Greg Ormont, frontman of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, is widely recognized for his vibrant stage presence and magnetic connection with audiences. Known for his signature sound, thrashing ringlets, infectious grin, and unmistakable sense of humor, Ormont has become a central figure in the modern jam scene. His leadership continues to define Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s spirited blend of funk, rock, and improvisation, inspiring both devoted fans and a new generation of live music enthusiasts. Hailing from Baltimore, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, or 'Pigeons' for short, consists of Greg Ormont and Jeremy Schon on guitar, Ben Carrey on bass, and Alex "Gator" Petropulos on drums. Though Ormont leads lyrically and vocally, the band functions as a true vocal ensemble, with every member adding their own voice in the mix. Their dedicated and extensive fanbase dubbed "The Flock" is known to travel alongside as they tour the country, filling venues and festival lawns with the same pure joy and positive vibes that the Pigeons themselves embody.

Despite the jam-packed weekend at Ramble Festival 2025—with Schon appearing as Artist at Large, Gator performing with Infinity Tribe, and Ormont leading his Scrambled Greg kids’ set—we were able to sit down with Ormont, ahead of that evening’s double-headlining show.  He opened up about the band’s ongoing evolution, their deep connection to the jam-band community, and the release of their latest album, Feed The Fire.

DC Music Review:  How does it feel to be headlining Ramble Festival? Are you guys excited for your double set tonight?

Greg Ormont:  We are stoked. We love the people who throw this (Brick and Jay), and to be in the home state playing two sets it's awesome. We're gonna let her rip!

Have you (Pigeons Playing Ping Pong) played Ramble? I know you've done the kids set.

The band has not, but we actually met these guys when they were helping us with our festival Domefest and they were in the early days of talking about this music festival... they saw how we do things (at Domefest) and it's really incredible to see these seeds of ideas blossom into this whole community that's bigger than the festival itself. I mean people love Ramble and we're included. I'm super proud of them and they should be proud too.

Tell me about the new album.

We're thrilled with the new album! It's called Feed the Fire... just released! I love this new album; we wouldn't put it out if we didn't love it and and this one feels really great. It's a big mix of our different styles and it's a bunch of new things too. For instance, our bassist (Ben Carrey) sings on the record for the first time as lead. and he did a great job on a song called Hit the Ground Running. And we've had new collaborations like Wes Bailey from Moon Taxi on the title track and some familiar collaborations like Chalk Dinosaur on a couple tracks and our friends West End Blend and Here Come the Mummies on horns. It was kind of like taking our touring sound and bottling it up into a nice neat package. And with that comes our touring friends... it was very collaborative and fun and hopefully what we sound like now and the next one will continue to evolve.

 I feel like that's the Pigeon way: jamming with other musicians. Any Pigeons show I've shot you've always had people coming up sitting in.

Well, we play shows all the time, and they're always so fun, but it's always extra exciting when you have a new element on stage or in anything in life... that new is what we're chasing and to have such talented friends around all the time, we'd be fools not to invite them up. In fact, I'd be curious to see if anyone up comes up tonight, because we know a lot of people on this lineup!

Hint, hint, hint!? I know every Pigeons set is going to be different; you're never gonna get the same one especially with different people sitting in. I know and follow a lot of your fans too, The Flock, (which is) such a robust, passionate following because they're putting out set lists like, "oh, yeah, and then they did this!" You don't get that with a lot of bands because the sets will be the same or similar, and they play the songs the way they are on the album, which is great, but I know with Pigeons, you're gonna funk it up and you're not gonna play it exactly how you would lay it down in studio.

I appreciate what you said. We work hard to make every show super different. The reality is you had to be there. And it's like that because one night this other band was on the lineup, they sat in and there was this epic jam or the vibe in the crowd was inspiring us to push certain songs and jams in new directions... into unchartered territory. That's why we all like jam music to begin with. It really is like this choose your own adventure, hang on and go along for the ride kind of genre. So it's hopefully just as much fun for the crowd as it is for us to see where the music takes us.

I think that's why you guys (Pigeons) are such a good fit for Ramble because that is the essence: you just had to be there! Being open to the vibe and bringing whoever up... it's always mystery, but that's the Ramble spirit. Pigeons is a perfect fit.

For sure! I love being here. The vibe is incredible. It's really laid back, but well oiled... there's lots of different genres going on. We we all brought our whole families! All six band kids are here running around, having fun, and it is such an amazing break from reality and at the same time, in our weird profession and world, it is our reality. To be able to coexist with everything that happens outside of the the music scene in today's society... to also be reminded of the pure camaraderie and togetherness that you experience at a festival. It's a really great reminder that we're not as divided as it sometimes seems.

