In the interest of keeping us all uber-productive while we wait for new David Archuleta music and tour news, here’s a little activity you can play alone or with Budchuletas.
The rules are simple… roll the dice and let the emotional rollercoaster of being an Archie fan Begin.! (see what I did there? š )
It’s not only super fun and educational but will also quell withdrawal DTs from the phenomenal Orion Tour.
Game on!!!
p.s.
Here’s a link to the lovely & amazing Tina’s Say Me St. Louis audio… a little too not over it… and the mp3 that Angel Abrra has made for us all.
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p.p.s.
the audio for this spontaneously came up on my iTunes, so I just went with it… as one does… and wow, just wow, forgot how incredible it is….
. How about you guys?? Any older songs you’ve “rediscovered” lately??
For a more precise look at what that means, science wise, we consulted our crack team of SAz, um…. astrophysicists! Yes that’s it. And here’s what they came up with:
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Take the square of the hypotenuse of the time it takes David to recover from limbo dancing enough to do Higher Ground head whips.
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Multiply that by the number of times you’ve watched the Troubadour Up All Night (Dance Fever edition).
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Add that to the square root of how many times Kari giggles while David goes sock & sandal shopping.
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Use a slide rule to calculate the average weight of a Utah fox (and no, I do not mean David… behave) and subtract from the total.
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Divide that by the time it takes for your mind to go completely blank during VIP.
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And, finally, round off that number to the nearest decimal point for an exact date for when we’ll hear about tour dates… aka sometime in 2018… or 19...
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So what do you guys think?? When do you think we’ll hear??
..p.s. Top pic from the lovely & amazing Shelley!!! (‘natch)
. DAVID’S IN CANADA, Y’ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nine years ago, I first discovered David Archuleta on Idol. It was the week he sang Smoky Mountain Memories. And I was completely hooked. From then on, I watched Idol every week, scoured the web for David songs and interviews, and became a full-fledged fangirl.
Back then, I lived in India, and it did not seem likely that I would ever meet David. I felt sad knowing that I was unlikely to meet him, but reading othersā concert recaps and their fangirl flailings kept me going for several years.
I used to read about people going to concerts and their first time meeting David. How surprised they were by his tiny-ness, how charmed they were by his David-ness, and how happy they were to experience his light. It made me happy to know that what I was experiencing virtually was also what people were experiencing in reality.
Two years ago, I moved to the U.S. for graduate school, and conveniently lost touch with my fangirl side because I was so busy with adjusting to my new life. However, somehow, I was ācalled backā when David released the Orion EP.
Just like that, I was back in the fandom: I watched David dance to Up All Night on repeat, and cackled in glee, I remembered all the old songs almost as if they were muscle memory, that special David feeling was back in my heart as if it always belonged there.
Just a few days later, David announced that St. Louis would be his final stop on tour and I could not believe it. St. Louis was just two hours away from where I lived, and I went there regularly almost every month anyway!!
I screamed and cried on twitter (with happiness), and bought VIP tickets the very second they were made available. It was expensive for me, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was a chance to live a dream that I never ever thought would actually come true.
Part 2: The weeks that followed
During the weeks that led up to the concert, I tried to protect myself by preparing for the worst: that things would come up and I wonāt get to see him after all. It was necessary to do this because the disappointment would have been too much to handle. Nevertheless, I compartmentalized and made all my plans.
Every now and then, my mind slipped past its safety net, and I let myself believe that I would be able to see and hear David sing in real life, and I cried every single time at the sheer possibility and momentousness of it all.
Part 3: The VIP
Everything worked out fine, and I found myself in St. Louis on July 1st at the Old Rock House. I got there 45 minutes before the VIP, but there was a line of fans already waiting when I got there. Talk about dedication!
I was there by myself, and it hit me that I did not know any of Davidās fans in real life, although I have probably been acquainted with them on twitter.
At first, I felt a twinge of loneliness. But suddenly, for a very brief moment, I heard this beautiful voice belting out very high, very familiar notes. The voice faded away quickly, and I was left wondering if I was going crazy hearing things.
Could that have really been my first real life snippet of David singing?
At 6 PM, the doors opened, and they invited the VIP guests in. I walked in and Kari checked off my name. I was so happy to see Kari in real life: it was like seeing a long lost friend, but of course, Kari had never heard of me before. The same with Amber.
