Fan fiction contest: No David iPad for me

Posted on 10/20/2010 by TOfan

Since Canadians and other international fans weren’t eligible to enter the David Archuleta DA.com Fan Fiction contest, I thought I’d post my entry right here, if that’s okay:

“Jive sucks.” HushCoolCat stared at the words in her Hillroy notebook, crossed them out and wrote instead, “JIVE REALLY SUCKS!” She threw her pen down on the table and picked up her Fan Pack box.

David Archuleta’s angelic face stared at her from the top of the memory box. A memory box? The only memory this would ever twig was the gazillion bucks in postage and handling she’d paid for the express delivery of her Deluxe CD (which she’d already downloaded from iTunes) and special friendship bracelet. A friendship bracelet — like she was 6.

HushCoolCat was young but not that young. She’d never been into boy bands or putting posters in her locker or teen magazines — even when she was a teen. She loved music — good music. Music that made her feel something, spoke to her, reminded her she wasn’t alone, made her dance around the room like a nutcase or cry herself to sleep from the sheer beauty of it.

David’s music did that. So why did his website send her emails about “daydreams” and hold contests for “fan fiction.”

She knew why. For his super young fans. The ones who looked up to him — or wanted to marry him — and could sure learn a lot from him.

She slipped the bracelet around her wrist and smiled. “The Other Side of Down” — maybe she’d wear it ironically … like her “Nietsche is Peachy” T-shirt.

Hush grabbed her paper again — if they wanted to hear from fans, fine. They’d hear from her. She’d let them know David has fans of all shapes and sizes and colours, all ages and walks of life — students, doctors, mail carriers — she knew because she’d met them. Online and at shows. So many amazing shows.

At first, this fan life seemed crazy, even to her. Obsessing over a singer, any singer was totally out of character. She’d never even asked for an autograph before — never gone further than downtown for any concert.

She had her favourite bands but never paid attention to their album sales or cared if they were on the radio or not. The coolest bands were never on the radio anyway — they made real music not middle-of-the-road formula fluff. So why care now? Why care so much? Why him? Why me, she wondered? It was like she had no choice — like this path had chosen her.

She pulled the CD out of the memory box and looked at the song titles: “Complain” — no, I can’t complain, she smiled, the song drifting through her head, “‘Cause I don’t always get everything I wanted, doesn’t turn out just the way I thought it all should be … Baby, I can’t complain.”

Then snippets of other songs ran on a loop:

“I might get tossed around but I’m always bouncin’ back.”

“Paint it over if your world is grey.”

“Things are gonna get better” — yes they are, she said aloud, thinking back to the amazing Angels video she’d just watched, the one that filled her with love and pure light.

“You find it, you hold it, you feel its grace …” It is a good place.

She set down the CD. Was that why all this was happening? Because David’s going to need us?

Because his label’s left him high and dry promotion-wise, as have the radio stations who fill their promotional concerts with his fans and then don’t play his music? Because the road ahead may be a long, bumpy one and we can help with refuelling and battery recharging?

She shook her head, chuckling at her desperate attempt to rationalize countless hours spent stalking his Twitter feed.

But it is true that we’re not going anywhere, she reminded herself. And neither is David. And surely he’ll gain an even bigger following over time — maybe not overnight like that kid with the hair, but slowly and steadily. Between his own genius talent and work ethic and the support of his fan base, he’ll continue to create the music he loves, the music he was born to make.

Hush picked up the pen, crumpled the page she’d scribbled on, and pulled out a fresh one.

“Dear David,” she began, “We love you.” It felt good to see it spelled out like that on paper. “We believe in you and are behind you every step of the way. You make this world a brighter place, a better place. Thank you for the joy you bring to each and every one of your fans — including me. Thank you for having the courage to be yourself — always. For being true to you. True to us. … you’d better make room on that backpack for a lot more bracelets because we’re not going anywhere. That’s not fiction, David. That’s a fact.”



Posted in Utter nonsense | Tagged , | 97 Comments

Doing the math: How the TOSOD reviews add up

Posted on 10/17/2010 by awestruck

"huh???" ... first person with the correct answer gets my friendship bracelet! (Screencap: ilovechudavidarchie.tumblr)

I have learned that reading David Archuleta album reviews can be bad for my heart.

They are sometimes spot on, sometimes brutal, always opinionated, and most definitely more about readership or website “hits” than music appreciation.  Ultimate goal: To rile people (me) up and get us (me) all defensive.  I even wonder sometimes if the “reviewer” has actually listened to the CD or has just based their “critique” on the song titles alone — or simply biased their review based on personal opinion and preconceived notions about David.  I must remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right?

So, “The Other Side of Down” reviews that were particularly negative, I ignored.  As a result, I ended up archiving the ones with mostly positive vibes.

And of those, what I found most interesting was the range of songs that were highlighted as stand-outs.

