What do the Cowboy Junkies have to do with David Archuleta?

Posted on 02/16/2011 by TOfan

Okay, this is sort of a weird post. No, I haven’t lost my mind (at least I hope not), but when I came across this article about the Cowboy Junkies in The New York Times, all I could think about was how it all related to David Archuleta.

If you don’t live in the Great White North, you may never have heard of the Cowboy Junkies, but most Canadians of a certain age have … I think. They’re one of those long-time bands we sort of take for granted (like Blue Rodeo or the Tragically Hip) — they’ve practically become part of the landscape.

But until reading this, I didn’t realize why they’ve survived so long … their fans. Read on and let me know what you think….

From left, the drummer Peter Timmins, the bassist Alan Anton, the vocalist Margo Timmins and the songwriter and lead guitarist Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, who have a new album.

Canadians Who Still Have Fun Being Somber
By David Belcher
Originally published HERE.
Haunted songs by the Cowboy Junkies like “Lonely Sinking Feeling” and “To Love Is to Bury” won’t be turning up on “Glee” one day, but this band has turned somber into a mysterious sort of success for 25 years.

The Cowboy Junkies’ music is moody and often solemn, and this Canadian alt-country group is best known for its slow, stripped-down covers of classics by Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Townes van Zandt, among others, sung in Margo Timmins’s ethereal smoke-and-honey voice. In 1988 the band scored a minor hit, its only one, with a reinterpretation of “Sweet Jane,” written by Lou Reed, from its second album, “The Trinity Session” (RCA), which went on to sell more than a million copies in the United States and two million in Canada.

But while countless other 1980s bands have fizzled out or disappeared after far greater success, the Junkies still pack clubs throughout North America and Europe about 75 times a year, thanks to a cultish, Deadhead-like following that seems to surprise outsiders.

“We never bought into the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle by moving to New York or Los Angeles,” said Michael Timmins, the lead guitarist (and Margo’s brother), who writes the band’s original music and lyrics. He, like his band mates, still lives in Canada. “We’ve just always made music, which is what we love to do. It’s kind of pathetic and really boring. Maybe part of that is being Canadian.”

Margo Timmins.

And now a band whose story seems to define quiet survival has seen its profile expand. Last week it played two sold-out shows in New York, performed at the Neil Young tribute concert at Carnegie Hall along with Patti Smith and the Roots, and recently appeared on“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” And on Tuesday it released “Demons” (Latent Records), a tribute to the singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who died at 45 in 2009, and the second in the band’s four-album Nomad Series being released over the next year or so.

“There’s no other band that can stay that quiet and that dynamic at the same time,” saidRyan Adams, the alternative country singer who performed on 2007’s “Trinity Revisited”(Cooking Vinyl), a CD and DVD package that recreated “The Trinity Session” song for song. “They create tension by not adding tension. I sort of imagine them living in an attic in a library in Canada or something.”

The band’s long-running Web site is a big reason the group is still thriving. It’s a community center for fans and a clearinghouse for hundreds of “bootleg” recordings and Web-only downloads. Fans can stream free online or pay for individual song downloads or entire concert recordings. When they join the e-mail list, they receive three free downloads and for a one-time subscription fee of $150 they receive 300 of them.

The site also features intimate blog entries written mostly by the introverted Mr. Timmins (he wrote last week with mixed feelings about four jam-packed days in New York), early sketches of music and lyrics, and anatomies of albums from concept to finished product. The band encourages (and sells) the bootlegs — many of which are recorded by a fan known as Cookie Bob. (He brought the band a batch of ginger cookies years ago.)

“They really show the fans the writing and recording process, and these are educated fans who know a lot of music and music history,” said Jason Lent of Las Vegas, a fan of 17 years who followed the band around for four months last year after quitting his job. “Whether it’s sneaking a few fans into a sound check or coming out after a show to greet fans, the band genuinely wants to share its music.”

The Junkies had been planning to record an album with Chesnutt, who was partially paralyzed in a car accident in 1983, but he died after an overdose of muscle relaxants. “One of the hopes of this album is that it inspires people to seek out the originals and keep his music alive,” Mr. Timmins said. “We had intended to do an album where he would write the songs, and we would be the band. Now we’re trying to fulfill a bit of that desire.”

