3.30.2009

How I spent my Spring Break

Some people like to spend their spring breaks doing crazy things, like going on cruises, taking cheap vacations to neighboring countries, enjoying nature, visiting home, etc. Not the band. Well, not all of us, anyway. We do airtrips.

The end of finals week and the beginning of spring break saw band visit San Diego for the first and second round of the women's NCAA basketball tournament. The women handily defeated UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State, using their mad skills to make it rain on them hos. Unfortunately, they were a bit too good at making it rain, and many band members who had planned to visit the legendary San Diego zoo on our day off were dissuaded by the inclement weather. Instead, some watched movies, some moved watches, and others cooled off in the hot tub. After the second game Monday night, we flew back with the team. We had a few days before our next trip, so some people visited family, while others of us just hung out on campus and played Rock Band.

Our second airtrip involved a busride to Emeryville. The women were to play at Berkeley, in the familiar territory of the Dirty Golden Bear. They decisively defeated Ohio State in the third round, and we were granted a weekend of hanging out and good times. A few band members explored downtown Berkeley on the day off, fighting their way through crowds of sketchy hobos and sketchier hobo-esque Cal students. I took the day to catch up on some reading and enjoy the free cookies in the hotel. Free cookies. Free. Our basketball team returned Monday night to trounce the Iowa State Cyclones. It pained me a little bit to see the team that I grew up with (I am an Iowa native, for the record) destroyed by Jayne Appel, but I quickly got over it.

We travel to St. Louis next weekend for the final four. It will be fantastic.

Edit: So I had forgotten the name of the first team that we played, and checked a bracket to remind myself. The bracket only said UC Santa, so I assumed Santa Clara instead of Santa Barbara. Go figure that UC Santa Clara doesn't exist. I should have just said UC Santa Claus and left it at that.

3.17.2009

A Little St. Patty's Day blog action

As we all come to celebrate this holiest of days, brought to you by Jameson, Bailey's, and Guiness, (editor's note: When I started writing this, it was still St. Patty's Day) the Band thought it would take a break from its usual assortment of Capri Sun and Smash Bros. related activities to give you, the reader, a TOURNAMENT UPDATE.

To recap, the band came back from an adventure filled time down in Los An-gull-lees for FIVE DAYS. What could possibly keep the band in one place for so long? The answer is the two wonderfully sparsely attended, somehow still profitable, gloriously pointless but hey it gives us per diems so we're not complaining, Pac 10 Tournaments. The Pac 10 got the somewhat defensible idea that holding both tournaments, for men's and women's basketball, in the same city at the same time would be a good thing but then all of a sudden realized, but what if a school has both of its teams playing at the same time? What are the fans to do? Perhaps more importantly, what are the BANDS to do? Won't someone please think of the children?

Well it turns out that the laws of physics are no match for the will of the Pac 10 commissioner, and so the word came down from on high that the Band could be in two different places at once through some form of mitosis. And while this Band never had to undergo this assuredly painful procedure (it turns out the altoz are CLOSER than brothers) we did get to reap the benefits. Theese benefits manifested themselves in the brand new debut of Supervest Band (trademark pending) which may look like your average Red Vest Band but it's actually ten louder. Crazy. Southwest Airlines didn't know what to do when we boarded the plane with FORTY band members. It was like lightning in a bottle. Sadly it couldn't last, and though they were granted a stay of execution by virtue of us beating Oregon State (a great game by the way, and I finally got in all my Barack Obama-related heckles), the rocking out was just too much for the Staples Center and so 10 of us had to go back to pretending to study for finals.

But during those 2 glorious days for some and the remaining 3 days for the rest, what so ever did the Band do to amuse itself in the so-called Entertainment Capital of the World? The answer came largely in the form of trips to Disneyland (for some), and trips to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles (for all). Oh t'was truly a magnificent time. Interesting hobos were talked to, pointless e-mail lists were formed, midnight runs to taco trucks were made, other bands were cavorted with and made fun of, but perhaps most importantly, U$C fans were made jealous when they witnessed us rocking the fuck out outside of the Staples Center as the champeenship game got out. The band had time to kill so we did one of our favorite things, playing for people that don't initially like us but then do after a few songs. When we left the hotel at 6:30 on Monday it truly felt like an airtrip lived to its fullest.

Oh also, I would be remiss if I did not mention how fun and awesome it was to watch the women's team completely and totally roll through the competition, not even giving them their underwear back at the end, on the way to some number i forgot consecutive Pac 10 Championship. The Band can't wait to see more domination in San Diego coming the following weekend, though sadly this blogger won't be going. The Band had already maxed out the Funk Limit for the airplane and as such could not carry anymore. I will try to get the gory details though and cull through the curds to give you all the cream whenever that trip is over.

Also, it bears mention that the men played and won today in something called the College Basketball Invitational. The Band isn't entirely sure what it is either, but at least the team is winning in it, so I guess it's good.

Until then kids, remember: When you believe in things you don't understand and you suffer, superstition ain't the way.

3.01.2009

Holy shit, it's March.

Hey y'all. I know it's been a lil' while since we started this ol' blog up and took it around the block but it's only because we've been hard at work perfectly crafting an extensive recap of Dollie Day and highlights of Tree Week. As the regular basketball seasons end, we start gearing up for that wondrous elusive thing known as airtrips. Making its debut this year is a brand new incarnation of Red Vest Band that I like to call SuperVest by virtue of both Pac 10 tournaments being in the same place (Some place like 400 miles south. The Band's never been there before though). Other potential locations include Los Angeles AGAIN, not that we're complaining though, and Berkeley, and St. Louis if we're really lucky for the women. There's another longshot though, and it barely even bears mentioning, but I'm gonna throw it out there anyway. If the men get really lucky they might make it to the Final Four, and in that case maybe the Band could swindle its way all the way to NEW YORK CITY. I know, it's a pipe dream, but is it wrong to reach for the stars?

We'll keep you posted on those events as they occur and worry not, the official Dollie Day/Tree Week (now press approved!) digest is coming.