Photo credit Paula

On September 2, 2010, David Archuleta outshone the luminous candles and Christmas lights on the stage of the prestigious Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

From her seat at the theater SandyBeaches texted…

“He lit up the stage, lit up the theatre and it amazed us as well as all of the others on the stage…David had command of the stage at all times.  He was the light.”

“For me this is the ultimate experience with David.  Several months ago I wrote the article “The Power of Passion and a Prayer” in which I said that it would be the finest moment for me to see David sing with Andrea Bocelli, but an ultimate experience just as grand is soon to take place here in Nashville.  This is the magnificent, classical side of David’s music, the one that cannot be duplicated by anyone.

Some of the David that we saw last night, has never been seen and that is because of who he was on stage with. He captured my heart all over again if that is anything understandable. He shocked the director, the choir, the orchestra and Orla when he walked out on stage and the audience erupted in applause. I wanted them to stop so that I could hear him sing!

The accompaniment for ‘Pat a Pan’ was exactly like the one on his CD,therefore it was beautiful.  Orla stepped back and became his background singer.

When he came out on the stage to join her in “Silent Night”, (after she sang an Irish verse),  he sang with her as if he had been singing with her for years and and just for the moment he took on an Irish Celtic presence.  This was something that took our breath away.  Their voices gently blended making it a perfect duet and giving them an immediate standing O.

When it was over, she stepped forward with him while the audience applauded continuously as he bowed at least three times while thanking the audience.

An adult audience for the first time in David’s singing career, recognized the fantastic voice that they were listening to even if they had never heard him before.  I believe as I try to look and find the words to describe, I can say that David for once, was given the respect that is rightfully his.  These adults were educated concert goers and David was given one big shot of confidence last night.”

Orla

Meav

And from Silverfox beside her, this…

“..this was more than just a performance! This was something dreams are
made of. Indescribable. I can use every word used in all the highest accolades given David and it still would not describe what we witnessed last night. Something magical took place & David the Artist was elevated to another level. The audio tapes you heard just DO NOT do justice at all to David’s superd vocals or the way he first walked out on stage amid the mist surrounding the stage as Orla was playing the harp. The mist made their performance surreal, so moving & beautiful. For those who may have thought David is not the same league as Orla, this wonderfully talented & beautiful lady and that perhaps the bar was too high for David…let me just say, David met & surpassed the bar! Their voices complimented each other beautifully. It was amazing! And “Pat-A-Pan”..OMG! It was unreal. HE was unreal. Orla sang “background” on PAP & David’s voice was so powerful & strong. I think the adult audience, most of whom were there for Orla & Maev (they have very vocal & faithful fans) were struck dumb when this “little kid from a talent show” started singing in French..struck dumb that is, until they all stood up & cheered, giving David a standing-O! You can’t really get the full impact of how loud the cheers & applause were. The same for Memories of Christmas..just fabulous! The first taping, David was absolute PERFECTION. No “cut” from the director who could not believe, along with everyone else on stage & the crew backstage, the effect David was having on this “adult” audience. I don’t think he counted on three S/O…”

Many more standing ovations await him on the road ahead.  With the arrival of his new pop album, “The Other Side of Down” on October, 5th, he is skillfully navigating a two-pronged trajectory that will inevitably lead to greatness.  Introduced by Orla as “the best young singer in America…” he is officially on his way to garnering the kind of respect that a talent this rare so richly deserves.

Photo credit brandy T09

Special thanks to SandyBeaches and Silverfox who are the real writers of this article.  I was merely the messenger.

When David Archuleta cut his first CD during the demanding fifty-three show Idol tour, it was pretty much a corporate affair.  There was a minimum of input from him and precious little time to offer it up anyway.  Often he must have been given a song and expected to learn it quickly in order to get it recorded on his next rare day off.  In interviews promoting the album, he frequently injected the caveat that it was all done in a hurry.

Despite such time and artistic restraints, he delivered a jewel in the eponymous album, “David Archuleta,” which by the alchemy of exquisite vocals and ecstatic fans, was transmuted into gold shortly after its first single became platinum.

Fast forward to 2010 and a completely different scenario:  his new album titled “The Other Side of Down” was produced in a period of several months, months that were devoted almost entirely to its creation and are much the work of David himself.  Of the twelve songs that made the album, ten were written by him.