Here is a list (with links to full reviews):

People Magazine: Complain
Top40.com/About40.com: SBL, Elevator, PandA, TAGGB
The Stanford Daily:  Lists them all, “…all Archuleta really needs to sell his music is his angelic voice.”
MSN:    SBL, Elevator, Stomping the Roses
Entertainment Weekly:   Elevator, Stomping the Roses
IdolWild:    MKOP, Stomping the Roses, Elevator
The Dam Nation:  Good Place, MKOP, Elevator, Stomping the Roses, Look Around
Pamela Pike:   TOSOD, Good Place, MKOP
Idol Chatter-Mark Franklin: Who I Am, TOSOD, Falling Stars
Idol Chatter-Brian Mansfield: SBL, Falling Stars, MKOP
New York Post: Falling Stars, MKOP, Stomping the Roses
ParentSphere Blog:  PandA, SBL, Elevator
Eagle Tribune:   SBL, Elevator, PandA
MTV News (w/Jim Cantiello): Elevator
Zap2It: Falling Stars, MKOP, TAGGB
Billboard Live Q&A host: Elevator
Suite101.com: Track-by-track review
The Paparazzis.com: MKOP

Thinking deep thoughts ... or planning lunch. (Photos: DianaLevine.com)

SBL and Elevator are mentioned often; perhaps because, as singles, they have been heard more than once.  BUT, check this out – EVERY song on David’s album is listed at least once.  This is amazing to me.  Well, not to me personally as there is nothing of David’s that I can really say I don’t like, but in the general sense that when I buy an album it is usually for one or two, and at most a few, songs.

Why is this?  To me there seems to be a wonderful variety of different sounds /sound effects / musical variations in melody to keep my interest throughout the album and perhaps someone with a musical ear can further define this for me.  Regardless, I would say that this is quite an impressive feat.

Congratulations, David and kudos to you on a winner of an album!

Are we there yet?

For the ArchuGeeks out there – I present you with a list compiled from the above reviews – the songs listed in descending order of mention:

  • Elevator: 9
  • SBL:  6
  • MKOP:  6
  • STR: 5
  • Falling Stars: 4
  • PandA:  3
  • Good Place: 2
  • TOSOD: 2
  • TAGGB: 1
  • Who I Am: 1
  • Look Around: 1
  • Complain: 1

And, if anyone is interested in my favourites, with no song on the album being one that I skip over (save SBL occasionally – just because I listened to it so much when it first came out): MKOP is my “heart” song, as someone labeled it, with Good Place and PandA right up there as well.

How do you feel about reviews? Why hasn’t the New York Times or Rolling Stone reviewed the CD yet? Or is that a good thing? Do you agree with the critics’ picks of “stand out” songs?

— awestruck


P.P.S. Here is Embe’s beautiful cover of “My Kind of Perfect” … enjoy!

P.P.S.S. AOL.com’s “A Day in the Life of David Archuleta” video (on YouTube thanks to JackRyan4DA 🙂 ) with original full PopEater article HERE.


Posted in Music review | Tagged | 80 Comments

The Other Side of Down: Celebrating the miraculous rescue of the Chilean miners

Posted on 10/15/2010 by TOfan

Like many of you, I was moved to tears Tuesday night watching the rescue of the first of the 33 miners who’d been trapped in a Chilean mine, 600 metres underground, for more than two months. For the first 17 days after the Aug. 5 mine collapse, these 33 men had no contact with the outside world and had no idea if anyone would ever find them.

I was on the edge of my seat late into the night, and then the next day, watching miner after miner being miraculously pulled from The Other Side of Down into safety and the waiting arms of loved ones. Watching the rescue capsule ascend the first time, my husband jokingly starting singing “Elevator goes up!” but it was actually the TOSOD lyrics — “gonna keep climbing, gonna keep fighting, until I make it to the other side” – that kept ringing through my head (and probably through a lot of other fans’ heads, too!).

I casually mentioned on Twitter yesterday that I wished that I had the know-how to make a video matching the incredibly moving footage of the trapped miners and their rescue with David Archuleta’s album title track.

And to my rescue came the amazing MomJulee, who stayed up late into the night last night making that happen. This is her wonderful video tribute to these brave souls.

“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” Luis Urzua, the last miner to be rescued said to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera after his rescue. “The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in vain. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing.”

The Other Side of Down
Here I am with all these questions hanging from my ceiling low
One by one they all keep telling me I told you so
Everywhere I turn I see red lights flashing over my head
Oh no, oh no, oh no
In a whirlwind spinning yeah somehow it knocked me off my feet
But I know better than to let it get the best of me,
I could give up, I could stay stuck, or I could move on

So I put one foot front of the other,
No no no nothing’s gonna break my stride,
I keep climbing, gonna keep fighting until I make it to the other side of down

In the sky, I’m standing under all I see is endless rain
I think I spot a silver lining hiding in the grey
I might get tossed around, but I’m always bouncing back
oh.oh.oh
I could give up, I could stay stuck, or I could move on,

So I put one foot front of the other,
No no no nothing’s gonna break my stride,
I keep climbing, gonna keep fighting until I make it to the other side of down

On the other side of down it keeps calling me, where I wanna be

On the other side of down it keeps calling me, where I wanna be

Where I wanna be

I put one foot front of the other,
No no no nothing’s gonna break my stride,
I keep climbing, gonna keep fighting until I make it to the other side of down

Posted in Special event | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

Q92 Canton recap: Gotta give David Archuleta extra credit

Posted on 10/13/2010 by TOfan

WKDD you not.