It felt like a strange foggy dream where I knew everyone but no one recognized me, except that every second was charged sharply with the anticipation of seeing David. I was shaking a little bit because I was suddenly nervous.
We walked into the performance area, and most people found a place to sit. I sat down too, but all the tables and chairs were pushed to theĀ side, so I wasnāt sure it was the best place to sit. Ā I looked at the stage and there was the Nord!!!
I remembered that Nord had been famous at some point. Was it THE NORD?
We all sat there waiting, me trying to take deep breaths and not get overwhelmed by it all. And then, suddenly, the girl sitting opposite me who was looking out the window gasped. I turned, and there he was, walking into the room from outside.
Despite knowing this already, the first thing that popped into my head was āawww heās tinyā. And then my thoughts became a complete jumble because I was in the same room as David, and he was saying hello and talking, and none of this was statistically probable, and so of course, it had to be magic.
He went up on stage and someone said that theyād traveled many hours to see him. So he asked everyone where theyād come from. As he went around the room, I forgot that I now lived in Missouri, and blurted out āIndiaā. There was a pause.
āWell, you take the prize!,ā David said. I smiled and just stared because David was talking to me and I couldnāt believe it. And then, as if he could read my mind, he narrowed his eyes, and went āBut where do you live NOW?ā.
āUh, Columbia, Missouriā, I responded feeling very stupid.
āOh, well, thatās not far thenā, he said, before focusing his attention on the next person.
So of course, Davidās first impression of me was probably that my spatial perceptions were lacking, but that was a mini-conversation that Iād just had with David, and all of my dreams had come true, embarrassment or not.
And then he sang for us. I already knew that he sounds fabulous live, and that his voice is divine. I had sky-high expectations. And YET. I was taken aback completely at how good he sounded. It was surreal. It was beautiful.
I stood there listening to Invincible, Up All Night, and Fast Car, with tears streaming down my face. I hoped no one would notice, and subtly tried to wipe them off.
His voice evoked such a strong emotional response, and all my fears, nervousness, and loneliness melted away. And I felt invincible. I felt like I was a part of something really special.
With Fast Car, I usually fast forward concert videos because I am impatient with the song. But hearing him sing it in real life, I never ever wanted it to end.
His voice has a magical, angelic, floating quality, and I know many other fans have tried to describe it, and all of their descriptions were spot on. It was comfort and home and beauty and happiness all mixed in.
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I wish Iād taken fuller length videos, but I was unsure if recording was okay or not, and did not want to get kicked out of the venue.
Next time, I plan to take full videos. Iāve lived on peopleās David concert videos for many years, and I hope to do the same for others who donāt get to be thereĀ ā¤
At some point during the VIP, fans could ask him their questions. I really liked how sharp he was in monitoring who raised their hand first, and not leaving anyone hanging for too long.
When I raised my hand, he assured me that he would come back to me in a second after another person. And then, when it was my turn, Kari almost picked someone else, but he stopped her, and insisted that I go first.
That was the second time I realized how sharp and aware he was of people.
Because I couldnāt think of anything else, and because Iām a geek who does science and research on parks, I asked him what his favorite national park was, hoping to give him an opportunity to talk about the St. Louis Arch, but he didnāt pick up on it.
He thought for a while, and said, āHmmm I donāt know. Whatās YOUR favorite National Park?ā I was completely flummoxed that he turned it around to me and I said I hadnāt been to any national parks, and immediately kicked myself a second later because I had indeed been to some national park sites, just not the big ones.
āI did go to Crater Lake a while agoā¦,ā David said, tentatively.
Then, someone in the front brought up the Arch, and he was surprised that the St. Louis Arch was a national park site. āI was thinking more about natural areas,ā he said, ālike Yellowstone or the grand canyon or something.ā
Then the conversation moved on, and I felt guilty for asking David a question that made him think so much.
Other people asked him whether he was a cat or dog person (cats because heās very sensitive to smells), what his future tour plans are (new EP coming up and more tour dates to come!), and whether he had any toasted ravioli (no but he went to this REALLY amazing food place in St. Louis and we should all go check out, and that Amber would highly recommend it too āwhereās Amber?ā). Classic David.
Then Kari made us all get in line for pictures.
I watched the line in front of me grow shorter and shorter, and then it was my turn.
I suddenly felt too small, too skinny, too inarticulate to be around David, but I took a deep breath.
āI made you a card,ā I said, handing it to him.
