway pants and rackets in unison, guitarist/vocalist Jake Brownstein, keyboardist/vocalist Dani Battat, bassist/vocalist Mike Goodman, and drummer/vocalist Alex Bailey quickly began to serve up aces with an abundantly energetic, improv-heavy performance featuring originals “Solid Ground”, “Burritos El Chavo 2”, and “Portable Air Scrubber” as well as a smooth detour through Weather Report classic “Birdland”—perhaps an homage to the high-flying “bird band” set to headline the night.
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Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage for their first of two sets with a pair of upbeat favorites, “Henrietta” and “Lost In Line”. After saying a quick hello to the New Haven audience, guitarist/vocalist “Scrambled” Greg Ormont, lead guitarist Jeremy Schon, bassist Ben Carrey, and drummer Alex “Gator” Petropulos kept up the disco-funk energy with a one-two punch of “Somethin’ For Ya” and “Time To Ride”.
Following runs through the recently debuted “Sorcerer” and a tension-and-release-laden “Poseidon”, the band rounded out set one with a pair of Presto tracks in “Sail On” and “King Kong”, the latter of which wove into—and back out of—a joyously-received, sing-along cover of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born To Run”.
With the sun casting its last glints of light on the Bowl, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong returned to the stage to open set two with 2020-vintage jam “In The Bubble” followed by “Lowdown”. A shimmering “Ocean Flows” and the deceptively eerie “Sunny Day” set the stage for one of the show’s biggest highlights: a guest appearance by New Haven mainstay Tim Palmieri, the Stratocaster master behind bands like Kung Fu and The Breakfast, who was recently tapped as the new lead guitarist for Lotus.
Ever the gracious master of ceremonies, Ormont took a few heartfelt moments for some “jam scene news,” wishing his best to departing Lotus guitarist Mike Rempel and thanking him for his influence before welcoming his successor, Palmieri, to the stage to trade scorching solos with Schon on a rendition of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Fire”.
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Pigeons Playing Ping Pong w/ Tim Palmieri – “Fire” (Jimi Hendrix) 6/26/20
After Tim made his exit to a round of adoring cheers from his hometown crowd, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong wrapped up the night with “Kiwi” and an emphatic “Burning Up My Time” and an “Offshoot” encore.
Related: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Announces Nationwide 2021 Fall Tour, Halloween In Columbus
Both Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Eggy will head to The Peach Music Festival on Thursday, July 1st, with Eggy set to open the festival at 2:00 p.m. and PPPP scheduled for two sets on the main stage, one at 7:00 p.m. and one at 12:20 a.m. For tickets to The Peach, head here.
For a full list of upcoming Pigeons Playing Ping Pong tour dates, head here. For a full list of upcoming Eggy tour dates, head here.
Check out the setlists and a gallery of photos from Saturday evening with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Eggy at Westville Music Bowl below via photographer Andrew O’Brien.
Setlist: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | Westville Music Bowl | New Haven, CT | 6/26/21
Set One: Henrietta > Lost In Line, Somethin’ For Ya > Time To Ride, Sorcerer, Poseidon, Sail On, King Kong > Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen) > King Kong
Set Two: In The Bubble, Lowdown, Ocean Flows, Sunny Day, Fire* (Jimi Hendrix), Kiwi > Burning Up My Time
Encore: Offshoot
Notes:
* w/ Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu , soon to be Lotus) on guitar
Setlist: Eggy | Westville Music Bowl | New Haven, CT | 6/26/21
Set: Solid Ground > Birdland > Burritos El Chavo 2 > Portable Air Scrubber