Michael, Margo, their brother Peter Timmins (on drums) and the bassist Alan Anton, a childhood friend, grew up in Montreal. Years of playing together as teen-agers eventually evolved into Cowboy Junkies, and the band developed a following on the Queen Street West scene in Toronto. (The band has played for more than 20 years with the solo artist Jeff Bird, who adds mandolin, harmonica, violin and other instruments.)

After “The Trinity Session” the Junkies released a series of modestly successful albums, including “The Caution Horses” in 1990 on RCA and 1996’s “Lay It Down” (Geffen), which speak to the changing of seasons, small-town gossip and tragedy, and an almost Southern Gothic approach to life and death.

After the band left Geffen in 1998, the Junkies moved to independent labels and built their own Web site, message boards and an online store, and they embraced social networking with the arrival of Friendster. Many of their covers — they smooth out the twang on the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” and pump up the bluesy guitar on Mr. Young’s “Cortez the Killer,” for example — are exclusive to the Web site.

“We are more about relating to our audiences than what the labels wanted us to be,” Michael Timmins said, referring, in part, to the band’s embrace of fan bootlegs. “That’s why we’ve survived. We might have had more economic success, but then I don’t think we’d still be around.”

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 82 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day, David Archuleta!

Posted on 02/11/2011 by TOfan

To David Archuleta, love Almond. ♥

This post is intended to embarrass the ohmyheck out of David Archuleta. How? By listing all the myriad ways we love him. Scratch that. LOOOOOVE him.

I’ll start things off, and feel free to add your own list in the comments.

1. Voice of an angel’s guardian angel.

2. Heart as big and open as the sky.

3. He’s only assaulted our senses with this shirt once.

"What?? ... It was on sale!!"

4. He’s got stretchy cheeks.

6. He wields a mean megaphone.

Credit: pabuckie

 

7. He writes soulful pop songs that make me feel enriched and alive.


8. He’s just David.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Your a rambler and a gambler and a sw…“, posted with vodpod

9. Oh, and this….

So, what do you guys think … have I missed anything? 🙂 Please share!

*Card up top from HERE.

Posted in Special event | Tagged | 46 Comments

David Archuleta in India: ‘Raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace’

Posted on 02/09/2011 by Kizzi

Seeing the news and videos coming in from Mr. David Archuleta’s India trip, I was immediately reminded of the words from a person of great faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and of her works in India and with lepers.  She said:

“Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace…. the rest will be given.”

No matter our own personal beliefs we cannot but be deeply moved by a young person, 20 years of age, giving love, kindness, understanding, peace and bringing support to those who are shunned, unwanted by the world at large.

It’s hard not to write about David in over the top hyperbole; the conundrum, however, is that writing in that manner is somewhat freakish.  He is after all mortal and subject to the same imperfections as we. He is about as “what you see is what you get” as one can be and has listed out his own personal challenges time and again. Imperfections certainly exist but are overshadowed, from my perspective, by his beneficence. For one’s writings to be taken seriously however, the premise is to look at all sides and address them. Otherwise the validity can be diminished in the eyes of objective readers.

It’s hard to strike that balance finding the words that convey the reality, what is there and what isn’t, with sincerity and authenticity. I find when addressing “what isn’t” I’m trying to enforce my image of “what should be” and also with the tone that I’ve lived longer, and, therefore, am wiser and smarter. And the fun here in being a fan at this “freakish” level, is watching David share HIS journey.

For he is a young person engaged in charitable works, who is in essence an episodic life guide, conducting, for a short time, his fans to more abstract places. In this case to a heightened awareness of humanity, to increased knowledge and greater wisdom of ourselves and those around us.

We have all encountered people in our lives who teach us by word or deed, who show us greater knowledge and wisdom. They can pop up anywhere, anytime, from any faith or background and teach us or guide us for a time along a particular path. They can also introduce us to others who help us out based upon our needs. These episodic life guides, can indeed, resonate powerfully with us.

Once I was in a Discovery Channel store and out of the blue, an older man, deeply tanned, white hair, in khaki’s and a tee came over and pulled out a book from the stack I was browsing, put it in my hands and said in a rich southern drawl, “You need to take this home.”  Ahhhh…ummmm…gulp….at first I had to replay in my mind what he said.  Then after I closed my gaping lips, I asked what the book was about. He explained it was about quantum physics but written for young people.

