… it kind of slipped under the radar because other stuff (like this aMAZing cover) was happening.
BUT COME ON!
David’s at the fence, desperate to come through… or stay out… or climb it… or watch a fox frolic on the other side… I don’t know, I just know he looks so longingly through the chain link.
Like he’s caged… or finally free… or yearning for the Honduras food truck on the other side….
Can’t you just see this as a single cover for Upset With Me… or Desperate… or a cover of Don’t Fence Me In….
Or the poster for a Sal Mineo/ James Dean teen-incarceration musical featuring the most beautiful, yet tortured soul to ever sing a note…
It’s not a depressing musical though, it’s hopeful, ever-hopeful… ‘cuz that’s who David is… always seeing the darkness before the dawn, the light within, all the colours of the rainbow… oh wait, it’s in black and white…
Okay, scratch that… he’s a young intern at the coal mines just taking a much needed breath of fresh air above ground at the end of a long shift and grasping the fence for dear life…
Or a young refugee aching to break out of the camp and reunite with his long lost love, Totora, so they can skip joyfully back to the old country after peace is declared and rescue their emotional support Pokemon along the way…..
Those eyes, though… those eyes… they say, “Save me!” “Heal my soul!” “Help me get my cap back, it flew over the fence!”
I’m still on antibiotics and may have a fever, so I have no idea what I’m talking about.
But great picture, eh? What do you guys think of it??
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love this one (& so many others!): “Loved the impromptu-itnous of the evening. I loved the 💜 to ♥️. You shared stories of your personal journey. Your song about postcards to heaven, glorious!!! My personal favorite. The lyrics to each song are so clever. The song you said you wrote about your rebellious phase, lol!! To cute! Your voice is like butter! Smooth and melts my heart. In my opinion You have the best voice in the whole world!! So fun to meet you last night.”
. Did I miss anything, guys??? (besides the whole show? 🙂 )
Possibly one of my favorite of all venues I’ve seen David in.
Thanks to my girl, Astrid, for strongly suggesting it the day we met by phone to buy tickets. Having checked it out online, she kept saying…”it looks cool, pretty small, with dinner tables and looks like we can be right up close!”
It was a whole different vibe to be right up to the stage in a dinner club setting listening to David… like in his living room.
So many times during this run, I’d flashback to the Demi tour days, comparing them to the intimate shows David’s doing now. Yes, those days of screams and pounding from big arena rafters for David held their own excitement. Whichever you prefer, I suppose.
Me? I love these intimate shows, and hope they are enough to sustain his “business”… that said, these venues do seem to suit him.
Do you remember the Demi tour entrance? The giant David silhouette behind the big red curtain …heartbeats building to a crescendo…and just before that curtain would come down…a little casual wave from “the silhouette.” ☺ *pang* I loved that wave. I always felt it was his attempt to “keep it human” on that BIG stage, in a far-removed, make-believe world. Now he can just be that guy. ❤
But I’m getting ahead of myself so…
The night before Daryl’s house a snow storm was in the forecast.
Not the first time I’ve had to fight Mother Nature to see David in concert: I was there for “the blizzard of ’09 in Northampton, MA.” (Unbeknownst to me it wouldn’t be the last.)
Luckily, for us, me in CT, Astrid in NJ, we did not get much snow, and by Saturday’s drive all was clear. I feel bad for those people who couldn’t make it due to the storm … my biggest nightmare. No complaints, but just hoping one day David gets to visit the Northeast in our much-nicer spring or summer.
I arrived before Astrid, around 4 p.m., expecting a line outside and that only VIP would be let in early. But VIP was already “in process” and people were just walking in.
Daryl’s House is a rustic, funky, and cool music supper club. The powers-that-be were organized, friendly and helpful, and the hostess at the door was checking in people and having us choose our tables. I was excited when I was able to get a two-top right up close to the stage, only one other table in front of us. THIS was going to be the closest I’d ever been!
Astrid was running late because, as she had texted me the hour before, “Hubby has decided he suddenly wants to come … what the whaat?!” and that she was “on Twitter in search of an extra ticket!” Penny aka Dang-it-David, came to the rescue again (in my Hartford recap you may recall it was her VIP ticket I unexpectedly received). Deb & co. still had Penny’s ticket for this show, so it became Fernando’s. Thanks again, Penny!
Astrid keeps saying that one of the “stories” of this tour is: (her exact words) “the mens are coming out!” 🙂
We’d often lamented to each other that our significant others would likely not be going to any concerts with us, even though both have always acknowledged David’s talent.
Mine has traveled with me to many a show yet not gone to the show itself…just didn’t think it was “his thing.” Though I will say he listened to the Postcards in the Sky album on the way back from Sellersville and was very impressed, saying he thought it was his best work to date, and “why isn’t this kind of real talent on the radio vs. the *stuff* (not his exact wording), that is?!”
Perhaps it’s “safer” now. David’s a grown man, not some tween boy the wives and daughters are going crazy for (ok the first part of that’s right 🙂 ), or some Disney/19 Entertainment pop creation they shun? The mixed demographic has been noticeable to many this tour, and it’s really neat to see. It’s all ages, genders, families, couples on date night, and yes, still a healthy amount of young, screaming women. Yay, David.
