Day 8 Monday, May 17: Pasco to Spokane, WA on Our Last Day of Tour

It’s so surreal to think that tour is ending…what’s worse is the idea that we might not get to see some of our members again.  Depressing.  We kept our spirits up for the first two concerts for the day at elementary schools in Pasco and Spokane.  The kids were adorable and so enthusiastic!  It was an absolute treat to perform for them.

Before I go any further, I bet you're curious about how much weight we collectively gained. *Drum rolls* 29 pounds. No shame. From 2,341 lbs to 2,370 lbs, thanks to all the loving parents who wanted to fatten us up. Job well done and no regrets. They were probably the best meals we had eaten all year!

It was so weird to be back in Spokane.  It felt like we just left for tour.  This week FLEW by, none of us could believe it.  We were literally in a different city every night, well almost.  Life on the road was fun, but exhausting.  We were happy to be back in Spokane for our final concert at Ionic Burritos.  Before the concert, we all gathered at Aryn’s house to do the BBT traditional placemat signing.  At the beginning of the year retreat, each member received a personal placemat at dinner that had their special nicknames on them.  At the end of the year, each of us signs everyone's placemat, sort of like a yearbook.  It was a time for us to recollect all our memories and feelings and turn them into words. 

Our last concert was…emotional to say the least.  It probably wasn’t the greatest sounding mostly because half of us were sobbing, but it certainly was the most heartfelt.  The seniors got to sing all their solos and favorite songs one last time with BBT.  While we sang, we reminisced about all the good times we’ve had this year—the good, the bad, the fun the sad.  By the time Cheyenne sang the last song of the year, “Won’t Back Down,”  most of us were complete  messes.  That song, especially, meant a lot to Rebecca, Aryn, Colin, Sam, and me because it was the first song we had ever learned in BBT.  It was very emotional, which made it really difficult to get through the song.  Hand-in-hand we got through it together ( I can’t help being corny here) and then we embraced each other. 

After the concert, we headed to Aryn’s house for one final night with BBT.  Words can’t even begin to describe the feelings circulating that night.  Lots of tears, love, celebration, and hope.  All good things must come to an end, so we must remember not to cry because it's over, but smile because it happened.  Boy, are we glad it happened.  I can speak for everyone else that this was one of the most memorable tours, not to mention year I have ever experienced.  I love you all!

The torch has been passed to Colin and Rebecca to lead the group next year.  We’re all very excited for what the new year will bring!  =D

To Elliot, Aryn, Ian, Sam, Cheyenne, and Gordo, we wish you the best of luck. You will all change the world.

Good-byes sound so permanent…let’s just say goodnight instead.  BBT love. 

Day 7 Sunday, May 16: Coravallis, OR to Pasco, Wa

 We started the day early and hit up downtown Corvallis to do some shopping.  It’s a BBT tradition to exchange gifts among each section.  The sopranos buy for the basses, basses buy for the altos, altos buy for the tenors and the tenors buy for the sopranos.  The gifts are meant to be silly and basically little inside jokes we have with each other.  We had forgotten it was Sunday so most of the stores weren’t even open.  Ugh!  We had to improvise and went to Rite-Aide and Goodwill instead. 

Our concert today was right in Ian’s living room.  We even had a couple of opening groups perform before us to set the mood—The Unmentionables, which featured Ian’s younger sister Heidi, and The Aviators.  It was great to see how much energy they had; it was clear that they love a cappella music as much as we do. 

We had to leave right after our concert to make it back to Pasco, WA before midnight.  This was the most enjoyable car ride because the scenery was like something you’d see on Planet Earth—gorgeous and green! 

The people in Nick’s car wanted to cross the Bridge of Gods so his car strayed from our caravan.  Probably wasn’t the best idea.  Nick was driving down the freeway at 70mph in the dark, but out of nowhere a deer runs right in front of his car!  It wasn’t good news for her…RIP Daisy (we later named her).  The saddest part was that she was pregnant!  Thankfully, no one was hurt, just a little shaken up.  Nick was calm and handled it very well; unfortunately, the car’s grill and headlights were smashed.  It didn’t help that there was an odor of dead deer and burned fur and blood.  Nick’s dad rescued them from the freeway and everyone returned to Nick’s house unscathed…physically anyway.  How traumatic!

Day 6 Saturday, May 15: Coravallis, OR

Today was yet another day of long driving—6 hours to Corvallis, OR, home of Ian.  It was another day of car games and snacking.  Unfortunately for me, I had some weird infection in the right side of my gums so my jaw swelled up like a golf ball.  Perfect timing…not.  Luckily, I had good company, naps, ice, and ibuprofen to distract me from the pain. 

After we arrived at Ian’s house, we showered, ate and got ready to go the meadow.  Last year we played an awesome game of Ultimate Frisbee, this year we were going to go stargazing. 

