Adam’s Plastic Pond at Fa5.

Back at the beginning of July, we wrote about Kai Crowe-Getty’s album release show at The Southern. Behind Kai, the backing band had several members of the Cville-based Adam’s Plastic Pond. We’re still talking about Kai’s album, The Wreckage, because it is just that good. But that night at The Southern had something extra.

At one point during the set, I leaned over to Old Hank and said that Kai and the band he put together played with the tightness, confidence, and stage command of seasoned touring pros. I knew I had to see Adam’s Plastic Pond playing their own songs. Last night at Fridays After Five, we finally got that chance. As expected, it was an absolute treat. 

A quick tangent.  Fa5 is one of Charlottesville’s real gifts.  A summer-long, free concert series that turns the Ting Pavilion into a big backyard for the whole city. It’s a place where you can bring the kids to run around and dance to the music, catch up with friends, grab a beer, and get something tasty from a food truck, all while soaking in some of the best live music this town has to offer. 

Back to the band. Adam’s Plastic Pond is Adam Long on lead vocals and guitar, Alex Angelich on bass and vocals, Julian Carta on guitar, Jack Hamilton on keys, and Vicente Arroyo on drums, at least for this show.  Their usual drummer, Johnny Stubblefield, couldn’t be there, so Vicente, who also drums for Stiff Peaks (more on them later), stepped in seamlessly.  They perform like a well-oiled machine, totally locked in, playing off each other’s instruments, skill, and feel. They’ve been together for over a decade. Their first album, A Brief History, dropped in 2013, and their sophomore release, Hold It Together, came out in 2019. That history shows.

One of the many things I love about the Charlottesville scene is how bands like Adam’s Plastic Pond can shape shift whenever they want. They can own the Ting Pavilion stage at Fridays After Five, throwing out shimmering, angular indie grooves that make you forget about the week you just had. And then, almost in the same breath, they reappear as Stiff Peaks, their 70s/80s rock-loving alter ego. Same core players, completely different mission. Stiff Peaks is a full-on good-time machine, leaning into covers that let both the band and the crowd cut loose.

We caught Stiff Peaks last week at Durty Nelly’s. They were loud and locked in, the kind of set and atmosphere that makes you want to stay at the bar for just one more. Their take on Tom Petty’s You’re So Bad had the whole room moving and when they launched into Pink Floyd’s Time the room went batshit.

That’s part of the magic of this crew, whether they’re Adam’s Plastic Pond, Stiff Peaks, or selflessly backing a good buddy, they exert the same gravitational pull — a family that clearly loves playing together who isn’t afraid to let that love spill into every note.