He took it, and said āaww wow thank youā, and seemed genuinely surprised and touched that someone made him a card.
āThank you for EVERYTHINGā, I said, and accidentally touched him on the shoulder. And then I felt horrible because what if I invaded his personal space???
Had i made him uncomfortable? And then, because a friend asked me to thank him for signing his Christmas CD, I relayed that message, but Iām really not sure if my words came out in the right order.
I said thank you several more times (I think he thinks Iām a thank you machine), thanked Kari for the picture, and found a place to sit down and breathe.
Heās holding my card haha
I clearly need more practice with this LOL.
I decided to introduce myself to people and make friends. I went and introduced myself to the lovely Pam because I remembered we had a mutual friend. Pam was really friendly, and I found myself relaxing and blending into the crowd.
I also chatted with some folks who came from Central Missouri, like me, and others who drove down from Wisconsin. Some were seeing David for their first time and others were seeing David for the 28th time.
Regardless, everyone had that sparkle in their eye, that leap of joy in their voices while they talked about how amazing David is.
This was the first time I found myself in a crowd of people who knew and enjoyed Davidās music as much as I did, and I felt a sense of special kinship.
Part 4: The concert experience
As I mingled with folks, I found a place to stand: over by the third row from the front. I didnāt think much of it and was just happy to be there. And then, fifteen minutes before it was time for David to come on, a very kind woman from the front beckoned to me and asked me if iād like to take her spot so she can go sit down.
Later, I learnt that her name was Laurie, and I am still so touched that she gave me her front row spot when she didnāt even know me. If youāre reading this Laurie, THANK YOU. Ever so much.
The front row experience was very very special. There was no one between me and the stage (āonly me only you and the bandā) and he would be so close.
Robin was right by me, and Pam too. We tried to read the set-list from where we stood, and another guy beside us was smart enough to reach out towards the stage and take a picture of it on his phone.
By then, Iād completely relaxed. Talking to people helped me feel more like I belonged and I was no longer overwhelmed. Just living in the moment. Two more hours of pure awesomeness to come.
When the crowd screamed at 8 PM, I felt like I would explode with happiness, as the opening chords of Parachutes and Airplanes unfolded.
I one-hundred percent felt like I was walking on a trampoline and I couldnāt get much higher. I just wanted to steal that moment right away from timeĀ ā¤
For the next two hours, I had a permanent smile stuck on my face. I cheered for every song, and laughed along with everyone at his banter.
My heart stopped every time he walked to our side of the stage to sing to someone, and then restarted again when he moved away.
I admired how easily he interacted with the crowd, checked in on them, engaged them by making them sing parts of the chorus.
I greatly appreciated his background story before he sang Beautiful/Scars to Your Beautiful.
Like I said earlier, when I took that picture with David, I felt small, and insufficient and skinny. But then I thought of that picture again, and I realized that what stood out was that I was happy, and David looked happy, and the light was most definitely there, and nothing else mattered.
There was one beautiful moment during the song where he sang a line of it directly to me, and pointed at me to let me know that he was singing to me. I had no idea how to respond to it, so I just smiled at him and blinked and the moment ended as quickly as it begun.
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Scars (he part where I think he sings to me is 2:19 ā 2:21. (suttygalās video))
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Elevator was really special to listen to because Iāve always loved the little hand movements that accompany the song ā¤ The medley from the first album brought back so many memories, and yet again, I marveled at the improbability of all this happening.
I had not heard him sing Donāt You Worry Child, or He Lives in You or Higher Ground (having avoided spoilers so that I would be having an entirely first hand experience) but WOW DID HE ROCK THOSE.
His confidence on stage is unbelievable. He is so comfortable dancing, and talking, and singing, and is so fully in command of himself and completely at peace with his surroundings.
It was inspiring to see him in his element, and made me believe that I can achieve that level of confidence.
Yet, he was humble and wise and down to earth.
He reminded me to be the best person I can be, and to be nice to people, to pay the kindness forward.
Heaven was another very special song and I canāt remember exactly how I felt listening to it but Iām sure you can imagine.
Crush was the last song he sang before leaving the stage, and once again, I felt like I was in a comfortable, happy place.
As he left, he made sure to grasp the hands of fans and thank them for coming. I reached out and he grasped my hand and said āthank you for comingā and I said āthank YOUā, and wondered how he was strong enough to avoid being pulled right into the crowd.
