The phenomenon of a hug

Posted on 09/23/2010 by awestruck

Pic from Mrs. Butterworth/Snarkies.

Why do we hug?

What magic does a hug have?

What does it provide us with?

Is it contagious?

For me a hug represents a unique and special communication between human beings.  Next to music and song, I would put it on the top of the list.  According to Wikipedia “a hug is a form of physical intimacy, not necessarily sexual, that usually involves closing or holding the arms around another person or group of persons.  The hug is one of the most common human signs of love and affection.”

We all do it – some more than most.  It is an invasion of personal space – the touching of human flesh – so this could pose a problem unless we’re hugging those we feel closest to.  However, it is interesting that we can embrace the idea of a hug from a virtual stranger — i.e. Mr. David Archuleta — with a great deal of anticipation.  Some might say, well I know him, but in reality we just know OF him and we can only make inferences as to who we think he really is.

In trying to answer the questions above, how does the anticipation of a hug from David measure up to the following analysis:

From the scientific to the ‘ridiculous’ to the sublime

Exhibit A: Consider this passage from the following article from Psychology Today entitled “The Moral Molecule – Handshake or Hug? Why We Touch”

Oxytocin – the nine amino acid "hugging" molecule

“Touch needs to be freely given and accepted to have a positive effect.” √

But “why do we even have this ritual where with nearly everyone we meet we must touch our palms together? True, in some Latin cultures, the handshake is replaced with a kiss or two. But isn’t that really intimate for people who are just friends? Why all this touching?”

Apparently there is a scientific basis for this.  In a nutshell, a touch — be it a handshake, massage, or hug — stimulates the brain to release the neurochemical Oxytocin – but only after one has received a signal of trust.  This explains why it must be freely given. √√

Not so surprising is the fact that women are more susceptible to the effect of touch, so scientifically speaking, poor David doesn’t stand a chance in trying to avoid some kind of physical contact with his female fans.

Interestingly as well, the release of Oxytocin increases the chances that a person will treat the “huggee” like family even if you’ve just met him, um, them. √

Hmmm, this might provide David with an indisputable explanation as to why everyone wants to hug him and some ODD fans want to take him home and “adopt” him.

______________________________________________________________________

"I just wanna steal this moment right away from time."

Hugology

Yes, indeed, there is a website called Hugology. On their home page the title reads:

“The Science and Psychology of Therapeutic Touch” (In my limited foray on this website I saw next to nothing scientific, lol)

An excerpt:

“What’s in it for me???   Hugging is healthy!

It helps the body’s immune system, cures depression, induces sleep, it’s invigorating, it’s rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, uses energy so you lose weight and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug! Hugging is all natural. It is organic, naturally sweet, no pesticides, no artificial ingredient, I’ve never heard of an allergy to affection and they are 100% wholesome.”

How can it be sleep inducing and invigorating at the same time?  And, as for weight loss, depression and effect on the body’s immune system, more research needs to be done – oops we are in the ‘ridiculous’ section of this article, lol.  But, as to the rest of the paragraph √√√√√√ and √

­______________________________________________________________________

Juan Mann: Don't you wanna just hug him? (Pic: Wikipedia)

Free Hugs Campaign

This campaign has David written all over it – so let me make it bigger. √

Another Wikipedia moment:

“The Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places… The hugs are meant to be random acts of kindness – selfless acts performed just to make others feel better.”

An excerpt from the Free Hugs Official Website:

How it all started:

I’d been living in London when my world turned upside down and I’d had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carryon bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.

Standing there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, I wanted someone out there to be waiting for me. To be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me.

So I got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. I found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words “Free Hugs” on both sides.

And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person, who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling.

Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven’t compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment is worth it every time.

The Campaign became famous internationally in 2006 as the result of a music video on You Tube.  This video has almost 63,000,000 views to date.  International Free Hugs Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of July. For inspiration watch this Free Hugs Campaign video taken in Toronto in July 2009.

______________________________________________________________________

Jorvid hug FTW!

Questions answered?  All accept the last one.

Is it contagious? √ (I didn’t find anything in my websearch except ‘Hug Me… I am NOT Contagious’ so I took it upon myself to place the check mark there. 🙂 )

I think the real question we might want to ask ourselves is:
Why do we want to give a hug to or get a hug from David Archuleta?

