Spin magazine’s Richard Gehr called the Ominous Seapods’ 1997 album Jet Smooth Ride “one of the top ten jam band releases of all time.” After going on hiatus in 2001 and reuniting in 2018, the band still plays selectively, which makes each date worth tracking down. On Sunday, January 17, they play Colony Woodstock, a 150-capacity ballroom in Woodstock, NY.
About the Show
The Seapods formed in 1989 after meeting at college in Plattsburgh, NY, and spent the following decade as fixtures of the upstate New York jam circuit alongside moe., Disco Biscuits, and God Street Wine. They recorded for Jonny Zazula’s Megaforce/Hydrophonics label, pushed over 200 shows per year through most of the 1990s, and played rooms including Red Rocks and the Wetlands Preserve in NYC before going on hiatus in 2001. AllMusic placed them at the forefront of the early-1990s jam wave alongside God Street Wine and the Disco Biscuits, building the same kind of grassroots touring following that Phish was assembling out of Vermont at the same time. They never officially disbanded, and their die-hard following — the online community known as Pod-Net — never quite went away either.
The 2018 reunion included a sold-out run at Cohoes Music Hall. The band has kept the calendar lean since, with a handful of dates each year. The current five-piece is Max Verna, Tom Pirozzi, Brian Mangini, Sam Doyle, and Josh Himmelsbach.
Their own framing of the sound: “tight grooves, intense jams, catchy hooks and quirky humor,” with each show “a purely unique experience.” The most recent dates included moe.down in Gilbert, PA and Weekend at Bertha’s in Delaware, both in July 2026.
Venue & Logistics
Colony Woodstock opened in 1929 as a big-band ballroom and was restored and reopened in 2017 by Neil and Alexia Howard. The room has high ceilings, a wrap-around balcony overlooking the open floor, and a small, almost cabaret-style stage. Colony programs live music five nights a week, booking a wide range from local acts to national independent touring artists, and describes its sound and lighting as built for intimate, high-energy performances. Colony calls itself “The Smartest Rendezvous in the Catskills,” and for a three-hour Seapods set in January, that’s exactly where you want to be.
This is a Hudson Valley show in a room with genuine musical history. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the set runs 7–10 p.m. Attendees under 18 are welcome with a parent or legal guardian.
Tickets
Tickets are $17–$23. No refunds. Buy tickets