So, along came Fernando, or “Fernandita”, as we nick-named him after my phone “auto-corrected” his name to that, and if fits, since he earned his “fan-girl” stripes that night.
He was bit by the Archulator, a phenomenon we witnessed around the room. For proof of this, you need only watch the Live-Stream from that show (btw, THANK YOU Daryl’s House!)
Check out “the lucky table” [the couple David chatted with right up front, Anne and Joe) and Joe’s friend sitting behind him and I’m sure you’ll “understand” that plastered-on smile he had throughout the show. And, I’m not sure the camera caught this but, as David was hand-slapping his goodbyes to all, I’d LOVE to know what it was Joe was so earnestly telling him, though I saw David saying, ”Ohhh, thank you, thank you so much.” And the dad in front of us, with his wife and daughter, who David sang directly to during the show, after which she collapsed, head on table, crying tears of joy, had only warm things to say after the sho
I know, I know…he’s always had lots of male fans too. Perhaps around the world more than the U.S., as the sensibility is different among male cultures. It was just nice to see a mixed blend of music-loving peeps at these shows.
The show itself was great, great vibe, sooo close. You could see David was having fun. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched that Live-Stream, though my pal Astrid could tell ya, she’s keepin’ count on me.
Some random things: Marlie7 and her DA travel pal, (darn, I forget, but I think Susan?), wound up sitting next to me again! I had met them in Sellersville as they had sat behind me. It was nice to chat with them again.
Also, when you watch the Live Stream… watch for David’s story about going on his mission. The way he says “It changed my life y’all!” with such heartfelt, open vulnerability… gets me every time.
Lastly, for the first time, I got to high-five him during his goodbyes from stage…in my enthusiasm and excitement; I think I whacked his hand way too hard. Note-to-self for next time: #savethepianohands
Got an email from Astrid a few days after the show saying how impressed Fernando was, that he LOVES Numb and Postcards, which he asked her to play on the way home that night, and has been “going on for days about how it should get radio play.” He apparently played them for a co-worker that week.*
All in all, such a wonderful night and show…and an awesome venue I hope David & Co. come back to. I also hope that Live-Stream stays up forever! 😉
~ Amy (@amb4da)
p.s.
*Deb’s footnote: After the show, Astrid’s hubby, Fernando, asked us if David wrote Postcards and we said yes and he just kept saying, “that is a GREAT song” … and “why isn’t it being played on radio??”… I mumbled something about David being an indie artist and you need the big bucks of a label to get radio play… it’s criminal, I tell you!
[I will also add that David definitely turns it up a notch if he’s on TV or a livestream… I saw it happen when Billboard livestreamed his Christmas show back in the day, and I saw it at Daryl’s House… several songs gave me actual full-body chills because of that high burner he cranks up… wow. Also, the VIP that night was also something else. It was in this tiny room filled with Gingerbread Houses, that he mentioned right off the bat. And he answered every question in such a thoughtful, spiritual way, he actually joked about it… that he was “taking us to church”… he said that ultimately, he does hope his music helps people feel closer to Christ, but that even for people who aren’t religious at all, his goal is to uplift them and help them connect with something bigger than themselves, whether that be nature or their inner purpose… it was really special, I’ll never forget it.]
Here’s the VIP Forevermore recorded by the lovely & amazing djbell:
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Here’s the Daryl’s House Livestream… you’re welcome! 🙂
Your story’s waiting in the starrrsssss … How my unexpected, impromptu, gifted, first-ever David VIP happened and why it felt like the stars aligned at just the right time, right place, right tour.
This latest David journey actually began for me last fall when Postcards in the Sky came out…
The release of David’s new CD coincided with my selling my family’s home (mom had moved to assisted-living). I’d spent long, emotional, sentimental days, revisiting history, sorting “junk from jewels,” closing a chapter.
There were many decisions to be made, much to handle, but ultimately I was also glad to have this time to ingrain the memories in me. So…Postcards!!
So many days, after working at the house, I’d get in my car … mixed emotions, tired, questioning all my daily decisions. But, I’d blast some Postcards, (pick a song, any song, though, WITS, SAL, ALGALW were big for me), and those lyrics, the pulsating melodies, the hopeful, forward-looking messages, truly lifted me. “Look up ahheead…you’re gonna stop ‘em, yee-aa…the good is never gone it’s the darrrrk before the dawn!” The songs gave me strength, focus and belief it was all going to work out for the best.
I was also lucky (and determined), after 6 long years, to take a break from this project in October to go see David in Sellersville, PA … his first, lonnnnng-awaited East Coast date in 6 years! BF and I made the trip but only I was going to the show. I texted highlights to my two DA pals, Astrid222, and Amy_VA, who was originally supposed to meet me there but couldn’t make it.
The show was great!! David, casually, walked onto that stage, and it was like seeing an old friend after many years; in seconds, we fell back in the groove (literally.) I texted them…He’s so HAPPY!! *THIS.* This is what I heard from fan after fan, at all the recent shows. It’s almost the first thing everyone says to one another… “He’s so comfortable in his skin, so happy!” “He’s doing his thing, his way.” He’s got great new music to promote. Still-fresh takes on old tunes. New covers! Grounded confidence. Connection to the audience. (Thank you, #smallvenues!) Well-articulated feelings from the heart. Song stories. Swagger! Dance moves!