Can I answer the question with more questions? 🙂

1. Is it to get confirmation that he is really real?

2. Do we want to feel connected to him somehow?

3. Could it be to return something to him – to thank him?

Honestly I cannot answer any of the above regarding a David hug, though that won’t stop me from wanting one.

— awestruck

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged | 87 Comments

What could new management mean for David Archuleta?

Posted on 09/20/2010 by TOfan

Melinda Bell: Is this David's new manager?

When Melinda Bell tweeted the following yesterday: “Watching @Jonasbrothers with @DavidArchie life is great!” ArchAngels the world over took notice.

We know David’s been looking for new management (in one interview, he even explained that that’s what his “Elevator” dream was all about — going from floor to floor meeting prospective managers).

So who is Melinda Bell and is she the answer to fans’ “David needs more promotion” prayers?

Here’s an excerpt from a recent Kidzworld Magazine profile of Bell:

TOSOD ad in Justice tween catalogue -from Snarkies)

Working with Wright Entertainment Group, Melinda Bell has managed such pop music celebrities as *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys. WEG head, Johnny Wright, even worked with New Kids on the Block!

Maybe your odds of becoming the next Britney Spears aren’t the best, but that doesn’t mean you will never be a mover-and-shaker in the music biz. There are lots of jobs behind the scenes that can be fun and exciting. Just ask Melinda Bell. During her career as Vice President of Special Projects with the music management company Wright Entertainment Group, she’s worked with Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, to name just a few.

Melinda’s love of the music biz started when she was young. She used to be a performer herself and spent her teen years in Florida singing and dancing. When it was time to go to college, Melinda chose the University of Central Florida’s School of Communication and majored in Radio and Television, with a minor in Marketing. Eventually, she snagged a job with Walt Disney World in their Events Department. “I was lucky because there are theme parks where I live,” says Melinda. “In New York or LA it’s harder to get started. Disney World was a real asset.”

While working at the ‘happiest place on earth’, she organized a performance by New Kids on the Block. New Kids manager was Johnny Wright. Johnny and Melinda became good friends and when Johnny decided to set up Wright Entertainment Group (WEG) in Florida, he called her. Melinda was there when Backstreet Boys auditioned for Johnny. “They auditioned for us in a pizza parlor. Nick was shorter than me back then – and I am only 5’1,” Melinda laughs. Lately, Melinda’s job is focused on one of WEG’s top artists -*NSYNC.

If you’re a die-hard *NSYNC fan you already know and love Melinda. She’s the lucky lady who keeps you up on the guys lives through her column, *N Touch at *NSYNC’s official site. She also does everything from organizing Challenge For The Children events, to organizing the Sound Check parties and helping the guys out while they tour. Yep, she gets to go on tour with them. “It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s gratifying,” says Melinda. “My favorite part is when all my hard work pays off and I can get a kid with cancer to one of the shows.” (Read rest of article HERE.)

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

From Radio Disney to J-14 Magazine, Jive has made it very clear that they are promoting David to a tween/teen audience (which they should — the 16-to-24 demographic is pure GOLD to marketers … their chance to “brand” youngsters and win over their brand loyalty for life — and, of course, David himself is still a teenager).

But somehow, seeing David lumped together with such musical lightweights as The Jonas Brothers feels like a diamond being set on a Cracker Jack ring.

But hey, if Melinda can finally get our guy’s music on the radio (maybe even Canadian radio 🙂 ), I figure we should roll out the ArchuWelcome Mat!

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

A "sneak peek" says Matt Clayton. 😀

P.S. Exhibit A that David is the real deal, not just another Teen Idol, this “bio” posted “by the artist or their representative” on Amazon.com HERE.

David Archuleta Biography

With budding maturity, David Archuleta captures two years’ worth of introspection and reflection, dozens of songwriting sessions, long days spent in the studio and nights in the air, all leading to The Other Side of Down, his highly anticipated second album.

