Some concerts end when the house lights come on. Others simply relocate. Following Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s jam-fueled performance at Washington Park on July 16, the diehards who still had gas left in the tank knew exactly where to go next. Just a short walk away, the historic Lark Hall once again served as the official Alive at 5 after party, where Connecticut power trio Lespecial packed the room wall-to-wall for an unforgettable, career-spanning performance filled with crushing riffs, genre-defying experimentation, surprise guests, and enough jaw-dropping moments to ensure another spectacular summer concert season ended on the highest possible note.

Lespecial headlined the official Alive at 5 after party at Lark Hall on 7/16/26.

Keeping the energy flowing from the moment the doors opened, local DJ Cody Dzintars, better known as Spike Right, laid the soundtrack for the evening with an eclectic mix of beats as fans steadily packed into 351 Hudson Ave.

Spike Right: DJ Cody Dzintars welcomed fans to the historic Lark Hall on 7/16/26.

With the start pushed until nearly 9 p.m. to allow concertgoers time to make the walk over, anticipation slowly built inside the sold-out hall. Then suddenly the lights dimmed. The room filled with ominous drone music and sci-fi samples before Jonathan “Jonny G” Grusauskas, Luke Bemand and Rory Dolan quietly assumed their positions on stage. Seconds later, Lespecial detonated. It was immediately apparent this wasn’t going to be just another after party.

No strangers to the Capital Region, Lespecial has regularly made the short drive north for years, steadily cultivating one of its most loyal and enthusiastic fan bases along the way. Ironically, their debut appearance at Lark Hall in December of 2024 remains memorable for all the wrong reasons. Earlier that day, the band discovered its van had been burglarized overnight in Syracuse, forcing them to perform with borrowed equipment after losing much of their touring gear. It was an admirable effort under impossible circumstances, but hardly the ideal conditions for delivering the full experience the band has become known for. Returning to the scene of crime, redemption was clearly on the agenda.

No strangers to the Capital Region, Lespecial has regularly made the short drive to Albany for years.

Launching into the hypnotic pairing of “Dissociate” and “Harambe Zombie,” Lespecial established the evening’s tone within seconds. The low-end rattled the room while Grusauskas layered crushing guitar textures over Bemand’s slick bass lines with a bludgeoning combination of “Amerika” melting into “American Apocalypse.” It was abundantly clear this would be a considerably heavier affair than what Lark Hall typically hosts. That, however, was precisely the point.

Bassist Luke Bemand pulled double duty in Albany, playing with both Lespecial and his Drunken Doja Monkey project on 7/16/26.

Following the beautiful Cliff Burton-vibed interlude “First Light” that seamlessly flowed into “Onlookers” from 2017’s Cheen, Lespecial shifted gears by dropping the hammer on Albany with a series of unreleased newer material. The pulverizing “Recidivism” delivered crushing metallic weight, while the brooding shoegaze textures of both “Shadow People” and “Scream” hinted at an even darker sonic evolution. The first surprise of the evening arrived when Bemand welcomed longtime friend and fellow Connecticut musician Jackson Whalan to the stage. Described affectionately as an “ancient homie,” Whalan unleashed an effortless freestyle over the hip-hop groove of “Roro,” drawing one of the loudest ovations of the night and further emphasizing the communal spirit that has always surrounded Lespecial shows.

Ancient Homie: Jackson Whalan joined Lespecial during “Roro” on 7/16/26.

The mood shifted once again as Grusauskas and Bemand traded their primary instruments for dueling synthesizers during an expansive sequence of “Donut Ghost House,” “Unearthed,” and “Sound That We Dub.” The psychedelic excursion ultimately exploded into an astonishing drum showcase from Rory Dolan, whose combination of technical precision and creative fearlessness continues to place him among the most captivating drummers in progressive music. Dolan, who nearly became the new drummer for Primus following their exhaustive world-wide search last year, looked completely at home behind his own kit, reminding everyone in attendance that his greatest strength has never been imitating another player, but simply being himself.

Behind his own kit, Lespecial Drummer Rory Dolan looked completely at home at Lark Hall on 7/16/26.

For the metalheads in attendance, one of the evening’s biggest highlights came courtesy of Lespecial’s signature mashup wizardry. Slayer’s “Raining Blood” collided seamlessly with Korn’s “Blind” before morphing into Primus classics “Hello Skinny” and “Too Many Puppies” in a delightful tribute to Les Claypool. The medley blurred genres and generations in classic Lespecial fashion, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, few wanted it to end. Keeping their foot firmly on the accelerator, the band launched into the colossal “Lungs of the Planet,” the opening track from Odd Times, before unveiling one final surprise.

Lespecial guitarist Jonathan “Jonny G” Grusauskas bludgeoned Lark Hall with arena-sized riffs on 7/16/26.

Fresh off headlining Alive at 5 with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong just hours earlier, bassist Ben Carrey emerged to thunderous applause. Sharing Bemand’s bass during “Tonberry,” Carrey fit seamlessly into the band’s controlled chaos before migrating to the synthesizer as the song gradually dissolved into Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place.” And for that moment, it truly was. Returning for a lone encore, Lespecial closed with “The Vessel,” delivering one final barrage of massive riffs and soaring dynamics before finally bringing the evening to its triumphant conclusion. Any lingering memories of their subdued Lark Hall debut last time were officially erased. Even then, the night still wasn’t over.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Ben Carrey made a surprise sit-in with Lespecial at Lark Hall 7/16/26.

With adrenaline levels refusing to subside, the celebration then moved downtown to Ophelia’s on Broadway, where all three members of Lespecial reconvened for Luke Bemand’s late-night DJ project, Drunken Doja Monkey. Spinning records until last call, the unofficial after-after party provided one final soundtrack to an Alive at 5 season that had already delivered countless memorable moments.

Luke Bemand’s Drunken Doja Monkey project kept Albany dancing until last call at Ophelia’s on 7/16/26.

If there was ever any doubt about why Lespecial was entrusted with closing out Albany’s summer concert tradition, this rowdy night cap answered it emphatically. After years of steadily building an audience one unforgettable show at a time, the redemption was complete, the crowd got the throwdown it deserved, and Albany was reminded once again why this band continues to inspire such passionate devotion. With the buzz surrounding the trio growing louder by the month, the unreleased songs unveiled throughout the evening may have been the night’s biggest takeaway. If those previews are any indication, Lespecial’s next record has every ingredient to become the breakthrough album that launches them onto an even bigger stage. On July 16, however, there wasn’t a band on the planet that could have topped them. A reminder that sometimes the best nights are the ones that refuse to end when the headliner leaves the stage.

Lespecial | July 16, 2026 | Lark Hall | Albany, NY

Setlist: Dissociate, Harambe Zombie, Amerika > American Apocalypse, First Light > Onlookers, Recidivism, Shadow People, Scream, Roro*, Donut Ghost House> Unearthed > Sound That We Dub, Drum Solo, Raining Blood > Blind > Hello Skinny > Too Many Puppies**, Lungs of the Planet, Tonberry*** > Everything In Its Right Place

Encore: The Vessel

*Featuring Jackson Whalan on vocals

**Mashup medley featuring snippets from Slayer, Korn and Primus

***Featuring Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on bass and keys.

***Radiohead teases.