Why do I love this picture so much? And I do. I can’t stop smiling when I look at it.

It’s from the WKDD gallery from the Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, lounge event last night. I think I love it because it captures the essence of the David Archuleta we all know and love, and the one who was on full rambly view earlier in the day at the Q92 event in Canton, Ohio.

The David who walks through life thinking about what he can give, not what he can get. The David who treats every person he meets with kindness and respect.

I’m finding it more difficult than usual to put this weekend into words, but since I can’t take videos or great pictures, like so many other awesome fans (*cough*Pastel&Roberta*cough*), I want to do my best to at least describe how it felt to be there.

I was looking very forward to this weekend for many reasons. Seeing and hearing David sing, of course, but also spending time in person with so many great fans I usually only get to “talk” to online. I was also thrilled to be seeing Joannie Rochette skate … that she would be skating as David sang was beyond my wildest dreams. I had no expectations though. Didn’t know what the venues would be like, how many songs he’d sing at either event, or which songs he’d do. But as Refnaf and I drove into Youngstown, we saw a car with the license plate “SNOANGEL” … no really, we did … so I took that as a good omen for our time in Ohio, and boy was I right.

I still can’t believe we ended up at the Q92 event. As Refnaf described at the end of the last thread, even though we’d bought tickets for Skate for the Heart even before David was confirmed on the lineup, we never even considered trying to win the Q92 tickets. When YJfan told us she had a ticket but was going to keep calling into the station to try to win for us, we couldn’t get over her generosity. She told us we could listen online and try to call in ourselves (nerve-wracking to say the least), or win through Facebook, and next thing you know, Refnaf had won our tickets.

David & lovely Q92 DJ Nikolina (holding onto her mitts for dear life).

Mike helps David figure out the mic.

The DJ she spoke with over the phone, Nikolina, was so nice and friendly and excited that we’d be coming all the way from Canada, she asked us to make sure to find her when we got there. We wanted to thank her by bringing a pair of Olympic mittens for her (we knew David had already been given, ahem, a few pairs) … more about them later.

Monday was hot and sunny in Canton, so everything at Pete’s Grill was set up outside. It was like someone’s private patio. Like David would be dropping by for a backyard barbecue.

Sitting a few feet from the little stage was almost too much for my mere mortal synapses to handle. They told us he’d be out in another 20 minutes so people were getting pizza and snacks in the meantime. Pizza? SNACKS??? Like this was no big deal? Like David Arquette, I mean, Archuleta was not about to blow them away with his magnificent voice from that tiny pretend-looking stage???

Refnaf kept asking me if I was okay because I’m sure I looked even more dazed and confused than I usually do. So to calm myself down, I just kept repeating my favourite David inspirational sayings in my head, “things are gonna get better,” “hang in, hang on for the ride of your life,” and of course, “disco with the flow” … none were working though.

So I tried David’s pre-show ritual … I said a little prayer. I really did. A prayer of thanks on Canadian Thanksgiving for allowing me to be in that very spot at that very time with all those very people. And a wave of calm came over me just in time for David to bound onstage.

And once he was up there, he was so relaxed and chatty and happy, he made us feel like he’d just invited us over to hang out for a while. And that’s just what we did. Maybe because he talked about school so much, I felt like I was just sitting in a classroom while my favourite teacher regaled us with great stories. I don’t know if it was because he knew every single person there had made a concerted effort to win tickets to be there, to see only HIM, or if he had sugared cereal for breakfast, but he was more loose and confident than I’ve ever seen him. The crowd cheered every ramble, every aside and footnote. It was awesome.  If he’d asked us to play “Simon Says” next, no problem, we’d have done it. I swear he could repeat that PSA about how he negotiated extra credit from his teachers (see first vid, below) on Jon Stewart’s show and still bring the house down.

And oh yeah, he also sang! 😆 And as always, he threw himself 100 gazillion percent into every song. Did not matter that it was a private gig at a tiny small-town pizza place, David Archuleta doesn’t phone it in. Ever. His tone on some notes literally made my ears buzz, it was the strangest feeling. A cool feeling but strange.

One happy camper. (Q92 photo)

When he said the next song would be the last one, there was a huge groan from the crowd (which there usually is), but this time he couldn’t bear to disappoint everyone (or he was just having too much fun up there and didn’t want to leave), so he agreed to do an extra song. A lot of people called out MKOP and he tinkled the intro on the keys and almost wiped out a whole row in the front. But no, not yet, he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. And to be honest, neither was I. Hearing him sing it from far away while Joannie Rochette skated the night before dissolved me into a puddle… did not want to end up on the front page of the local paper, “Canadian rushed to Canton General with MKOP-related injuries.”

So ATM it was “for the little girls in the front” and then Crush, which he didn’t even need to introduce.

TOfan, DJ Nikolina and Refnaf do the wave.

The photo/autograph portion followed and it was very fast-paced in order to get the more than 200 people through in good time. I had planned to tell David how much we enjoyed his singing at Skate for the Heart the night before and I wanted to ask him if Joannie had asked him to sing MKOP or if he’d picked it. Usually I’m able to say what I planned to say and as soon as he’s right there, I feel perfectly calm. Not this time. Refnaf told him where we were from so he wished us Happy Thanksgiving, then he signed my TOSOD CD. And as soon as he looked up at me with that wide open gaze, I said a heartfelt “Thank you, David” and then *tilt* … rien, niente, nada…like a shaken Etch-A-Sketch screen… completely blank.

We moved along and compared levels of spazzing with other fans who’d gone through the line. Then we saw Mike Krompass and went over to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving. He told us he’d never seen David talk that much on stage. He said it was hard to keep from laughing right off his stool.

Just an excuse to post this again. Cuteness.

We had a long drive ahead so we said our good-byes, and did start to walk out a few times but then somehow ended up right back looking on at the autograph/picture area, watching David be so patient and caring with each and every fan, especially the youngest ones. Mike walked by and said, “I thought you guys were leaving.” We told him we’d been trying to and he chuckled, “That’s Dave for ya.” Guess he’s seen that magnetic force in action for some time now.

Nikolina, the DJ, was close by so we introduced ourselves and thanked her for the tickets and gave her the Olympic mittens. She put them on right away even though it was hotter than a pizza oven on that patio. Nikolina thanked us and hugged us, and said her cousins live in Canada.

We thought that David might be staying afterward for an interview or something so we asked her if she could maybe take a picture of him later with the mittens. We figured that would happen after we left and she could send it to us. Nope. She marched over to the table, introduced herself to David and asked if he’d hold them for the picture right there and then. We were flabbergasted. In a good way. A great way. Hence, our brand new photo in the sidebar. David with Olympic mittens on Canadian Thanksgiving. Cheesy, I know. My kind of cheesy.

— TOfan

P.S. Sheesh, just noticed how long this is. Sorry, please make sure to get up and stretch midway through. 🙂

P.P.S. WKDD photo from HERE. Microphone photo from Samantha’s FB HERE. Nikolina/David photo from HERE. Q92 happy camper photo from HERE.

P.P.S.S. Two of Pastel’s amazing videos:

Posted in Concert recap | Tagged | 52 Comments

A heartfelt Skate for the Heart

Posted on 10/10/2010 by TOfan

 

Joannie et David: My kind of perfect.

 

I love figure skating and am pretty partial to Mr. David Archuleta too, so tonight was magical for all sorts of reasons.

Not only did David sing, but he accompanied Joannie Rochette — Canada’s inspirational bronze medal skater from last winter’s Olympic Games.
I was secretly hoping he would sing MKOP … and he did … twice.

The first time, he opened the song all alone and I thought there was a glitch because there was no Joannie.

The spotlight was on David until he sang, “Will I turn the corner, see my future in a beautiful face … maybe” … and then out skated Joannie. She turned her head and looked up at David for a second and then glided onto the ice into a perfect spin.

It was heartbreakingly beautiful and at the very end, Joannie skated up to the stage, hopped right onto it and over to David and gave him a big hug. A big one. I’m pretty sure if she wasn’t a fan before, she is now.

We were sitting beside a huge group of fans. Not David fans but skating fans. They had signs and pictures and everything. It was like looking in a fun-house mirror… they tried to tell us how amazing their favourite skaters were and of course we told them to be sure to check out David’s album.

The best thing was, because David is such a perfectionist, he came out again at the end of the show to redo both MKOP and SBL. And that huge crowd of mostly skating fans gave him a huge round of applause and starting clapping along to SBL. (And yes, Refnaf and Pastel and Roberta and I clapped loudest in our Olympic-mitten-clad hands!)

He sounded even more amazing the second time, and I hope those are the takes they use for the TV telecast.
I’m sure Joannie does too 🙂 (I also hope she invited him to perform here someday 🙂

Pastel’s video of MKOP:

 

Canadian Olympic figure skating heroine Joannie Rochette is joining forces with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to fight heart disease in women. She won a bronze medal in Vancouver only days after her mother Therese Rochette died of a massive heart attack.

 

Canadian skater Rochette committed to fighting heart disease in women

excerpted from The Montreal Gazette

OTTAWA — After her mother died, Joannie Rochette found a small, handwritten note in her purse. On that scrap of paper, her mother had jotted down the aches and pains she’d been feeling in the days leading up to her fatal heart attack.

Rochette’s mother had told no one her symptoms; perhaps she put her own troubles aside, feeling that nothing else was as important as her daughter’s fast-approaching Olympic figure skating competition.

“I just wish she would have talked to me about it,” Rochette said Saturday, when she spoke at the launch of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s new campaign for women’s heart health.

“She didn’t have time to talk to her doctor about it. She just ignored those symptoms. And when I read that, it just makes me so mad, that she kept it all to herself.”

Rochette, a petite, blond 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., about 80 kilometres northeast of Montreal, won admirers the world over when she skated her way to a bronze medal at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, just days after her mother’s death.

Therese Rochette, died at the age of 55, just two days before Joannie was due to skate the short and long programs.

Saturday, she told more of her mother’s story at the launch of the “iheartmom” campaign, an initiative meant to raise awareness about the lifestyle habits that can lead to heart disease, as well as to raise funds for research and treatment.