Not only the follow up to David’s 2008 self-titled debut, it’s a reintroduction to the American Idol runner-up with the angelic voice who 30 million television viewers fell in love with during season 7—now older, wiser, with faith still on his side and an eternally optimistic wide-eyed outlook. Hence, the album’s title. “For me, it’s about moving forward and making progress,” David explains. “I’m heading towards ‘the other side of down,’ which is ‘up.’”

Actually, there are many sides to David Archuleta, all of which find a place on the record. There’s the youthful David, affectionately known as Archie, who often emerges on TV in the form of a mid-interview giggle; You can find him on the title track whose bouncy, island vibe vows that nothing’s going to break his pop stride.

Then you have David the inspiration and role model, who looks deep inside and up above for guidance on how to navigate the world around him—much as he describes on the track “Things Are Gonna Get Better,” which spots a silver lining in the darkest of clouds and enlists a full gospel choir to drive the point home.

And there’s the insatiably curious David, who doesn’t have all the answers but is resolved to keep searching for them. Look no further than the sugar sweet S*A*M and Sluggo-produced single “Something ‘Bout Love” for the sound of reach-for-the- sky bliss, and the hard-driving big chorus of “Complain,” written for David by EMan, David Hodges and Claude Kelly, which, despite its title, is an encouraging song beckoning the listener not to take anything for granted.

It’s a sentiment David is all too familiar with, not just from having reached second place on Idol, but seeing massive success straight out the gate with the song “Crush,” which charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its 2008 release and has since sold two million downloads. “I wasn’t expecting to be in the finale and I wasn’t expecting to get a record deal right after my interviews that night,” David admits. “My plan was to go back to school after the Idol tour so I wasn’t entirely prepared to make an album, which is why I was really surprised that it did as well as it did.” David also released “Christmas from the Heart” which debuted at No. 2 on the seasonal chart behind Bob Dylan.

While no stranger to pressure—he did sail through three months’ worth of intense competition on TV’s biggest stage—having a hit record under his belt meant defining his place in music beyond being a pop culture footnote. “I don’t want my music to have boundaries,” David declares. “It was so neat to see how positive fans were about ‘Crush,’ but with this album, my participation in each of the songs ties them together and they’re all me.”

Indeed, David had a hand in co-writing the majority of the album’s tracks, including two of its quirkier numbers, the bouncy “Parachutes and Airplanes” with Matt Squire and Lindy Robbins, and the irresistible ride that is “Elevator,” written with Shelly Peiken and Mike Krompass, whose lyrics—“Elevator goes up / Elevator goes down / Just go with the flow / Until your feet hit the ground”—literally came to David in a dream. “I had this visual in my mind of all these elevators going up and down and I’m trying to figure out which floor to get off on,” he explains. “The next day, we wrote it in, like, 30 minutes, not thinking anything would happen with it.” But proving that age-old musician’s adage that sometimes the best songs come out in the shortest bursts.

“A lot of writers say ‘dare to suck’ and you have to,” David continues. “Because not everything that comes out is going to make sense. That’s not how it works. You pay attention to how chords make you feel or you see a picture and you just start writing about it. I love when things are emotion-driven. It’s not always about how hooky it is. There are songs like that, but it’s not what I’m trying to do.”

Feeling a greater sense of purpose is nothing new to fans of the now 19-year-old Murray, Utah native who overcame vocal cord paralysis at age 13 while competing on CBS’s “Star Search.” The trying experience was chronicled in David’s 2010 book “Chords of Strength” and resonates in the overall message of The Other Side of Down. “Instead of acting like everything in life is so hard and confusing, look at it this way: the only way you can go from here is up,” he says. “It’s our decisions and how we handle things, even when they get rough. If we keep holding on, looking at things positively and working hard, we can improve our lives, help ourselves, and even help the greater good.”

Of course, with inspiration comes aspiration and David isn’t lacking in that department, either. He aspires to find everlasting love in the ballad “My Kind of Perfect,” assured that his time will eventually come but wondering when. “It’s about waiting and knowing that they don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be my kind of perfect,” he explains. And going beyond his world to address the harsh reality of war and natural disasters, David offers the hopeful “Things Are Gonna Get Better.” “It’s what people need to hear right now,” he says.

