Pigeons Playing Ping Pong & Matt Butler Present ‘PPPPOrchestra’ In Portland

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong rolled through the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Oregon this past Friday night. PPPP welcomed Everyone Orchestra mastermind Matt Butler to conduct a totally improvised jam halfway through the second set.

After an opening set from Goose, Pigeons got the night underway with “Bad For You” from their 2016 album Pleasure followed by the classic “Funk E Zekiel.” The band returned to Pleasure with “Burning Up My Time” before heading into a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” which in turn jammed into “Offshoot.” “Fox And Toad” from the group’s 2017 album Pizazz followed ahead of the relatively new tune “Water.” PPPP brought the first frame to a close with “Dawn A New Day,” from the band’s recently released 2020 album Presto.

The second set commenced with “Low Down.” Then, “Schwanthem” would encompass a cover of Haddaway’s 1993 hit “What Is Love,” made famous by the SNL’s “Night At The Roxbury” skit. Pigeons have played the song less than a dozen times since debuting it in 2014 as per Phantasy Tour. “High As Five” came next, which appears on 2020’s Presto but has been in rotation since 2015. The band then welcomed Bulter for a completely improvised jam, something Pigeons are certainly no stranger to, dubbed “PPPPOrchestra.” The classic “Horizon” then led into “Sunny Day” ahead of the set closer, “Fun In Funk.”

PPPP retook the stage for an encore of another newer tune, “Distant Times.” Check out a clip of Pigeons covering Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” via Hazel Rabbit below:

Setlist via PPPP Instagram

Set One: Bad For You, Funk E Zekiel, Burning Up My Time > Pigs > Offshoot, Fox And Toad, Water, Dawn A New Day

Set Two: Lowdown, Schwanthem > What Is Love > Schwanthem > High As Five, PPPP Orchestra*, Horizon > Sunny Day, Fun In Funk

Encore: Distant Times

Notes:

* w/ Matt Butler conducting the band through an improvised song