When I saw David’s hiking pics, my plan was to post this song with them as sort of a joke… well, joke’s on me. I started listening to it and now I’m sitting here weeping. I haven’t heard it in years and forgot how exquisitely beautiful it is. Wow. Don’t say you weren’t warned, my friends.
Back to nature now….
https://instagram.com/p/9Hvui3FyyX/?taken-by=davidarchie
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https://instagram.com/p/9HesaHwkvP/?taken-by=jahzey
@DavidArchie getting his haircut at Craig’s Cuts rn haha
— Jake Messner (@JakeMessner) October 19, 2015
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Why Craig’s, you ask?
Well, folks, you’ve come to the right place because SAz knows all. (By “all,” I mean nada.)
Our non-existent inside source at Craig’s has provided us with D’s very own footnotes on their latest ad:
1. $10, are you kidding me?? What if I bring my own scissors?
2. Perfect! I happen to be a rockstar myself, heh heh.
3. You had me at FREE FREE FREE, baby.
4. Can I have extras?
5. Drats, how did I miss this???!!!!
Yes, dear friends, this is what Mr. D’Arch missed out on:
In related news, Craig’s Cuts advertised for a stylist this afternoon and is now screening a record number of candidates:
Possibly because this was the practice test they were required to do:
p.s.
And here’s David just before his, ahem, trim, with a special vlog message for us.
p.p.s.
And for my fellow Canucks: 🙂
Download mp3 of The Prayer (from @RobinFOD’s amazing audio/video) HERE.
*******
Two-minute snippet Nathan posted… WOWZA!!!!!
*******
It is still processing but here it is https://t.co/hHCGAipADQ
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 18, 2015
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Audio of Crush, MKOP & The Prayer…thank you, Robin!!!!! (LOVE what he does with MKOP!)
*******
and audio of The Prayer alone (from @RobinFOD, grazie mille!!!!)
****************
TWO NEW SNIPPETS!!!!! (thx Ashley Boudris Pacheco and our dear lovely and amazing Kari!!!!!)
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A little clip from side stage of @NathanPacheco & @DavidArchie singing The Prayer last night in Miami. #sotalented pic.twitter.com/OkqIsxoPgD
— Kari Sellards (@kariontour) October 17, 2015
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NEW SNIPPET!!!!! (thx. @pabuckie!!! <3)
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GAHHHHHH… I know it was Nathan’s show and all. And I’m sure he’s a tip top guy but am I the only one whose brain does not register it’s a duet and instantly tunes him out as soon as David starts singing??
After the 234343th listen, I did force myself to take in how beautifully their voices blend together… and how very David to take the harmony part… oh what a harmony line he comes up with, though, so original and like an arrow piercing through the clouds of heaven … *replays*.
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[SAVING THIS SPACE FOR THE FULL VIDEOOOOOOOOO *deep breaths*]
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https://instagram.com/p/87L2LcFy_A/?taken-by=davidarchie
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Do they not make an adorbs pocket-sized musical couple???! #rhetoricalquestion
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#TeamFluffeh (the one on the right, that is 🙂 )
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https://instagram.com/p/87JEQPsSAS/
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Photographer: Okay everyone, please form a human halo around the glowy dude… work with me, people!
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Live tweeting from the lovely @RobinFOD:
Phone police here. David was awesome. Crowd roared. Sung Crush. MKOP and the Prayer
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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Got it all audio recorded.
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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*
FLAAAAAAILS!!!!!
*
Got a pic of @DavidArchie pic.twitter.com/I1xwHUnEnw
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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Trying to upload now. The prayer was out of the park
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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uploading to FB. Nathan was amazing. josh Grobanish The duet was heaven!@DavidArchie held back just enough to let his buddy Shine brighter.
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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If not when I get back to Orlando I will transfer it to my computer and do it there
— Robin F. (@RobinFod) October 17, 2015
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MORE FLAAAAAILING!!!!
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@Shell_eeeyyy @RobinFod A fan friend who went said The Prayer garnered the guys a standing O.
— janey (@janey79) October 17, 2015
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And TWEET OF THE DAY award goes to:
Is it true that David Archuleta wrote the Michigan fight song?
— The Bills Bros (@TheBillsBros) October 17, 2015
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p.s.
Bringing this over because it’s still cracking me up:
p.p.s.
Bringing this over from the end of the last comment thread because ArchuTater rocks!!! (TaterTot: Any time you want to scribble anything on any stray napkin, PLEASE FedEx it to me and I’ll share!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ )
“Just wanted to add my belated thank you to this thread. I really appreciate your kind words about my written words. Sending another thank you and a hug to TOfan who allows me to stretch my hobby into a public forum, while patting my hand and reassuring me that it will be OK. (Insecure? Who me?) It doesn’t hurt that David fans are incredibly supportive. Thanks again, friends!”
Above and Beyond Spectacular
This may well be the most biased recap of the week. I’m not apologizing, just warning you. My attitude toward anything BYU tends to border on mawkish, but the lessons I learned as a student there were for a lifetime, and not all of them were academic. Oh, I intend to write the truth, but don’t expect objectivity.
My mother attended BYU. She left their farm in Idaho and headed to Provo with only $25 and plenty of moxie. In time, she was followed by me, my daughters, and now, a granddaughter. Like most beginning college students, I was surprised to find that life actually improved after high school. This realization happened for me at BYU, so I kind of bleed blue that way. Part of my spectacular weekend was spent with a former roommate whom I love like a sister. We shared the good, the bad and the hysterically funny in college, and in the decades since. There is no catch-up lag when we get together, and it will always be that way. Blessing counted.
The next blessing came as we navigated safely through the necessary but perpetual road construction between Salt Lake City and Provo to be at the BYU concerts. Although my husband had trouble grasping the concept of attending the same song-and-dance program two nights in a row, he was nevertheless an agreeable participant. Plus, he was eager to see the remodeling changes in the Marriott Center where previous events required patrons to sit for hours with their knees tucked firmly under their chins.
As we waited in line to enter, I couldn’t help but notice the span of ages represented in the crowd, something like age 2 to 102, and a near even ratio of male to female. To our geriatric relief, the seating inside was much improved, comfortable even. The changes reduced the capacity to 19,000, but it is still a cavernous venue where one might easily imagine the audience as bats hanging from the rafters. OK, maybe that’s just weird me. Anyway, the stage setup required for these performances reduced the seating capacity even further and meant that some folks paid money to sit way off to the side and gaze at David’s profile most of the night, not such a bad deal after all.
I do believe my dear hubby could have a conversation with an empty chair, with every expectation that said chair would eventually become occupied by a likeminded soul willing to exchange ideas or just listen. This was exactly the case on Night One. An unsuspecting gentleman sat down next to my husband who soon began regaling him with stories about the life and times of a dedicated David Archuleta fan, namely you-know-who. The poor guy kept leaning forward to get a good look at the crazy old lady who would go to such extremes—and for so many years—to hear this Archuleta kid sing. With each glance my direction, I tried to slither further down into my chair while I fantasized about “Invisibility” being my superpower of choice. One thing is certain. The highly amused and willing listener will be sharing my fan adventures with other strangers yet to be determined. On Night Two, as hubby was taking his seat, I put on my best “don’t-mess-with-me” face and issued a two-word ultimatum: “No chatting.”
Shortly before the concert began, I thought of the times David told fans how he preferred smaller and more intimate venues. So, how does one (small-ish) person begin to harness a crowd estimated at 10,500? No problem. Like a never-fail branding strategy, one chorus of “Crush” did the trick and we were off and running. David then introduced the guitarist and segued into an impeccable and haunting version of “Imagine.” Oh my! Even his vocal nuances had nuances. With all due respect for his musical prowess, we should probably refer to him as “Mr. Archuleta” from here on out.
Our BYU coed granddaughter joined us for Night Two. Both nights were completely enjoyable and moved quickly, perhaps too quickly. There were subtle differences between the two performances, but no arguing over preferences, only the fun of reading fan recaps/comments, and the joy of watching it all over again, curtesy of a few skilled and clandestine videographers (Thank you!).
The minute David came out on stage on Night One, my husband nudged me with his elbow. I was sure it was his way of sharing this much-anticipated moment with me; and it was, sort of. He leaned over and whispered excitedly, “Chukka Boots!!”
David really dug into “Nunca Pense” with the Women’s Chorus. He was feeling the Spanish, and by Night Two, he had installed yet another upgrade into his salsa moves. Night Two also offered the now-famous blue fan flip, followed by some swooning from a few chorus members.
“Parachutes and Airplanes” was a curious set list choice, but how fun was that?!? I was happy for a Night Two repeat, and happy for the cute family sitting behind us whose three small children were following David’s instructions to “get out of your seat and move.”
“Everybody Hurts,” and everybody has, or will. David owns that song now, but he sure knows how to share it. Exquisite. “Glorious” and “Nearer My God to Thee” followed suit.
I took a scientific poll, asking, “What were your three favorite songs in order of preference?” Two people responded. (Ha!) Husband: Nearer My God to Thee, Everybody Hurts, Parachutes and Airplanes. Granddaughter: Nearer My God to Thee, Parachutes and Airplanes, Imagine & Everybody Hurts (tie). If asked, I would put Nearer My God to Thee at the top; but after that, the order changes, depending on which video I am re-watching.
How smart was BYU to 1) invite David Archuleta to Homecoming, and then, 2) have David sing with some of the school’s favorite performance groups? Summa cum laude smart methinks. I loved it! I loved it all; but my sentimental favorite has to be David with Vocal Point (a cappella magnifico), and I need to linger here a bit to explain.
Oldest Daughter was at BYU and working her way through a Piano Performance and Pedagogy Major when two guy friends asked for her help with “a great idea.” Subsequently, the three of them held auditions and Vocal Point was born. Oldest Daughter was Vocal Point’s Artistic Director for the first two years. They were an instant hit on campus and soon became an official and accredited part of BYU’s School of Music. Not surprisingly, our family has followed them, supported them, and even hosted them when they toured through Boise.
This history should explain why (no matter where you live) you may have heard my audible joy when I learned that Vocal Point would be teaming up with David Archuleta during the Homecoming Spectacular. In my world, this was like the cream of the crop singing with the crème de la crème. Oh yeah! Rich stuff. I couldn’t get there fast enough.
As a university ensemble, Vocal Point has plenty of personnel turnover—graduation, missions, other situations—but these seem to occur without a diminishing return on talent or verve. Plus, the alumni are like family, bonded by the experience. They stay in touch; they even have “family reunions.”
The current Vocal Point director is McKay Crockett, a very talented musician who sang with the group for four years (You might recognize him if you watched Vocal Point compete in The Sing Off). At my request, Oldest Daughter contacted McKay to get his reaction to Vocal Point’s experience with David Archuleta. His most excellent response follows:
“First of all, David is world class. He’s as kind, gracious, and humble as you’d imagine. And, MAN, can he sing.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the week was getting to see David and the guys become friends over the course of the run. I think they hit it off right away because they have so much in common—they’re young college-aged guys who believe music should be used to uplift and edify others. David was so complimentary of the guys, which meant so much because of the caliber of singer David is.
“We gave David a few of our albums and a VP [Vocal Point] hat and t-shirt on dress rehearsal night. Closing night he was sporting both the VP hat and t-shirt all evening at the Marriott Center before the show. We’ve even seen the VP hat show up in a few of his social media pics since then too.
“I feel like a great relationship was formed. And based on the reaction we’ve seen both at the show and on the web, I think people would really love to see these guys do something together again. I know I wouldn’t be opposed. “
–McKay Crockett, Director
BYU Vocal Point
My response: Holy Duet, Hatman! Let’s do this!
Travel-size David in VP gear.
At every David Archuleta concert, there are always two things that happen for me. The first is my uncanny inability to meet fans whose names I see on Twitter or fan sites nearly every day. It is true that the Provo venue made this difficult to do once again, but no excuses. Look me up at Tuacahn, OK?
Second, there are always people at the concert who have not heard David sing live before. Sometimes they are easy to spot, and when I do, I try to keep an eye out, hoping to witness their reactions once David starts in. There is usually a jaw-dropping gesture of some kind, followed by a speechless but wide-eyed look toward someone else who will confirm that they really heard what they thought they heard. It happened in Idaho Falls; it happened in Layton, and it happened again at the BYU Homecoming Spectacular. I never get tired of seeing it.
When David told his story in Idaho Falls and finally said, “I think I can do this again,” he could have easily added “and I think you will be glad you waited around for it.” Uh huh. I already am.
–TaterZen
[Thanks to muldur & shelley for the awesome videoooos! and the lovely and amazing @rhiminee for the gifs!!!]
p.s.
https://instagram.com/p/8oNDniEDws/?taken-by=makenzieemma
p.s.s.
LOVE THIS!!!!!
[yes, this is a gif of me hearing Numb for the first time at the Colonial Theatre, in case you were wondering.]
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Even though I’m sitting here in a cast with possibly the worst hair of my life for 14 days and counting, there is so much I feel thankful for. There is pie in the house, for one thing.
In terms of David things to be thankful for right now, the list just keeps growing, for me, anyway.
He’s back from his mission and he’s still doing music (despite his Idaho flashback to his “I don’t think I want to do this anymore” moment, which just about gave me — and I bet all of you — a heart attack).
I’ve liked every single song he’s written since he’s gotten back that we’ve heard (Nunca Pense, Son of Man, He Showed Me How, Numb (see gif above)).
His footwear choices have been stellar.
WE ARE GETTING MORE NEW MUSIC, FOLKS!!!!!! (this actually deserves about 23424242 spots on this list)
There’s new technology like Periscope so we get even more chances to enjoy his live performances so we don’t need to travel to Utah so often Canadian Customs & Immigration is flagged and opens a secret file.
These shows he’s been doing are to “warm up”… W.A.R.M..U.P… just let that sink in for a moment.
Kari. I’m thankful for Kari. Short of fangirling but not by much. She puts up with so much from our *ahem* energetic crew and handles it all with grace and kindness and good humour. She once offered me an elastic for a poster (at a MKOC VIP) and then doubled over laughing when she realized I didn’t even have one. These are the kinds of things that will put Kari in the Road Manager Hall of Fame.
After going to the Interfaith concert last December, where David sounded incredible (‘natch) but seemed wary and stiff and not enjoying it much at times, it was a thrill to watch him get back into the swing of things in Idaho Falls and Layton. I’ll never forget that first show in IF, it was truly a special night and you could tell he felt it too, because he said so. I felt nauseous before the show I was so nervous, which is ridiculous… I actually shook my head and said “Snap out of it! YOU are not the one on stage!” lol … I can’t even imagine how he felt before hand, but to watch him soak up all the love and give it right back in song was pure magic.
When he started the show with song after song, I got worried he wasn’t going to do any talking. I thought “maybe this is his new style.” HA! When he did start to share, boy did he ever. He got emotional talking about how Don’t Give Up helped get him through some tough times before his mission and also about wondering if anyone would be interested in hearing from him when he got back. Really raw, really real. But he was his funny, quirky self too and it struck me how much I’d missed hearing him talk. He doesn’t like doing vlogs. Fine. I get that, I’d hate it too. But even though I always say I’m here for his music (which I am), I realized I really missed hearing his take on things, how he looks at the world, using words like “shindig” to describe doing Nandito Ako, and that he never thought he’d do something like that (classic David pause), but that it was fun. I’m not going to waste time hoping he’ll start doing chatty vlogs again, I’m just going to be thankful I got to be there to hear him share as much as he did in person.
You know what else I’m thankful for? You guys. You make me laugh and are such good people, I hope I get to meet all of you in person some day… especially you, peppertara, we tried and missed and need to try again! lol
So even if you’re not celebrating our most awesome holiday (which thankfully arrives WELL before Christmas, and comes complete with fall colours, mwahaha) … what David-world things are you thankful for??
p.s.
Also very grateful that professional photographers capture the ArchuPhenomenon of the world being blurry and all blending together but David popping out in sharp focus and a nuclear reactor-like glow.
At http://t.co/IdGJoiIkRX — Loved shooting @davidarchie at BYU's Homecoming Spectacular this week!
#brighamyoun… pic.twitter.com/beLqDvlbg4
— BYU Now (@NowByu) October 9, 2015
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p.p.s.
Also thankful for this picture of David as the filling in a super-sized Cougarette burrito.
https://instagram.com/p/8jeJiblywB/?taken-by=davidarchie
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#imtheshortest *dyinggggg*
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https://instagram.com/p/8hAFusly4p/?taken-by=davidarchie
.@DavidArchie making a surprise appearance at the #BYU homecoming assembly. #ThisIsY pic.twitter.com/RXoumyBiNf
— joehadfield (@joehadfield) October 6, 2015
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David archuleta literally just sang “crush” to us I am crying
— christina menzie (@nina_menzie) October 6, 2015
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.@DavidArchie just stole the show at the @BYU Homecoming assembly. pic.twitter.com/qSv9KiSM3M
— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) October 6, 2015
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@Nellie1983 @DavidArchie @BYU Glorious.
— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) October 6, 2015
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David Archuleta pointed to me so my life is over
— Amanda Wayment (@Amanda_Wayment) October 6, 2015
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The Cougarettes and David Archuleta performing together – what more could I ask for 😍 pic.twitter.com/SL5adpYIMt
— Jenna Lambourne (@jennaismsftw) October 6, 2015
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When you go to BYU and its causal to see David Archuleta everywhere 😊💙💁🏽 #blessed pic.twitter.com/emLnk0Gosk
— ▪️ Syd ▪️ (@MormonGirlSwag) October 6, 2015
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more byu spam because i can 🙂
Found our BYU IDOL @DavidArchie !!!! #BYUHomecoming2015 pic.twitter.com/LreG5goR9C
— BYU Alumni (@BYUalumni) October 6, 2015
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David Archuleta and I just breathed the same air
— Courtney Clark (@Renae_Clark21) October 6, 2015
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IT'S REALLY BLURRY AND CRUDDY BUT MY LIFE IS COMPLETE 💙 @DavidArchie #byu #actuallysobbing pic.twitter.com/k7ZH2ILOdk
— Savannah Stowell (@SavannahStowell) October 6, 2015
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When your sister goes out to lunch and runs into David Archuleta 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 I HATE MY LIFE pic.twitter.com/9xm4LU2A2U
— vamp dad (@hectordalmasi) October 6, 2015
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Was he just hanging out in the regular cafeteria??? oh david 🙂 🙂 🙂
When David Archuleta is the surprise guest at #BYUhomecoming devotional > pic.twitter.com/sWGQKiNgem
— Lyndsey Brady (@lyndsey_brady) October 6, 2015
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@DavidArchie thank you so much for coming to BYU today! You're an amazing singer and you totally made my day! ❤🎵 #byudevo #homecoming
— Demosthenes (@Demosthenes35) October 6, 2015
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Someone take me to meet David Archuleta right now I'll literally pay you in crying 😂😭
— Whitney✨ (@solidallas) October 6, 2015
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“Is there moooar, is there mooooaaaarrrrr???”
Why yes,there is! 🙂
And then accompanies the dance team 😍😍 @DavidArchie pic.twitter.com/44QzorBAjQ
— Katelyn Bowen (@kateJbowen) October 6, 2015
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You know your school rocks when David Archuleta randomly shows up to your assembly and performs #BYUhomecomingweek pic.twitter.com/1cD7WtunTX
— Katelyn Bowen (@kateJbowen) October 6, 2015
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At http://t.co/IdGJoiIkRX — Sing it @davidarchie! Great surprise performance to kickoff this week's Homecoming f… pic.twitter.com/SKSvqjdOmN
— BYU Now (@NowByu) October 6, 2015
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So @DavidArchie came to my school today. I'm trying to sound chill about it but IM ACTUALLY SCREAMING
— Chloe Roblyer (@ChloeRoblyer) October 6, 2015
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https://instagram.com/p/8hl8bXi4vn/
This is actually really awesome:
https://instagram.com/p/8gxwhpA_TJ/
AND VIDEOOOOOOS, THX TO THE LOVELY MS. TAWNA21!!!
AND IN CLOSE-UP!!!!
p.s.
Who’s with me on #TeamHandstand???
Mr. Nathan Pacheco does most of the talking in this video….
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So our crack team of SAz body language experts and eye-crinkle translators* has kindly provided a transcript of what David was thinking throughout…
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……………………………………………………………..…………………..”Um, what’s going on here??”
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………………………………………………………………………….………”This better not be a vlog….”
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……………………………………………………………..……………………..…..….”It is, isn’t it??”
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……………………………………………………………..….”Did no one tell you?? I don’t do vlogs!”
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……………………………………………………………..…………………..….”Okay, maybe it’s not.”
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……………………………………………………………..…………….”This guy…such a trickster.”
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………………………………………………………………………..…….”Did he say ‘Best voice of our day’?”
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……………………………………………………………..…………………..”That is true. heh heh”
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……………………………………………………………..………………….”Hey guys, it’s David here.”
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……………………………………………………………..…………….”Wait, you did trick me!”
.
………………………………………………………….”This definitely feels like a vlog is happening!”
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……………………………………………………………………….…”DUDE! I break out in a rash!!!!”
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……………………………………………………………..…………….….”I’M VLOG-INTOLERANT!!!”
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………………………………………… “I CAN’T FEEL MY FACE WHEN I VLOG TO YOUUUU!”
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……………………………………………………………………………………………….”Chipotle???”
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……………………………………………………………..……………………….”FOOD!! JAZZ HAND!!!!!”
.
……………………………………………………………………..…”Okay, let’s wrap this up, it’s raining.”
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……………………………………………………………..……………………………………..”Really raining.”
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………………………………………………………………………….”Did he just say ‘Announcement’???”
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……………………………………………………………..……..…”Nice one! My fans are going to freak!”
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……………………………………………………………..……………………………………………..”heh heh”
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……………………………………………………………..……….………….”Getting cold heeeeeeeeeere.”
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……………………………………………………………..…………….”Like, I just got over the flu, bro.”
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……………………………………………………………..……………………………..……….”Peace out!”
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……………………………………………….”Before my fans start mailing me a million sweaters.”
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……………………………………………………………..”I DON’T WANNA BE NUUUUUUUMB!!!!”
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*we have no such team
p.s.
David Archuleta appearance may bring record crowd to BYU spectacular
http://t.co/BlWsxtoHNc pic.twitter.com/6TfwmJu2LA
— The Universe at BYU (@UniverseBYU) October 5, 2015
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“The Cougarettes will dance while Archuleta sings “Glorious,” the song he debuted in the movie “Meet the Mormons.” –
DID I CALL THIS OR WHAT, MY FRIENDS??!!
IT’S THE GLORY OF THE MODEST IS HOTTEST DANCERS STADIUM OF FIRE AMAZINGNESS ALL OVER AGAIN!!!! WHY AM I MISSING IT?????