And I think the fact that you can bring the family and have this be a family weekend... making memories together, I think that's great because I know you tour a lot and the kids and wives can't come with you everywhere, and that's gotta be hard!

It's very challenging to balance parenthood and and touring as a musician because you can't be in two places at once. But it's my job to give one thousand percent to all of life's pursuits, whether it's being a present father or an adventurous musician, or doing anything; you give it your all and hope for the best. If you do that and you're mindful of others' feelings and trying to balance it as best you can, you can sleep at night. Allegedly. Not when I'm home. My kids won't let me sleep at night! And then there's these beautiful moments like today, I had both my kids on stage with me for my kids' set. My daughter Goldie got to sing on stage for the first time with me.

I've talked a lot about what got me to this point in life where I'm a touring musician, and one of the things I look back on is the first time I was on stage was the Kindergarten Circus. I was the doggy in the window and I remember barking and people being like, "aww" and laughing. and I remember liking that feeling. And today, my daughter is now in Kindergarten, and got to be on stage and got cheers and it's like incredibly full circle and while it's very challenging sometimes to be gone all the time, moments like today where I get to share the stage with my daughter is something I wouldn't trade for the world.

I love that so much. So do you think she's got the performer personality?

I think she has that personality, but I am not pushing it on her at all. I think when you see your parents do things, you want to do that too, but it was her idea to come on stage. Every time I'm on stage and she's there, she wants to be on stage too. It was her idea to sing on stage and what songs to do and to play more than one song. So if she wants to, I'm happy to do it with her, but I want to make sure that I'm not guiding her natural instincts and what she is passionate about. If it happens to work out that way, then it won't be our last daddy-daughter song. I'm kind of following her lead and she did a great job. We practiced in my house, but once we got on stage at sound check and there's a big microphone and there's people, it was totally different and I could tell she was getting a little nervous. I wasn't sure when the showtime came if she'd be up for it, but she got up there, she shook the nerves off and owned it. It was amazing. I was so impressed. And then my two year old came up and got down too. He did a great baby shark-but it was like a modern baby shark.

What did your daughter (Goldie) sing with you?

Two originals that we wrote together. We had one song called "I Love You So Much" and another song called "Unicorns." Unicorns actually became a Pigeon song, but the band requested that I change the lyrics "unicorns like bubbles" and "unicorns like flowers," so now that song's called "Blue Light" and it's about our reliance on technology and it's not at all a kid song. When we debuted "Blue Light" for the first time, Goldie was in the crowd and was very upset that it was not about unicorns anymore. I warned her, she knew it was going to happen, but apparently she was not impressed with my version. So today was Redemption Day for Dad; we played the proper, original version of "Unicorns" that is not all of a sudden about androids. She did not sign off on that!

What were the lyric changes from unicorns, like bubbles and unicorns to what?

Well, it's like, 'androids are computers and androids are the problem' that's essentially about a not being a slave to your phone. 'Androids are the limit. Androids are the problem.' They're limiting us in our communication with each other. They're the problem in terms of us having a harder time, you know, being in society or connecting with each other, not being anxious. It went from this super cute kiddie idea to this way more adult thing.

I will say I had an absolute blast playing the original lyrics today. Goldie's favorite lyric was "unicorn fart glitter" and she crushed it. There was crowd participation—we asked the other kids in the crowd what else unicorns like and one of them was marshmallows, which was very unexpected, but probably true. I don't think that's wrong! So it was a big day for the fam.

That's awesome. Such a such a fun memory to share with your daughter. How do you think your sound has changed? How does parenthood and touring and just being a band together for so long (17 years!)—How has that changed songwriting and recording albums?

I think all people evolve in life no matter what your job is or what your role in a family is. When you're in a band, it's interesting because you have four different people in our case, evolving at different rates in different ways and therefore the communal soup of our existence tends to change with all these different ingredients, but in ways that won't knock you over the head. So some of us became dads and I don't think that's really affected the music. As the primary lyricist, it has affected the way I approach things sometimes, but not all the times. We have a song on this new album (Feed The Fire), "Donkey Hotel" that is as silly and off the wall as one of our earliest songs from college. With an evolution, you kind of just let it flow and see where it takes you. As a musician, you're chasing something new; once you've made a song, you want to write the next one... this is kind of the nature of the beast.

