Written by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong made a major addition to the Flock during Domefest 2026 at ACE Adventure Resort in West Virginia. The band officially welcomed keyboardist Jon Brady as a member during Saturday’s set.
The Baltimore-based musician, who has become a regular presence onstage with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong throughout 2026, received the surprise invitation during a performance of fan-favorite “Horizon.” In a playful twist, the band “proposed” to the keyboardist mid-song, asking Brady to officially join Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.
He said yes.
The moment capped a weekend filled with new music, deep cuts, collaborations and other surprises as Pigeons Playing Ping Pong brought their independently curated festival back to ACE Adventure Resort for its second year at the West Virginia destination.
The addition of Brady was just one of several memorable moments from Domefest 2026. Across five sets over three days, Pigeons debuted two new originals, unveiling “Lava” on Thursday and “Lane Change” on Friday. The band also expanded its catalog of covers, premiering interpretations of Seal’s “Crazy,” Ace of Base’s “Beautiful Life,” The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” and Cher’s “Believe.”
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong nodded to West Virginia as part of the encore of Thursday’s “Almost Heaven / Hell Yeah” kickoff by working their first cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” since 2022 into “My Own Way.” The night also saw the Big Blitz Horns contributing to a medley of “Hell Yeah” and “Run Like Hell” in the first set and “Feed The Fire” in set two.
Friday’s “I Love The ’90s” theme provided plenty of nostalgic moments, including an unusual detour through the “Rugrats Theme” that was interrupted by a weather delay. When the music resumed, Pigeons picked up where they left off before eventually working through the “Doug Theme” and back into “Julia.”
That night also featured the band’s longest-running bust-out. Pigeons had not performed “The Bad Touch” since December 31, 2013, but the Bloodhound Gang hit returned during the Friday encore with PPPP lighting designer Manny Newman stepping out from behind the rig to handle lead vocals.
For Saturday’s “Anything But Human” performance, the Big Blitz Horns were back in the mix for “F.U.” The “Horizon” featuring the proposal to Jon Brady ended the main set. PPPP faked out “Lightning” to start an encore that featured the “Theme From Jurassic Park” embedded in “Zydeko.”
It wouldn’t be Domefest without a performance from The Domefest All-Stars. This year’s installment features members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, TAUK, Kendall Street Company, Squeaky Feet, Elf Machine, Puremotion, Seven Teller and Big Blitz.
The seven-song set featured a freewheeling run through “Hollywood Swinging,” “Battle Without Honor or Humanity,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Life During Wartime,” “Wolfman’s Brother” and “Down By The River.” The collective also put a Domefest spin on The Beatles’ “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road,” performing it as “Why Don’t We Do It In The Dome.”
But Saturday’s surprise invitation to Brady provided the weekend with its most significant development for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. After spending the better part of the year onstage with the band, Brady is no longer simply a frequent guest.
He’s officially a Pigeon.
Domefest 2026 Setlists
August 6, 2026 — Domefest Night 1: “Almost Heaven / Hell Yeah” — New River Gorge, WV
Set One: Underworld, Walk Outside, Melting Lights > Lost In Line, Right Track, Hell Yeah > Run Like Hell > Hell Yeah, Lava, Fun In Funk
Set Two: Overrun, Bad For You, Psycho Killer > Fox And Toad, Feed The Fire, The Liquid
Encore: My Own Way > Take Me Home, Country Roads > My Own Way
Notes: “Right Track” featured a “Heaven” tease [Los Lonely Boys]; first time played. “Hell Yeah” and “Feed The Fire” featured Big Blitz horns. “Lava” original debut. “Overrun” last played 1/19/24. “The Liquid” jammed for the first time. “Country Roads” instrumental; last played 8/7/25.
August 7, 2026 — Domefest Night 2: “I Love The ’90s” — New River Gorge, WV
Set One: Show Me, Hit The Ground Runnin’ > Time To Ride, Lane Change > Julia > Rugrats Theme
Set Two: Rugrats Theme > Doug Theme > Julia, Fantasy, Ocean Flows > Beautiful Life > Ocean Flows, Sunny Day > Bitter Sweet Symphony > Sunny Day, High Wire > Poseidon > Believe > Poseidon, Break Stuff > Miyagi, Schwanthem > Colors of the Wind > Schwanthem
Encore: Go With It > The Bad Touch > Go With It
Notes: “Show Me” featured a “No Diggity” tease [Blackstreet]; first time played. “Lane Change” original debut. “Rugrats Theme” was unfinished due to a weather delay and continued to open Set II; last played 4/15/21. “Doug Theme” last played 2/13/19. “Julia” continued from Set I. “Fantasy” featured Big Blitz horns. “Beautiful Life” [Ace Of Base], “Bitter Sweet Symphony” [The Verve] and “Believe” [Cher] were first-time plays. “Break Stuff” intro fake-out; first time played. “Colors of the Wind” last played 12/5/24. “The Bad Touch” featured PPPP lighting designer Manny Newman on lead vocals; last played 12/31/13.
August 8, 2026 — Domefest Night 3: “Anything But Human” — New River Gorge, WV
Set: Funk E Zekiel > Cantina Band > Funk E Zekiel, Move Like That > Offshoot > Crazy > Offshoot, Bloodshot Rose, X-Files > The Hop > F.U., High As Five > Animal > High As Five, The Labyrinth > Horizon
Encore: Lightning > Zydeko > Jurassic Park > Zydeko
Notes: “Crazy” [Seal] and “Animal” [Miike Snow] were first-time plays. “X-Files” last played 10/25/24. “F.U.” featured Big Blitz horns. “Horizon” featured the band’s proposal to Jon Brady to officially join PPPP (he said yes!). “Lightning” intro fake-out.
Domefest All-Stars – August 8, 2026
Set: Hollywood Swinging, Battle Without Honor or Humanity, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road, Scarlet Begonias, Life During Wartime, Wolfman’s Brother, Down By The River
Loading tour dates
