As another summer of Alive at 5 spread its wings toward the horizon, thousands of Capital Region music fans flocked to Washington Park on July 16 for one final gathering beneath the trees. Charged with closing out Albany’s beloved free concert series, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong proved once again why they’ve become one of the most reliable live bands in the jam scene, delivering an uplifting, groove-heavy performance that had the city dancing long after the sun dipped below the skyline.

Concertgoers packed Washington Park for the final Alive at 5 of the season on 7/16/26.

Even the hazy skies and poor air quality warnings caused by smoke the Canadian wildfires couldn’t ground the festivities. While common sense suggested staying indoors, thousands chose community over caution, throwing concern to the wind in exchange for one more unforgettable summer evening together. The atmosphere may have been smoky, but the vibe remained crystal clear. Joy, music, and togetherness.

Albany funk favorites The NolaNauts kicked things off proper on 7/16/26

Kicking the party in the park off promptly at 5 p.m., Albany favorites The NolaNauts landed on stage first, treating early arrivals to their signature blend of New Orleans-inspired funk, brass, and second-line rhythms. Their infectious ‘feel good’ set warmed up the crowd perfectly with French Quarter classics like “Fiyo on the Bayou,” “Rock Steady,” “Iko Iko,” “No More Okey Doke,” and “Treme” before Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs offered a few words of gratitude, celebrating another successful Alive at 5 season and thanking the countless staff members, volunteers, sponsors, and city employees who keep the long-running concert series flying year after year.

Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs promises to bring more entertainment like Alive at 5 back to the city.

For Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Albany has long served as familiar nesting grounds. Formed in Baltimore in 2009, the band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Greg Ormont, lead guitarist Jeremy Schon, bassist Ben Carrey, and drummer Alex “Gator” Petropulos and has steadily built one of the most devoted followings in modern music through relentless touring, boundless positivity, and their unmistakable brand of “pigeon funk.” Blending psychedelic rock, deep-pocket grooves, improvisational jams, and infectious melodies, the band has released seven full-length studio albums. Along the way, they’ve evolved from playing tiny clubs into headlining festivals and selling out venues across the country.

No strangers to Albany, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong played to their biggest Capital Region crowd yet on 7/16/26.

Albany has witnessed that evolution firsthand. Veteran fans known as “The Flock” still remember seeing the band squeeze into what is now Ophelia’s on Broadway years before graduating to sold-out nights at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs and later packing Empire Live downtown. Yet despite all those previous visits, their Alive at 5 appearance may very well have represented the biggest audience the band has ever played in the Capital Region. A fitting milestone for a group whose popularity continues to soar.

Fans flocked to Washington Park for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on 7/16/26.

Launching into “Sail On,” Pigeons Playing Ping Pong wasted no time catching an updraft. Playing with their trademark smiles, boundless enthusiasm, and seemingly inexhaustible energy, the band immediately had Washington Park dancing as though every spectator had suddenly grown wings. They subtly acknowledged the smoky conditions with an inspired performance of “Bad for You” from 2016’s Pleasure, a clever nod to the evening’s less-than-ideal breathing conditions without allowing them to overshadow the celebration.

PPPP’s Scrambled” Greg Ormont remains one of the most charismatic performers in live music.

Once airborne, PPPP launched into an extended, uninterrupted musical migration, gliding effortlessly through “Move Like That” before stretching the funk feathers during an expansive “Hell Yeah” jam from their latest release, Feed the Fire. Without ever losing momentum, they seamlessly banked into the colorful favorite “Somethin’ For Ya” before gracefully touching down on one of the night’s emotional highlights, “Julia,” from their beloved 2014 breakthrough album Psychology.

Life is Good: Pigeon shredder Jeremy Schon lived his T-shirt at Alive at 5 on 7/16/26.