Part 5: Post-concert
After David left the stage, I hung back, taking in my surroundings and reflecting on this wonderful life experience. It was getting late, and I didnāt want to go (haha!).
I met Tina at the HOLT stall and we took a picture and she is Ā the best person to fangirl with EVER!! She brought some library friends along to introduce them to Davidās music and they all looked SO HAPPY.
It felt like I was in the Up All Night video: the magic of the midnight air, the strength of finding somewhere i belonged, and just ALL THOSE FEELINGS INSIDE.
A post shared by David Archuleta (@davidarchie) on
What a ride this has been, eh, folks?
The new songs, the dancing, the fun random IG stories, the dancing, the bowling shoes, the… well, you get the idea.
My favourite thing to see (besides the šŗšŗšŗ) was the joy that seemed to ooze out of every one of David’s tiny pores up on that stage and off.
With every hair flip, salted-caramel-dipped vocal run, beautiful, from-the-heart story, quick-dry wit, his IGs and everything else he so generously shared with us.
How about you guys?? What was your favourite part of the #Orion tour?? Please share!
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St. Louis videoooooos! thanks, Suttygal & Pam & Tinas!
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Shelley’s Broken from Denver because I missed it š
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Okay, so as you can see from this video (which features more than a few Utahns and got me very verklempt), this Saturday, July 1st is Canada Day… and not just any Canada Day but our 150th birthday! Can I get a woooohoooo!
We’re just a youngster by global standards but it’s a super big deal for us here in the Great White North (not without controversy, but hey, this is a David Archuleta fan blog, so I digress).
How big a deal is it?? We’re getting served free poutine in our office today, THAT is how big a deal it is.
So in honour of this being a David Archuleta fan blog, I thought how best to celebrate our big b’day than by getting very emotional and discussing a subject close to my heart… footwear…the sock variety.
So, ladies and germs, here’s a careful scholarly comparison between our beloved Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and our beloved David Archuleta’s sock-wearing habits…
Who reigns supreme? You tell me….
Justin started off the non-existent competition by showing off his Star Wars socks… may the force be with him … and his hair.
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Not to be outdone… at anything… at the Seattle VIP, David practically pulled a leg muscle showing off his Zelda socks … (thanks to the lovely and amazing Sara (@inaughtiest) for capturing the moment!)
During Pride events this month, Justin covered two celebrations with one snappy pair of Eid socks…..
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David celebrated having his sister on tour by borrowing her socks… as one does….
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Justin had a powerful comeback by flashing his Nato socks to Germany’s leader Angela Merkel… I hear she ordered several pair… of socks, not Justins.
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But David was holding his ace in the hole … the much-coveted Snorlax socks….
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Justin, always one to meet a challenge, pulled out the big guns with maple leaf socks… perfect for celebrating our sesquicentennial (yes, that is a word)….
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Not to be outdone, David had his own celebration… at finding his favourite sandals … WHICH HE WEARS WITH SOCKS!!!!! *cue Psycho violin music*
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I hope you enjoyed that slice of important Canadian history. Tune in next week to watch David eat a butter tart.*
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EDIT: This just in from our news desk (aka @rhiminee)… speaking of footwear, David can now add BOWLING SHOES (the BEST thing about bowling, imo) to his repertoire… AND in honour of Canada’s 150th (although he may not even know that š ), he’s wearing the shirt Refnaf & I brought him from Canada! *sniff*
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And here are the shoes (and the shirt š ) in action!
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Gee, look who’s radiating a whole solar system of light here? š … srsly tho’ the rapt faces of all those young people hearing they are beautiful just the way they are gets me all verklempt, dear friends. š
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And here’s the full vid of UAN…the sheer joy on D’s face when he hears everyone singing along TO HIS BRAND NEW SONG!!!! makes me want to hug the universe and ride a unicorn into the sunset!!!! ā¤ ā¤ ā¤
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. UAN from another, equally awesome, angle!
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p.s.
FLIPPING FOR @DAVIDARCHIE!!! š š š
A post shared by David Archuleta (@davidarchie) on
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LA, it was amazing to hear you sing along to every songāincluding the new ones. seeing all the fans who’ve been around over the years šš¼šš¼ pic.twitter.com/qmeQopZXAq
Love this IG vid from Brooke after the @davidarchie show last nightš§” there are more but I’m having video merging issues lol pic.twitter.com/Lb8m9iQspq
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From jennette’s IG stories (there’s a bunch… follow her HERE to see them)
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This one though… I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!
