Written by: Cam Elkins
Photography by: Adam Berta
Videography by: Zachary Gilbert
Imagine you’re some random guitar player in college and some person comes walking down the hallway in your dorm and insists that you jam together. Then all of sudden you’re at the head of the most potent following of smiling, love-filled people you could ever dream of. Hundreds and hundreds of faces, with the most overjoyed emotions shining through their eyes. This is the story of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Last Weekend (May 16th-18th), I was fortunate enough to attend the 10th Anniversary of their festival, Domefest.
So there I was, it was a beautiful Thursday afternoon, the day after my birthday, and I had just set up my camp with the help of some fellow Domies. I was eager to start dancing, as I was getting acquainted with the unfamiliar mountaintops, surrounded by friends that felt like family underneath the setting West Virginia sun. I had never been to Marvin’s Mountaintop, but one of my closest friends had told me all about how it was this sacred place where his love for music festival culture had first blossomed years ago at All Good Music Festival. I wondered to myself how this weekend would be sacred in its own right.
It took a while to make our way down to stage from the campsite because we somehow got looped into conversations with everyone we walked by. Between meeting new people and running into old friends, we didn’t get to the stage until The Fritz were in the middle of their first set. The jams were hot and there was magic in the air.
As the Flock raged to Cycles and then The Magic Beans, the vibe was perfect for Domefest’s 10th Anniversary (and also the inaugural night for Domefest at its new home at Marvin’s Mountaintop. Themed, “Domecoming Weekend,” Pigeons came out rockin’ their gold jackets from New Years for their first ever set at Dome’s new home.
From the “Too Long” opener into “Sports Theme” (including “The Final Countdown” and “Eye of the Tiger”), and then into one of my all time favorite songs “Wireless,” P4 made it known loud and clear that this was a very special set. Of course, they got the whole flock singing, “I believe in Miracles!!!” as they sandwiched “You Sexy Thing” and “My Girl” inside “Wireless.”
After “Melting Lights,” Gator (Alex Petropoulos) came out singing “Enter Sandman” (fuck yeah). The last time fans saw Gator sing was at last year’s Domefest for “White Rabbit”, and people were going crazy that he was here singing again. In all honesty, I thought it was a little bit hard to hear him at last year’s Dome, but this year he sounded clear, loud, and like the complete badass that he is.
The rest of the night will absolutely go down in Flock history. From “Whoopie” (with Casey Russell of The Magic Beans), into the most terrifyingly awesome “Couldn’t We All.” Pigeons then closed the set with the debut of a new original “Paperboy.”
As they came back out, Greg announced that it was the founder of Domefest’s birthday (Happy Birthday Jeremy Schon!!!) The crowd erupted, and Marvin’s Mountaintop had now gone through its proverbial “initiation.” Ending the ceremony, the band wrapped with the most incredible “Happy Birthday Jeremy/Su Casa/Country Road/Su Casa” encore. The epicness was undeniable, and it was really super obvious how actually special the tradition of Domefest is. Despite the greatness of the music, during the encore it was apparent that it really is only a carrier for something far greater than any one person or any one song. No matter where it’s held, its obvious that Domefest is not just another music festival.
Friday was Jeremy’s birthday and was packed with some of my absolute favorite bands. So much so, that I simply am not able to specifically give a full description of all of the music here in this article. The same goes for Saturday. For that, feel free to check out Live for Live Music’s review written by Mikala Lugen.
The bands on this lineup are rock stars – no doubt. However, they are rock stars that don’t act “rock star-ish” whatsoever. Their intentions are genuine and it bleeds through their demeanor and their music on stage. Both for musicians and fans, it’s such a unique type of person that goes to Domefest. The bands are absolutely, no bullshit, no exaggeration – Epic. Their performances truly and fully define epic. Despite the epic-ness, nobody on stage gives off the impression that they’re any different or better than anyone in the crowd. There is something very powerful about a performer that can just astronomically hit it out of the park, yet still remain totally down to earth and humble. I feel that it is their ability to be humble in the face of their greatness that allows for fans to deeply connect to the power of what they are creating.
For the most part, the bands at Domefest clearly play with pure intentions, and it creates this connection with the listener that is special, intimate, and, in its truest form, is filled with overwhelming joy and bliss. The greatest part of all of this is that the this kind of thing attracts the fans who come with a level of character that is equally as epic as the music. Upon eye contact, each person you meet at Domefest immediately embraces you as family.
