San Diego, Day #2

Hello out there in blogland. Matt again with San Diego update #2. So, since today was a rest day, there wasn't much planned. However, we all went to the San Diego Zoo today. I'd say that club had a pretty awesome time there, viewing everything from polar bears to baby pandas. Fun was had by all.

At 1:00, 40 of us went to the NCAA Water Polo Championships to see our lady Wolverines take on Pomona-Pitzer. We had a blast, as the Wolverines cruised to an 11-3 victory and will take on UCLA tomorrow. We also got some props in the post-game press conference from Head Coach Matt Anderson (which you can check out on mgoblue.com)!!!!!!! Some of the guys even went to the team banquet after today's game! The women's water polo team has been so gracious to us, inviting us to sing at their matches and wishing us good luck before our concert last night, and we are so thankful that we were able to spend some of our time with them here in SD!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, it's off to San Francisco for our final stop on tour (YIKES!!) and the conclusion to our 150th anniversary celebration! So, as we stay classy in San Diego:

In T, C, & ME,
Matt

San Diego, Day #1

Hello everyone out there in the blogosphere, this is Matt the San Diego stop coordinator on the tour team. After leaving LA this morning, we headed down to Soldana Beach, just north of San Diego, for clubbers to kick their legs back and relax for a little bit. From frisbee to face, a good time was had by all. Then we drove down to our venue, the Torrey Pines Christian Church in La Jolla, and rehearsed for the concert later that evening. Between rehearsal and the concert, the Glee Club was invited to a pizza dinner sponsored by the awesome alumni club here in San Diego.

Since this was our second-to-last concert of the tour, the customary tour pranks were played. During one of our pieces, Little Potato, my roommate for our stay, Ethan Eagle, bought tiny redskin potatoes for everyone to pull out of their tuxes in the middle of the piece. But the madness didn't stop there. During our stay in Denver, a guy at Dave and Buster's taught us a song called "Heaven is a Wonderful Place," which club thought it would be a funny idea if we set the lyrics of the Merchandise Song to this little ditty. In retaliation, Doc pulled a bandana out of his tux to continue on a prank played on Anthony "Bambi" Ambroselli earlier in the tour.

We had an awesome, attentive, knowledgeable crowd tonight here in San Diego complete with a decent-sized audience. To cap off the day, Ethan Eagle, my cousin Brad (who we're staying with) and I went to a place on Coronado Island called the Night and Day Cafe and had an awesome late-night breakfast. Tomorrow, we are headed to the World Famous San Diego Zoo, as well as the campus of San Diego State University to cheer on our women's water polo team in the NCAA Tournament. So for now:

In T, C, & ME
Matt Kodis

Phoenix Day 2

Upon awaking from what was surely a restful night for all of us...the club boarded the bus in anticipation of a great day in the greater Phoenix area. We made a short trip through the suburbs and easily found our Destination; with a Michigan flag hanging proudly on its facade, the home of Penny Papadopoulos called to us like the oasis in the desert that it was. The home had all the accommodations one could dream of, and our exceedingly gracious host made us all feel right at home. After lounging in the sun, a few rousing rounds of Beatles Rockband, and a fantastic meal, the club had to move on to our next adventure. Next stop: Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. We first had our sound check behind home plate of the gigantic stadium, after that, some clubbers explored downtown Phoenix, while others followed our Liaison down into the belly of the stadium where we were provided with our own locker room. A few men may now proudly say that they have played the official sport of Glee Club, Face, in a professional baseball stadium. We were finally called to take the field and sing our National Anthem. The crowd enthusiastically welcomed our performance and we spent the remainder of the game trying to bring a little more life to Phoenix athletics. After several failed attempts to start the wave, however, we just livened up the game through our many cheers borrowed from Ann Arbor Hockey, Football and Water Polo matches. The home team lost and we boarded the bus for our hotel where we spent our final night in the deserts of Arizona. Reporting live from the 2010 Glee Club West Coast Tour, this is Brandon Cory, Phoenix City Coordinator. Over and Out.

Phoenix day 1

Well, the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club entered Las Vegas with 55 members, a conductor, a pianist, and a bus-driving Steve. The good news: we left with the same. There were no arrests, no marriages and no deaths. We lethargically checked out of our hotel and boarded the bus, all as tired as we could be from 55 uniquely eventful nights in the aptly named Sin City. After boarding the bus, we began a seven hour journey through the deserts of Nevada and Arizona. Upon arriving in Phoenix, we had our usual rehearsal and a hearty pizza dinner, courtesy of our tour manager David Coleman. In the beautiful and live Casa de Cristo we had a wonderful performance for an enthusiastic crowd. After the show some went to hosts and others to the hotel for nights of camaraderie.

Las Vegas 2

The glee club had finally arrived to their entirely free day in Sin City. The morning of this assuringly long day certain guys were lucky enough to see the Hoover Dam both in cars and on yachts. Many others checked into our hotel, which was only feet from the strip, early. So, what options do 5o some guys have in a glamorous city such as this? Well, we split up into many different groups respected to what you wished to do. Clubbers went to shows like Love, Blue Man Group, The Lion King and others... Many ate at some of the country's best restaurants with the best chefs. Oh, and we all got that chance to check out the elaborate casinos and of course to gamble away our money. Most clubbers lost money at Vegas however, thanks to a few sharks, The Michigan Men's Glee Club had a Net Gain after going to Las Vegas! As the day ended, most had yet to make it back to the hotel and it was still uncertain if we midwesterners had survived the magic of this mysterious town, but you must remain optimistic, right?

Zion/Las Vegas 1

After our day long ride we had one more stretch of driving before finally reaching Las Vegas. All clubbers knew something about our final destination, but little about our brief detour. The glee club stopped at Zion National Park, once a home to Native American peoples.

Zion boasts miles of steep canyons, expansive, but biologically diverse, deserts and countless hiking and climbing trails. Clubbers were allowed to choose the trails, which they were most comfortable, with only a few making it to the top of the most dangerous (man made) trail the park offers. After well spent hours everyone was ready for their afternoon nap and a little more bus time, having in mind that the next stop is Vegas!

That very same day, after arriving in Sin City, the glee club had their second concert in a church right off of Tropicana Avenue. This, in contrast to Denver, was a joint concert with the City of Lights Barbershop Chorus. It was a truly unique experience for these two types of music to share a stage and getting the opportunity to finish the concert together with a wonderful joint barbershoppy song.

The concert had ended with a blast, our gracious host Dave Dannemiller (who has an incredible voice) hosted a quite glee club friendly party and everyone, exhausted, fell a sleep immediately after arriving to their home stay. It was a full day and we all understood that energy was needed for the next one, a day entirely free in Las Vegas, with a hotel right on the strip (oh, and Mother's Day too, of course).

Speaking of Rocks

With the Rockies, Rock Formations, and rocky terrain, it seems fitting to share an activity well spent on the eve of Tour. Several clubbers gathered at the Rock on campus in Ann Arbor to decorate and celebrate the commencement of tour. A good time was had by all who came and the rock was decked out in Glee Club-ness.