Ping-pong pigeons perform ‘Arena 54’ New Years Eve concert in Asheville

By Nate Todd January 1, 2022 • 3:25 p.m. PST

The ping-pong pigeons presided over their New Years Eve concert “Arena 54” on Friday at the ExploreAsheville.com arena in Asheville, North Carolina. PPPP took Asheville audiences on a cosmic journey through disco and funk classics and hosted Keller Williams, Here Come the Mummies horns and more.

PPPP kicked off the space / disco themed show with “Distant Time” before heading to “Too Long” on which the band hosted the horns of Here Come The Mummies who stayed behind for a Bee Gees cover. “You Should Be Dancing” and a return to “Too Long”. Pigeons went it alone for Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and an Elton John’s “Rocket Man” debut made in reggae style. The quartet closed the opening segment of the seamless ensemble by ending “Distant Times”.

The mummies’ honors returned to help PPPP on the must-see “King Kong” before will promote and Palmer owens from the opening band Funk You joined on percussion the pigeon classic “Funk E Zekiel” which launched another journey through the disco era with the debut of “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson and “Boogie Wonderland “from Earth, Wind & Fire before ending up to” Funk E Zekiel. ”

While Owens and Foster were gone, the horns stayed for the new PPPP song “Let The Boogie Out” which only saw action for the third time since its Denver debut. More EW & F followed with “Let’s Groove” before the band unveiled Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Girl” with elements from Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and a callback to “Let’s Groove”. The Mummy’s Horns left after a cover of “Let The Boogie Out” and PPPP went it alone for the closing segment of “Ocean Flows” which included “Walking On The Moon” by The Police.

The pigeon staples “Poseidon” and “Burning Up My Time” kicked off the second set with the latter containing a “Third Stone From The Sun” tease by Jimi Hendrix as well as the New Year’s Eve countdown. The festivities featured the traditional “Auld Lang Syne” in an instrumental version of David Bowie’s “Starman” as an “alien invasion” took place with the opening of Keller Williams as “alien overlord”. The horns of the Mummies and the percussionists of Funk You as well as the horn players of Funk You Gnarly G and Josh billiards joined again to help PPPP release “Kung Fu Fighting”, last performed on July 7, 2018, according to Phantasy Tour. The collaborators stayed for the “Macho Man” of Village People.

Next, Piegons – with mummy horns jumping here and there – played a number of funk and disco tunes, including Parliament’s “Unfunky UFO”, Chic’s “The Freak”, Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”, “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang and Suite. Keller joined “Lighting” as well as “The Freak”. The quartet closed the second cover set with an original, “Schwanthem”. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong returned on stage with the horns of the mummies to recall with another original, “Doc”, to close the evening.

Watch the full video below:

Set One: Distant Times> Too Long *> You Should Be Dancing ^ *> Too Long *> Shine On You Crazy Diamond »> Rocket Man ^> Distant Times, King Kong *, Funk E Zekiel * #> Turn The Beat Around ^ * #> Boogie Wonderland ^ * # ”> Funk E Zekiel * #, Let The Boogie Out *> Let’s Groove * ^”> Cosmic Girl * ^ $> Let The Boogie Out *, Ocean Flows> Walking On The Moon ^> Ocean Flows

Second series: Poseidon, burning my time &> Auld Lang Syne +> Starman ^ + => Auld Lang Syne +> Kung Fu Fighting + * #!%> Macho Man ^ + * #!%> Kung Fu Fighting + * #!%> Unfunky UFO ^ + *%, That’s The Mashup ^ * +> Lightning *%> Le Freak *%> Lightning *%, Julia> I Feel Love ^%> Julia, X-Files +> The Hop> FU * +> Good Times ^ * +> Rapper’s Delight ^ * +%> Good Times * +> FU * +> YMCA ^ * +> Schwanthem

Again: Doc *

Remarks:

• * with the horns of the mummies
• ^ First time played
• “Intro only
• # with Will Foster & Palmer Owens (Funk You) on percussion
• $ with Move On Up ^ and Let’s Groove tease
• & with the third stone of the sun tease; Countdown to NYE
• + with extraterrestrial invasion; The midnight feat. Keller Williams as an alien overlord; The feat of good times. alien soul train
• = Instrumental
• ! with Horned Gnarly G & Josh Spilliards (Funk You)
• % with Keller Williams; The feat of lightning. battle of trumpets to mouth
• It’s like that, Shake Shake Shake, Give It To Me Baby, Ring My Bell, Mashup Boogie Nights