I have been moved by both David’s shows and Pope Francis’ U.S. visit this past week… love these two peeps and, maybe it’s just the painkillers I’m on, but they sure do seem to have a lot in common….
p.s.
Thanks for all the well wishes, love you guys!!! A big one-armed hug to all!
David holding the microphone for Emily … and another fan who shall remain nameless but is still in shock. 🙂 (Photo credit: Pam Pike. Click pic 4 source.)
In the Moment
I am basically a shy person, a longtime practicing introvert. However, things changed a little last week, and if I had the opportunity now… OK, I would still need a sack to put over my head, but if I had the chance, I would shout to the world about David Archuleta’s triumphant return to performing. It was “glorious,” including the concert where he could not sing at all.
There is no argument that David took a lengthy and mysterious hiatus. In fact, he seemed to take it to a new level. Why so long? What about us? What in the world was he thinking? Turns out he was thinking plenty.
Last spring, when concert announcements began to pop up, hibernating fans erupted into a predictable frenzy. Venues sold out and the anticipation began in earnest. I invited my 17-year old granddaughter—the lovely Emily—to join me for a September road trip across Idaho and into Utah. We simply had to wait for September to arrive; and unless there were two Julys this year, it was the slowest summer in recent history.
Finally, September 17. We were ready! Bags packed. Check. Wilhelmina (the car) with a full tank. Check. The lovely Emily with her favorite travel snacks (Gardetto’s, grapes, water). Check. Contingency supplies considered (blankets, road flares, defibrillator). Check. We left our little oasis in western Idaho, aka Boise, and headed out across the desert for the four-hour drive to Idaho Falls. Thanks to the generosity of Abrra from “The Voice,” we had seven hours’ worth of David’s music to play over Wilhelmina’s capable speakers. The lovely Emily sang along and knew every word.
We were not the first fans to check into our Idaho Falls hotel, but we all found each other quickly. There were hugs and/or introductions all around, along with some impromptu “fandemonium.” Close to concert time, the hotel provided a shuttle to the venue, and suddenly this was it! This was real. This was the night. We were there, and David Archuleta was in the house!
The concert began with an opening act, Gracie Schram, a sweet 17-year old girl with a sweet talent. She easily engaged the audience with her fun music, in spite of knowing exactly why all the seats were filled. After a longer-than-necessary intermission, the lights dimmed and band members began to take their places on the stage. David waited in the wings. Just imagine that moment: the excitement, the nerves, the fear, the silent prayer, the pounding heart… Yes, I was a mess. Who knows what David was feeling.
Suddenly, he bounded onstage and flashed a tentative smile. The crowd roared. Yeah, that’s pretty cliché to write, but roar they did. Many fans simply stood to applaud his presence, a classy gesture of support and appreciation. It was another moment, and a tender moment at that.
When TOfan asked for a recap, I didn’t know where to start. Most fans have seen the videos and the music speaks for itself. Maybe I could write about my favorite songs, but seventeen seemed too many. Maybe I could write about what David’s voice can do for a song, but that would take forever because it is too close to indescribable. Maybe I could write about the concert experience on Saturday night in Layton. It was profound, even spiritual in its own way. What could I add to that? Isn’t there a tariff on superlatives? So, what you are getting here is a few more “moments.” (Remember, this is free of charge.) They are a motley collection of off the cuff, random, unfettered and unorganized thoughts and impressions that have stuck with me since that amazing weekend. Here we go:
~ When David sang “Somewhere Only We Know,” he totally owned the stage and the audience. Period.
~ “Everybody Hurts” on Thursday made me weep, but I was not alone in doing so. There should have been a tissue concession. I even saw a couple of burly men wiping away a few tears.
[Sidenote: “I’m going to do another couple songs for you guys” … have there ever been sweeter words spoken in the English language??]
~ David mentioned up front that it had been almost four years since he had done a full show. Several songs into the set list, I suddenly realized that the music and chitchat in this concert was planned to tell his story, answer questions that had been swirling around, and announce his future plans. Awesomesauce.
~ David’s stage banter was easy going. Oh, there was still some trademark rambling there, all of it enlightening and entertaining of course. If the rambling ever went away completely, things would not be the same and I would be incredibly sad.
~ I will not forget the audible gasp from the audience when David told us he had called his manager at one point to say, “I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” Within seconds, the same shocked audience managed a collective sigh of relief when he told us the rest of the story. I knew I should have brought that defibrillator.
~ “Shooby doop dobby dop dobby doop…” A delicious Disney-flavored scat from David. (He can do it all, can’t he?) I confess to watching the Tarzan medley more than 20 times so far. Do bop she doo whoo!
~ David’s famous “dry humor” was infused with a touch of sass at times. It wasn’t potent sass, rather gentle, but funny and effective.
~ “Numb” is anything but. Love it! Love it! Love it!
~ Humility intact. I cannot tell you how many times David thanked fans for being there, for supporting him, for returning to hear him. Wow, there were a lot of thank yous! He is probably still out there thanking someone somewhere.
~ Post-concert Commentary. No concert worth its salt goes without a post-concert meeting of the minds to discuss every facet of everything we have just seen and heard together, and then start all over and discuss it again. We cried and laughed, and laughed ‘til we cried. We even became borderline obnoxious at times, so we laughed some more. The lovely Emily was waiting for it all to end, but was patient, only commenting on the way to the elevator that we were much bigger fan girls than she realized.
~ Hail to the fans! I love you! What a great group of kind and generous people you are! And what fun to spend time with you. My only regret was not being able to meet everyone (I say that every time!). I wanted to match your beautiful faces to your online monikers. I did learn one thing though: I need to change my Twitter name back to “Archugeezer” so people will know me. My multiple personality explanation seemed to defy logic.
~ The hypnotizing, mesmerizing, dancing hands. (“You are in my power.”)
~ Singing man was also stylin’ man. Pretty much a unanimous “thumbs up” on that. #itbeginswithboots
~ A personal aside: the lovely Emily is a dedicated dancer, ballet five days a week. Every night, no matter how late we returned to the room, she exercised—squats, sit ups, stretching her limbs into next week, you name it. I was impressed. Not once was she distracted by me noshing on the random chocolate I discovered in my purse.
~ The Friday night crowd seemed a tad rowdier than the night before. Definitely more relaxed. Some of David’s LDS lingo produced sustained applause and “religious hooting,” I’m convinced there was a Mormon pep rally going on in the balcony. Pretty funny. #ldsyouthgroups
~ I think my heart actually broke on Saturday night in Layton when David’s singing voice finally disappeared and he had to talk his way through “My Kind of Perfect.” My mother instincts were in full gear and giving me fits until I realized that the entire crowd was sending waves of love to that stage. He has us, people. He has us forever.
~ The lovely Emily and I had the best time. She is a jewel of a traveling buddy who is inexplicably willing to show up in public with an old lady. David Archuleta deserves credit for creating some of our bonding time. Soon after we returned home, she sent me a thank you and “drew a little picture.” I have her permission to share a few of her written thoughts about the concerts:
The David Archuleta concerts were mind-blowing! David sang each song with such feeling, and every single song was incredible. My personal concert favorite was the Spanish song he did for an encore (Nunca Pense), and I really loved the Tarzan medley too. I attended the first three concerts and every concert was fantastic in a different way. David gave each song all he had.
The third concert (Layton 9/19) was hard for David because he had the flu, but it will always be a favorite for me because I got to sing with him! The coolest seven seconds of my life: singing my favorite David song with my favorite singer. He looked me straight in the eyes and gave me a HUGE smile. It was the most amazing thing to ever happen!
Those of you who have heard David Archuleta sing live already know there is a unique and beautiful timbre to his voice that is difficult to capture or replicate on a recording. It is a sound that seems to flow between ethereal and magical, a sound you can actually feel as you hear it. That is not to say his recorded music is somehow less; it is not, far from it. It is only to say that if you want to experience the whole of David’s talent, you need to attend a concert and hear him live. Do it! Unless you have to sell one of your children to buy a ticket, you have no excuse. Just go! Be there!
Oh, one more thing. Remember that little kid from American Idol? Well, he’s gone. I would bet dollars to donut holes he is grateful for the experience; but yep, the kid doesn’t exist anymore. He’s a man now, still handsome and delightfully disarming, but a little older, a lot wiser and definitely up for making his own decisions. Be assured, David Archuleta is performing again because he wants to. The man may be small in stature, but do not be deceived. He looms large on that stage, and in life.
~TaterZen aka Archugeezer
p.s. Thanks to the lovely Shelley and 8throwcenter for their amazing videoooooos.
**UPDATE**
I took this video on my iPod at the Friday night show (because I loved the song so much Thursday night)… I’m sorry, I can’t do closeups on it but the audio is pretty good, I must say… still gives me chills AND makes me choke up all at once, I think because of the raw, real feeling in it and because I love it so much… it was our soundtrack on repeat from Idaho to Utah so, David, if you had wanted to do it Saturday and Monday, at least four of us totally knew all the words and could’ve jumped in. 🙂
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Photo courtesy of Refnaf, cutest thing ever, courtesy of the JazzChuletas.
So sad this run of “warm up” shows are over… but so relieved David’s on the mend.
