credit Pam Pike

It has taken me a while to get some coherent thoughts together from the two shows at  St. George. The excitement of seeing David again after four years was at times giving me palpitations! LOL And to think I was going to get to see him twice! Aye aye!

It took all the effort I could muster to not lose it when he bounced out onstage. I was all set to periscope from a splendid view, fifth row center but I choked. To those who can maintain their composure in order to capture the moment, whether on Periscope or video, I thank you. Without you, I don’t know what we’d do, or I’d do. The videos create the buzz and excitement that makes us want to go see for ourselves. And even then, they can’t give you the magic of being there.

The last time I saw David was during the My Kind of Christmas Tour before his mission. I thought he was incredible. Multiply that by at least 1000. His voice has deepened; it is rich, smooth, and so passionate. Add that to the confidence that oozes from him and the result is a very much in-control performer, one who commands his stage, his band, and his very loving audience. Every song, every word, every movement, salsa and other were used by David to give much more than a concert; it was an experience. He engaged all of our senses with his words, humor, song, hums, smiles, and passion. Sharing of himself with us like never before; he was both charming and sassy at the same time. A well-planned out show where he wore his feelings on his sleeve, trusting them with us. Reciprocally, we let him know we have his back,  yelling “Nooooo!” when he said he “didn’t think he wanted to do this anymore”. We yelled, sang, danced, swayed, and clapped to every song.

Though he expressed his surprise at the fact that we all were there to see him after so many years, his humility is intact. Some fans want to know if David appreciates us. It was very evident in his expressions, in his satisfied look out to all, thanking us all repeatedly. But most of all was his eye contact, the look of recognition, the little waves as he looked to the right, to the left, high and low, visibly absorbing it all with a look of appreciation you could feel. Watching the you tubes is not enough to catch the banter, in between songs, where he talks to the audience.

The first night at St. George, I was blessed to sit next to Shelley. It was loads of fun sharing the first night of excitement with her.

The second night I sat next to the infamous Gladys. After communicating with her in Unplugged, Skype and here on The Voice for so many years, it was extremely gratifying to see her in person. Gladys, if you remember was our sole fan friend from Argentina who was close enough to visit David at various events open to the public when he was on his mission in Chile. She selflessly reported to us that David was doing well. From a fans’ eyes we believed it. She was known for giving boxes of Toblerone chocolates to the missionaries at these events. Well, guess what? We had the luck of running into Lupe, David’s mom, as Gladys and I were leaving the theater. Lupe was gracious enough to introduce herself to my Mom after she heard her ask me if that was really David’s mom. She thanked us for traveling, she couldn’t believe how many people traveled to see David. I called after Gladys and I introduced her to Lupe and the rest is typical Gladys. I just love her. Gladys explained to Lupe that she came from Argentina and that she had chocolates for David she brought with her. Lupe’s expression was epic, as Gladys pulled out two huge trademark Toblerone’s from her large purse, a rolled up long gift bag, and a card. And right there as Lupe watched she stuffed all into the bag and handed to her asking her if she could please give to David. Lupe told her she was going to go straight to David and give to him and that he was going to be really happy because he loves chocolate. This really happened! I witnessed it! LOL

Blueberry Ice and Mary Dee are two people I also want to thank for making it possible for me to take a carload to see David in St. George. Five grandkids, a daughter, and my Mother. It was a wonderful 6-hour drive that I will do again in a heartbeat and an unforgettable experience for all.

Speed reading is a wonderful skill to have. It allows me to surf the web and get a take on what David’s fans are talking about. There’s a segment who think that perhaps David wants to convert his fans to the LDS faith. When the concert was over, I asked my segment, my family members who got to attend if they were ready to convert. Huh?, my daughter was baffled. Tongue in cheek, I told them that this is what David was trying to do in these shows. They disagreed with me; the whole carload. My almost 19 year-old granddaughter said “One sharing their joys and experiences in such a setting doesn’t translate to trying to convert.” My daughter had the same reaction. She never felt preached to. The reason I’m sharing this is because of the criticisms I read, which are unfounded in my opinion.

Last, I want to thank the crew from FOD for hosting a wonderful fan  luncheon where I got to meet and reconnect with so many wonderful fans including Deb, Nancy, Gladys, Dayzee, Jans, Shelley and Veronica, Linda, Gwen, Kalei, Shanny, Jani, Muldur, Kizzi, Nanawieze and her husband, Judie, Monica, Martha, Claudia, Tawna and her husband, Shawna, Jwipe and so many more.

But most importantly, I want to thank David for continuing with music.  Just the thought of never  having the opportunity to hear him sing, especially live, makes my heart and soul ache. Please never have that thought again. And a huge thank you to Trent Dabbs and Jamie Kenney for suggesting to David to write about how he was feeling and gracing us with “Numb”. I cannot wait for it’s release.

The performances were incredible.  I could go on and on about all of them so I won’t lol.

Don’t Run Away ~ This hit the core of my being, the passion and the cry, incredible.

Parachutes And Airplanes ~ Wow the fan participation was a sight to behold.

Nunca Pense ~ Love the encore screams!  And the Latino blood is very visible, the guy can dance.

I was very affected by the concert experience and I encourage all to go see David if possible. Hoping and praying he heads out east and west, north and south as soon as it is feasible for him to do so. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I’m ready to do it all over again.

Credit Pam Pike for the incredible pictures and Shelley for the incredible videos, thank you!