Pigeons Playing Ping Pong rang in 2019 with their biggest headlining show to date at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE. As per tradition, the group used the celebration to incorporate a theme, “New Year’s stEve”, exploring the various Steves in music history. With Stevie Wonder as the centerpiece of the theme, the Pigeons also incorporated covers of Aerosmith, Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and more to play on the various musical “Steves”.
Midway through the band’s first set, Magic Bean’s keyboardist Casey Russell and the West End Blend horns joined Pigeons Playing Ping Pong onstage for an extended double-decked “Whoopie”, built up with the grooves of Stevie Wonders’ “I Wish”, and teased Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West” and Wonders’ reggae jam ode to Bob Marley “Master Blaster”.
Watch pro-shot video of Pigeons’ “Whoopie > I Wish > Master Blaster > Whoopie” below:
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong w/ Casey Russell & West End Blend horns – “Whoopie > I Wish > Master Blaster > Whoopie”
[Video: Ninja Video]
After an incredible year of playing their first headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheater, the halftime show at Madison Square Garden, meeting John Mayer and Bob Weir, and playing dozens of festivals and hundreds of shows, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has concluded and celebrated a grand 2018. The Flock is at its highest and most energetic than ever before, and we’re excited to see what this year has in store for these groovy, psychedelic Pigeons.
Setlist: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong / Stage AE / Pittsburgh, PA / 12/31/18
Set 1: Burning Up My Time > Offshoot > Sweet Emotion^ [1] > Offshoot, Somethin’ For Ya > Medicated Goo^ [2], Whoopie*~ > I Wish^*~# [3] > Master Blaster^*~ [3] > Whoopie*~, Yo Soy Fiesta, Boogie On Reggae Woman*~” [3] > Superstition*~” [3] > Poseidon
Set II: Porcupine > Edge of Seventeen^ [4] > Porcupine, Sir Duke*& [3], Drunk People > Smoke On The Water^@ [5] > Abracadabra^ [6] > The Chain^ [7] > Drunk People, Ocean Flows% > Auld Lang Syne > Isn’t She Lovely^@ [3] > Auld Lang Syne >, King Kong* > Signed, Sealed, Delivered* [3] > King Kong*, Fortress*, Living For The City^* [3] > Horizon > Lenny^ [8] > Horizon
Encore: Schwanthem*
Notes:
“New Year’s stEve”
^ First time played
[1] Aerosmith (Steven Tyler)
[2] Traffic (Steve Winwood)
* w/ West End Blend horns
~ w/ Casey Russell (Magic Beans) on keys
# w/ Wild Wild West tease
[3] Stevie Wonder
“ Last time played 9/05/2015
[4] Stevie Nicks
& Last time played 7/06/2011
[5] Deep Purple (Steve Morse)
@ Instrumental
[6] Steve Miller Band
[7] Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks), Outro only
% w/ NYE countdown
[8] Stevie Ray Vaughn