He’s finally where I think we all hoped he’d get to…carving out a niche that’s an extension of his authentic self, following his heart, making meaningful music the way he wants to. And all while living life, (mostly) out of the spotlight, being true to himself…and yes, HAPPY. Grateful and happy. Amen. It’s an absolute, infectious, inspiring, JOY to see!
Reunited and it feels so gooooood: Amy, Emily, Astrid, Abby
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Fast forward to 2018. Our long-awaited, East Coast dreams come true and a real TOUR is announced…with several dates!! Eeeep!! Astrid, Amy and I have all kept in touch over the years. Amy and I became fast friends in about ’09, when we started emailing after I bought one of her David fan-books she used to make, (donating proceeds to RSO & Make-a-Wish). We had finally met, 6 years ago, for MKOC in Stroudsburg and, since then, we try to get together once a year, David-related or not.
Astrid, I’d only “met” over the phone, in ’09, when she sold me her Atlantic City Demi-tour ticket she couldn’t use, (when the date got changed). We’d kept in touch via email. Actually, we three have become email pals, keeping each other “buoyed” and amused, through the “David lean years”… squeeing over YouTube performances…trying to predict David’s future, and hoping we all could get to more shows soon, hopefully, one day, all together. (We got closer this time!)
The morning that tickets went on sale, Astrid and I met by phone, to simultaneously work the online ticket outlets for the shows we’d see together. We got our Infinity Hall, Hartford, tix first and then, props to her, “seeing” right away how cool Daryl’s House looked, we got tickets to that too. Amy, meanwhile, got the Richmond date, for me, her and her two daughters. Having secured great tickets, we could finally relax and look forward to March 2018!
Fast-forward, again…
InfinityHall y’all: Cool venue. (They’ve all been small, arty theaters and music clubs ~ where David is in his element, really connecting to the audiences.) I’d only known of, and been to, the 300 seat Infinity Hall in Norfolk CT. (Ironically, I thought then, if only this were a bit bigger, it’d be neat to see David in this type of theater. Hartford was apparently big enough at 500 seats.)
It was great to finally meet Astrid, who already felt like an old friend, and her daughter Emily. Got inside the lobby of the theater and …SOUNDCHECK, people! Nuf said. You all who’ve been to live shows know what that’s like! You get there and it’s like OZ behind the curtain!
Those heavenly, familiar sounds…everything starting to feel surreal and he’s right there behind a door, singing!
Within minutes, in what felt like a flurry, strangers became friends, online friends became real people…and all was right with the world. David was finally back in CT…first time since 2009, (could that even be?!), since CFTH, Foxwood’s. Please David, don’t be a stranger!
We met Abby first…a young woman, there alone, who was just a tween 10 years ago, when her plans to see David got thwarted; she was FINALLY here, first time seeing him, doing VIP, and SO excited.
Met Nitya next, from Portsmouth, NH, who had just seen him in Maine. Next, in came Deb & Refnaf, with DJBell, River, and TerryTampa. Fun to finally meet these ladies! And I had just been asking about DJ, since I’d always followed her fantastic videos back in the day…hadn’t seen her online lately…so, it was a nice surprise to meet her. They were all doing VIP… which I mentioned I’d never YET done, as I had always been too nervous that I wouldn’t be able to form one intelligible word. All these years later, I was finally ready, but didn’t want to do it alone, and Astrid had wanted to do more than one show, vs VIP. And Richmond didn’t offer a VIP.
It was time for them to go in, so we waved goodbye, as they rushed into the theater. Next thing I know, someone from their group came up from behind me saying, “Here’s an extra ticket…it’s up to you, but you gotta hurry, they’re closing the doors!!” I looked at Astrid & Emily, who I knew had at least done VIP before, but I felt bad there was only one ticket. As they encouraged me to go, it took a beat before I said “I’m sorry, but I just have to do this!!” (I’ve been saying it took me 10 years and 10 seconds to get the nerve to do VIP!) It felt like the stars had aligned to make this happen for me; now was the time .
I ran in just as they were closing the doors, and as if moving in slow-motion into a dream, I saw Kari wave the “ok” to the guy who handed me the VIP lanyard, and I made my way down to the front seats. I stopped to ask Deb…”Do you know who gave me this?!”…it had all happened so fast I barely saw who had done this for me. It was Refnaf (Nancy); she had Dangitdavid’s (Penny’s) ticket, who wasn’t able to come. Thanking her profusely, I took a seat. What the whaaa’ was happening?
Don’t ask me what he sang…it was magic tho’. 🙂 He seemed a bit serious at first…trying to get the guys to get those sound levels corrected, (which they unfortunately, never quite did… the band and bass levels during the show at times drowned him a bit.)
People asked him questions…he was mellow, low-key, adorable, David. I could still not believe I was there. Before I knew it I’m in line, thankfully, next to last…giving me some time to try and catch my bearings. Deb, Ref, DJ, River and Terry, who I kept telling I was “freaking out a bit” to, were in front of me. Best thing for me is that I had little time to overthink or over rehearse…just time to breathe, and try to just be in the moment.