Throughout the sequence, smiles spread across the audience almost as quickly as the grooves themselves. Despite the air quality concerns, Washington Park felt transported somewhere much warmer, as breezy island rhythms, kaleidoscopic guitar textures, and buoyant funk lines created a tropical escape where worries simply drifted away on the breeze. Watching Pigeons Playing Ping Pong perform is much like observing a well-coordinated flock in flight. Every subtle turn, every improvisational detour, every rhythmic shift happens almost instinctively, with each musician responding to the others in perfect formation. “Scrambled” Greg Ormont remains the charismatic frontman at the center of it all, making silly faces and googly eyes while radiating endless positivity, while Jeremy Schon’s virtuoso guitar work and impulsive headbanging repeatedly soared above the mix making it impossible to stand still. Ben Carrey’s casual cool and nimble bass lines kept the grooves gliding effortlessly, while Alex Petropulos provided the powerful rhythmic tailwind that propelled the entire evening forward. New this time in Albany, the band was joined by Electric Love Machine keyboardist Jon Brady who made an immediate impact with his tasteful playing from the back of the stage.

Quite a Character: Bassist Ben Carrey had a little help from his stuffed animal friends in Albany on 7/16/26.

Perhaps the band’s greatest strength though remains its uncanny ability to read a crowd. Recognizing the Albany audience was eager to keep dancing, Pigeons leaned heavily into the high-energy side of their psychedelic sound. “Polaroid” naturally evolved into the evening’s biggest singalong, an inspired cover of the Foo Fighters’ “Learn to Fly.” It was the perfect choice for both the setting and the band, and rather than simply recreating the rock anthem, Pigeons completely made it their own, stretching its familiar melodies into an exuberant funk workout that had thousands of voices soaring together above Washington Park.

Not only is Alex “Gator” Petropulo one of today’s most exciting drummers, he also has one of the best nicknames in the game.

With spirits fully airborne, the quartet closed the main set with one of its own defining anthems, “Fun in Funk,” sending one final wave of euphoric jubilation across Washington Park. As the city’s early curfew quickly approached, there was little debate about an encore. The band returned almost immediately, delivering a rowdy, high-octane version of “Avalanche” from 2020’s Presto that served as one last burst of musical lift before finally folding their wings for the evening.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong kept Albany dancing till sundown during the final Alive at 5 of the summer on 7/16/26.

As another Alive at 5 season officially came to a close, the overwhelming feeling throughout Washington Park wasn’t simply excitement over an excellent concert, it was gratitude. Gratitude for familiar faces and unexpected reunions. Gratitude for free live music. Gratitude for a community that continues to gather every summer, welcoming newcomers while strengthening friendships that have been built one Thursday at a time. For many, the music didn’t end when the sun went down. Several members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong made the short migration over to nearby Lark Hall for the official after-party, joining longtime friends Lespecial and proving once again that, despite growing crowds and bigger stages, they’re still very much a band of the people. Whether chatting with fans, posing for photos, or simply enjoying another band’s performance, they remained as approachable as ever. Just another reminder of why their loyal flock continues to grow year after year.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong put the ‘Fun in Funk’ in Albany on 7/16/26.

These are the nights that make Albany special. Not because of one band, one song, or one concert, but because of what happens when an entire community gathers together under open skies. For a few precious hours, the city feels just a little smaller, a little warmer, and infinitely more connected. Events like Alive at 5 don’t happen by accident, they are the result of countless people working behind the scenes. The stagehands hauling equipment in the summer heat, the production teams managing every cable and lighting cue, the city employees coordinating logistics, the volunteers greeting attendees, the sponsors who help make it all possible, and the organizers who continue bringing world-class music to Albany year after year. Their dedication has built one of the Capital Region’s finest traditions and we should all consider ourselves lucky. As another Alive at 5 season settles into memory, there’s already a familiar feeling among concertgoers. Anticipation. Here’s to another remarkable summer, another unforgettable finale, and already counting the days until next year’s migration back.