It was a Funky Friday the 13th at the iconic 9:30 Club. The Club bursting at the seams on the second night of a three-night run of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong split between The Atlantis on the 12th and a double dose of explosive shows at The 9:30 Club. A sold-out crowd packed the venue for what was billed as a double-dose of funk headlined by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong with support from Kendall Street Company. Outside, winter had Washington, DC, in its wintery. Once inside the front entrance, the work, weather, and world of the world outside melted away. The collective energy of fans—The Flock and first-timers alike—melted away the chill in an explosion of dancing, cheering, and pure, unadulterated joy.

Kendall Street Company, a Charlottesville-based band with a sprawling catalog of songs, opened the night with a set tailored for the funk-hungry masses. From the rolling rhythms of "I Am The Wheel" to the groovy depths of "Wineglass Television," the psychedelic charm of "El Perro Triste," and the fun psychedelic sounds of "Marijuana Timewarp," they proved their versatility while staying firmly rooted in their most danceable material. Brian Roy, the band's barefoot serape class bassist, grew up not far from DC and paused to tell the crowd how much he truly loved the 9:30 Club, adding that it was the first place he ever took a girl on a date. A little later on, Louis Smith, the band's charismatic frontman, invited the audience to join him in a spirited sing-along of "Stanley Birdogmouth (He's an Oyster!)," a surreal and infectious highlight. By the time performed an explosive rendition of "Cars," featuring a thunderous saxophone solo by Jake Vanaman transported the crowd into the kind of euphoric fervor you might expect at a Bruce Springsteen concert when Clarence or Jake Clemons lofted that brass saxophone above their head to the thunderous delight of the audience. They would end the night with another treat, "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan, with some 9:30 Club references thrown in. Though Kendall Street Company wasn't widely known by The Flock, the crowd celebrated them with thunderous approval—a baptism by funk that set the stage perfectly for what was to come. If you have not seen Kendall Street Company, make sure to add them to your list. From funk to rock, KSC is all about fun and bust-out performances.

At exactly 9:30 pm, the main event, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, took the stage to a roar of cheers. From the first notes of "Show Me," it was clear that the Baltimore-based quartet was ready to bring their signature mix of funk, jam, and showmanship.  From those first funky notes of the evening, the energy and funk continued to grow and build.  Who knew that what was once a trickle of funky, frenetic chords would billow into an out-of-control funky night for everyone at the 9:30 Club? The Flock - that's who Pigeons have spent the better part of twenty-five years filling venues and festivals with their funkified tunes.  

Greg Ormont, all smiles and boundless energy, led the charge on vocals and rhythm guitar, while Jeremy Schon's soaring lead guitar cut through the funky chaos like a laser beam.  It was great to see Ben Carrey behind his bass after missing a few shows earlier in the year.  Carrey was back to his antics of jumping up on his bass amps and letting those bass bombs fly. Let us not forget about Alex "Gator" Petropulos sitting behind his drumset like a man on a mission and possessed by passion in every beat.

The first set hit its stride with the fan-favorite "Pop Off," followed by a thrilling sequence that saw "Offshoot" merge seamlessly into a blistering cover of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," before diving back into the original groove. The crowd erupted into thunderous joy, their voices rising to meet every note. Ben Carrey's bass grooves and Alex "Gator" Petropulos's precise drumming anchored the band as they tore through "Feet on the Ground" and the jubilant pairing of "Henrietta" and "Skipjack," closing the set with a flourish.

The second set, starting at 11:00 pm, showcased the band's penchant for blending tight compositions with freewheeling improvisation. They opened with the dark funk of "Too Long" before moving into the introspective "Fall in Place." What followed was a dizzying display of musical gymnastics with keyboardist Tron Brady on keys and vocals. "Spacejam" morphed into "The Hop" and then into "F.U.," with the crowd moving as one entity, swept up in the relentless groove.

Then the tinder box of funk exploded as the playful, high-energy cover of Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf," with Tron on vocals which sent the audience into an ecstatic frenzy before returning once more to "F.U". Ormont's playful delivery and Schon's incendiary solos ensured that every note hit home. The Flock screamed along, savoring the surprise of such an unexpected cover. Were we all hungry like the wolf or funkified like The Flock? Was there a discernable difference - only those in attendance that night could tell with perhaps a bit of a Greg Ormont's Cheshire cat grin.  

The set closed with "Dawn a New Day," its shimmering chords offering a sense of unbridled joy.  The earworm guitar riff by Jeremy Schon and delivery by the band could have sent us all dancing into the streets surrounding the 9:30 Club like Billy Elliot in North England. "Dawn a New Day" is certain to make one's soul brighten, feet start dancing, and filling your heart with glee - what a way to end a night of double funk.

However, the band was not done and could not quite let us dance out into the night with an encore. The cherry on top of the trifecta of funky covers was a stunning rendition of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar." This song alone brought us back to their 2021 "Daft Side of the Moon" Halloween run. For nearly 40 seconds, the band teased us with those opening chords until Gator's drums launched what will be a long-remembered encore by Pigeons. Ormont's vocals oozed wit and swagger, while Schon's guitar solos reached stratospheric heights for this ten-minute voyage of exploration, funk, and all the pinnings of a Pigeons-infused jam.

It was 12:30 am before the band left the stage. The Flock left sweaty, smiling, and buzzing with the electricity of a performance that had hit all the right notes. Night one at The Atlantis was memorable for its intimate nature, and night two was celebrated for the double dose of funk and bustouts, and that was before the crescendo of the night to come. We sure could get used to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, making this run a yearly occurrence. Long may we flock to the 9:30 Club to see one of Baltimore's best bands perform.