Here’s Amy putting new bff David’s # into her phone. 😉
The line moved quickly, and then I saw David turn to me. Still in awe of how unexpectedly this had just happened, I stepped up, smiled, reached for his hand and just said what I was feeling…”Well, it’s been 10 years and I’m just meeting you for the first time!” Numb. Out of body. I shook his hand; he was chill and gracious. Here’s how I think the rest went:
“Ohhh, that’s great, well it’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you..! … And these lovely ladies just gave me this ticket, so I was NOT prepared for this!!” To which of course, David & Kari gushed to them how sweet that was ‘cuz…It was! *#DavidFans<3*
He then faced me (!) (blur), asked my name, and though I know I looked him straight in the face for at least a second, it’s really a blur in my memory. Whyyy couldn’t I imprint this in my mind’s eye?!
“Oh! I didn’t say…Amy!”
Again… "Oh, nice to meet you, Amy."
"Nice to meet you, Davidddd.” Numb. But melted, a little.
We got ready for the pic…my arm (tentatively) around (David?) (Like for real?) We waited as Kari, thankfully, gave us a few extra precious seconds as she prepared to take the photo. Side by side now, I squeaked out quietly “Thank you for the music.” (I squeezed him, to emphasize it.) He chuckled a bit and said “aw, you’re welcome.” Another “bold” squeak: “Thank you for Postcards” (squeeze!) Then I tried in one, quick, succinct sentence to express how I thought his music was “doing what I think you want..” (What?) (Close enough.)
I notice he’s seriously paying attention now (!) and I somehow finish, telling him that his music had “lifted me during a difficult time.” "Ohh, that’s so great-I’m glad," he replied.
Picture taken, final thank-yous. I think he was saying “enjoy the show” as they moved me along, but, having promised Amy_VA, after texting her from VIP, I reached back touched his arm to say “hello” from her, and that we’d be in Richmond to see him together. To which he, (probably thought, “Oh, stalker?!” But said..), “oh…well…I hope you enjoy that show too!”
What. Just. Happened?!
I have to look at the picture regularly to convince myself it happened. He wasn’t scary, at all. I managed to talk, fairly normally. And the genie is out of the bottle ~ YES, I’d love to do VIP again! But, this time, how it all happened, in my home state, an unexpected gift from fans I’ve “known” only online, for years, completely out of my hands…in retrospect, all of it felt somehow written and “waiting in the stars.”
However the Universe conspired to do this…I feel it was the absolute right time for me, (and a great time in his career too) to finally meet David, and thank him for the music that continues to mean so much. For those reasons, this VIP will forever be the most memorable to me. Thank you guys, again.
Oh and the show! …the seats…about 5 rows back, dead center. You know…those seats where you swear several times he’s singing straight to you. 🙂
And you could have pushed my girl, Astrid, over with a feather, grinning from ear to ear…ending her 7 ½ year DA drought that night, but “who’s counting?!”
It was the best night ever.
Until….Daryl’s House ya’ll! …to be continued… 🙂
~ Amy (@amb4da)
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p.s.
How would you guys caption Amy’s photo? 🙂
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p.p.s.
A couple of faves from Hartford, courtesy of the illustrious DJ!
David Archuleta has more concerts coming up soon, along with more VIP meet-and-greets, and because I love you guys, I want to help you make the most of your David experience.
Prom poses?? Pshaw (yes that is a word). Why not take inspiration from these, um, extremely creative fans and celebs and try these classic shots.
The Hulk Hogan Bro-shake
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2. Prompatonix
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3. Two Perrys, two poses
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4. I think I have tried this one.
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5. The Britney
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6. The Rhianna
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7. The “Boldly go where no one’s gone before”
8. If I could David to wear this headband, then YES!!!!
9. The Clooney
10. The Demi Levato
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11. The Speechless
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12. The Royal Flash, um, Flush. (Pretty sure I saw this guy in Hartford.)
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13. And my absolute favourite (and possibly one that I am now practicing)… The Lord of the Flings.
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14. And the Avril Lavigne “respect my personal space” award goes to…..
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p.s.
One last pro tip:
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Refnaf asked me to also include this PSA from her personal collection:
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And the lovely and amazing Taterzen offers this tip for the photo-averse:
I’ve had some personal family stuff that’s been weighing on me… in fact, it’s one of the reasons I wanted… no, needed… to go on a David Archuleta road trip last week.
Seeing David live buoys me like nothing else. And last week it really was a life line. Giving me a reboot to help me come home and be there for the people I love.
But as much as I feel beyond blessed to have gone to the Northampton, Hartford, Bayshore and Pawling shows, I issue a stern warning to anyone else planning a similar ArchuPalooza.
Prepare to become completely overwhelmed. To get home and suddenly realize, “Wait, what do you mean I don’t get to see David Archuleta today??”
To float through your home, office, grocery store as if in a dream… with song lyrics whirring around your head like fidget spinners … your eyes more glazed over than Ozzie Osborne’s.