Rochette spoke of how her mother picked her up after school to drive her to figure skating lessons; helped her with her homework afterward; and grilled her in spelling while she took her evening bath.

“My mom and I were really a team,” she said.

But while her mother encouraged good health habits for her daughter — nixing trips to McDonald’s, making her get enough sleep at night, and lecturing her on the perils of tobacco — she failed to adopt a healthy lifestyle for herself.

Eight years ago, after an injury in a car accident, her mother retired from work and stopped being physically active, Rochette recalled. And despite her daughter’s scolding, she couldn’t give up cigarettes.

“She started smoking at the age of 12 . . . For her it was a crutch. She wanted to stop, and she tried, but she couldn’t,” Rochette recalled. “It was hard for my mom to be home all day — I had no brothers or sisters — and to watch me go off travelling all the time. I wish I had been there more, to motivate her to get out and exercise.”

Dr. Robert Roberts, CEO of the Heart Institute, said he hopes to extend the legacy of Rochette’s Olympic performance to inspire all women toward greater heart health.

He said that, with current breakthroughs in genetic research, doctors and patients will soon be able to modify genetic risks, as well as lifestyle choices, to stave off cardiovascular problems.

Rochette said she hopes to continue to be a spokeswoman for the campaign for several years to come. And she is considering medical school after she finishes her CEGEP (first step of Quebec post-secondary education) this year.

She said that becoming a doctor has been a dream since she was a child, but one that she put on hold while she pursued competitive figure skating.

“I’m still very passionate and curious about the human body. It’s definitely something I’m very interested in, especially with the events that happened,” she said. “My mother always wanted to help others, but she never had the opportunity to study.”

>

Posted in Concert recap | Tagged , , , | 52 Comments

Dale Archuleta: Top 10 live-chat highlights

Posted on 10/07/2010 by TOfan

Vodpod videos no longer available.


It just hit me today that Mr. David Archuleta hosted his first live chat last night … and we got to virtually hang-out with him for a whole hour.

Hmm, not quite Jimmy Neutronish enough yet.

It was almost too much awesomeness all in one go. Like going from the occasional M&M to inhaling an entire six-layer chocolate cake.

My head is spinning with images of David petting a zebra while watching Hoarders, running circuits down hotel hallways, singing “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green,” styling his hair into a sundae, and … ohmyheck was he really chair-dancing the Bachata???

In trying to process the hour of ArchuMagnificence, here are a few highlights:

1. Hearing David say “sweetiecupcake” — not sure why that made me LOL but I want to officially thank Ms. Cupcake for choosing that screen name (bet she’s made that clip her ringtone!)

k, now we've got somethin' goin' on....

2. Feisty Boss David giving employee Ms. Melinda the trufax: “I’m not yelling. I’m just stating a fact.” You tell her, D.! … Then later, laughing while refusing her suggestion to overtly plug the album: “They know it’s available in stores now.” … (I’m sure she’ll catch on in time that one thing David does not need help from management on is how to relate to his fans.)

3. Q: “If you could be a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be?” 100% serious-face David: “I don’t think I’d want to be sandwich. But if I had to be a sandwich, I think I’d be peanut butter and jelly.” … no words.

Now who's got iconic hair???

4. Learning that David’s pet peeve is people taking pictures of him sleeping during flights. “Hey, that’s personal!… not a fan of that.” … That is such an intrusion, so despicable, I can’t even imagine being so rude. (*resists urge to Google adorbs snoozing pics* )

5. Hearing that he’s writing his own Spanish songs. [insert appropriate flailing here]

6. Q. “If you could change your name, what would it be?” David: “When I was little, for some reason I liked the name Dale.” … doesn’t everyone?

7. Loved all the international questions flooding in from Brunei, Argentina, U.K., Peru, Honduras, Phillipines, Columbia. “Hi, Ireland!” 🙂

8. Q. “Your favourite song on the album?” David: “There are quite a few songs that I really like.” … Good to know.

Hmm, what is the closest country I could go to next? (Billboard.com)

9. Enjoyed what must be the longest pause in history as David tried to diplomatically answer the question, “What’s your favourite Katy Perry song?”

and last, but not least.

10. Q. “Will you come to Canada?” David: “I would actually really love to come to Canada. And Canada’s so close, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to plan a trip there. We were just discussing that today again and that was a concern I brought up. Because a lot of those fans come over the border, so I should make the effort to go say hi to them too.” (about the 38 min. mark)

That right there is my Happy Canadian Thanksgiving wish to each and every one of you!!!!

— TOfan

P.S. What are your favourite moments from album launch week?

P.P.S.  The Wendy Williams Show


Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , , | 88 Comments

David Archuleta’s The Other Side of Down is finally here!

Posted on 10/05/2010 by TOfan

AP interview (see "Must See" sidebar) screencaps from Zully_FOD.

I don’t know what I’m doing here
 How I landed in this space
 But it’s a good place

Words to that effect have been running through my head for the past two-and-a-half years. And now that David’s new album is finally here, I find them running through my head yet again. And not just because, as he often does, David’s singing them in a song. His song. But because this album marks another milestone on David’s exhilarating path … and on ours in a way. He’s doing his thing as we do ours … cheering him on, cheering each other on … sharing stories, adventures, laughter and tears. Who knew we’d all still be here? Even David had his doubts! And why are we all still here? Because it is a good place.

