Braving the freezing temperatures, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong fans, collectively known as "The Flock," descended on the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, on February 3rd and 4th, 2023. The band, hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, decided there was no better place to kick off 2023 than with a two-night run just down the road from their native nest. 

To start the weekend right, Dale and the ZDubs performed and showed the audience that Ska and rock reggae are alive and well and can wash away the stress of the work week. The audience was overjoyed with a reggae-inspired version of The Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" and could not help but dance to a ska version of "The Bumblebee Tuna Song."

Now that the audience was relaxed and warmed up when Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took to the stage on Friday night, they hit it hard and set the mood like champions entering an arena.  Appropriately starting the show with the Chicago Bulls theme on 2/3/23, aka "MJ (Michael Jordan) Day," paying tribute to the legendary basketball player, the entire venue felt electric, and attendees were more than excited for the evening, if not a weekend, of music by this beloved band.

Always known for being a good time, the band got right to it, heading into a lengthy version of the favorite "FU" right away, leaving us no chance to question if it was going to be a fun Friday night or not - it is always going to a fun Friday when flying with The Flock! The way that the band can infect the audience with energy and fun is one of the reasons they continue to grow their fan base. The good time guaranteed when seeing Pigeons is clearly obvious, whether on a festival lineup or a headlining show, by the masses that continue to show up. 

Selling out two nights at 9:30 Club is just one notch on the fellas brag-worthy belt. Almost a hometown show for the Baltimore boys, it was easy to see there were many a friend and family member in the audience. Fans of the band travel long distances to see them perform and you could hear fans catching up on their adventures since they last saw one another since the sell-out New Year's Eve run at the Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA. Showing love for the venue and everyone there, lead singer Greg Ormont was vocal about how happy they were, and always are, to be back in the District.

The light show at the 9:30 Club was beyond hypnotizing throughout the weekend. The synchronicity as well as the diversity of patterns and colors made it worth the price of admission alone - come for the music and be entranced by the light show. The band's incredible jams never fail to take you on a journey that you don't want to end. A perfect example of doing just that was with the version of "Donkey Hotel" during the second set that continued on long enough to forget where we started. 

One of the most memorable moments of the show was the spotlight solo of guitar player Jeremy Schon as an intro to "Horizon," a clear crowd favorite. A single light illuminated an almost romantic solo that seemed to entrance the entire venue.

Let us not forget that each member of this foursome are masters of their craft and are each a world-class musician and performer. While Schon and Ormont were in the spotlight, you know that Alex "Gator" Petropulos was crushing the drumkit, and Ben Carrey was working the shadows and jumping on his bass amp or jumping on the drum riser.

Every time any fan gets to experience being a part of "The Flock" they always seem to have more fun than the time - DC Music Review staff included. This is why we all will continue to show these guys love and support when they are out on tour or appear on a festival lineup.  

After an exhilarating two nights at the 9:30 Club, the band will take a brief rest before embarking on the rest of their Winter Tour, starting in Aspen, Colorado, on March 15th and heading back East to conquer the East Coast of America. We look forward to flying with The Flock across the United States at Domefest, DelFest, and other magical moments of pure Pigeon bliss that await us on our funktastic horizon.