The release of his sophomore album on October 5^th of this year may well presage a release of something more.  In performances of two preview songs that will be on the album, “Something ‘Bout Love” and “Elevator,” he has shown an expansion in confidence and a more liberal use of runs and vocal improvisations.  In these works he had a sizable hand in creating, we sense an unmistakable pride in ownership and a joy that comes from connecting deeply with his work.  These are songs that matter to him.  They are in a very real sense, his heart and soul laid bare, his unique, quirky personality, desires, and dreams exposed.  The act of creation is not reserved to procreation alone.  For an artist, his works are his children and the connection to them is very real and personal.

Those who have followed his career and attended his concerts know that besides his voice, David possesses another gift, equally extraordinary.  He has the ability to literally go into a song, tap into the emotion that lays beating at its core and convey that message back to the listener.

In a recent interview with Fox News he talked about writing his own songs and the importance of connecting to the music and ultimately, to the listener

“It’s made a really big difference in allowing myself to come through into the music and being able to talk about what is important to me and what I feel represents me…as an artist and as a person and…I feel like people will be able to connect a lot more with what I’m singing about because I’ll be able to connect to it.  I feel more like this means something to me and it’s my story and this is my personality and me that’s in here.”

In short, he will “tell it to us and make us understand” who he really is inside.  If the old saying, “to know him is to love him,” is true, then we must also understand this:  whatever release in artistic expression this means for David, there will be no release for us, his fans.

With the unveiling of his sophomore album and the tour to follow, we will find ourselves even more connected to him than we already are.

Get out your sparklers; there were fireworks at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium on Saturday as David struck the stage to perform his two singles.  One, a double-platinum hit and the other, by all indications, will one day reach multi-platinum.

I bought tickets for this event early, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to attend due to other commitments.  I was ecstatic when those other plans fell through.

Mr. Bebe and I, in our General Admission seats high in the sky, sat through a few other acts before the STAR came onstage.  I have wondered what all the hoopla was about the Jonas Brothers.  Clearly, the kids in this New York City crowd love them and the people running the show took every opportunity to mention their names to get the crowd roaring. However, let it be said that at the mention of David’s name, the crowd went wild with excitement, too.  The Jonas Brothers, up first, are nice guys who sing a generic blend of mediocre pop songs.  They sound good onstage but are not outstanding in any way, in terms of talent, in my humble opinion.  Take each bro singularly and they don’t come close to being in David Archuleta’s ballpark or in this case, tennis stadium.  When you can have filet mignon, why settle for ground beef?  But kids love McJonas burgers; that’s why the fast food industry does so well.  Demi Lovato’s turn was next.  I enjoyed her but truthfully, I was too busy admiring her hair and boots to pay attention to her songs.

It felt like forever but finally it was David’s turn! Although it was 95 degrees on Saturday, I got the chills when Adrienne Bailon introduced him as “one of the most gifted performers on the planet.”  You ain’t kidding!  Make sure you check out David’s modest smile, in reply, on the video.  He looked beautiful in khaki pants and a blue plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

“Something ‘Bout Love” took on new dimensions as David led the crowd to a more stepped-up version of the song as he instructed us to jump with him.  Keywords: LED THE CROWD.  Clearly this was no American Idol runner-up; this was an artist with stature, charisma, stamina, talent and enough experience to lead a stadium packed full with 24,000 people.  This song is an epic arena song and conducive to audience participation.  It is magnificent LIVE.  David lived and breathed SBL as if his life depended on it.  He stepped up the beat and flew across the stage with confidence and made people believe the song.  I was watching the audience.  Most didn’t know the song but that didn’t stop them from participating and trying to follow the lyrics.  The audience was transfixed on this young singer, and seemed very interested in hearing his message about love.  “Crush” was done a little differently this time. David stood and played the keyboard, then walked away with the mic, each time to sing the chorus. Very fresh and new.  The song was well-received and much of the audience sang along.

It dawned on me that David is now a businessman.  This was a huge deal; the beginning of the US Open.  There were thousands there who probably were exposed to his music for the very first time.  Well aware that the show was being taped by CBS for airing on national TV the next day, he was out there to share his music and to gain new fans.  It was evident that he accomplished his goal.

I find it remarkable that, although in his memoirs, he claimed to be painfully shy, in a very short time, David has now come full circle, and is able to take full command of an entire arena.  I was filled with pride as he had that audience in the palm of his hand.  We sat in the sun for three hours, after having walked a few miles from the parking lot to the stadium, then another half an hour to find our seats, only to do it all backwards again.  Does that make me crazy?  Does that make me cray-zee, cray-zee, cray-zee?  Possibly.  But, oh my stars!!!  What a wonderful time we had!  David sparkled like a jewel on that stage and I was there to witness it!  I’d do it again in a New York minute!