I opened the book and started to flip through it and became absorbed. When I looked up, he was gone.  I wondered if he was a store employee, but when I asked at the checkout counter, they did not have a male employee on any shift.  This all too brief encounter left me with a enhanced sense of awareness of life’s mysteries, of random acts of kindness, and, later, a sense of ‘ah-ha’ for my young son. You see he had been searching for a direction in his studies and that book started him down the path that has ultimately turned out to be one of his great passions….and that all started with a chance encounter with a stranger who turned out to be for just one instant, a significant guidepost for my son.

We all have told our stories, at least those of us who comment here in cyber fan land, of how David first popped up in our life, how we were first affected by his music, his personage and his good works, and on and on…and again and again.  David’s first AI “Imagine” performance captures all of this for me.…a brotherhood of man… a la David Archuleta style.

With his latest journey to India and subsequent blog, it has become apparent that he can be seen as an episodic guide, a teacher, into the realms of knowledge, wisdom and spirituality for those who choose to listen at a deep level.  And when someone impacts you so deeply with life’s simplest messages as if they were fresh and new, messages like:

  • Be joyful
  • Be grateful
  • Work with diligence
  • Be kind to people
  • Love one another

….then we cannot but agree that the reasons are deep, quite personal and the gratitude profound to have chanced upon such.

And David’s good works, how he goes about his life, his giving of himself, his love, his kindness, his smiles, his joy, reminds me of something else Mother Teresa, from a life devoted to giving and loving those in need, shared:

“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”

So too is David in both his good works and his career, a writing utensil in the hand of a Higher Power, sending messages that resonate deeply in our hearts.

No matter our faith, we can easily connect to the Divine, the Universe, through David’s music, his philanthropic works, his love of humanity, his joy, his giving.

We fans have the good fortune to hear and see David’s very own love letter to the world as it is being composed.

— Kizzi


Posted in david archuleta, Fan experience | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Geek chic: The other side of David Archuleta merchandise

Posted on 02/06/2011 by TOfan

A company called Impressive Displays (they created this banner for David Archuleta back in December… no idea why) tweeted this concept sketch yesterday, along with these tweets:
“@ImprssvDisplays launches marketing package case study for @DavidArchie -follow the four phases of action here:
The @davidarchie marketing tour package project is underway. Next-theme and concept!
In the coming weeks we’ll build @davidarchie‘s graphics for the mkting tools here:

This is the T-shirt I bought at The Rocket Summer show. 🙂

Of course when I read the word “tour,” I flipped … along with probably the 550 other fans who viewed that twitpic).

Then I took a deep breath. My dad, before he retired, owned a similar type of company, so I know that a lot of these concepts are created to pitch for work, not necessarily because the contract is a certainty.

Still … tour … even as a speculative concept … yessssssssssssssssss.

So that got me thinking … again. Last fall, I attended The Rocket Summer show in Toronto with the lovely Pastel and Roberta and we all went wild for the cool merchandise that was selling like hotcakes during and after the show (including all the Rocket Summer CDs and EPs … imagine that). We turned to each other and said the same thing: “Why doesn’t David sell stuff like this at his shows?”

Imagine a whole line of “geek chic” merchandise that celebrates David’s dork-cool vibe and quirky sense of humour. Squiggly pigs here and “hush cats” there … with some of the great pictures from his album shoot used on posters instead of the dark super-serious ones that are there now.

"David Archuleta No Sleep 'til Bedtime"

Here are some random ideas (take with at least one grain of salt):

1) CDs, with a special price if you buy all 3, and Chords of Strength (hardcover, paperback and audio book* 🙂 )

2) Squiggly pig everything (to come in kids and adult sizes, since we know David’s fans range from Build-A-Bear age to 90something Dorothy and beyond), T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, flannel pj bottoms, walkers.

3) “No Sleep Til Bedtime” T-shirts … or PJs.

4) Yard accessories … and seedlings:

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5) TweetWear:

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6) Stationery:

7) Special VIP Meet & Greet location … and beverages:

Source: Tumblr

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8 ) Thai food locator app … with bonus TweetWear:

 

Source: CappingDavid/Tumblr

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9) Sundries … hey, Biebster has nailpolish, so why not?

