Baltimore-based psychedelic-funk outfit Pigeons Playing Ping Pong made their Madison Square Garden debut on Friday, March 23, performing during halftime as the New York Knicks took on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It goes without saying that MSG has a storied musical history, especially thinking back to The Grateful Dead’s countless “Garden Parties” at the venue, and more recently, Phish’s historic Baker’s Dozen residency that earned them a permanent banner in the rafters.  

During the Knicks game, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s eight-minute medley blended together covers and originals, opening strong with their own funk-dance number “Somethin’ For Ya,” before segueing into Prince’s “1999.” Then, they launched into “F.U.” off their Psychology  album and rounded out the short set with a crowd-pleasing version of James Brown’s “I Feel Good.” They also performed a excerpt from their song “Fun in Funk” during a timeout.

Singer/guitarist Greg Ormont, lead guitarist Jeremy Schon and drummer Alex “Gator” Petropulos are all smiles during the performance, and bassist Ben Carrey can even be seen wearing a “Flock You” shirt, gifted to him by a member of the band’s dedicated fanbase, also known as The Flock. 

There must be a jamband fan in the Knicks’ booking department, because another up-and-coming act, Spafford, are also scheduled for a halftime performance on April 6. 

Watch Pigeons Playing Ping Pong rock out (flock out?) at MSG below: