May 29th, 2009

Leave the Rest

picture-4_2I’m done. That’s it. I’ve decided for David, and I hope he listens to me. “Forget the hype. Forget the fanfare. Lose the distractions. Do what you do, and leave the rest, because what you do is extraordinary.” 

I understand that he is a young man. Young. I get that, and I am happy for him. Oh, the special joy of youth. And I understand that music is a business. I understand that shtick and little girls’ tee shirts sell. I understand that he is a charismatic performer capable of mesmerizing 100,000 fans at a time. I understand that Zero Gravity is a great dance tune and that it was my favorite song of the solo tour. Noted, noted, and duly noted. I understand that I prefer the lava bomb to the sunshine. 

And I also understand that David Archuleta is a masterful artist. “Do what you do David. And leave the rest.” 

TriBeCa’s P.C. Richard & Son Theater is my new favorite venue in the whole world. Not even my living room would have been better….the acoustics are no good…too much furniture…and the lighting is all wrong. But the lighting and acoustics at the PC Richard Theater were surprisingly good. David’s voice sounded rich and full and resonant. The half filled little theater was a pleasure to behold. I was fortunate enough to stand front and center…front, front, center, center. Close enough to tie the crisp white laces of his new converse. The venue was intimate. Absent was the frenetic vibe of the mosh pit born of the solo tour. Here I was moshing without the moshing. No pushing, minimal screaming and no ringing in my ears. I was able to really concentrate on David-the-man. David the man. The artist. 

David-the-18-year-old-chit-chatterer was charming and darling. He talked about MS and hibachi, about lettuce and touring and twittering. He seemed relaxed and happy. He said he was happy to be performing before such a small and intimate audience in a small and intimate venue. His smile seemed genuine and the Q & A was delightful. There he stood before us, an ordinary boy talking about ordinary things. He even whipped out his cell phone and twittered like every other ordinary twitterer. But. He also sang. David-the-artist sang. 

While David-the-twitterer evoked smiles of amusement on the faces of the audience, most notably the 15 year old girls I was sharing space with, David-the-artist conjured a very different reaction. David-the-artist made these girls shake. And scream. And reach out. Their excitement and joy was a pleasure to witness. 

David the artist sat at his keyboard and sang Angels. A song he has sung countless times and which he said he never tires of singing. Angels and 1000 Miles. Here he was stripped of the distractions, of the nonsense of the business, and got to the business of his art. His voice was controlled and pure and beautiful. As I watched him and the sound of his voice filled me, it seemed he was saying to me, “This is what I do. I am a real live person; an artist; and I sing. We all do something. I sing and this is my gift to you. I hope you like it.” 

For all of the gifts that David has to share with us, for me, this is where he belongs. Simple and uncluttered. The simplicity lifts the extraordinary voice. You do not need to embellish a rose. Its exquisite beauty can be most completely appreciated when it does not have to compete for your attention. 

As David continues on his artistic journey, I hope he sees in himself what I see in him: the exquisite beauty of a perfect voice, full of the subtleties of human emotion. Forget the hype. Forget the fanfare. Lose the distractions. Do what you do David, and leave the rest. Because what you do is extraordinary.

~happy 

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