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IN FACT, IT WAS AN ICARLY REUNION!!!!!!
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Nossa Miranda foi ao show do cantor David Archuleta, ontem em Los Angeles, ao lado de Jennette McCurdy. Lindaasss ā¤ pic.twitter.com/n76GumAUT0
ā Miranda Cosgrove BR (@mcosgrovecombr) June 23, 2017
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And I do not, I repeat, I do not condone this behaviour but TOTALLY DOING THIS IN MY HEAD AT EVERY SINGLE SHOWWWWW!!!!!!
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In case u wanna see me screaming bc he touched me even tho I’ve literally met him twice before. @DavidArchie it’s just never not special šš pic.twitter.com/UAcRv4qe0C
Just thought I’d let you know (as if you didn’t know already) that we have possibly picked the best guy ever to be fans of.
A guy who, when you give him a T-shirt as a gift at a VIP, makes a point to wear it at the next one … and tell everyone there that it was from “the Canadians” *SOBS*
That would be this shirt (that says “the mountains call and I must go,” which he made a point of reading out, upside down, to everyone there) š
A guy who adds My Little Prayer to both the VIP and the show because a lovely man in the VIP told him he felt compelled to travel to the show from Nebraska to thank him for the song after hearing it on a spiritual playlist a mere 6 weeks ago and that it affected him deeply. Oh and then he gave the guy a shoutout when introducing the song. ššš
A guy who sounds like this singing Fast Car by Tracy Chapman:
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A guy who says, “Sure!” when you ask him to give your dad a birthday message:
āā
Seriously though… one thing that really hit home during this Spokane show was how blessed I feel to be supporting such a remarkable person.
He fielded some interesting VIP questions…
1. About the new music that’s coming (my Q…feel free to thank me later š) …
He said he is very excited about the next EP, Ā which will have a retro “groovy” soulful vibe… PEOPLE, I AM BEYOND EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!!
He also said that the album will feature all the EP songs PLUS… I repeat… PLUS additional songs. (I was nodding and smiling and giving him so many thumbs up during his answer that I’m sure I pulled a muscle).Ā
He said he has 16 songs he wants to release over these EPs and album. *cartwheels*
2. A lovely young lady from Idaho told him she loved Numb and wanted to know the story behind it, so he shared that.
3. A fine gentleman asked about his future goals and he talked about how he’d live to have kids, have a family.
4. One lady gave him tissues because he was stuffy from allergies then had to ask for them back when his MLP made her cry.
5. He was asked how they travel on tour and apparently all 11 of them get cozy in one tour bus with bunks. He stretched out his back saying the bunks weren’t 100% comfy.
6. Who would he most like to collaborate with? Tori Kelly. He loves how she can share her spirituality in pop music and stay true to who she is.
7. His fave songs to perform? Lately, Running and Higher Ground.
8. Why Say Me was pulled from the set list? Because the crowd wasn’t “vibing to it” and neither was he. š we told him we love it, however.
9. Fave Ben Rector song? He asked the others if they knew Ben’s music but they didn’t so he sang a bit of Brand New and they recognized that (be still my ā¤ļø)… his faves: Note To Self, Wildfire and I Like You.
10. Biggest challenges? Believing in himself… something he continues to struggle with.
11. Do you have a girlfriend? (NOT my Q, I swear!) He said no… “Single… but probably not for long” ššššš
You guyyyyys…. this guy is so worthy of all our support, ALL of it, I actually wish I had more to give… you all know this but just had to say it out loud.
And the concert was icing on a very rich, amazing cake.
Gorgeous jewel box of a venue. Very enthusiastic crowd… not Portland-level hysteria but a lot of love thrown David’s way.
The acoustics on the ballads were incredible… every tender nuance warm and Ā crystal clear.
I’m Ready, Heaven, Scars, Forevermore, Broken, He Lives in You, were the highlights for me…def check out Shelley’s vids…I know she took them because Ref & I were blessed to sit between her and the lovely Tina… apparently the lady behind us said she was quite entertained by us all all night, lol.
my lame He Lives in You vid:
Oh and David invited a local kids choir to sing Glorious with him… they sounded just lovely although the boys in particular lookedclike they wanted to time-travel right outta there, lol.
Sorry for the stream of consciousness ramblings, just trying to process it all.
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