And I don’t wanna mess it up
Make mistakes or say too much
‘Cause it’s a good place

It certainly didn’t start out that way for me. Like many others, I “discovered” David when I was in a very dark place. His voice, his joy then later the amazing people I met through becoming his fan were the bright lights that pulled me through. None of it made much sense at first, of course. But now it makes all the sense in the world … even when it doesn’t.

I’ve been going with the flow
Wherever that goes

And this album brings us to another stop on his mystery train. Bringing new questions, fresh answers, more pieces of the puzzle that is David Archuleta. For as open and honest and real as he is, he remains an enigma. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Would you?

You find it
You hold it
You feel its grace

At first I thought the over-arching theme of this album was, as David himself has said, to keep moving forward, move through the darkness till you get to the light. And although that theme is certainly front and centre in songs like TOSOD and TAGGB, there’s another, more urgent message there, for me personally anyway.

And that message is this: Grab this moment, THIS MOMENT, cherish it and don’t let go. Don’t live for what might happen tomorrow or what you might have had yesterday, but live, truly live for this day.

These are words I wanna say
Every hour of every day
These are words that say how good it feels
To be here with you today
I hope it’s not too late
Oh, yeah
I hope it’s not too late

Life is good, God is good, and you guys are great!!!!

{{{{hugs}}} & love to you all on this special day. And most of all, congratulations, David … and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

— TOfan

And one last question for you all: What special meaning does this album hold for you?

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

Credit: Zully_FOD

David Archuleta had a dream last week that really spooked him. He was singing at an outdoor event when, suddenly, the entire audience got up during the middle of his performance and walked out.

“It didn’t look like they hated it, or that I did something,” the 19-year-old singer recalls. “It just freaked me out. It was one of the creepiest dreams I’ve had. The fact that everyone left: Was I making any kind of impact on anyone?”

David hopes The Other Side of Down, out Tuesday, will make an impact. Concerned that his 2008 debut album revealed very little about him — other than that he could sing — he determined his follow-up would have a more personal touch.

“This album, it’s definitely more quirky,” David says. “It’s more of a lighthearted side of David than ever before. There are always different sides to people, but I wanted to show that light, fun, dorky side to me this time.”

There was just one problem: David was so worried that he wouldn’t have anything worth saying or that people wouldn’t find him very interesting that he practically paralyzed himself creatively.

One on level, The Other Side of Down is David’s fight through those fears. The album begins with a bunch of questions hanging over David’s head.

“There are so many to ask,” he says. “That’s the thing.

“Sometimes, I think the reason I get stuck is because I ask myself so many things, more than I can handle. I dig myself a hole, wondering what I should do, what’s going on. Sometimes, I need to stop over-thinking and just go for something.”

That hole that David sometimes digs himself into is central to the new album. Many of his fans heard the album’s title and thought, “That’s a clever way of saying, ‘Up’!” But for all the album’s self-described quirkiness and light-heartedness, the album finds David starting at Down — in that hole, beneath those questions — and hoping to reach that other side.

David eventually overcame that block, writing more than 50 songs with more than a dozen other writers during the year he spent working on The Other Side of Down. Along the way, he learned to embrace his “inner dork.”

“I know the kind of person I am,” he says. “I know how the world looks at impressive people and cool people and people who succeed. I do not fit that mold.

“So how am I supposed to be in a position where everyone’s looking at me? How am I going to make that positive impact and be impressive to people?

“I could try to be cool. A lot of artist get developed, get an image and get that whole mysterious persona. I can not do that. I could try, but I know that’s not me. One of the biggest things for me is to be honest with myself and real with other people. If I were to try to create an image that’s not who I am to look appealing to other people, I’d be so uncomfortable with that.

“It’s like I was fighting with myself: ‘David, you’re not cool! What if people don’t like who you are, because you’re not that image?’ Then I was like, ‘Not everyone’s going to like who you are, no matter what you do. Somebody’s always going to have a problem with you.’

“This is what I realized: What if there are other people out there who are like me? Who are wondering the same things as me, feeling the same way? I can relate to them!”

Buried in the middle of the ninth song on The Other Side of Down, there’s a key line: “I could be a memory tomorrow,” David sings in Good Place. “I could be nothing at all.” It’s the kind of lyric someone familiar with the career arcs of American Idol finalists might be expected to write, but, for David, the lines are about more than the possibility of peaking as a teen then returning to anonymity.

“That’s one of my biggest fears, to not mean anything,” David says. “I’m always afraid of being left behind.

“Even when I was in school, I didn’t want to be left behind. “It was, like, ‘Man, I wonder if these kids are even going to be remember me in a few years, when high school’s over? ‘Cause everybody goes their separate ways. Am I going to make an impact? Am I going to influence these kids, or am I just going to have been a kid who was at high school years ago?

“I want to be able to something meaningful, leave a lasting impression on people.

“The scariest thing for me, I guess, is being useless. It’s not like I want to be remembered, period. I want to be remembered for the right thing.”

