This weekend, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong headed to Philadelphia, PA for a two-day “Flocktoberfest” celebration. On Friday, October 4th, the band hit the intimate 450-capacity The Foundry for a two-set “VIPPPP” performance. The following night, Saturday, October 5th, the band headed downstairs to The Fillmore for the main event featuring an opening set by Aqueous, two sets of PPPP, and a late-night set by Magic Beans.

Tickets to the first night of the run were only available as part of a two-night pass, offering superfans a rare opportunity to see the band in an intimate setting. The band was loose and creative throughout the night, veering from their written setlist and stretching out considerably during an elongated first set.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – “Bad For You” – 10/4/19

[Video: Tony Waldron]

Setlist: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | The Foundry | Philadelphia, PA | 10/4/19

Set One: Jam > Totally, Too Long, Bad For You, Drums > Julia, Where Are We Going> Live It Up, Overrun, Landing > Jam > Zydeko^

Set Two: Jam, Stay > Come As You Are* > Stay > Melting Lights, Whirled, Burning Up My Time > Offshoot

Encore: Snake Eyes > Somethin For Ya

*Nirvana cover

^Unfinished

After getting the juices flowing at their intimate Friday evening performance, Pigeons landed downstairs at The Fillmore along with Aqueous and Magic Beans for the main Flocktoberfest celebration.

Aqueous, the fan-favorite “groove rock” quartet out of Buffalo, NY, got the night started with a 90-minute opening set. When they hit the stage, the ballroom floor was barely half full. Within a few minutes, fans had packed the room to watch Aqueous work through a thrilling set including a number of go-to originals, a cover debut of Chromeo‘s “Jealous”, a sit-in by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos on “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)”, and a rhythmically re-worked “What’s The Connection?” closer.

From there, Pigeons took the stage for their two-set headlining performance. Once again, the band came out hot for their first set, working through “Pop Off”, “Fortress”, “Porcupine” and “Skipjack” before welcoming up Magic Beans keyboardist Casey Russell to assist on an extended rendition of “Whoopie”. Set one then came to a close with an always-welcome “Spacejam > The Hop > F.U.”.

The jams flowed freely during Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s second set of the evening, which opened up with an energetic “Upfunk” featuring an extended drum solo by Petropulos. After a fun run through the “Ghostbusters” theme song, the band was joined by Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer, who traded red-hot licks with guitarist Jeremy Schon on “Lightning” before a soaring rendition of “Horizon” brought the set to a close.

When the band returned for their encore, they settled into a Latin groove—which frontman Greg Ormont amusingly dubbed “The Jeremy Schon Salsa”—before diving into Spanglish party anthem, “Yo Soy Fiesta“. A “Fun In Funk” victory lap finally put the cap on two great nights of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. You can watch a full, pro-shot video of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s 10/5/19 performance at The Fillmore below via Nugs.tv:

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – Flocktoberfest – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA – 10/5/19 – Full Pro-Shot Video

[Video: nugsnet]

The fun was not over yet, however. As soon as Pigeons finished their set at The Fillmore, Magic Beans hit the stage upstairs at The Foundry. There, the Colorado quartet kept the late-night partiers dancing right up until the venue’s 2 a.m. curfew—a perfect nightcap after a wonderful weekend of music.

Below, you can check out photo galleries from both nights of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Philly Flocktoberfest courtesy of photographer Vic Brazen.

For a full list of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s upcoming tour dates, head here.

For a full list of upcoming Aqueous shows, head here.

For a full list of upcoming Magic Beans tour dates, head here.

Setlist: Aqueous | The Fillmore | Philadelphia, PA | 10/5/19

Set: Split the Difference > Warren in the Window, The Median, Jealous* > Don’t Do It, Kitty Chaser (Explosions)^, Be The Same > (nh) Steady As She Goes > Uncle Phil’s Parachute%, What’s the Connection?~

* Debut, Chromeo cover
^ w/ Alex Petropulos (Pigeons Playing Ping Pong) on drums
% w/ Falling Away From Me (Korn) tease
~ New arrangement, regular time instead of half time

Setlist: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | The Fillmore | Philadelphia, PA | 10/5/19

Set One: Pop Off, Fortress, Porcupine, Paperboy, Skipjack, Whoopie*, Spacejam > The Hop > F.U.

Upfunk > Drums > Upfunk, Ghostbusters, Lightning^, Horizon

E. Jam~ > Yo Soy Fiesta, Fun In Funk

Notes:
* w/ Casey Russel (The Magic Beans) on keys
^ w/ Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar
~ “The Jeremy Schon Salsa”

Setlist: Magic Beans | The Foundry | Philadelphia, PA | 10/5/19

Set: Mr. Scientist > Here On Out, Alibi, Contraband, Hanky Panky