To that end, David’s current musical tastes run the pop-rock gamut, from acoustic guitar-driven singer-songwriters like Jason Mraz to the electronic sounds of female innovators like Imogen Heap and A Fine Frenzy. Surprising? Hardly if you consider David’s appreciation for the beauty of melody, a trait he displayed time and time again while performing on Idol. “It’s amazing how one song can change someone’s life,” says David. “It’s been done for me so many times and I want to give to my fans the same thing those artists have given me.”

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 70 Comments

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Posted on 09/16/2010 by TOfan

Vodpod videos no longer available.

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P.S. I am legally changing my name to Kayla N. Jenna.

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged | 44 Comments

Two first singles: A re-enactment

Posted on 09/13/2010 by TOfan

Here’s what I think really happened…

At Jive headquarters in New York City, the part-time assistant to the junior intern in charge of David’s album considers leaving the office. It’s nearing 6 p.m. and the day’s been a tough one. She’s frazzled and still queasy from post-traumatic motion sickness triggered by roller-coastering at Six Flags and ferris-wheeling at the Delta Fair in Memphis.

And her ever-growing To Do list isn’t helping:

1) Return Oprah’s call inviting David on the show.

2) Return the Nobel Committee’s call nominating David for The Peace Prize.

3) Restock coffee filters.

4) Book cross-Canada tour.

5) Blur the Sony logos from the SBL vid so it can be shown on MTV.

6) Update the DA.com site so that all the events are listed and link to a “buy tickets” page.

7) Return Z100’s calls requesting a live in-studio performance by David.

8) Remind Ryan Seacrest he promised to have David back on his radio show when the single was ready.

9 ) Deny Justin Bieber’s stylist’s request to “iconic-ize” David’s hair.

10) Send Jennette McCurdy two dozen roses … and a tree to plant.

11 ) Rent Time Machine to go back to the SBL debut date.

With so much to do, and so little time, she decides to prioritize by crossing all the items off her list except the last one — the Time Machine. One quick call to the rental company and they deliver a second-hand Time-Bender 680x (previously owned by Dick Clark).

After briefly reading the manual, the part-time assistant to the junior intern in charge of David’s album turns the ignition key and is zoomed backwards a couple of months. She erases all evidence of a debut album single, and while she’s at it, rewrites the ending of Lost to include a Kate-Jack, Sawyer-Juliet double wedding.

Back at Jive, it’s clocking-out time, so she sends a blast email off to the three Program Directors she feels a bond with, that states: “Please find attached 1st single from Ricky Archuletta’s Other Side of Upside Down — Escalator.”

As she shuts down her computer and leaves her executive broom closet for the day, she feels pleased at accomplishing a productive day’s work. “Sorry I’m late,” she tells her pet ferret as she comes in the door that evening. “But that is my absolute favourite song on the album, and I know it’s David’s too, so I have to give that extra push … now where are my motion-sickness meds?”

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

Now try to watch this without smiling … I dare ya. 🙂

And I’m posting this ‘cuz I’m a little too not over it.

Posted in Utter nonsense | Tagged | 95 Comments

The Other Side of Doom

Posted on 09/09/2010 by TOfan

By the one & only Rabid. (Click 2 enlarge 🙂 )

Picture this. You’re driving along the road and hit a pothole. For the rest of the trip you keep your eyes on the pavement so you can turn the steering wheel and manoeuver around as many cracks and divets as possible.

You get to your destination frazzled, drained and exhausted yet relieved you finally made it. Your friend who’d been following you in their car parks next to you. Smile beaming, eyes sparkling, they glomp you with a huge hug.

“What are you so happy about?” you ask. “That trip was a nightmare.”

“Nightmare? Did you not see those incredible mountain ranges, glorious waterfalls, two double rainbows and Halley’s Comet soaring across the sky?”

“But what about all those potholes?”

“Sure it was bumpy,” your friend laughs. “But I wasn’t about to let a few bumps ruin the most thrilling ride of my life.”

The End

Okay, cheesy story. But I thought it cheesily summed up the great divide in the fandom at the moment. The divide between those who choose to disco with the flow and accept the joyful musical gifts David gives us each day and those filled with fear about the future.