When it was around 11 PM, we ventured out to the meadow with blankets, a guitar, and a cooler full of refreshments in hand.  When we got there Ian and Nick began playing some tunes ranging from Old Crow Medicine Show, to Tenacious D, to O Brother Where Art Though, on the guitar as we sang along.  We snuggled up to each other and enjoyed the night.  Sometimes it was just nice to sit and do nothing, but enjoy each other’s company and some simple acoustic beats. 

Day 5 Friday, May 14: Lafayette and San Francisco, CA

The day at the Bay.  We were really excited to go to S. F. today!  It was one of those 3-performances days so we needed to preserve our energy and voices.  We began the day by performing for Joey’s high school at Acalanes.  The stage was enormous and the high schoolers seemed to have liked us enough.  It’s still really neat performing for so many different audiences every day—spreading Gonzaga and BBT love. 

We had to rush out of the school, unfortunately, so we could make it in time for our gig at Joey’s sister’s middle school.  Roosevelt Middle School is for children in low-income communities.  The students seemed to have a great time.  They were very inquisitive about our school and a cappella singing.  It’s times like this where we get reminded of why we sing and perform in the first place—to spread joy and BBT love.

 Afterward, we had a few hours to spend at Fisherman’s Wharf.  The first thing we did was find food.  You can’t leave the wharf without eating some authentic, non-Progresso clam chowder, some fish ‘n’ chips, and crab cakes. 

We then, found our way to Pier 39, tourist-central.  We slyly stood in the middle of where all the action was taking place and performed “Circle of Life.”  People slowly began to congregate around us, including the police…luckily they let us finish our song before shooing us away.  BBT can be rebellious.  The audience was very receptive.  We could tell by the smiles on their faces that their day just got better.

Two epic BBT moments in a row.  Awesome!  As we walked outside the Pier, we saw another a cappella group performing.  Colin and Alexa knew the song and ran up to sing with them.  There was no animosity, but we couldn’t resist a little competition.  Sing-off…sing off!  But time was not on our side, and unfortunately due to rush hour traffic and a hefty parking garage ticket price, we had to leave.    

Our last performance of the day was at Joey’s girlfriend’s house in Lafayette.  Her house was probably the biggest and most amazing house we had ever seen.  It was on top of a hill, so once again, the view was incredible.  We sang for some friends and family and then we helped celebrate Joey’s 21st birthday. 

Happy Birthday, Joey!  We love you!

Just another great day.

Day 4 Thursday, May 13: Lake Tahoe and Lafayette, CA

After singing 30 songs the day before, we were ready to just relax and hang out and more importantly, let our voices rest. BBT went down to Lake Tahoe, one of Nevada’s and California’s most prized treasure. We spent a good two hours at the beach, throwing rocks and picnicking. It was a gorgeous sight.

It was refreshing to drive by luscious green trees and hills on our way to Lafayette. The 3-hour car ride was cakewalk. Once we arrived at Joey’s house, he took us to the Buddhist Monastery on top of a hill. It was probably a good idea for us to get some exercise, anyway. The view on top was amazing, so peaceful. I can understand why the monks pray up there.

We experienced the most epic moment of BBT history today. Joey took us up to Grizzly Peak where we saw the best view of the Bay area. Whoa. The view was absolutely breath taking. We wanted to leave our mark. Suddenly, we all burst into “Circle of Life.” Colin’s opening cry echoed throughout the city. The feeling was indescribable. Some of us were close to tears. We were on top of the world singing one of our most epic songs. This is something none of us will ever forget.

It was then that we realized that we only had a few more days with each other left so we need to make them count. We experienced the glories of nature today. Indescribable, incredible, and unforgettable.

Day 3 Wednesday, May 12: Sparks, NV

Three concerts awaited us today.  Let’s hope our voices can handle it.  BBT got to sing at the place where Alexa, Danielle, and I fell in love with music and performing.  We were very excited for everyone to meet Mr. Lorentzen (Rentz), our old choir director, and experience Reed High School as we remembered it.  We had two concerts in the afternoon there. 

Our first concert was one of the best performances of the year.  The energy was high, the crowd was welcoming, and we had so much fun!  “The Medley” and “Uptown Girl” were crowd favorites.  It was just so surreal performing on that stage that the three of us have known too well with another singing group.  It was pretty sweet.

The audience at the second concert was tripled and people were spilling in from the hallways.  We were feeding off of their high energy and enthusiasm.  We felt like rock stars!  All the girls were swooning over Joey, it was adorable. 

We frantically rushed out of Reed, satisfied with our performance and sales, to my house for some authentic Chinese cuisine.  After our nice lunch break we had to drive 1.5 hours to Susanville, CA to sing at Sam’s hometown. 

