: Live at Smoky Mountain Event Center :

At a time when America seems to grow more divided by the day, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong still believes in the power of music to bring people together.

“We want to offer people an escape, a place where they can leave all their troubles and worries behind and embrace the joy of human connection," says guitarist/vocalist Greg Ormont. "Our mission with our music is to create the most blissful, carefree experience possible.”

Judging by the band’s remarkable growth, it’s a mission well accomplished. In the past two years alone, the psych-funk trailblazers have co-billed at Red Rocks, played halftime at Madison Square Garden, performed on Adult Swim’s FishCenter Live, celebrated the tenth anniversary of their beloved music festival, Domefest, and even earned their first headlining arena show. Now, they’re set to release Presto, their fifth studio album and most sophisticated collection to date. Recorded in the band’s native Baltimore, the record draws on everything from funk to rock to electronic music, building off the group’s unparalleled live energy and stretching their sonic boundaries further than ever before. Ormont breaks fresh ground with his lyrics here, too, reflecting new heights of emotional and technical maturity as he carves out a space for fans to cut loose, forget their struggles, and celebrate the present together.

“Excitement is infectious,” says Ormont. “There’s nothing more rewarding than radiating the kind of positivity you want to see in the world and then watching it ripple beyond you.”

Footer