Our series of basketball trips began last Thursday afternoon when we departed from Berkeley for the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament in Seattle.
The Band, Mic Man, Rally Comm, and Cheer Team filled the back of the Southwest plane. The flight crew and other passengers seem to excited about presence and our rendition of “Fight for California” on takeoff. We were also fortunate to enjoy a beautiful sunset above the clouds.
Having arrived in the late evening, we went out to get a bite to eat and returned to the Renaissance Hotel for a relatively quiet evening.
With Friday’s quarterfinal game not until 6:00 p.m., the morning was a great opportunity to explore downtown Seattle. For some of us, it was a return just four and a half months after the Washington football game. For some others, it was their first time in the Pacific Northwest. Pike Place was the perfect place to start.
Of course, we made a stop at the gum wall!
The shops figured all sorts of trinkets, including pins and buttons (our favorite)!
Many of us fell in love with the “World’s Best Mac & Cheese” from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. They even make their cheese on-site.
Fellow musicians were abound on the city streets.
The spirit of the 12th Man, including support of former Cal running back Marshawn Lynch, was still palpable weeks after the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory.
We had just enough time to walk up to the Olympic Sculpture Park.
We met two and a half hours before tip-off to drive to the team’s hotel and play as they boarded their bus.
Before heading to KeyArena, we made a stop at T.S. McHugh’s to play for a group of Cal fans also planning on making their way to the game.
We pulled up to KeyArena just over an hour before the game. We were placed behind the basket by the Cal bench and waited for shootaround.
After their high scoring win over Oregon, there were an abundance of Washington State fans in the stands. However, there were a great group of spirited Cal fans that certainly made their presence known.
After trading tunes with Washington State University Cougar Marching Band, our quarterfinal game had finally begun.
After a hard-fought first half and trailing by just one point, we enjoyed a performance by a sensational jump rope troupe.
Before we knew it, the second half was underway. At the 8-minute timeout, our very own Joseph Hartman was featured on the “Dance Cam” for his dynamic routine to LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.”
Though the second half was rough for our team and fans, we remained steadfast in support of our team. In the end, a last-minute surge was not enough as the Golden Bears fell 91-83.
While still disappointed by the loss, we were still able to spend time with members of other Pac-12 bands, including Colorado and Washington State. It was great being able to share stories with our fellow musicians and we look forward for more of those opportunities this week in Las Vegas.
Though we wish we could have stayed in Seattle longer and celebrated a conference tournament title, we left late Saturday morning and were even able to catch the end of Cal Men’s Basketball’s thrilling victory over Colorado!
Thank you to Southwest Airlines, Renaissance Seattle Hotel, the Pac-12 Conference, and the City of Seattle for their hospitality this past weekend. We look forward to returning to Seattle soon!
Stay tuned for pictures from the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas and other basketball tournaments.
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We hope you enjoyed reading about the Cal Band’s trip to Seattle. If you would like to support the Band, please check out more information on our new donor matching challenge on our website’s donation page. Thank you and Go Bears!