P.P.S. Part 6 of the album previews, MKOP:

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , , , | 50 Comments

David Archuleta: No, no, nothing’s gonna break his stride

Posted on 10/01/2010 by embe86

Beautiful collage of the David/Allison screencaps from HanneDenmark.

I’m actually not in any condition to write articles right now. I’m flying hii-ii-ii-igh. Images of a black-haired, denim-clad ninja climbing the walls have made me climb the walls. There are actual footprints on my ceiling if you want to see. I’m being force-fed optimism, happiness and messages of love and I can’t complain.

Don’t you just hate it when you’re having a bad day, and the only thing you want is to soak in the filth of negativity, when suddenly you hear a joyful song or see a picture of a smiling baby? Well, imagine the bad day as your life and the smiling baby as a smiling David, singing about elevators (isn’t it ironic, though, that such a spokesperson of exercise doesn’t sing about stairs?).

The Archuforce doesn’t care how miserable you might be — you can be a hit man on a mission when you start streaming TOSOD, but by the time you’re bawling your eyes out to My Kind Of Perfect, you’ll want to embrace whoever it was you were planning to slay.

The lyrical depth of The Other Side Of Down is unbelievable, not to mention oxymoronic. Amazingly romantic love songs to a faceless dreamgirl by a guy, who is grossed out by hand-holding.

Snarky remarks to the bigshots by a guy who is too nice to raise his voice to a woman holding him in a headlock desperate to be his first kiss.

Every lyric is like an aphorism just waiting to be engraved into a tree of hope and faith. “Paint it over if your world is grey,” he sings, and even the shadows start glowing an orange light.

David Archuleta wants to show you the other side of down. What kind of a stone-hearted moron wouldn’t want to take his hand and let him lead the way?

— embe

P.S. from TOfan: Embe, I challenge those stone-hearted morons to watch this epic ArchuHall of Fame video and not feel their heart melt. I’m adding it to the end of your post in case anyone missed it. THIS belongs in that Memory Box!!!!!

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged | 83 Comments

TOSOD: My spoiler-free first listen

Posted on 09/29/2010 by abanana77

Created by the brilliant Ms. Beebee ... who else? 🙂

It was finally the day. After months of anticipation, hours spent on various fan sites speculating, and days spent convincing myself not to listen to spoilers  — I was about to hear David Archuleta’s new album The Other Side Of Down … on my birthday.

You know how when you wait SO long for something, eventually the idea of what you’re waiting for actually happening begins to seem more and more impossible? And you can barely remember what it was like before you were in this perpetual state of waiting? And you almost get to the point where you don’t want the waiting to end, because you’re quite comfy the way you are? Maybe I am the only one who feels like that…? Well, anyways, that’s the way I was feeling.

I had prepared everything so my first listen would be absolutely perfect. I had eaten and gone to the bathroom (so those things would not distract me :P), put a note on my door warning my housemates to not disturb me, and locked myself in my room. I had turned the light off (no idea why) and lain on my bed 100% ready to bask in the glory of The Archuleta.

But for some reason, I still hesitated to push play. I don’t know if I was scared of being disappointed? Or maybe it was my fear of change? And I was too used to waiting? I have no idea.

Obviously I pulled myself together and pushed play. And boy, once I started listening, the idea I had had of not listening seemed laughable. What was I thinking?!

I can not properly put into words how I felt or what I was thinking during my first listen. So much new music all at once is quite overwhelming. But I do remember being surprised about a couple things.

Staying spoiler-free, I had unknowingly formed opinions about so of the songs without ever having heard them (entirely based off what I’ve read about them and other people’s opinions).

"No one will ever recognize me in this super-incognito disguise."

I was surprised how overall the album was more upbeat than I’d expected. I was surprised about how much I liked Stomping The Roses (I had judged that one on the title). I was super surprised to realize I recognized the beginning of Falling Stars (in a moment of weakness, I had listened to Eman’s bubbletweet. It took me forever to figure how I recognized it – I seriously thought I was going crazy!).

I was surprised by Parachutes and Airplanes — it was different sounding than I expected. There were things I wasn’t surprised about. though. I was not surprised how “David” each and every track sounded, but I was impressed by how he seemed to do it in a different way for each one. I wasn’t surprised how I positively loved each and every track on the album. If I was scared of disappointment, I had nothing to worry about.

On my first listen, the songs that stuck out the most to me were TOSOD, Who I am and My Kind of Perfect. But by the second listen, I had flip flopped and found myself thoroughly enjoying Look around (That one makes me want to dance!) and Complain. And the lyrics of Good Place really got to me. I don’t even know — I could say so many amazing things about each and every song!

I won’t bore you with all that, but I cannot help but spaz for a bit about My Kind Of Perfect. Neither the debut album nor CFTH had a song on it that I fell so in love with so quickly. It was always just normal amounts of love for all the songs that kept switching between them. I’d have “favourites” until I’d listen to another one and it would switch. And it was more of a love for all the songs collectively, and after a (long) while I would eventually establish some I liked more than others.

But My Kind Of Perfect was different. As soon as I heard it the first time I knew that it was special. I can’t exactly put my finger on why I loved it so much. Maybe it was because his voice was front and centre throughout? Or maybe because I can totally relate to the lyrics?