“There are a lot of band-run festivals, but few feature the level of band member involvement as Domefest.” said Joe Hertler. “Most of the time, bands serve as the spiritual overseers, but Jeremy, Greg, Dave, and co. work on this event 360 days of the year. They’re all such high functioning people – and there’s a part of me that enjoys seeing them pushed to their limits at Domefest. It’s as humbling as it is inspiring – and it’s a testament to what can be achieved when a great idea is supported by passionate people. This is part of why their music is so resonant with their crowd. The flock is an extension of their passion and energy. They’ve attracted a crowd with the same energy – and this is why Domefest is as dope as it is.” Well put, Joe.
One band at Domefest that I am distinctly crazy about is Aqueous. Holy fucking shit.
Three years ago, not thinking too much of it, I joined my friend to see some band named Aqueous play in Columbus. That night, Aqueous became something far greater than just “some band” to me. The ripple that had on my life is fucking insane to think about. I guess you never really know if some friend you’re about to bring to a concert could end up loving it so much that their entire life ends up revolving around sharing this experience with the world…
Since that first Aqueous show three years ago, I still have never seen a band that I loved as much as them – except for Pigeons. And there I was, in the heart of nature, with a smile that couldn’t be wiped off my face, about to see some the best music that exists on Earth.
The way that Aqueous masterfully uses groove and rhythm moving, and so smoothly builds it up into a fury – it’s amazing. Those subtle transitional moments always go unnoticed behind the overall whale of astonishment with how sick the rhythm is. From full fury mode, it clears in an instant, as Mike rips through the space with the most badass guitar playing that ears can find. The whole band is insane, always playing with the most raw, pure expression, using only their instruments and facial expressions to take crowds deeply into the fullness of emotion itself.
Smoothly moving between the stinkiest rhythms into the fullness of 10,000 childhood’s worth of repressed angst, they lead you through releasing everything you did and didn’t know you had bottled up. Aqueous doesn’t dwell on anything either. They pour it out fully, and invite you to pour it out with them. Ultimately, they meet you right in the middle, perfectly embodying the energy of the music as they play on stage, dancing inside and outside of that mysteriously everlasting moment of rock n’ roll bliss.
Outside of seeing Aqueous, and Mungion (one of my other favorite bands), as well as my guy John Inghram and the Fletcher’s Grove homies, the highlight for me on Friday’s “Magic Kingdome” night was definitely two of my friends hugging each other and crying about how much they love each other when the birthday boy Jeremy went into his solo at the beginning of “Poseidon.” Following two HOT Pigeons/Disney sets the band went from “Poseidon” into “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, into “Magic Carpet Ride,” then “Abracadabra,” and finally back into “Poseidon” to close set two. To cap this unbelievable night off, P4 released another banger of a new song, “Water.” Wow… Just wow.
The third and final day was as beautiful and magical as any day I’ve gotten to live in my very brief twenty-three years of life. The theme was “Dome for the Holidays” and I had no idea what Holiday was being referred to, or what the band had in mind outside of Christmas and Hanukkah jingles. There definitely were some next-level, super funky Christmas and Hanukkah songs, but there was a much larger meaning to tonight. Long story short, there are usually only twelve full moons in a year, but this year (of course falling on the last night of Domefest), there are thirteen. Already latched on to all of our heart strings, Greg addressed the crowd in one of the most touching and genuine ways I’ve ever heard from a performer, guiding us all into releasing whatever we had bottled up into the beaming Domefest moon.
(Zachary Gilbert)
Following one of the most spiritually wholesome nights of music I probably have ever been apart of, were The Domefest All-Stars. From the full moon setting to the final Domefest sunrise, my favorite musicians jammed together for hours on end to close out the festival. I actually got the chance to speak with one of my favorite Domies, Peter Anspach of Goose, about what getting to play with some of his musical idols was like.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be involved in the super jam, but our tour manager Jon pushed me to forgo sleep and hang out side stage in hopes of participating. Quickly, I found myself asked to join in by Mike Gantzer, one of my favorite musicians and now one of my good friends in the scene. Everything was impromptu, and it was so fun to see everyone on stage smiling and enjoying the freedom that comes with just jamming with your friends. I had the honor of playing with members of Pigeons, Aqueous, Mungion, Funk You, Litz and more — all of which are fantastic bands and musicians that I look up to.” Leave it to Pigeons to put together a scenario that allows for something this awesome to go down.