A couple of fans have been so fearful, in fact, they’ve been spamming Jive and some of David’s writers/producers with tweets trying to influence their selection of the next single. Methinks someone needs a time out. Shouldn’t David get to choose the songs he feels most strongly about to represent him as an artist on radio? I’m having a hard time understanding how a person could be a fan of someone they have such little faith in.

So, okay, what if the fearful few are right? What if David’s heretofore exquisite musical taste and judgment fail him this time? What if, no matter how amazing this album is, there are no hit singles from it and it enjoys only moderate sales success from his current fan base? Is that going to stop David from making music? His music, his way? Hah, as if.

If we’ve learned anything these past two years it’s that David Archuleta knows exactly what he’s doing and why. He’s in the driver’s seat with his capable man hands gripping the steering wheel,he’s revving the engine and keeping his head held high to soak in every moment of this endless ride.  I’m going to try my best to do the same … minus the man hands.

The Other Side of Doom? That would be David.


Ms. Beebee's amazingness. David needs to hire her.

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged | 178 Comments

David Archuleta: Things are gonna be fine

Posted on 09/06/2010 by TOfan

Listening to this song last night felt like getting a big hug from David (and not only because it was 2 a.m. my time and I could barely focus my eyes). “I know things are gonna get better, I know things are gonna be fine.”

David could’ve easily used his performance on the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon to promote his single (as other artists did) but, no, that’s not David.

Instead, he sang a brand new song from the album that fit the occasion perfectly. A song of light and hope. He’s also savvy enough to know that his fans would tune in to catch the new song and, being the generous go-getters we are, he also knew we’d help support the cause. (Which you can by clicking the MDA link above or texting “MDA” to 20222 to donate $10.)

I doubt this song will be a single. What I picture instead is it being a crowd favourite at his concerts, with an a cappella chorus where every voice in the crowd joins in, claps hands or waves arms gaining strength from one another and basking in the love from and for Mr. David Archuleta.

I also picture him singing it at the Grammys backed by a full gospel choir, quaking the rafters and raising the roof. Hey, a girl can dream.

I think I need more sleep….

Posted in Fan experience, Music review | Tagged | 105 Comments

Discovering David Archuleta: An Irish fan’s story

Posted on 08/31/2010 by irishjustin

Okay, so I don’t really know where to start with this. I was pretty surprised when I was asked to write something for the site. I honestly didn’t think anyone would really be interested in my story, not to mention I’m not a very good writer.

I tend to ramble a lot and get easily distracted so I start going off topic (and I swear I’m not just saying that to make myself seem more like David, it is the absolute truth) but I thought it might be fun to give it a try so here it goes :).

So I guess I should tell you a little about me first. Well my name is Justin, I’m 16, and I’m from Ireland. Music is one of the biggest things in my life, I’ve played guitar since as long as I can remember, and not too long ago I started teaching myself to play piano. My favourite bands are OneRepublic and The Script, and of course my favourite singer is David Archuleta. My favourite David song is definitely Touch My Hand. I just love the idea of the song, and I also love his live cover of The Riddle.

David at Six Flags New England, captured by the one, the only djxox.

I’m a pretty new Archie fan, the first time I actually “discovered” David was when he was being interviewed live on the red carpet for the Teen Choice Awards this year. I had always kind of known who David was, I knew he had been on American Idol, I knew what he looked like, and I knew he had a song called Crush, but that was pretty much it. I had never heard him sing, I had never seen him being interviewed, but when I did something in my head just clicked.

I don’t know what it was, there’s no way to really explain it, but I just couldn’t forget about this random guy. He was just one of the many people I had seen being interviewed and yet he was the one that stood out to me.

So I headed over to YouTube and searched “David Archuleta interview,” (for some reason it didn’t even cross my mind at that point to go and listen to his music), and I chose one of the videos that came up “David Archuleta 108 sec Interview Q A with Kiss 108 FM,” which is now the video I show first to all my friends when I’m introducing them to David’s awesomeness.

At the time, I couldn’t understand it, for some reason this guy just spoke to me. I loved his awkwardness, his down-to-earth attitude about everything, his child-like innocence, and I started watching interview after interview after interview until I couldn’t find any more.

