Back when Green Lung Studio lived on 9th Street and 2nd Avenue in Gowanus, a small trio of fearless musicians made our space feel like a living, breathing organism. Month after month in the summer and fall of 2021, Drinking Bird filled the room with something raw, electric, and unrepeatable.
The band—Eli Rojas on drums and back up vocals, Tree Palmedo on trumpet, vocals and synth, and Jacob Matheus on guitar—melded jazz, noise, ambient textures, and post-rock grit into performances that felt more like spiritual encounters than concerts. Each set was spontaneous and alive, full of jagged beauty, deep listening, and the kind of creative trust that only exists between players who are unafraid to fall.
Drinking Bird didn’t just perform at Green Lung—they helped shape the spirit of our early community. Their music was a kind of manifesto: that art should be alive, experimental, and open. Those nights left a mark on everyone who came through, and they played a major role in building the creative foundation we stand on today.
Which is why it’s a true joy to welcome Tree Palmedo back to Green Lung—now here in Red Hook—bringing that same restless energy and artistic daring that helped define our beginnings.
Tree Palmedo is a Brooklyn-based musician and songwriter. As a trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, he has performed and toured with acclaimed indie music projects like Fleet Foxes, Sloppy Jane, The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, and Ben Zaidi. Additionally, he is active in the NYC jazz and experimental music scenes with bands like Tredici Bacci, Drinking Bird, Grace Bergere, and more, and he has composed for theater, podcasts, and dance. His band Peaceful Faces has released 3 albums; their most recent was recognized by publications including NPR and PopMatters.
