Our time in Denver was well spent. Our hosts were magnificent and the concert was well attended. Unfortunately, we had to depart and move on to Las Vegas. Those who have looked at a map know that this stretch, Denver to Las Vegas, is a rather long bus ride. In fact we were on the road for about 12 hours today. It's a good thing we have a comfortable bus and plenty of activities to keep us entertained.
The Bus.
We enjoyed riding through the Rockies. The views were spectacular and the tunnels long. The ski runs looked passable, but the slopes have closed for the season.
Copper Mountain
The drive was long but beautiful. Never was a half day bus ride so thoroughly enjoyable and pleasant to the soul.
The view from the bus.
It's not often that our bathroom breaks have magical backdrops. This is certainly a majestic and grand region.
Today we drove 10 hours across the states of Colorado and Utah. It seemed endless, however we 55 found that which enabled us to make it through the journey. One word, okay I'll make it 2: tunnels and scenery. Majestic mountains, endless plains, imposing cliffs; none of the sights along the way failed to impress. From Eisenhower tunnel, a full two miles above sea level, to the deep canyons off the Utah Interstate, club discovered that, regardless of oxygen to breath ratios, singing and hollering is never in absence. As the sun sets, a day of movies and games ends to bring forth a new day that is sure to bring great hiking, beautiful weather, and most importantly less bus time.
Word of the day: jusgethere (thanks, bus driver Steve)
Our second day in Denver was the day of our first concert. We spent our morning in Boulder, Colorado, home to the main campus of the University of Colorado. Clubbers spent their time here exploring the town, throwing a Frisbee around on UC's campus, or doing some shopping. One clubber found a game for sale called Yoga for Kids in the Rainforest, which he thought summed up Boulder's liberal attitude very well.
Our concert was performed at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Creek, just outside of Denver. The concert got off to a great start when our host Sam read us a proclamation from the mayor of Denver himself proclaiming May 6, 2010 as Michigan Men's Glee Club Day in Denver, which we all thought was pretty cool. The concert itself went wonderfully and the receptive audience greatly enjoyed all of our pieces, particularly "Dude, Where's My Car" and "Wonderful" to name just a few. After the concert many clubbers and hosts attended an afterglow at Dave and Busters, which in true glee club style was full of singing and camaraderie.
Thank you Denver, we had a great time here and can't wait to come back on future tours!
The first day of tour is always exciting. Guys going on their first tour are excited and anxious. They await the experiences of 2 weeks with some of their best friends. Old dudes are bored and annoyed with waiting and waking up early but thrilled to participate in another tour. The tour manager is in disbelief that the culmination of 2 years of planning is coming to a close and its execution (if all goes well, not his execution) is upon him.
The wait at DTW.
Now that tour has begun our bated breath has turned to gasps of breath for the awe inspiring sites of the Denver stop. At our visit to the Air Force Academy we were given the opportunity to sing a small informal set in the protestant chapel of the Academy Chapel. It is a beautiful, uplifting structure pointing towards the heavens with its 17 spires. While there is no official reasoning for the number 17, cadet lore says that it stands for the 12 disciples and the 5 joint chiefs.
The Academy Chapel at the Air Force Academy.
Singing inside the chapel was a true honor and we realized collectively the difficulty in singing at high altitudes. Props to the Academy's Chorale. They must think singing at normal altitudes is a breeze.
The interior of the protestant chapel.
After a short tour of the other chapels and the grounds we moved on to the Garden of the Gods for a look at the majestic and beautiful sandstone formations in the feet of the Rockies. We were able to stretch our legs and our lungs climbing some of the formations. We even made sure to show our spirit and started a little Go Blue chant from formation to formation.
Clubbers climbing the formations.
The first day of tour was fantastic! With scenery like what we have here, it's hard not to be happy about being on tour.
Garden of the Gods with Pike's Peak in the background.
Hello from Denver! After a very early start and a surprisingly enjoyable flight on Southwest (for both us clubbers as well as everyone else on board) the Michigan Men's Glee Club has made it safely to Denver.
Our first destination was the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Here we got a chance to take in the academy's scenic campus, learn more about cadet life at the that academy and get our first chance to take in the amazing Colorado Rockies' scenery. For many clubbers this was their first time out west and in mountanous terrain in general, certainly an entirely different landscape than Michigan. We culminated our visit by singing a few songs in the Air Force Academy Chapel, a truly unique and beautiful building that we all enjoyed getting to learn more about.
Following the academy we briefly visited the Garden of the Gods, a collection of towering red sandstone formations with a snow capped Pikes Peak in the background. Whoever hadn't fallen in love with the Colorado scenery by this point had certainly joined the bandwagon.
The day concluded with a gathering of hosts and clubbers at a pizza restaurant in the Denver suburbs. The food was delicious and free (thank you alums who helped cover this!) and everyone enjoyed the chance to relax and sing some songs with everyone in attendance. It's safe to say that tour is off to a great start.
As with any glee club tour, there have been a few changes to many of the concert times within the past week. The following changes are permanent changes to the concert times:
The Denver concert will now be starting at 7:30, not 7:00 The Phoenix concert will now be starting at 7:30, not 7:00 The San Francisco/Palo Alto concert will now be starting at 8:00, not 7:00
Thanks for your understanding. I hope to see you there.
Hello Family and Friends of The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club,
Last weekend, 500 brothers in song gathered for a powerful couple of concerts celebrating our 150th Anniversary. Now that that has concluded, it is finally time for the Glee Club to shift focus to its 2010 Spring Tour. It has been an eyeopening and rewarding experience to plan the concert these past few years and I look forward to being able to share this gift with the club.
Our tour will take us to six incredible cities: Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Pasadena, San Diego, and Palo Alto. We will be singing in stunning venues, including one frequently used by world acclaimed Chanticleer, and beautiful Memorial Church on Stanford University's Campus. We also have the privilege of singing the national anthem at the Arizona Diamondbacks v. LA Dodgers game on Tuesday, May 11. Finally, we will traverse some of the most picturesque terrain the US has to offer, including the rockies in Colorado, the desert of Zion NP, and the California coast.
As we embark on this two week journey, I hope this blog will give you great insight into the best stories, chords, and excursions of the club.
LET THE TOUR BEGIN!
In Tradition, Camaraderie, and Musical Excellence! David Coleman West Coast Tour Manager 2010 Microbiology '10
