Thread by @alisonhaislip

I'm at the #ICCA semi-finals at UCLA cause my little cousin is in a college acapella group. If you don't know what the ICCAs are, think Pitch Perfect but without the comedy writing of @KayKayCannon. I've just been told this might last 3.5hrs. To survive, I'm going to live-tweet.

Thank you for joining me at this time. At the moment, I can tell you my uncle has already failed at setting up the tripod for his phone on time and is stressed that he's going to miss the first group...which my cousin/his son is NOT a part of.

We've been informed that because every group only gets a HARD 12mins, we can only do a quick "enthusiastic" clap in between songs, then one long "enthusiastic" clap at the end of each set. They made us practice this.

I was just called an "acca-peep". Like acapella mashed with people....I'm sure you got that.

The first group has walked out, and they are FIERCE.

I literally have no idea what this group is singing but they seem to be really into it. So....go team?

Audience just got to do their first REAL quick "enthusiastic" clap AND NAILED IT.

This 19yr old just sang some Fleetwood Mac at us and taught me more about being a woman than I have learned in the many, many years I am older than her.

1 group down...I have no idea how many more to go.... #accapeeps

Apparently to be an acapella group, you need to have a super punny name. Like The Shirley Tempos. #helpme #icantstop #accapeeps

My aunt is having a super hard time to not visibly cringe at missed notes...she's chewing her hand at the moment.

Now she has resorted to just staring at her lap... #smoothmove

My 94yr old grandmother just took the opportunity in the dead silence between songs to ask me if she needed to turn her cell phone off. Our entire section answered, "YES."

"That was a lot of shouting, wasn't it?" - My grandmother about the last group

#icantstoplaughing

I'm 99% percent sure that the lead singer of Nickleback is in this current group.

My grandmother has confirmed that "he looks so much older." #Nickelback

This last group went over their time limit...ironically by singing a song called "It Ain't Over Yet."

The emcees just cracked this one:

"How many altos does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

"None. Cause they can't quite reach it."

#acajoke #ihatemyselftoo

The current group is all women. I don't know their actual name, but keeping in line with the puns, I'm calling them the #MeTunes.

The group on now is the United Colors of Benetton of the acapella world. And they are signing their college-aged faces off to songs I've never heard of.

The people behind me just whispered that this group is now singing a song that the first group sang. Again, I've never heard this song (except for apparently an hour ago?) but it's about playing a song on repeat so I'm basking in the irony.

THERE'S AN INTERMISSION!!!

You know what that means....

IT'S WINE O'CLOCK!

While they sell wine at this show, you can't bring it into the theater. So I'm about to drink a very full glass of wine in 10mins. SHIT IS GONNA GET REAL IN ACT 2, PEOPLE!

(Yes, I drank pre-show too...)

WE'RE BACK! And my aunt just showed me the notes she's keeping in her phone on the whole show. YOU HEAR THAT, EVERYONE. MY AUNT IS KEEPING NOTES ON YOU.

FINALLY there is an amazingly sassy gay man giving me life by singing I Will Survive. 💙

AMAZINGLY SASSY GAY MAN IS IN A FOOT CAST AND IS STILL DANCING FOR THE GODS!!!

Serious tweet: Beatboxing is, like, really cool.

MY COUSIN'S GROUP IS FINALLY ON! They are apparently telling the story of a woman going thru an abusive relationship with their set by singing:

BAD ROMANCE
then
BILLIE JEAN
then
PRAYING

I AM SO PROUD!!! #cousinpride

There is a full on acapella soap opera happening right now, told by a bunch of 18-22yr olds dressed in silver and black.

...and my grandmother just asked me if this is my cousin's (her grandson's) group. YES! WATCH, MOMMOM!!!

Listen...

1) I'm biased.

2) I'm drunk.

3) I'm crying.

BUT THAT WAS THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT.

The people behind me are whispering that my cousin's group is "great" but they "need a coach".

It is taking all of my willpower to not turn around and "smack them".

I'm noticing a strong correlation between an acapella group's talent and their commitment to their 2-color-coordinated wardrobe.

Serious tweet:

This final group just sang a song that was clearly an homage to a fluid gender member of their group and it was incredibly beautiful. There have been a few trans/fluid members in this competition. And all I have to say is...fuck yes, college acapella.

Fuck. Yes.

All groups have sang.

Judges are deliberating.

In the meantime, we get...

...MOAR ACAPELLA.

There's literally another college acapella group singing for us that isn't in the completion. Like it's different than anything we just heard. I mean, fine. Sing more Michael Jackson.

THIS GROUP IS SINGING "ALL NIGHT LONG" AND I AM CHAIR DANCING TO THIS LIONEL RICHIE GOODNESS!!!

Now this group has told us that they are singing "Car Wash" from the movie "Shark Tale" and I've never felt older.

IT'S ROSE ROYCE, YOU TINY CHILDREN PEOPLE.

Update: Grandma has fallen asleep.

Update to the update: She just woke up and said "ENOUGH ALREADY."

THE JUDGES ARE BACK. My entire family is stressed. I am stressed. THERE IS A LOT OF STRESS IN COLLEGE ACAPELLA. AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE #OLYMPICS FOR 2 WEEKS.

MY COUSIN'S GROUP WON!!! THEY WON!!! THEY ARE GOING TO THE SEMI-FINALS!!!! I MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO THIS ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! DEAR SWEET JESUS THEY WON!!!!!!

Grandma's response: "At least this was worth it."