Pentatonix’s new documentary, On My Way Home, which is available exclusively on Vimeo, chronicles the a cappella group’s most-recent U.S. tour as they make their way back to their home state of Texas. The group rose to fame in 2011 as winners of NBC’s The Sing-Off, and they have since gone platinum, won a Grammy, and cultivated a dedicated fanbase of Pentaholics, primarily on YouTube. Their documentary is a chance to learn more about the group as they take their a cappella styling around the country.
We learned six key takeaways from this behind-the-scenes glance.
1) They were adorable babies
The documentary is flush with darling home videos of each of the kids—Avi Kaplan, Scott Hoying, Kevin Olusola, Mitch Grassi, and Kirstie Maldonado—spreading their musical wings. It also gives a great rundown on just how the group formed, from the childhood friendship of Hoying, Grassi, and Maldonado to the inclusion of Kaplan and Olusola after their trio videos started to gain traction.
2) They keep it in the family
No, none of them are related, but Kaplan’s sister is the group’s tour manager. That mean some sibling silliness creeps in on the professional relationship, but as they discuss, it’s hard missing your family on the road, so Kaplan is lucky to have at least one person by his side.
3) Their crew is super talented
Mario Jose, Pentatonix’s tour assistant, is also a phenomenal singer. The group surprised him before the Boston leg and asked him to be their opening act. They even flew in his parents for the special occasion. The moment is emotional, with the rest of the crew and band tearing up as Jose sings to a sold-out arena crowd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsKK4lbf4VY
4) They love food
Kaplan, especially, spends the entire documentary eating a lot of snacks, from Goldfish crackers to deep-dish pizza to soup. But everyone spends time bonding over food stuff, with an especially memorable scene three hours before their first show where they gorge on vegetables.
5) Hoying’s mom wants to hold their Grammy for safe keeping
They won the award for their arrangement of a Daft Punk mashup in 2015. “It’s not because I want it,” she explains. “It’s because I’m afraid you’ll lose it.”
6) They never stop working
Throughout the film, the group members always singing, both for fun and for work. In between tour stops, they’re recording for a new album, arranging songs, and conducting interviews. In fact, the documentary even ends with a few clips of them continuing on the World Tour portion, and now they’re touring as the opening act for Kelly Clarkson through the summer.
Screengrab via Pentatonix/YouTube