]]> http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/30/we-concur-he-conquers-bebes-recap/feed/ 92 Bebereader photo1 AAKb AAK arthur ashe kids day 290810 http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/28/recap-and-reunion-in-new-england/ http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/28/recap-and-reunion-in-new-england/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:41:34 +0000 Abrra http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/?p=7686 ]]>

Ah! Where do I begin?

I invited Sandy Beaches to fly down  and attend the show on Friday at Six Flags, to see David.  It was a pleasant ride up to the park.  We weren’t quite prepared for the daunting task ahead of us.  Six Flags is a bit like a mini Disneyland.  Everything is bigger and farther away than you realize.  There were trams that shuttled us from the parking lot to the main gate.  We had vouchers to turn in to get a VIP wristband.  Long walk to the building, only to wait 30 min for an updated name list so that we could be given out wristbands.

We had River and TrudyFOD waiting in the line at the entrance to the area where the stage was located.  The path leading to our destination was a maze of humanity that we had to weave through.  We were about 75 deep in the line, with several hundred coming in later after us to wait for the 3 pm opening of the gate.  Djbell arrived and our group was complete.  There were mostly teens in the line around us.  They are so resourceful!  I enjoyed watching then make their David posters to hold up at the show.  Bringing rolled poster board, day-glo markers of all colors and printed pictures, they decorated each one to have a high visibility from the stage.  I am sure they all hoped David would see theirs and give his classic wave!  Part of my mission was to share Cd’s I had made as well as some pins that declare “The Voice.”  I do try to spread the word about our site to as many fans as possible.

Next came a quick lunch of fresh pizza served to us by TrudyFOD ( our brave waitress who went to stand in a 30 min food line) and we were ready for the gate to open.

This was a general admission venue.  Our wristband gave us “up front” standing spot at the stage.  We were led in slowly with the warning not to run so that no one would get injured.  Seriously!  Once through the gate the 5 of us made a human chain and scooted as fast as we could to keep up with the teens  who had a faster scoot rate than us,  haha!  One of us had a tumble ( all is ok, not to worry) on the grass, but we made it to the 3rd row.  Djbell had center position.  I told those around us to give her room if they wanted primo video on youtube.  She did an awesome job!  I was able to meet Niki from Snarky’s and Rach from ArchieRx.  I handed them some Cd’s and a “The Voice” pin as a keepsake.

I discovered :

1. I can’t text/tweet in the hot sun.
2. I can’t take pictures/videos in the hot sun.
3. I have a 2 hour limit standing in the hot sun.

The show started with a young female singer named Auburn. She is a hip hop singer.  She performed rather mechanically with rehearsed moves as she sang.  Her voice was very good. Watch Auburn here

But she was not David.  So we waited.

They announced David Archuleta and then we waited more.  Tick- tock.

Twenty-five minutes later David appeared on the left side of the stage, poised to go with his hand on the railing, ready to run up the steps to the stage.

Dressed in a white cotton tee shirt with baby blue horizontal stripes, new dark hip hugger jeans , sassy leather belt that peeked out from under his front tucked shirt, David shot up to the stage!

He led off with Touch My hand, with a music track behind him.. Full of energy with a strong voice!  Lots of waving to fans, and a generous number of look aways.  He sure likes getting the ladies screaming.  Next was Something ‘Bout Love.  He had a pounding beat musical track accompanying him.  It was a departure from what we have seen up to now on this promotional tour.  I see great things ahead as we see him evolve with this song on his  solo tour.  It will be his new “jump”  song no doubt.  Mike came out for the next number “Elevator.”  There were a few new hand movements during this song.  As he sang, “Go with the flow..”  he bent his arm out in front in a serpentine wavy motion and “a box with no air” he drew a square out in midair.  David said this is a favorite of his.  Dreaming a song is very special indeed.  He is truly living his dream.  With sweat rolling down his sideburns (yes, I said sideburns) he mopped his brow and stepped up to the microphone on center stage to sing Crush.  The crowd noise went up 100 decibels.  Everyone sang along and David had a HUGE grin on his face the whole time.

I could see a new intensity in his performance.  He has missed the energy the fans bring in a live show.  Lots of clenched fists, hunkerdowns, head whips, plus new ending notes to all the songs.  It’s obvious he is bursting with pride over this new album.

When his set was finished, he turned to his right and ran off the stage, down the steps, then out of sight.

