bebereader
djafan
voiceadmin
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!
The Voice David Archuleta 