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Hey Jam aficionados, welcome back to Shecky's

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Jam Bands where we unpack the stories behind

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the bands lighting up festival fields coast to

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coast Today we're diving into Baltimore's own

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gleaming beacon of funk and good vibes pigeons

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playing ping -pong Man, I love this name and

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I was so curious to know how they developed this

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name. So we'll get into that in a minute just

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to kind of Level set I wanted to go into their

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backstory and Pigeons Playing Pink Pong began

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in 2009 as a dorm room project between college

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freshmen Greg Scrambled A. Greg, which is his

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nickname, Greg Ormont, and Jeremy Shone. At the

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University of Maryland, go Terps. From humble

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beginnings jamming on covers and silly original

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songs, the band organically expanded and began

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touring. Now, for the name. It literally jumped

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off a Psychology 101 textbook page. Greg spotted

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the phrase, pigeons playing ping -pong, pointed

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out to Jeremy, and both instantly agreed. That

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was their name. He later linked it to B .F. Skinner's

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famed Pigeon Experiments, connecting positive

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reinforcement to how music rewards and habit

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-forming performances feel. Now, why should you

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be listening? Well, this quartet is known for

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their infectious energy, relentless touring,

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up to 200 shows per year, by the way, and melting

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genre boundaries. Funky psychedelic grooves balanced

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with gut -busting stage charisma. Their fan base,

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affectionately known as The Flock, echoes their

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community -first mentality, one that's lifted

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them to run their own festival called Domefest

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since 2009. It's pretty impressive. Some of the

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must -listen songs and why they rock. Number

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one is Funk EP. Their debut album, 2010, cleverly

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named To Confuse and Delight, sets their tone

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early. Another song, Horizon, a trance -inducing

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track that balances melodic grooves with dreamy

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textures ideal for setting festival moods. Third,

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Melting Lights. a hypnotic funk jam that showcases

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their shifting rhythms and feel -good hooks.

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Lastly, you should check out something for you.

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Layers disco satin with a prog rock solo breakdown.

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Let that dance floor shimmer. Couple of the deep

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dives on some of their most unforgettable jams.

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The first one took place in Asheville in 2019.

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The song Walk Outside. transition into Time to

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Ride, led by drummer Alex Petropoulos. This opening

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jam evolves into psychedelic cascade of mashups

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and extended improvisation, highlighting the

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band's adventurous spirit. The second song you

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should check out that was performed live is called

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The Liquid. A master class in contrast, a fast

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-paced funk number interrupted by a soul -stirring

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blues breakdown, then surging back to a high

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octane energy. Now looking at some unique and

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fun facts. Well, number one, they have real studio

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independence. They've self -released every album,

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including most recent one in 2024, Day and Time,

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without a record deal, staying close to the flock

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via Kickstarter and DIY ethic. Secondly, Their

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live energy is packaged. Greg describes every

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song like a spring -loaded can of worms, primed

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for explosive release, live. Third, their light

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wizardry. Lighting designer Manny Newman is considered

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the fifth member, adding psychedelic visuals

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that match the band's intensity. Let's discuss

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now why pigeons playing ping pong are soaring.

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Because they deliver pure joy. Every show is

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high -energy celebration, pure unfiltered and

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grounded in community, whether it's the breakdown

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in the liquid, the danceable trance of Horizon,

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or the immersive mashups of a multi -set finale.

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Pigeons playing ping pong mix tight musicianship

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with spontaneous flair. If you haven't yet, pull

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up Horizon melting lights and the live walk outside.

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That transitions to time to ride sequence better

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yet catch them live and let the vibe lift you

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up That's it today for a deep dive on Shecky's

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jam bands. Keep chasing those grooves Stay open

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-minded and never forget in the world of jam

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pigeons playing ping -pong. Keep the party grounded

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and the sparks flying