Through Domefest and Pigeons’ tour, I’ve been introduced to now some of my absolute favorite bands like Goose, Mungion, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and The Magic Beans. Domefest is where these kinds of bands are able to be introduced to the flock, and it’s certainly something none of them take for granted. One of the many reasons that I fuckin’ love Pigeons is straight up because of their taste in music themselves. Especially Scrambled Greg whippin’ out an extremely on-point cover of “It Runs Through Me” by one of my own musical role models, Tom Misch. From their on-stage antics, to the bands they play with, to the songs they cover, to the way they play their covers – I’m just super into all of it – all of the details, and all of the subtleties that I feel coming from “between the lines.”
“Ever since we met some of the flock last year, we’ve been hearing magical things about Domefest, and now we’ve come to see how deep the magic is,” said Peter Anspach of Goose. “The flock has a strong love for the Pigeons boys and at the same time, an open mind for new music. It’s extremely unique to find a fanbase as accepting of other bands as the flock is. This phenomenon is echoed in the music schedule, which was one of the best I’d ever witnessed. There were no bad time slots or overlapping sets and every band had more than enough time to strut their stuff, a true rarity for big time festivals.”
As for the flock… even though it may seem like it sometimes, the flock is not a cult. Rather, it’s a group of people bonded over a certain feeling. For both musicians and fans alike, this feeling, and the friendships surrounding it, play a big part in what fuels their love for the world. The gratitude for how special this all is can never really be expressed.
The music plays; musicians and fans lock eyes, and this feeling that is as powerful and special as anything is deeply understood. “We as musicians live to make and play music. For me, it’s how I best communicate,” said Joe Hertler. “Through music, I can communicate the things I have difficultly communicating on a day to day basis. It makes me feel connected. When a set is going well, it can be a very meditative experience; a shared experience made even more special by its brevity. All things are on a bell curve. All of us will step off stage for the last time some day. When I’m in the moment of performing, I simply try to embrace it, acknowledge it’s fleeting nature, and try my best to perform as honestly as I can.”
There’s no words that can represent it in its truest form – but there are moments and memories – and this is what Pigeons represent. In my experience, there is no greater home for this feeling than Domefest. Each set they come back and do their absolute best to reciprocate the love of the flock, and they do so with passion that is one of the most contagious things a music fan could be lucky enough to be introduced to (thank you Adam Berta.) Wiping tears from our faces and dancing the night away, the gratitude we all have for Jeremy, Greg, Ben, Gator, Dave, Manny, Kevin, Erich, Dante, Juliana & co. for Domefest and the Pigeon’s community is greater than words.
To order photo prints and to see the full gallery, visit bertaphoto.com
Setlists:
Thursday May 16, 2019 @ Domefest (Masontown, WV)
Too Long
Sports Theme
Somethin’ For Ya >
Wireless > You Sexy Thing > My Girl > Wireless
Melting Lights >
Enter Sandman^ > Live It Up
Whoopie%
Couldn’t We All
Paperboy*
Schwanthem
Encore: Su Casa > Country Roads^ > Su Casa
Notes:
Domefest Night 1 – “Domecoming Weekend”
^ First time played
% w/ Casey Russell (Magic Beans) on keys
* Original debut
Friday May 17, 2019 @ Domefest (Masontown, WV)
I Just Can’t Wait To Be King^ > Burning Up My Time^ > I Just Can’t Wait To Be King > Burning Up My Time& >
Offshoot
King Solomon’s Marbles > F.U.* > Colors Of The Wind* > F.U.*
Fortress*
King Kong*
Dome People^ > Time To Ride
Doc**
Henrietta
Porcupine
Fade Fast > Jungle Book Medley > Fade Fast
Sunny Day > In The Hall Of The Mountain King% > Sunny Day
Poseidon > A Whole New World > Magic Carpet Ride > Abracadabra > Poseidon
Encore: Water #
Notes:
Domefest Night 2 – “Magic Kingdome”
^ Unfinished
& w/ Lion Sleeps Tonight jam
* w/ West End Blend horns
% First time played
# Original debut
Saturday May 18, 2019 @ Domefest (Masontown, WV)
Pop Off
Hava Nagila >
Julia > Beanstalk > Julia
French Cafe
Fun In Funk
Avalanche
Distant Times
Lightning^ > Moonwalk > E-Funk
Whirled
Landing > Jam > Zydeko > Sir Real > Dreidel Bells* > Zydeko”
Horizon >>
The Liquid
Upfunk > Drums > Upfunk
Dawn A New Day
Encore: Ocean Flows > Auld Lang Syne
Notes:
Domefest Night 3 – “Dome For The Holidays”
^ unfinished; It Runs Through Me tease [Tom Misch]
* Jingle Bells / Dreidel Song mashup
” w/ Peanuts and Drunken Lullabies teases