By Nate Todd October 11, 2021 • 11:10 a.m. PDT

The ping-pong pigeons kicked off their two-day Flocktoberfest on Friday at the State Theater in Portland, Maine. The quartet has hosted a frequent collaborator, Berklee College Of Music teacher and guitarist Tomo Fujita, as well as the West End Blend Horns over the weekend.

PPPP kicked off Flocktoberfest on Friday, which also marked the opening of the group’s fall tour, featuring the intro of “Funk E Zekiel” before going through “Burning Up My Time” and “Lost In Line”. Fujita joined the closest first set, “Henrietta”. Tomo would take the first solo starting with some choice licks and build things up before handing it over to Pigeons guitarist Jeremy Schon. Fujita also came out towards the end of the second set, adding to a wild jam rave on “Sunny Day”.

Saturday saw the opening of the PPPP with “Distant Times” followed by “Penguins”. The quartet then finished what they had started on Friday with the rest of “Funk E Zekiel”. Next, Pigeons hosted the brass section of the West End Blend openers for the last three songs in the first frame: “Fortress,” “Whoopie” and “Live It Up,” with Fujita joining up again on set up close. .

The Fujita collaboration continued in the second set on “The Liquid” which contained a long blues jam. Tomo would stay for “FU” which also saw the return of the West End Blend Horns who also helped PPPP close the second set with “Schwanthem” without Fujita. Tomo returned for the encore, a bust of “Lenny” by Stevie Ray Vaughan, last performed by PPPP on NYE 2018. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong then went it alone on “Yo Soy Fiesta” to close the Flocktoberfest.

Watch the full PPPP Flocktoberfest video below:

10/8 Series I

10/8 Series II

Set One: Funk E Zekiel ^> Burning Up My Time> Lost In Line, Give It Away> Tourbillon, Fade Fast, Bad For You, Henrietta *

Second series: J-Town%> Donkey Hotel, Somethin ‘For Ya> Havana> Move Like That, Sunny Day *, Feelin’ Fine

Again: Fun In Funk

Remarks:

^ Intro only

* with Tomo Fujita on guitar

% unfinished

10/9 Series I

10/9 Series II

Set One: Distant Times, Penguins> Funk E Zekiel +, Fortress ^, Whoopie ^, Live It Up ^ *

Series Two: Walk Outside, Twitch, Don’t Stop Until You Have Enough, The Liquid * #, FU * ^, Schwanthem ^

Again: Lenny *%> Yo Soy Fiesta

Remarks:

+ Completed from 08/10/21

^ with West End Blend horns

* with Tomo Fujita on guitar

# with extended blues section

% Stevie Ray Vaughan; Last time played 12/31/18