So, what do you guys think? Is David’s selection of  merchandise okay as is? What would you like to see (either at a show or from DA.com)? …oh, and do you currently use any item emblazoned with the likeness of Mr. David Archuleta? 🙂 … just curious….

— TOfan

*The reason I mention audiobook… sorry, again… is because I just read that Anne Murray has just released an audiobook version of her autobiography that “as a special bonus, includes never before released live concert recordings, plus stories not found in the printed version!” 🙂

Posted in Utter nonsense | Tagged , | 49 Comments

David Archuleta: Witness to the goodness, Part 2

Posted on 02/03/2011 by TOfan

More info:
“Had an amazing time in India at Rising Star Outreach! Very humbling to go there and even though it was a short trip it was a life changing experience. Just makes you appreciate things more and gives you a different perspective of things. Sorry for the rambling babbling and still not really getting to everything I wanted to explain, but hopefully we can get a Q&A sometime soon!”

Tags: David  Archuleta  India  Rising  Star  Outreach  leprosy  colony colonies  lepors  Tamil  long  ramble  babble  blog

************************************************

This picture made me cry. For reasons that have nothing — and everything — to do with David Archuleta.

In my faith, we celebrate a special service the Thursday before Easter — one in which clergy wash the feet of the parishioners (or we wash each others’ hands or feet) as a reminder of the way Christ washed the feet of the Apostles before the Last Supper.

It’s usually one of the most moving experiences of my year and I think I’d feel the same way even if I was just a visitor, even if I was agnostic or atheist or just plain cranky. That simple gesture of one person caring for another in such a tender, personal way symbolizes for me everything we should try to be for one another.

The love that heals all wounds, erases all cares, bonds us together and — as David said in today’s vlog — reminds us that other souls are “just like us.”

If that picture is so powerful, you’re probably wondering why didn’t I post it here supersize.

It was a purely personal decision. I could be way off-base, but I get the sense that while David wants to use his musical gifts and notoriety to help others and to bring awareness to worthwhile causes like Rising Star Outreach, he’s careful not to become the central focus, to use the cause as one big photo op, the way some celebrities might. As if.

That said, the pictures (from Ron Gunnell, who was also on the trip) are too moving not to share. What I think I love most about them is that they don’t show us anything we didn’t already know about David. Not only because of what he says … and sings… but how he treats others regardless of their station in life.

Here’s an excerpt from a post — called “Witness to the Goodness” — that Happy* wrote a while back after a video of David visiting a nursing home surfaced (until he asked for it to be taken down). I think it applies even more so today:

“Anyone who is tuned in to life can see the beauty in that event. I need not expound on it. I just want to witness to the goodness. So I emerge from my present phase for that purpose. There is no mystery here, when people are righteous that inspiration demands and deserves appreciation.

“Thank you, David Archuleta, for being a great kid; for loving humanity; for sharing your gifts with both young and old; for allowing yourself to see the precious gift that is life and spirit in all of God’s people even those who seem no longer relevant. And may you always retain the humble belief that you are one soul in a great sea of souls, attempting to witness to Love in a world in great need of Love; no more and no less, for that humility is in itself a great gift to you and to us. Peace.”

— TOfan

P.S. What do you guys think? How did you feel watching David thank us for contributing to the Pathway of Hope? Have you done something differently today after watching his vlog? Do you think he’ll write a song about the experience or change his path altogether?

*Miss you, Miss Happy!



Posted in Special event | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

A Passage to India

Posted on 01/28/2011 by refnaf

Annual Day celebrations at Rising Star Outreach school.

Below is my journal entry for June 14,  2008, from my first trip to India.  I experienced culture shock from the moment I arrived in Delhi and for the entire time I was there. The sights, sounds, smells, were so different than anything I had seen before. David Archuleta, I am sure, will absorb it all and grow from this trip. I am so glad that he can participate in such a great cause as Rising Star Outreach ….

June 14, 2008
“There is such a contrast between rich and poor here…While stopped at a stop light  in our car , a man came up to our window with a babe in arms and a dirty, empty, plastic baby bottle. He used the bottle to rap on my window, his face blank, but his eyes pleading…..It is impossible for me to turn away. I want to get out and give as much as I can. My Indian friends insist that the baby is borrowed and well fed and that begging is just another occupation here in Delhi. ‘Better luck next life’ seems to be the motto. This does not sit well with me. We continue on our way  to the mall, which looks like any mall back at home, but I don’t feel much like shopping. On the perimeter of the mall parking lot you see people EVERYWHERE in makeshift huts and tents, cooking over fires, kids playing in the dirt, cows wandering, traffic and congestion all around. I feel a long way from home.”