But no complaints here… NONE! It’s just that it takes me a long time to process even ordinary happenings, so the intensity of a David show stays with me for weeks. Not even kidding.
So to help me put everything in perspective, I’m going to try and share my overall impressions.
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It was very eye opening to see so many shows in a row. To see David with different crowds, different venues.
The Northampton venue was small, intimate and could double as a Hells Angels clubhouse… I loved it!
Infinity Hall in Hartford was a pretty jewel box of a theatre with magical stars as a backdrop… and I loved it, too!
Bayshore was a restored old movie theatre with character and history and… well, you get the picture.
Daryl’s House was designed to look rustic but was as polished as could be… perfect acoustics and layout and run like clockwork.
One thing all these venues had in common was that David could actually see people in the crowd and interact with them… with us.
In Northampton, he (surprise) lost his train of thought while introducing MKOP and when he said, “Where was I?” a bunch of people tried to help him out by telling him where he’d left off, but they were all talking at once so he couldn’t make out what they were saying. So one man bellowed in a deep voice, “THE BIG WIGS WERE TRYING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO WRITE!” … which got him back on track.
But what struck me was that (a) so many people called out trying to help him, and (b) everyone knew exactly where he’d left off… because we were all hanging on every single word.
No chatter or whispering that usually happens when a performer talks between songs. None of that. He had each one of us in the palm of his hand.
I noticed this at all 4 venues. Remarkable.
At Pawling, I’d look around every so often just to see the huge glowing grins on each and every face… transfixed. Warmed my heart to know that those were the smiling faces David was seeing… giving him their full, undivided attention.
My photos such as they are (except for dj’s).
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Each of the 4 VIPs were special for different reasons.
In Northampton, when we were led down to the basement, the thought, “Are we about to be murdered?” crossed my mind. (Yes, I do watch too much X-Files.)
But it was quirky and relaxed and when David said to Refnaf and I after Kari took our picture, “I hope you enjoy the show,” I blurted out, “Oh, we will!”
When I asked my question, “How do you know when a song is finished?” I could barely get the words out so he just gently cupped his hand to his ear to let me know he couldn’t hear me. It was such a small gesture. But so kind. So David.
There were more people at the Hartford VIP, all ages, and several guys and couples, and we sat in the theatre seats.
This time, I tried to speak up when I asked my question… if he could go back and give his 16-year-old self advice before his Idol journey began, what would it be?
“Adults don’t know everything” he said. “That’s the advice I’d give my 16-year-old self.”
I thought the expression on his face spoke volumes. As if flashbacks of the know-it-all “adults” he’d had to deal with back then flashed before his eyes.
Other questions there included (I’ll try to paraphrase):
Q: What are two things on your bucket list?
A: I have two states I’ve never gone to for a show, Vermont and North Dakota… does that count as 2? [laughter ensued]… also, going to Japan.
Q: How do you cope with feeling overwhelmed on tour with so many people around and all the craziness? (The lovely Vidya’s question.)
A: I’m getting better at handling it. I try to get alone time when I can… whether it’s just in the bathroom or back at the hotel.
Q: How do you like Nashville?
A: Love it… the people, the music world, everything. [his face lit up answering this]
Q: Could you sing some of Aiming for Hope? (The lovely Muldur asked this for her little granddaughter who I could hear singing along to every word… so adorbs.)
A: I could do a verse and a chorus.
And he did!
When we lined up for pictures, I ended up beside the sound board where Jay was chatting with the sound engineer. I told Jay I liked his cool glasses and he told me he was just about to tell me he liked my boots … that he has the same ones. We proceed to bond over the magic of Blundstones and I am now considering changing this blog to FOJ: Fans of Jay. No, I’m not kidding. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT FOOTWEAR, PEOPLE!!!!!
[Sidenote: Desmond (aka @splinter_) is also lovely and amazing … if you get a chance to talk to him after a show, please do, he’s so nice and funny and warm, and if he’d complimented my boots, he’d be my favourite… just sayin’).
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Photo of David and Jay, my new bff. Credit: The lovely and amazing djbell/djxox… who called our group “sisters from the li’l mister” … still HOWLing.
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At picture time, I had one of the words Archuleta Peru had asked some fans to give David for their special video message. But after that, David looked at me like he was expecting me to say something else… I was expecting to say something else… it completely vaporized from my brain. I said “thanks, David” and practically walked into the wall.
Luckily I was near enough to hear the lovely and amazing djbell and River (Debbie and Mari) (pointing to Ref & I ) tell him that they’d made so many international friends because of him. He has no idea, lol.
It was so great to reconnect with dj and River after 7 years (wow!) and to get to meet other amazing fans I’ve only known online up until now (Vidya, Kristin, Astrid, amb4da, Nicola, and more … ’twas awesome!!!), and to share it all with the illustrious Refnaf and the ever-glowing TerryTampa.
The Bayshore VIP was smaller, probably because a lot of people weren’t able to make it because of the weather [including our T.O. friend, Connie (@CADTHU) who, sadly, got stuck on a PA highway for HOURS due to highway closures 😥 ].
In fact, during the show, David acknowledged that and suggested people move up to the front if they wanted… “unless you’re comfortable where you are” 🙂 … there was some shuffling and I heard one girl exclaim, “We are SO CLOSE!!!!”