Somewhere along the way I stopped with the interviews and went looking for the music. Like I said before, I had heard of Crush so I went with that first, and I thought “Wow, not only is this guy an awesome person, but he also has an incredible voice.”

So I went and listened to Idol performances, live performances, eventually I was looking for anything and everything I could find about him from his personal vlogs, to fan-made montages of his funniest moments. I became officially obsessed with this guy, something I had never expected would happen to me with any celebrity, let alone a guy!!!

And I have that guy to thank for so much. My love of music has been taken to a whole new level, something I didn’t think was possible since I already loved music so much. I have connected to so many people from all over the world, and it’s awesome to hear their stories and experiences with David and there are countless other things that have changed about my life.

David says: "Well, hello, djxox."

So I guess now I should talk about what it’s been like for me being a David fan in Ireland. Honestly there’s not much to tell.

Here in Ireland, he’s no more famous than I am. Chords of Strength was released here on Thursday, so I went into town to buy it. First book store… nothing, next store… nope, and while there I also checked their CDs just out of curiosity and found they didn’t even have his music!!!

Finally, I found one bookstore that sold it, but you had to send away for it because they don’t keep it in stock. Honestly, I was embarrassed to live here after that experience.

After “discovering” David, I went crazy and started asking everyone I knew if they knew who he was, and much to my disappointment, the answers ranged from “No, who’s he?” to “Oh, isn’t he that guy who was on American Idol years ago or something…?”

The closest thing I got to a proper yes was when I asked an 11-year-old girl (yes, I even resorted to asking children) and she said “Oh!! That’s the guy who was on an episode of iCarly one time!!!” But, sadly, she knew no more than that.

For now I’m okay with that — I like being able to say I like this guy because he spoke to me, not because I heard everyone else talking about him and I just decided to follow the crowd.

But I do hope he will eventually become popular here. I’m often selfish about things I like and I don’t want them to get too popular because it feels like people are taking what’s mine away from me. But I think David deserves to be known everywhere, his voice should be heard by everyone, so that they can find the same joy from listening to him that I have. Not to mention if he never gets popular here, he’s never gonna come here, and he just has to come to Ireland someday!!!

But seriously I do hope to meet him one day, so I can tell him what he’s done for me, because honestly he has already done so much more for me than some people I have known my entire life will ever do for me, and I hope he will continue to do that for many years to come.

— IrishJustin

P.S. Top photo from HERE.

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged | 189 Comments

Acoustic Archuleta: Disco with the flow

Posted on 08/25/2010 by TOfan

IrishJustin sent me this amazing iPod artwork he created for fans to download! Thanks, J.!

Try to guess the most-played song on my iPod.

Nope, not My Hands. No, not Contigo. Not even Crazy.

It’s David Archuleta’s Good Day Utah performance of “Waiting On the World to Change,” with Dean Kaelin on guitar. The way David sings that song just takes me places. I can’t even really describe it. Once he gets going, it’s like I’m not even listening to anything, just feeling … swimming in it.

I get that feeling again with these recent acoustic performances. Crazy is intense, TMH is hauntingly beautiful (who knew?), and then SBL and Crush in the Lexington studio (see below) absolutely pushed me over the edge. I happened to tune in to the radio broadcast in time for both songs and the purity and texture and maple syrup smooth sweetness was almost more than I could bear.

If you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned Elevator, it’s because I’ve saved it for last. I am so in love with that song, I want to walk down the aisle with it. Yes, he has yet to nail the vocals. Which usually I would care about. But. I. Don’t. Weird, huh? [Edit: He did nail ’em, right here!]

Unlike NAVGL and Parachutes & Airplanes and SBL, which all had to grow on me… I was smitten with Elevator practically from the time I pushed that play button.

There’s something about the story it tells, the magic of the melody, and the thrill of not knowing where it’s taking me next.*

Where’s his voice going? What does it all mean? And I have to keep going back for more, to look for answers, ask more questions, sing along.

But there’s another layer that, try as hard as I might, I am at a loss to explain. It’s a feeling that bubbles up inside each time I hear it. It’s a tingling that starts somewhere near my aorta and radiates outward. A joyful, cartwheel feeling that leaves me lightheaded and smiling.