I dream of returning to India someday, but next time not as an observer but to help. David’s involvement in RSO has given me the doorway to actually DO IT, something that I previously had thought about, but never knew the vehicle to actually GO!!

I was fascinated to learn that when RSO founder Becky Douglas visited India in 2000 and was approached by beggars with leprosy, she was so haunted by the experience that she vowed to return someday and make a difference. And she did. RSO’s first children’s home and boarding school opened four years later with 27 kids from India’s leper colonies. Even though leprosy is now curable, lepers are still considered outcasts in that country. In fact, there about one million cases of leprosy in India alone.

These are some of RSO’s other programs:

  • A permanent children’s school and village built on a 13.5-acre tract of former orchard land near Chennai.
  • A Mobile Medical Unit that travels to the leper colonies (since logistics and social stigma make access to hospitals difficult).
  • Helping ostracized families to work towards independence by providing loans for small businesses. (According to the RSO website, one leprosy sufferer who’d attempted suicide by drinking pesticide recovered and later received a micro-loan to buy a cow. The man sold the cow’s milk, saved his money and eventually the single cow became a small herd. The man is now respected by people who once shunned him.)

David’s support of a cause like RSO, in a culture so different than ours, and one that has always held a huge  interest for me is another “David moment,” for me — a nudge in a direction that once seemed impossible.

Entire families on one motorbike!!

David’s inspiration has given me the push to change many things in my own life’s journey, including my job, my exercise habits and my attitude — to try to “disco with the flow” more often. I appreciate the fact that he is willing to spend his time and energy helping others. That tells me he really wants to learn about the people and give them the healing gift of his voice….

Can you imagine it? David singing his heart out for these people? …. I can, and it is a beautiful thing. David will see so much,  and learn so much…and grow so much…. I know I came back from India with a broader perspective on what is valuable in this life, and I think David will too.

Thank you again David, for showing us your heart.

— Refnaf

p.s. January 31 is World Leprosy Day. To learn more about RSO’s work, watch this amazing video first posted by MunkFOD (or to make a donation, click the brick in the sidebar).

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , , , | 55 Comments

La vie en rose : A David Archuleta fan in Paris tells her story

Posted on 01/24/2011 by zami

I was a free man in Paris: The City of Lights responds to a David Archuleta tour announcement.

Mon histoire
Hi, I’m Zami and I love music. All kind of music. R&B/Soul (my favorite), pop, pop/rock, classic, etc… I even like some rap songs (but only those with meaningful messages, not the bling-bling ones lol). I’m 31 or 32, I stopped counting when I was 25. I never thought I was old until I was categorized as an “older fan” of David Archuleta! I live in Paris, France, and I’m a former teacher. I’m now a social worker and I (still) teach French as a second language.

Au début
The first time I heard about David was in a French blog. The journalist wrote something like “watch this kid! He’s amazing! American Idol has already found its winner!” I clicked on the link and it was a video of David’s performance of “Imagine.” It was the first time (since a long time) that I had being touched by a song and a superb voice. And when you think that I was never a fan of “Imagine,” you can tell that I was shocked, lol. After listening to the video like 1 million times, I decided to search other videos about him, just to see if what I was feeling was just about that particular performance or if it was about the singer. I’m just going to say that I spent a lot of time watching all the YouTube videos of David and I realized that he was special. Not only his amazing voice but something really touching and endearing about his personality.

David Archuleta ready for his closeup.

If I’m honest, I didn’t want to be a “fan.” I never was a fan of someone before and the word fan in my mind always had a pejorative connotation. But with David, I felt invested since the beginning. I didn’t know why, there was just something different about him. Now, I’m happy to call myself a fan for life of David Archuleta. He has enormous talent and he’s also a good person. He has a lot of charisma and for me he’s a leader, maybe a humble one but still. He inspires me by his positive attitude and his great (and uncommon) personality makes me forget, sometimes, that I’m first a fan of his voice (and his music)!

Also, I confess, I’m really addicted to his voice, I listen to his songs everytime for every occasions ! I know that can seem crazy but I like how I feel when I hear him sing, lol.