Okay, back to VIP… I asked what was the best concert he’d ever been to. He thought it over so long I thought he was going to say he couldn’t choose just one, but then he said Imogene Heap. And that he rarely goes to see a performer twice but for her he’d pay to go see her again. (Oh, the irony… in fact, at picture time, Refnaf told him how funny it was to hear him say that considering we go to multiple shows of his and he said that was a huge compliment to him *sniff*). He went on to say that Imogene doesn’t so much give a concert as say, “Here, let me experiment for you onstage.” Cool.
Other questions:
Q: What song do you have on repeat lately?
A: To be honest, I’ve been listening to a lot of Christian music lately and one song in particular, “Reckless Love” … because the lyrics say:
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me You have been so, so good to me Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me You have been so, so kind to me
And that’s how I feel, that God’s been so kind to me (and then during picture time, he arranged for it to be played over the sound system so we could hear it… WHO does that???)
Q: In Nashville, have you been to the music conference [sorry, can’t remember the name of it].
A: No, I don’t like crowds. But I did go once because a friend asked me to.
Q: How did you choose Chile for your mission?
A: I didn’t. It’s chosen for you. And then your friends and family gather round and there’s a big envelope reveal and they film it but I didn’t… I didn’t like cameras at the time. [Somehow I think it was probably more that he was trying to keep it on the down low at that point, but who knows?]
Q: Do you still get vocal coaching? [The lovely Jenny/Victoria asked this Q.]
A: I’d compare it to going to the doctor for checkups… [he demonstrated the lip roll vocal exercise] … I work on breath control, which is really important for notes to sound good.
I’m sure you’ve all watched videos from the shows by now, so I’ll just share this one from djbell… I tried to videotape it myself and 16 secs in, my battery gave out… grrrrrr… and my instincts were correct… it was amazing… I felt what this song meant to him like never before… here, judge for yourself:
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Because of my brain freeze in Hartford, I made a vow to myself that I would say what I wanted to say in Bayshore, which was to thank him for including all 16 songs on the album and not cutting anything. I told him I listen to it from start to finish, that I find something special in every song, they’re so rich in meaning and feeling, they’re like soul food. After I breathlessly got all that out, he said, “Glad you like it” … “I love it” I added. Which just popped out because, well, it’s the truth.
During the show itself, there were about four or five guys sitting together not too far away from me and I’d glance over every now and then to see them rocking out to all the songs… in fact, they leapt to their feet when David said he was going to sing songs from his debut album and we all followed suit and stayed standing and David shook some hands from the front row during “My Hands”… ’twas awesome. It was also the only show where everyone stayed standing when he came back for his encore and stood and cheered for the rest of the show. Also awesome.
And the moment when he brought AnnaMarie out was incredible… he just bolted off the stage suddenly in the middle of Nunca Pense and no one knew where he went except there was some commotion behind us in the crowd… I think everyone was too shocked to swarm him or anything… and when they returned to the stage to dance, the whole place erupted in cheers and shrieks that I can only describe as the sound of pure joy… it was magical. He sure is full of surprises, our David. 🙂
It really struck me at this show how far to the edge of the stage he likes to get… as close as possible to everyone… so close, in fact, that during Nunca Pense, when we were standing in front of the stage, he literally almost socked me in the forehead when he did one of those run-forward/crouch-down air punches… my lightning fast reflexes saved me from a concussion… would NOT have wanted to miss the rest of the show. 🙂
[Sidenote: I find it hilarious that David tells such wonderful stories to explain most of his songs but says nada about a song that isn’t even in English. 😆 😆 😆 oh, David.]
One last thing about Bayshore… after the show, Ref & I looked around for someone to give our autographed VIP pictures to… I spotted a super-cute young girl in a David T-shirt, with her mom, but I couldn’t find where I’d put my photo, luckily Ref had hers handy, so she asked the girl’s mom if she’d like the picture. Well, we thought this girl was about 12 years old. Turns out, she was a lot older but had developmental challenges … she’d been a huge fan of David’s since Idol and wanted to meet him but VIP was sold out by the time they heard about the show. She was so happy to have that picture and the way she gazed at it… I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
This has turned into a novel, lol, so I’m going to talk about Pawling in another post… and new things keep coming back to me, so maybe I’ll remember everything by then. 🙂
Overall, I have just been trying to cherish every moment we get to see David in one of these intimate venues… it’s SUCH a gift… as is how he shares so much of himself at each show. I see other concerts and the songs can be great, but absolutely NO ONE I’ve seen shares as much as David does. His stories and humour and heart could melt the Polar Cap, I swear.
As much as I love listening to him sing and talk, what I also love about these shows is hearing and feeling everyone’s reaction… the deafening screams, the cheers, the laughter, the sighs, even the “MARRY ME!!!!”s… all of it.
Trouble is, now I want to do it all over again. 🙂
So what do you guys think??? What have you thought of this tour so far??
p.s.
A special note of appreciation for Kari… to stay she’s a treasure is a vast understatement… how she manages to keep her cool and stay as warm and friendly as she is, and so patient with all of us crazy fans, all while juggling a million balls in the air is beyond me. ♥♥♥
You guys, I don’t even know where to begin. This tiny little venue in Northampton, MA, was one of the best concert experiences I’ve ever had.