Acoustic David FTW!!!

So what do you guys think? Which is your favourite live performance so far? Are you on Team Elevator yet?

Elevator WNCI 97.9FM (via JR4DA), Ohio

Crush acoustic, Lexington, KY

SBL acoustic, Lexington, KY

*P.S. I added the Louisville Bash highlight reel to the “Must See” sidebar … and I added up David’s screen time and they were clearly taken with him because his segments make up about half of the whole vid (including a full minute of the camera following only him as he runs on stage to join We The Kings, leaps like a wild man, then runs off). As awestruck says, “another one bites the dust.” 🙂

Posted in Music review | Tagged | 157 Comments

Elevator go up, up, up

Posted on 08/22/2010 by TOfan

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this song. I’ve heard it once. ONCE! It’s love at first sight … um, listen.

It’s quirky, it’s catchy, it bubbles through you like extra oxygen. There’s like a tinge of Caribana. It shows off every shiny corner of his amazing vocal range. It’s so alive, so soulful … so, so… DAVID!!!

I don’t know what it is about David Archuleta and launching skyward (Zero Gravity, Parachutes & Airplanes, Elevators) but it Works For Me!!!

I haven’t even listened to SBL live yet, that’s how much I love this song. My spidey senses are a’tingling. I.Am.In.Love.

So what do you guys think? 😆

Oh & here are the pics the lovely Kizzi posted on the last thread:

SBL Live:

Crazy:

Thanks to ArchuletaAvenue for all vids & ArchieRx for mp3s:

Download Crazy HERE

Download Elevator HERE

Download SBL HERE

**********

Return of The Desert Boots... It's official. He's trying to kill me.*

Elevator lyrics (thanks, Snarky Archies!):

Whoa-Oh Oh Oh
I had a dream last night
I didn’t know which floor to get off on (Eh-yay)
The doors they opened on 4, & 5, & 6,
And you were gone
All gone

I didn’t wanna know
I didn’t understand
At least I took a chance
I had to let it go

Elevator goes up
Elevator come down and
And you just go with the flow
Till your feet are back on the ground
It’s an endless ride
Sometimes it takes a while
Sometimes it tears you down inside
But it’s the butterflies
That keep you feeling so alive, so alive
You’re gonna get back, then high

And in my dream last night
The doors, they finally shut
And I was there, somewhere
Alone in my reality, inside an empty box
That’s filled with air, but I don’t care, no
Next time I’ll get it right, next time I’ll be okay
I’ll have a different dream tonight, tomorrow’s another day

Elevator goes up
Elevator come down and
And you just go with the flow
Till your feet are back on the ground
It’s an endless ride
Sometimes it takes a while
Sometimes it tears you down inside
But it’s the butterflies
That keep you feeling so alive, so alive
You’re gonna get back, then high

You’ll never know
What you’re gonna get
What you don’t expect, can come and find you
If you laugh or cry, you run and hide
But it’s alright

Elevator goes up
Elevator comes down and
And you just go with the flow
Till your feet are back on the ground
It’s an endless ride
Sometimes it takes a while
Sometimes it tears you down inside
But it’s the butterflies
That keep you feeling so alive, so alive
You’re gonna get back, then high

High-Igh-Ighh
High-Igh-Ighh
High-Igh-Ighh
So alive, so alive,
You’re gonna get back, then high-Ighh

*Pic from @Kollin, more pics HERE.

Posted in Fan experience, Music review | Tagged , | 128 Comments

Vlog of awesomeness

Posted on 08/17/2010 by refnaf

I’m a space cadet today. Stoked about getting all these songs for the album finalized! We’re sooo close. Going to be doing some radio station visits this coming week. time to introduce some new David music :). Jill Scott is awesome.

Tags:
 David  * Archuleta * album * The * Other * Side * of * Down * Something * ‘Bout * Love * Radio * stations * Jill * Scott * Golden * Lovely * Day  * Mike * Kromp

[TOfan edit:]
Finishing album? SBL live? Performances?? With a new song??? A NEW SONG?????? All that plus chair-dancing to Jill Scott’s “Golden”? Gotta go lie down.

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 63 Comments