Sandy beaches and I left right after he was gone and the rest of the group stayed till the end.  It was a grand time.  We reconnecting with friends we had not seen since the CFTH tour.  But best of all, we reconnected with the one who connects us all to each other___David.

David will be performing at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day today sometime between 1pm and 4pm est.

Click here for more info.

It will be televised Sunday on CBS 12pm to 1:30pm est.

In anticipation of tomorrow’s David events we’re reserving space here.

There will be a live chat with David at

3:00pm est.

Click here if you want to sign up for chat.

David will performing at Six Flags Magic Mountain “Ticket To Ride”.

The concert  is from 4:00-8:00pm est.

Click here for more information.

Have a great time!

davidfan4ever
fa3ryg1rl
Abrra
SandyBeaches
djbell
River

]]> http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/27/ticket-to-chat-ticket-to-ride/feed/ 54 djafan soundcheck for ticktoride ticket to ride live chat 8.27 sixflags http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/23/hurricane-david-season-approaching/ http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/23/hurricane-david-season-approaching/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:21:08 +0000 dakgal http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/?p=7557 ]]>

From remarks made here at The Voice and in chat, it appears we are headed into another Hurricane David season.  Judging from the early information coming in, it could be a Category 5.  So I thought it was time to post some emergency preparedness information.

COPY AND POST IN YOUR HOME:

1.   Have paddles fully charged and at the ready.

2.  Check oxygen tanks.

3.      Check supply of smelling salts.

4.      Have anti-spazz medication re-filled for extreme attacks.

5.      For THUD protection-have pads and pillows handy on the floor. Helmets only if needed.

6.      Older fans might want to check their Depends supply.

Alert family members or a friend what to do should they find you exhibiting any of these conditions.

.1.  Babbling incoherently-only able to point.

2.      In a stupor- unable to speak-only point.

3.      Have face lock—unable to close mouth and eyes bug out.

4.      Weeping uncontrollably.

5.      Weeping and smiling, babbling, and pointing all at the same time.  (BAD)

6.      Having an ear to ear smile that lasts for 4 hours or more.

7.      Look like you stuck your finger into a live light socket.

8.      Are sitting or laying in the fetal position with a blank stare stuttering D-D-D.

9.      Have uncontrollable chair dance spasms.

TREATMENT:

Have the responder gently remove you from in front of the computer and guide you to a darkened room where you can lay down- play some soothing David music, i.e. Fields of Gold-Somebody Out There and quietly close the door and leave you alone!

RESPONDERS:

It is important that you DO NOT do any of the following:

1.      Criticize.

2.      Make snide remarks.

3.       Roll your eyes.

4.      Attempt an intervention.

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING A CONCERT:

1.      Try to sleep the night before  (good luck).

2.      Stay hydrated.

3.      Remember to eat.

4.      Try to remember who you came with (in case of a stupor or separation).

5.       If you are meeting David –expect to get hit with Archuheimers disease (you will not remember your name or that you can say anything that makes sense.

6.       That disease will wear off in a couple of days –to be replaced by a feeling of sadness and melancholy that your experience was over too soon.

7.      That feeling will wear off in a month or so and you will be plotting and planning and conniving ways to attend another concert.

8.      Then back to the computer and all the wonderfulness it holds.

IT’S  GONNA BE ALL RIGHT—–HOLD ON TIGHT!!

My bling__

It isn’t a thing.

It doesn’t ring-ring

And it comes with no strings

It’s not just another little fling.

My bling, he the real deal.

The way he makes me feel,

I know my heart’s sealed

Locked up tight and all healed

No more playin’ the field.

My baby, he da bomb

‘specially when he pops a stick of lip balm!

He’s on just about every dot com.

This guy, he can do no wrong

He got nothin’ but aplomb.

I always wonder

How he keeps it at a hundred

Never slips up, no! nary a blunder.

He just slays me, puts me asunder

All the others are way way under.

This guy, he’s a double rainbow

Skin for the win, he’s always aglow

Makes me think thoughts that aren’t apropos

Pedal to the metal, heart on overflow

Yo!  Bro!  He’s my musical Van Gogh.

Can you guess who?

Think you got a clue?

I’ll bet my guy’s got you too!

]]> http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/20/the-other-side-of-dull/feed/ 151 highervibe 2982207584_338c593bca-1 2u5rrleb http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/16/d-squared-a-winning-combination/ http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/2010/08/16/d-squared-a-winning-combination/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:17:09 +0000 Abrra http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/?p=7374 ]]>

In 2008 for David Archuleta and David Cook it was a friendship born in the chaos that was American Idol.  Bonded by the experience of surviving the pressure, it remains today a brotherly connection.  According to them, seeing a friend do well meant more than being the winner.