My head is spinning right now… so forgive me my stream-of-consciousness rambling.
First of all, Northampton is a lovely college town with a Main Street of beautiful historic storefronts, quirky bookshops and quaint vegan cafes. In short, my kind of place.
The Iron Horse venue, just off Main Street, is not the usual type of David venue… it’s rough around the edges and also in the middle. But the acoustics were incredible and the crowd madly in love with David… as it should be.
The VIP was only about 20 people and we got to hear David sound check and then headed down to the basement for Q&A and photos.
The actual basement, beside a door with a handwritten sign that said “This is NOT the bathroom” 😂😂😂
VIP Qs:
Was David nervous on American Idol? He said yes, but that nervous energy can be channeled into something positive.
If he could sing only one song for the rest of the tour, what would it be? He said probably Numb.
“Do you like bread? … I ask because I work in a bakery” … he said he likes Ezekiel bread with only a few healthy ingredients and then had to explain more about what that is because most people there hadn’t heard of it… these same 2 girls told him that they were at the Maine show last night and it was so amazing they had to come again. David wanted to know precisely what it was about the show that made them want to come again. They said “everything.” 😍 They told him it was so awesome they brought their parents to this one and said, “You’ve gotta see this!” ❤️
oh and they drove 7 hours from New Brunswick, Canada! 🇨🇦
Someone asked if he’d sing Shine A Light but he said it was only for last night unless he dropped it down an octave. After a request, he sang a bit of The Prayer… like, wow. He is planning a Christmas tour! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
And my question: “When writing a song, when do you know when you’re finished?”
He said he never feels a song is finished… even once the CD comes out, he hears things he’d want to change. Oh, David.
We won’t talk about my insane VIP photo … I look like someone who’s just woke up with amnesia.
Anywaayyys… onto the show… the crowd was SOOOO great! Screams for David from the moment he walked out. High-pitched ones that made you spill your drink.
The crowd was all ages, tons of millennials, lots of guys, families, and some Canadians who all ended up in the same corner somehow. 😂
Up All Night was electric with David throwing in all these dance moves and fancy footwork… and when he did a spin the crowd went wild.
Something About Love was met with wild cheers. But whenever he spoke or told stories, you could hear a pin drop… and then lots of applause when he was finished.
It was the first time I’d heard him mention his brother Daniel in his talk before “Beautiful” and it was really touching.
When he mentioned American Idol, a deep baritone voice called out “You should’ve won!” And everyone cheered… possibly me included.
He asked if anyone there had been at his last Northampton show, on his first solo tour, and tons of people clapped… he just beamed. And one girl told him she’d been the one waiting for him in the snowstorm… then blurted out, “We love you, David!” 😍
In fact there were a couple of cries of “Marry me, David!” but he managed to stay focused.
He was just so confident and full of that light he talks about… it filled my heart to see so much love thrown back his way.
He was so on fire he dropped to his knees on two, count ‘em, TWO songs.
At the end, when he took the time to shake hands from the stage, he remembered the New Brunswick girls and asked them how their parents enjoyed the show. I mean, who does that?? David, of course. (They loved it btw, ‘natch.)
And maybe because it was such an intimate venue and he could actually see who was out there, he was singing directly to people like never before, and having a blast doing it.
Sorry this is so sketchy… I took some videos and I’ll post them now but fair warning, I’m no Muldur or Shelley. 😂
Travel is a bear for me lately, and I tend to avoid it. It’s complicated; but then, so is chronic pain. That said, David Archuleta’s next tour would begin in Rexburg, Idaho, less than five hours by car for me, and for whomever was willing to take me. I purchased tickets and crossed my fingers. Long story short: Rexburg happened. Oh, my goodness, did it ever!
Rexburg is an Idaho college town nestled in the mountains and framed by the Grand Tetons. It is especially beautiful in the late spring and summer, and there is always a gentle mountain breeze to keep things from getting too warm. However, you also need to know that in the winter, it becomes an arctic blast that can flash freeze your contacts to your eyeballs.
The local yokels will tell you that if the wind stops blowing, you will fall down. There was nothing last Friday night to dispel that premise. We walked across campus to get to the venue early, a chance to find fan friends. I used most of that time to let my face thaw.
As people arrived—thousands of people—the buzz of anticipation was louder than I have ever heard it. They love David in Rexburg. I have been to six of his concerts there, and it is worth noting that each time, a few more men attend than before. This time was no different.
Suddenly, there he was, smiling, waving, and singing his opener “Up All Night” to 100% approval from the crowd.
Admittedly, I am from the poodle skirt fashion era. but David’s concert outfit got an A+ from me. Unfortunately, I owe TOfan an apology for not providing an adequate footwear review. Boots? Dress shoes? I’m not sure. Whatever they were, they looked good on dancing feet.
David wore jeans with rolled cuffs, together with a royal blue shirt that was tucked in and secured with a wide, snazzy-looking belt. I assume rolled cuffs comprise a look that is au courant, but the fit of the jeans reminded me of those that made David’s thighs a celebrated topic of fan discussions, circa 2009-2010. (I am prepared to deny I ever wrote that.) A dark jacket with three-quarter length sleeves put the finishing touch on his regular dashing handsomeness.
