On Friday, December 9, Albany’s Empire Live will showcase a concert featuring jam funk group Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and psychedelic jam band Dogs in a Pile. Doors for the 16+ show open at 7 p.m. with music beginning at 8.

empire live pigeons playing ping pong — Pigeons Playing Ping Pong members from left to right: Jeremy Schon (guitar, vocals), Ben (bass, vocals), Alex Petropulos (drums, vocals), Greg Ormont (vocals, guitar)

This Empire Live stop marks a return to upstate NY for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong after headlining at the Adirondack Independence Music Festival in September. The Maryland four-piece has played halftime during a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, they’ve appeared on Adult Swim’s FishCenter Live, and annually headlined their self-produced music and camping festival Domefest. They dropped their sixth studio album Perspective in March, the group’s first studio release since lockdown.

Dogs in a Pile members from left to right: Brian Murray (guitarist), Jeremy Kaplan (keyboardist), Jimmy Law (guitarist), Sam Lucid (bassist)

Dogs in a Pile, a five-piece of Asbury Park, NJ origin, was assembled in 2019 and released their debut studio album Not Your Average Beagle in 2021. Their musical approach is inspired by the improvisation of bands such as the Grateful Dead and Phish.

Information regarding tickets for Friday’s show can be found here.

dogs in a pile empire live pigeons playing ping pong

Empire Live to Host Pigeons Playing Ping Pong & Dogs in a Pile on Dec. 9