“I could talk about him for days.  (laughs)  You know Archie’s probably one of the most genuine, stand-up people that I’ve ever met.  And to be able to share the stage with him anytime is great.  I joked with him last night that it’s a shame we have to travel halfway across the world just to see each other.  But, he’s a good guy and an amazing talent.  And as far as supporters go, I think I’m probably right up there when it comes to Archuleta.”

~ David Cook  2009

“I actually think I would’ve felt horrible if I had won, because I deeply felt that David Cook was the one who deserved it.  Here was this amazing singer and  all-around musician, someone I really looked up to and admired not just for his  music side, but also as a person.  I really respected him and the way he acted throughout the whole time we were together; I have to be honest and say that he  was the person who, in my view, showed better than anyone else in the season that he should win.”

~  David Archuleta  2008

Whether it’s passing briefly in an airport

Saw @DavidArchie at the airport! Awesome sauce!     6:19 PM Jun 8th ~ DC tweet

At the airport now. Just ran into @thedavidcook and his crew haha. Hope they  rock it out tomorrow at the Rio Tinto! Go support!      6:29 PM Jun 8th ~ DA tweet

or hoping to meet up for a meal

Hey @DavidArchie… How long are you in town? DM me or text me and let me know.      5:44 PM Apr 7th 2009

The chemistry of the two David’s, whether they are in close proximity or tweeting over cyberspace, is charming.  The vibe is always supportive between them.  I grew more fond of David Cook since watching the behind the scenes footage from Idol.  He wasn’t my favorite from season 7, yet Cook is the person I think of first when David talks about how he admires the other Idol contestants to this day.

What has endeared him to me is the big brother role he displays when ever they have been together on stage during the Idol’s Live tour or appearing together in interviews.  They had shared the spotlight after Idol with several press appearances.

“I consider it a huge honor to share the stage with the kid. He’s the real deal,” Cook says.  “All the buzz coming in, he deserves.”

Ford Day Shenanigans

TRL Singing the phonebook!

The Davids at the TCA’s

Witnessing the friendship built on mutual admiration and respect for each other’s given talent, you can feel the love.  In the world of music stardom they both find the time to stay in touch.  The two David’s are great fans of each other.

The friendship and career support continues to flourish.  Last June Cook asked about an audio version of Chords of Strength.

@DavidArchie saw your book in borders today. Looked for the audiobook version that you narrated, but to no avail… Lol congrats man.

@thedavidcook Oh really?  I guess some stores released it a day early haha.  I’ll  have to keep an audiobook version in mind for you!

This past week when David’s new video Something ‘Bout Love debuted, Cook was on twitter.

RT@DavidArchie Hey guys, the video for “Something ‘Bout Love” will be premiering tomorrow on Vevo!  Excited for you guys to see it! 4:05 PM Aug 4th

Cook paid tribute yet again to David by wearing a too small David Archuleta shirt on stage.  He offers to trade one of his own tour shirts to the fan in exchange.  His reaction to the rejected offer is priceless.

My wish for the two Davids going forward is a continuation of this kind of “real deal” friendship that finds genuine happiness in each other’s success.

I was in the Voice Unplugged a few nights ago, watching old videos of David’s first tour, when it dawned on me that with the release of “The Other Side of Down” on October 5, there will be a whole new set of songs.  I am more than ready for new music and I wish David the best of luck with the release of his new CD, especially since he had a hand in writing most, if not all the songs.

Yet, as a hardcore fan of The Voice, who attends multiple concerts, I will always yearn for David to sing the songs from his first, self-titled CD, the songs which will one day be referred to as ‘The Early Collection.”  These songs are dear to my heart because I have come to love them not only for their merit but because they are the original songs David sang on his first tour.

Video credit chicagoarchie0000

I realize that the new setlist will be a combination of old and new songs but I can’t help but feel nostalgic because I won’t hear my personal favorites,  “Barriers”, “My Hands” and “Waiting For Yesterday” like I did before.

Do you feel like I do?  Are there any “must-have” songs from David’s “early collection” that you hope he includes in the setlist for his next tour? Now is your chance to voice your opinion.  Please choose three ‘must-have’ songs from David’s early collection.

We will tally up the votes and present them to David at an upcoming M&G, the top three songs that we can’t live without.

(Crush is not listed because it’s a given that David will sing it since it was his first hit.)

Which three songs are your must-haves?