I quickly noticed there was no keyboardist. Where are you hiding, Chad? Odd, but it later became obvious that some of Chad’s accompaniments had been recorded to use. A few times, there were technical sounds that simply made the background different than what was expected. A couple of times, the technical difficulties resulted in a technical dissonance. It didn’t matter; it passed in a nanosecond. Trust me, nothing took away from the fun on stage or in the crowd.
Credit: @iteachkidz22
Someone snagged David’s official set list, but his set didn’t exactly end up as written. Toward the end, he announced he was going to change something (I have never seen that before). He consulted with his drummer, and then returned to the mic to perform. Maybe there was a technical change of some kind. All I noticed was that he didn’t sing the planned “Say Me.”
Don’t you just love a concert that has those “moments?” I tend to revisit them often, sometimes via fan video, sometimes just in my head. The venue video police were duty bound and diligent, resulting in a dearth of clandestine videos. Still, this concert was full of moments worth revisiting. Just a few:
• I think 90% of the audience knew all the words to “Something ‘Bout Love.” That song is older and maybe ready for retirement; but the crowd was instantly on their feet and engaged big time. Maybe that was the point.
• The venue made great use of special effect lighting with different colors and a big variety of patterns. It was consistently good and really added to the whole experience.
• As David sang a very moving rendition of “Spotlight Down,” fans gradually took to their cell phones until the entire auditorium was just a quiet sea of lights, almost like a show of respect for David’s point of view. ‘Twas lovely.
• David had his stories, and told them with an accent! It’s slight but southern. It’s real, and it’s completely charming, y’all.
• When “Parachutes and Airplanes” became “Thunder,” 4,600 people were catapulted beyond the decibel safety zone. The sustained applause and collegiate hooting was incredible, and incredibly loud.
• Oh, how I wish for a video of the big guy two rows ahead who was doing country line dance moves to the entirety of “Someone to Love.”
• A few of you already know that when David takes to the piano to do “My Kind of Perfect,” I tend to hold my breath until he gets through a particularly troublesome chord change. I have been more relaxed of late because I thought he had conquered that passage. Nope. He totally blew it Friday night, had to stop, tried to find the right keys, had to stop again. But that wasn’t the “moment” I will remember most. It was when he turned to the audience and calmly announced “I always forget that part,” and I realized he still had them completely in his corner. He continued to sing acapella until he could pick up the accompaniment again. When he finished, he said, “If any of you out there are my kind of perfect, you now have proof that I am not invincible.” I do believe the sound that followed might have been a few dozen coeds who swooned to the floor.
• David’s flashback medley included familiar songs from his first album, but right in the middle, he did eight bars of “I Wanna Know You” from Hannah Montana, and then pretended he had no idea how they got in there. Cute, David. Crowd loved it.
• Whenever David surprises us, it is always a “moment.” He did a singalong medley from The Greatest Showman (“A Million Dreams,” “This is Me,” “Rewrite the Stars”) that rocked the house. No troublesome chords in that number, my friends! By the time he got to the finish, he was bossing that piano like the reincarnation of Jerry Lee Lewis. Very impressive! I’m sure he had practiced with the band, but whatever he did at the performance really got their attention. They were all grinning and applauding. The drummer gave him a congratulatory salute with his drumsticks.
• I love “Postcards in The Sky,” and I really love it live. I envy those who will hear it at future performances throughout the tour because David is already feeling comfortable enough with the live version to add some of his own delicious enhancements.
• David spoke of the Valentine’s Day video release and joined with Nathan Pacheco via the video to make the duet happen in concert. It wasn’t exactly the version of “Perfect” I was hoping for, but he was in the original video by invitation, so it makes sense. David sang his part live. It was especially beautiful and coeds began dropping like flies again.
• A “moment” with Disney and the most powerful version of “He Lives in You” I have heard thus far. Add the extra drumbeats and the venue lights… Wowzer!
• The entire concert offered another upgrade to David’s dancing. There was even more awesomeness with Nunca Pense, which every crowd seems to love. In Rexburg, David not only served us salsa, it was hot salsa.
The evening ended with the traditional encore of “Glorious” and “Crush,” and with the audience singing along.
Where did the time go?
Does anyone want to drive me to Tuacahn?
~ TaterZen
p.s.
Periscoooopes and videooooos! Thank you, iteachkidz22 & Shirley!!!!
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The night before Daryl’s house a snow storm was in the forecast.
He was bit by the Archulator, a phenomenon we witnessed around the room. For proof of this, you need only watch the Live-Stream from that show (btw, THANK YOU Daryl’s House!)
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When we lined up for pictures, I ended up beside the sound board where Jay was chatting with the sound engineer. I told Jay I liked his cool glasses and he told me he was just about to tell me he liked my boots … that he has the same ones. We proceed to bond over the magic of Blundstones and I am now considering changing this blog to FOJ: Fans of Jay. No, I’m not kidding. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT FOOTWEAR, PEOPLE!!!!!