‘D’Arch’ de Triomphe
What’s it like being a David fan in France? Well, I thank God every day for the Internet, lol, and for the amazing fans who share their experiences, their videos, etc. … I feel less isolated.

I know other fans of David here (there’s a French forum about him, I think, and I saw one or two blogs). Some know him from AI (AI is not aired here, you can only watch it on the Internet), others thanks to the McFly tour and the Demi tour (Demi has a lot of teen fans here).

All my family and my friends know who David is and they like him too (my nephew even said once that he’d like to be David Archuleta when he grows up. He thought for a long time that he was a fictional character because he only saw him on YouTube, lol).

Also, being a fan in France can have its “advantage” (yes, I’ve found one. lol). I think it’s easier to promote him here. You just have to make people listen to his music and they like him. No AI stigma, no “he’s only for little girls,” no JB comparisons, etc. … It’s just about his voice!

McFly Tour, Portsmouth, U.K. (Photo: Dan Smyth)

McFly
“There is nothing that compares to David Archuleta live”: I can’t count how many times I heard (read) that. So the minute I knew David was going to tour with McFly in the U.K., I couldn’t not go. It was my first chance to hear him sing live and I didn’t know if there would be another opportunity so the decision to go was made in a heartbeat!

I went to the show with my brother and two friends. My brother already liked him. He lives in The Netherlands so I emailed him regularly all D’s performances on AI while I was watching the program. My bro is more of an R&B/Soul fan and he thought that David did the best cover of “Stand by Me” he ever heard, so it was easy for me to convince him to come with me. My friends were really and positively surprised at how good he was live and couldn’t believe he didn’t win AI (I never told them before that David was a former AI contestant because they are music snobs, lol — they think the reality shows can’t produce real artists).

Now I can say it too: There is absolutely nothing that compares to David Archuleta live! He was amazing and the audience response to him was great. My only regret is that I didn’t meet him. I’m shy and I didn’t want to sound stupid with my bad English!

Doesn't it look like he's about to speak French? "hmm, j'ai faim ..."

 

Pat-A-Pan
I was so excited the first time I heard David would be singing in French for Pat-A-Pan! It took me a week to listen to the entire song, I was repeating the first words in French again and again and again. I love his accent in French, it’s so cool. I ‘d love to hear more from him, like a French version of Crush. And for the first time, my nephew didn’t ask me to translate the lyrics for him (he sings all David’s songs phonetically, his current favorite is Elevator. Oh, and he can do a great impersonation of David, lol).

My hope as a European fan
I’d love to see David in France. He’d love Paris (not really for the people, lol, but there are a lot of museum and monuments to visit here !).

He really should come back to Europe to tour or just to promote his album. He already has fans everywhere here without any exposure (Italy, Spain, Holland, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Romania, Bulgary, Portugal …) ! I hope that when he talked about an international tour in his last blog, it will include a visit to the “old continent”!

For now, I’ll keep on supporting him and listening to his albums, waiting for a second chance to see him live. I have great hopes for 2011 !

— Zami

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 61 Comments

Happy International Hug Day!

Posted on 01/21/2011 by TOfan

In honour of International Hug Day, I’d like to send out a huge hug to all of you … and to the king of one-armed hugs, Mr. David Archuleta!

What’s your favourite ArchuHug? Take this trip down memory lane and place your vote below! *squishes*

The Alex Good-Bye

The Natasha Surprise                                              The Gaga Grab

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Jorvid!              Cookchuleta!

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My personal favourite!

Christmas classic

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 37 Comments

Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies

Posted on 01/20/2011 by TOfan

The lovely MunkFOD posted this vid at the end of the last thread, along with this comment: “OH my gosh you guys! You have to see this! highlights of David Archuleta in the group performances from idol! Great to see his progress thru idol….geez ! He is soooo goood!

Too adorbs not to post: David & Katie (from Cambio.com)

And I was so blown away, I had to give it its very own post. I had been searching for that vid for ages! “Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies” *dies*

Not only does it show David’s progress through Idol, but it also showcases how versatile he is (I know, not news, lol) … he covers all those styles of songs while still retaining his “Davidness” in each one… love the ArchuGrowl in there too!