He amazes me how he takes a song that could theoretically be extremely cheesy and turn it into one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Seriously beautiful is the only word to describe it. Beautiful melody. Beautiful piano. Simple but beautiful lyrics. Beautiful vocals. Beautiful “Bea-u-ti-ful”s. ❤

Anyways, that’s about as coherent as I can be right now. What were your first impressions on the albums? Any favourites yet?

— abanana77

Posted in Music review | Tagged | 90 Comments

David Archuleta live: My kind of perfect

Posted on 09/27/2010 by TOfan

"Can I get a Hallelujah?!" (Pic: Samantha via Snarkies)

My eyes are glazed and my voice is gone as I sit here at work trying to “recalculate” (to quote the GPS lady) to real life after one amazing ArchuWeekend.

It all started, as Kizzi put it so well, accidentally on purpose in York, PA, Friday night. (Refnaf and I have the amazing KT and Lorna to thank for that.)

When I found out it was going to be an acoustic show, I practically did back flips. As David said in the introduction to the Delta Fair show, it really felt like being gathered round the fire at a homey sing-along… except the singer was David Archuleta and the fire was inside as he wrung every ounce of emotion out of note after note.

I had resigned myself to never hearing My Hands live again, so when he started up those whoah-oo-ohs, I almost fainted. As much as I love the acappella chorus of MH with the band, his soul-wrenching acoustic version … Blew. Me. Away. When he belted that long note at the end, you could feel everyone holding their breath. Then when he finished, we erupted into a spontaneous roar.

The other highlight for me was watching the crowd of radio peeps and crew, and possibly members of the other bands playing that night, gathering in the wings as he sang 1000 Miles at the keyboard. They didn’t do that for any of the other performers and you could see them transfixed by his amazingness even though he was singing out to us in the audience.

The rapport and musical connection between David & Mike was so cool to see in York ... it's no wonder the songs they've written together are among my faves.

Although we were only there to see David, it was interesting to watch the bands that came before, in comparison. Beyond the music, I felt an invisible wall between us and them … they all held something back and were sort of hiding behind their stage personas, and their music, if that makes sense. It was almost as if they were a little afraid of us and that took their focus away from what their songs were about. They had all the right moves and some even had songs I liked, but the contrast with the open connection we feel with David on stage was palpable

After the show, we heard about David’s songs being leaked early and I sincerely hoped it was an intentional move by the label and not dastardly pirates. I wasn’t strong enough to resist playing some of them, however, and listening for the first time together with Refnaf, KT and Lorna is an experience I’ll never forget. So very cool.

I liked everything I heard but the ones that grabbed me the most and haven’t let go were Stomping the Roses, My Kind of Perfect and TOSOD. (Altho’ Elevator’s still my ever-lovin’ fave of the moment!)

When David performed My Kind of Perfect in New Albany yesterday, I couldn’t hold back the tears. It’s like he’s holding his heart out in his hands for all to see. Breathtakingly beautiful. I truly believe that it could be an amazing single at some point. “Introducing David Archuleta”? It practically takes you on a tour of his aorta.

I can’t began to explain the thrill of seeing ArchuStompin’ the Roses live and also TOSOD … here’s what beebee said on the last thread, and she got it exactly right!

“Gotta check this out. TOSOD is so cool and he really scratches some this-is-me itches in this one… lots of places to just do his thang. And all of these songs are gonna just ripen and mature with more mileage. MANNN.

“ANNNND… ANNNNNNNNNNND… a bonus: at 1:16 he *skippety*skip*skips* hehe… Love it!”

I noticed that skippety-skip too, and I can’t wait till he gets these new songs under his belt and starts letting loose those ArchuMoves.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to spend time with so many truly lovely people aka David fans. And to see David perform some of the new songs live for the first time was beyond amazing … all I kept thinking was: “I just want to steal this moment right away from time.”

P.S. Here’s an mp3 “for personal use only!” of the entire NA Classic concert from the lovely starrynites01 … download HERE.

My Kind of Perfect (credit: vivalaglambert)

Stomping the Roses (thanks, Joner!)

TOSOD (with one of emilyluvsarchie’s amazing More Infos!)

More info: SCREAAAMSSSSS… “well now that we got the angry songs out of the way”…. (ALTNOY and STR) david deary …oh i dont even have words for that lol…”down down…” yessss sir!! omgomgomgomgomg yes!!yes yess yesity yess!! thank you thankyou thank you i was dying to hear this!! yesss!! “oh no oh no oh no” oh boy ur too adorable!! for reals davey stop it!!!! ahh the eyebrows!! watch the eyebrows!! seriously!! i love it! he loves soo smooth!! since when did our little “crusher” become such the charmer!? its not right! “i could give up?’ noo dont give up D!! (even tho you do look completely adorable when ur comtimplate giving up..with the little questioning hand motion and the eyebrow raise..just awwwz) “one foot infront of the other no no no nuthins gonna break my stride” aww this is soo catchy!! look at him break free from that mic stad! just look at that!! 🙂 awwww theres just too much amazingness for words right here!! excuse me david? mr. archuleta? sir? do u know what ur doing to ppl?? i beleive u dont!

Posted in Concert recap | Tagged , | 83 Comments