Day 2 Tuesday, May 11: Driving to Reno, NV

Embrace yourself for the 11-hour drive.  That’s what each of us was saying to ourselves at least.  Most of us were dreading the drive through the glamorous, flat desert lands of east Oregon and Idaho…but arriving in Sparks, NV was worth the long trip for the three Nevadans in the group.  We ran into a couple of bumps before the drive began—we didn’t have directions.  We had to rely on Aryn’s GPS system that she’s never used before.  After about 20 minutes of fumbling with buttons, she got it to work and we were on our way to biggest little city in the world—Reno, NV.

In an 11-hour car ride, you need something to keep you entertained, especially when the scenery is less than eye pleasing.  Aryn’s car, the car I was in, played every car game known to man including Grandma’s Trunk, spelling words, and Hot Seat.  None of which lasted longer than 20 minutes each.  But through those games we learned new things about each other and bonded.  Some of us tried to sleep to kill some time, while others read books or listened to music.  We made a couple of pit stops here and there to get gas and snacks, but after 8 hours we were all hungry for a real meal. 

It felt so nice to be home in Sparks, NV.  Driving through the familiar freeways and passing through the familiar stores was so surreal.  I can’t wait for BBT to be immersed in Nevada love!

We arrived at Danielle’s house and once again, we gorged ourselves with an Italian feast.  BBT met all three of our families and then Danielle’s parents bravely gave the house to BBT for the rest of our stay. 

After a few hours of digesting the delicious meal, we sprawled out on the livingroom with our aerobeds and sleeping bags just talking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Day 1 Monday, May 10: Pasco, WA

The tour begins.  We were so anxious to start—will the crowds like us?  How long will the car rides be?  Will we kill each other by the end of tour?  Fourteen singers, three cars, countless number of bags, and an immeasurable amount of emotions and energy—sounds like suicide but not for BBT.  We were more than ready to take on Pasco, Washington; Reno, Nevada; San Francisco, California; and Corvallis, Oregon.  The excitement started building at DeSmet Circle, where we all met with our tightly packed bags in hand and smiles on every face as we slowly reunited after a night of graduation fun.  Once we filled every inch of space with our sound equipment, merchandise, personal belongings, and our bodies, we were ready to face Pasco. 

So what do you need on a road trip?  Snacks are essential ESSENTIAL and we’re not talking healthy food like carrots, rather BBQ flavored chips, candy, popcorn, and hot dogs.  Heart attack, here we come!  A mix of tunes is also needed to keep up the morale and the driver awake.  As we were driving, we broke the number one rule of road trips—there must be at least one other person awake to keep the driver from falling asleep.  Whoops.  Good thing the drive was only three hours long. 

We finally arrived at Nick’s hometown!  At this point, we hadn’t eaten lunch/dinner yet, so we were starving!  Nick’s mother kindly welcomed us with bowls full of crackers, chips, dip, and cheeses.  We didn’t even hesitate to pounce on them—like vultures circling their prey.  One thing you will learn about BBT is we are not bashful when it comes to eating. 

After a good hour of snacking, we went to Tri-Cities Prep, Nick’s old high school.  Our first concert of tour!  It’s always so rewarding after doing a performance.  This was no different.  The crowd was so friendly and loved our set-list.  We made great sales and a lasting impression on the people of Pasco.  Success.  Now it was back to Nick’s to eat a hardy meal! 

Because BBT loves eating so much, we decided to do something unusual this year—a group weigh-in.  We wanted to see how much weight we’d collectively gain (or lose) during tour.  So BBT as a whole will begin tour weighing 2341 lbs.  We still have several more families to spoil us with food…they are merciless.  It was great to finally eat a home-cooked meal after a year of Cog…goodies.  After stuffing ourselves with chicken, salad, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and the most amazing pie we had ever tasted, we crashed.  We went to bed around 11.  Our moms would’ve been proud.  We needed to get well rested for our 12-hour drive tomorrow to Reno, Nevada.  Here we come! 

Tour Blogs!

Yay! We can't wait to start our tour. Follow us on our trip and experience the BBT love by reading our blogs as Catherine documents every BBTastic moment RIGHT HERE! Pictures will be uploaded soon.

BBT on Tour this Summer

School's out, time to celebrate! Join BBT on our annual tour. Check to see if we're coming to a city near you. Thanks for a great school year!

Rock'n at Madonnastock

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GEL Weekend Extravaganza

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BBT Records New CD!

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BBT Christmas Concert at Coffeehouse

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BBT Performs for Benefactors Christmas Party

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Fall Family Weekend Concert!

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BBT 2009-10 Retreat

BBT went on a weekend retreat at a lakehouse on Lake Coeur d'Alene. We learned some new music arranged by Ian Anderson, sang, ate, and have a great time!

BBT Welcomes New Members

BBT welcomes new members: Nick Roach, Danielle Lyons, Alexa Bernal, Parker Viydo. Congratulations!