And beyond the amazing vocals … can we talk about the dance steps??? Yes, I know they’re adorkable and awkward… but he did them anyway! That’s one of the things I love most about this crazy Costco-kid, he puts himself out there and tries no matter how far outside his comfort zone he steps… no, leaps.

When I forced myself to watch A.I. last year when David was on, I was shocked that they now lip-synch all those numbers … probably very few of the contestants could handle what he did so masterfully. *replays*

How about you guys? Did this vid remind you of any favourite David A.I. moments? Will you watch A.I.10? Or would you rather listen to Simon sing Imagine?

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 23 Comments

I just don’t get it ….

Posted on 01/15/2011 by TOfan

As you know, David Archuleta will be performing two songs as part of NBC’s Skate for the Heart telecast this Sunday night (4-6 p.m. ET) — one of them (MKOP) while Olympic bronze-medal skater Joannie Rochette skates.

Since Joannie is practically more beloved in this country than Tim Hortons, I posted the MKOP sneak peek video on Facebook. Shortly afterward, a friend commented, “He must be reeeeeeeally short, Deb.”

Seriously? That’s what she noticed? Not the incredibly beautiful song? The gorgeous skating, even? That VOICE??? I don’t get it.

Yes, David is a smallish guy, he looks young, he is young. Can we not move on?

You know what else I don’t get?

Someone tweeted a link to Josh Grobin singing “Voce Existe Em Mim” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. No offense to Josh but it was just awright for me (to quote Randy). I didn’t think it held a candle to Contigo en la distancia or The Cat and Mouse Carol – and yet it garnered more than 75,000 views in just 10 days… wait, actually I do get that. Josh is a huge star, lol, so nvm.

Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes. (Photo: spacequarterly.com)

Okay, another head-scratcher? Kari Sellards, who works with WEG Management as David’s tour manager tweeted this yesterday, “Hey all you Archies out there. I know a lot of you will go anywhere to see David but I am doing a survey to see where you all live. Just tweet me back with you name, city and state!”

Trouble is, she only had about 525 followers at the time. Not exactly a representative sampling. Some fans have double that. If that’s the scientific testing being used to determine where to tour, we’re in trouble. How about looking at the response to previous tour stops? Or getting David or his official Facebook to send out the call to action? (… of course, if she was just looking to boost followers (cynical, I know) it was genius! She now has over 700.)

One thing Kari and her colleages don’t seem to get is that there are so many fans who voted for David on Idol and then lost track of what happened to him (thanks to zero promo) — in fact, I’ve met many of them at shows. On the solo tour, quite a few didn’t even know that he had an album out. And again, this fall, a bunch were unaware he’d released anything post-Crush.

I truly believe that as long as a concert gets enough publicity, these fans will come out of the woodwork to see David. Why does no one on David’s team — including the man himself — seem to get that?

Tickets for this CHUM-FM event sold out in a record 15 minutes. *hints* (Photo: JustJaredJr.)

David seemed baffled at the crowds that came out to his COS book signings, flummoxed that he hadn’t been forgotten. This seems to be a recurring theme. In fact, I came across the blog David posted after the CHUM Christmas Wish event in Toronto, and could hardly believe what I was reading:

“On Monday we went to Toronto, Canada! It was great going back to Toronto, and we ate at a Southern Italian restaurant there. I’ve never had *Southern* Italian food, but it was delicious. I then did a performance Tuesday for CHUM FM of Crush where I accompanied myself on piano. It was actually the first time I had ever done that for an audience haha, so it was exciting. And thanks everyone for coming to the shows! It’s so great to see the signs and familiar faces. I wasn’t sure how the performance in Canada would go, but it was just awesome to see the turn out.”

Kinda broke my heart. David, David, David — please accept that your fans LOVE you and — even the ones who don’t necessarily have full-blown ODD — they just need to see and hear you or at least find out that a concert is happening and they will flock back to you like swallows at Capistrano.

Something I do get, strangely enough, is this line in a blog I came across from a Vancouver university student writing about the music she’s listening to right now:

“Falling Stars, Something About Love, Who I Am all by David Archuleta – i don’t care if he is like a male grandma, or that he is more for teenagers, I like his songs!!! still better than Justin Bieber right?! Oh please I hope so..”

That, I totally get…. 🙂

… how about you guys? What have you been scratching your head over lately?

p.s. Top photo credit: Tumblr (wishupontomorrow).

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 77 Comments