It was really cool tonight to hear him change up songs we’ve heard a million times … I know it was to spare his voice but his variations gave songs like TOSOD and SBL a new groove and showed off his lower register, which still sounded mighty fine, despite his illness.
He really is incredible, finding every way he can to give the best show he can. He brought his sister, Jazzy, onstage to “be David” and read his introduction to “Beautiful” so that the message behind why he recorded the song wouldn’t get lost.
And then somehow he managed to do an amazing job on Beautiful, complete with new runs and so much emotion. Loved it.
He brought Jazzy out a few times and then had more to say before Bridge Over Troubled Water but wanted to spare his voice… reaching out and saying “I want to talk to you guys… but I want to sing too.” It was so touching the way he sang it, it’s not one of my faves on Begin. *hides* but maybe now it is.
He had to cut the show a little short but, man, did he pack a lot in. And the crowd was fantastic, right behind him… standing during Crush and waving phones in the air.
He got emotional a few times, but managed to collect himself and keep on going… even coming out for an encore of Nunca Pense with his mom and aunt as backup singers and dancers, he had to encourage them to move up nearer the front of the stage and Lupe even pulled a little boy up onto the stage with them and he sang a mean “oh oh ooh oh oh”. 🙂
Glorious was glorious and he sounded incredible. Something about the audience singing along like a choir with him is magical.
I’m probably forgetting something because I’m fried but feeling relieved he can rest now… and so can we, lol.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to experience these first shows in four loooong years… Thursday night, in particular, was really special… and to see David go from tentative and anxious at the beginning of Thursday night to under-the-weather but relaxed, having fun and interacting with the crowd like crazy by Monday night … and it sinking in that we are still here cheering for him… was beautiful to see.
I can’t take good photos or vids to save my life (I’m so thankful for those who do have those talents) but I want to remember more so I can share as much as I can… wish I could have taken you all there in my pockets! I’ll keep adding tidbits as I remember them…
Starting with these highlights:
– Jazzy reading David’s description of “supermodel babes”
– Kendra and the band playing the Super Mario theme song and David coming out and saying “If that music had words, I’d totally sing it for you guys”
– that “shoo bop she do” song from Tarzan… loved it from the 1st night and SO wish I’d recorded it Monday night even on my iPod… he KILLED it! No sign of flu on that one… loved what he did with it…. and his dance moves! 🙂
– David saying “going to do a few more songs for y’all” then chuckling and adding, “I live in Tennessee now so I say ‘y’all’, heh heh”
-the way he moves on stage now is light years away from four years ago…singing with his entire body, organically letting the music move him — literally. I swear, between the cool arm movements and new steps, Thursday night’s “Somewhere Only We Know” was like an interpretive dance.
And deep thoughts like these:
– “When you stop thinking about yourself, you discover who you are”
– “I always thought music was a part of my mission but I couldn’t be satisfied with my mission in life if I hadn’t gone to serve for two years in Chile” [David chokes up and so do all of us]
– “If we choose to help someone it will have an impact — not just on other people, but ourselves.”
– “Even though I’m not 100%, it’s been fun and your energy is breathing some life into me.”
– “If a song is filled with light, it fills you with light”[before the medley] “Fans who’ve been around a while and know the words, sing along, I need your help here, and sing loud!”
– “Not performing my own shows for four years, you don’t know who will still want to come and are interested in listening” [this is followed by huge applause… “we are, David! we are!” we all seemed to be saying]
p.s.
https://instagram.com/p/78Wsbolyxe/?taken-by=davidarchie
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https://instagram.com/p/78aKQGI7je/?taken-by=cuttergage
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https://instagram.com/p/765SO4JqWv/?taken-by=lamberouge
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https://instagram.com/p/761R4nwklc/?taken-by=jahzey
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So glad I got to go listen to @DavidArchie tonight you did beautiful. pic.twitter.com/QKIZDOZWpT
— Bailey Adams☆ (@Bgadams7) September 22, 2015
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I Love this one of @DavidArchie and Jazzy:) pic.twitter.com/i5SqAn5nrJ
— Shelley #DA2015 (@Shell_eeeyyy) September 22, 2015
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the boooooooots! (merci, Princess! 🙂 )
— Not-a-lee (@PrincessArchie) September 22, 2015
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I’ll leave the last word to Marcella… this sums things up perfectly:
I love all these @DavidArchie shows..each one with it’s own little twist..just like old times ☺️
— Marcella ∞ (@0o0bluedots0o0) September 22, 2015
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Posting this again because Canada.
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What do you guys think so far???
p.p.s.
You guyyyyys, it’s been so long since I’ve used the “Concert recap” category, I forgot it was even there. *sniff*
PO Box 4297 Apopka, FL 32704 USA
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 