So one thing we're aware of is letting the evolution happen as it does naturally, not overthinking it. If it sounds good to your ear, then make that music. Another thing that we balance with that is not forgetting where you came from and what got you to this point... what the earliest inspiration was, how that felt at the time and and hearkening back to that. As I grow as a lyricist and I have kids now and I'm talking about different things than I did in college, I also stop myself and remember those earliest days when we were young and touring the country, sleeping on people's couches... really roughing it and having so much fun; everything was new. Calling back those memories to inject in today's lyrics, because those are the those are the vibes that got us to this point to begin with. I think it's important for evolution to embrace the future, but don't leave the past behind. That mixture is what makes us all human and what makes the music interesting, because it's not just a snapshot of today; It's where you are and how you got there. And when when time elapses, you'll look back on this song and it can mean something completely different than it did before. There are so many lyrics I've written or songs we've written that at the time meant something to me in in one way and now mean almost the polar opposite. I find it so interesting because you end up singing these songs over and over, sporadically, because the set lists do change, but when they do come back up, you're singing it with a different intention, energy, and mindset; it's really fascinating to revisit the old while embracing the new.

It's funny because people still talk about the "Early Pigeons Days" When I am out in the jam scene, not even at a Pigeons show, I'll hear  "oh, man, I'm an original, I used to see them at the 8x10 way back when they were just getting started," they talk about seeing you from the ground up.

The last person I spoke to before sitting down with you told me that she saw us in Salisbury, Maryland at a pizza place, Vinny's La Roma... we would show up anywhere that someone would let us play music, clear out the tables, bring our own little sound system, flip the place upside down for a night, then meet people and crash on their floors. And that was like THE DREAM. We were living the dream and we still are! It's just we're playing at a festival and we don't have to provide our own sound.

And the lights!! (Thanks to Pigeons LD, Manny Newman)

I really love talking to people who were there from the earliest days, because it does feel like we got here together... the fact that they are still following us, they've probably told friends about it, and that helps us keep the dream alive. I know just as a fan of bands, I love watching their success. Like Goose, who opened for us in 2019. 2020, right before the pandemic, and fast forward five years and they're selling out Madison Square Garden... they're amazing guys and I love them so much and I'm so proud of them. And I feel how some of our fans do from the early years like "I remember when you guys (Goose) were the support band; look how incredible this growth is in this community you've built." The songwriting is incredible, and they've just earned every bit of success they have. I feel part of that ride... there's something about the longevity of the support that makes the successes all the more meaningful.

Of course. What do they say, 'a rising tide lifts all boats?'

Totally. That has been by mantra.... I came from a sports culture childhood and that is not the case: It's a zero sum game. If one team wins, the other team loses, and it took me a while to put my finger on it, but once I switched into this music-based lifestyle, the fact that someone's success doesn't mean it's negative for you, was such a relief. It's hard to explain how relaxed that made me about everything. The fact that we're all in this together... it really is a special thing, and that's why the jam community amongst many other music communities are just... it's hard to put into words how special it is.

And I don't think everyone sees it until they see it, when you realize "oh, wait, wait, you care about my success and I care about you!"

Greg: And that ties right back into places like Ramble; it's a really great reminder that we're all rooting for each other, especially in PERSON. You get sucked into these digital worlds where the point is to make a point—as opposed to the point being to support and lift each other up. And it's so great to see. Ramble is a perfect place to cleanse your soul of the the day to day and remind yourself about the importance of human connection and and how fleeting it all can be.

Last question, what is your favorite song to play live?

Feed The Fire. Well, in actuality, I would say my favorite song to play live is the one (iteration of Feed The Fire) that we're currently playing because like many people, I'm sure, I have a hard time like not getting stuck in the past or anxious about the future, but when you're on stage and you're focusing on the chords you're playing, the words you're singing, what the other musicians are doing, it's the best way for me to like turn off my brain and be in the now. What I appreciate the most about playing live is just you know, staying in the moment, feeling the energy and because of that, it doesn't even matter what we're playing. I'm probably more grounded than usual when I'm when I'm playing it.

I feel like it bleeds into other areas of life, too, when you have those moments, it helps you be present when you're not on stage. That's what happens to me when I'm in the crowd.

Well, especially when you're improvising. If you let your mind wander, you're gonna miss the train. and it's just a really good metaphor for our everyday existence; if you keep looking behind you or looking ahead of you, you're gonna miss what's in front of you.