Our Many Voices, One Inspiration
A Waukegan Concert Review
My recent trek to Chicago through the winter weather on Friday to attend David’s Waukegan concert was unusual for me. At most of my recent concerts, I went as an active blogger. I spent a lot of time at past concerts gathering information about David’s career and updating myself on happenings across the fan sites.
This time, however, I purposely attended the concert as a much more low-key fan. I passed on the VIP opportunity to briefly meet David again and instead went with several fellow fans to quietly enjoy an evening of music.
Downtown Waukegan, where the concert took place, is part of a collection of northern Chicago lakeshore communities that built up along the suburban rail line in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Similar to other venues along the Christmas tour, the concert was held in a 1920s’ era movie palace that had been renovated in recent years. The cab driver told me on the way to the venue that the Genesee Theater’s renovation was part of a revitalization of the downtown area over the past few years.
I spent much of the evening reflecting and observing as I glanced around the floor and balconies. From the vantage point of my decent floor-level seat, I had the great opportunity to observe the sheer diversity of fans before the concert started. David’s strikingly diverse fanbase is both perplexing and delightful to me. I observed elderly and middle-aged couples, tweens and teenagers, women with their younger daughters, gay couples, and solo male attendees.
I wish that David’s label and PR people could figure out how to market him well. However, perhaps their difficulty in finding a focused campaign stems from the fanbase’s rather unusual diversity. I am struck by how even though the different demographic sectors of David’s fanbase don’t always see eye to eye on political, social, and religious issues (particularly related to David), there is a lot we can learn from each other.
Could part of David’s mission (perhaps even unbeknownst to him) be to bring this diversity of people together? If we are literally in the same room with a similar focus, we have a basis to start communicating with each other. If David’s music can initially bring us together, that is the first step toward putting a human face on issues that too often divide people.
Other fans across the fan sites have already described the Waukegan concert, so I will not elaborate in great detail. However, it was delightful to hear David sing live again. His studio albums simply do not capture the energy and improvisation of his live performances. I hope that eventually he finds a producer who knows how to extract the vibe of his live performances within a studio context.
Several songs were stand-outs for me. His energetic rendition of “Feliz Navidad” was delightful. “Prayer for the Children” was incredibly soulful on a darkened stage with Kendra accompanying him on the electronic baby grand. The professional lighting and stage set added a dramatic background for a concert that connected with a diverse and energetic crowd.
–Freofan
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Freo,
“If David’s music can initially bring us together, that is the first step toward putting a human face on issues that too often divide people.”
When I go to a concert, never does it occur to me what someone’s politics are or how they worship.
By his ability to transcend such things and just connect us all through his spirit(through music) is living proof of how we can learn to get along.
Abrra
http://thevoicedavidarchuleta.com/
Thanks for this Freo. I was impressed by a comment David made in a recent interview that he wanted to do a Christmas album, because with Christmas music, there are no “boundaries.” He said that he didn’t want to appeal only to the kids, but wanted to sing to his fans of all ages.
And… since it’s David who is singing, even when the concert is Christmas songs, he once again transcends boundaries. But this time the boundaries are our individual religious backgrounds or lack thereof. David bypasses these limits and speaks directly to our hearts.
What’s this I hear about David possibly performing with Air Supply in Miami? Please let it be true! I am there if so. I wrote a blog a few months ago about Air Supply and Russell’s kind letter to me when I was a girl. David is a young Russell Hitchcock with technical training. I was wondering when Air Supply was going to hear about David’s voice, as they also are based in or near Utah.
I’m watching the tweets from the audience in Baltimore and chuckling at “hello my fave person on earth” when David comes on. That says it for me. (don’t tell my children… that’s different)
How very cool that Syesha came to the show tonite and David was obviously thrilled. Just love how all his buds and peeps show up to see him perform and home much he enjoys performing for them. I swear this guy would put on a full show for 2 friends as the complete audience. Totally endearing.
Great article freofan! Loved the part about part of
Davids mission is to bring us together. I could not agree more. Whether by master plan or design, his beautful music sure brings a diversity of people together. It makes me think about something that someone mentioned about his bio on Twitter: I’m David.I like music. Talk about getting to the core of a mission in five words or less! Love it.
Our bios on twitter should be.
We’re fans. We love David’s music.
River that is too funny, Sometims I feel that way also. But I try to keep it on the down low.
Freo: I spent much of the evening reflecting and observing as I glanced around the floor and balconies. From the vantage point of my decent floor-level seat, I had the great opportunity to observe the sheer diversity of fans before the concert started. David’s strikingly diverse fanbase is both perplexing and delightful to me. I observed elderly and middle-aged couples, tweens and teenagers, women with their younger daughters, gay couples, and solo male attendees.
This is one of the really unique aspects of attending a David performance. I noticed it at Montclair as I watched people stream out of the theater after the show. He truly brings us together as one heart.
ASK DAVID ARCHULETA LIVE Twitter Contest
Due to the overwhelming response to our “Are You a True Archie Fan?” video contest, we will be doing a new “Ask David” LIVE Twitter contest. Starting on Thursday, December 17 at 8 pm EST / 5 pm PST, at the start of David Archuleta’s live concert broadcast on http://www.BillboardLive.com, fans can tweet us (@OurWorldLive) a question you’d like to ask David. We will be choosing questions at random and our BillboardLive.com host, McKenna will use them during our post-show Q&A session with David.
HOW DO I ENTER?
Follow us on Twitter @OurWorldLive and send us an @ reply with your question. An example entry would look like this:
@OurWorldLive – What is David’s favorite holiday song to perform live?
WHAT DO I WIN?
Questions will be randomly selected from the live tweets during David’s performance and asked during the post-show http://www.BillboardLive.com interview.
DEADLINE!
All entries must be tweeted to @OurWorldLive by the end of David’s live performance on Thursday, December 17.
RESTRICTIONS
1) The contest is open worldwide, so make sure you enter!
2) No early submissions will be chosen.
3) Only one entry per Twitter account.
Source: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=478909931&blogId=522395716
Good morning TDC!
BALTIMORE TOUR PAGE is up
http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/2009/10/baltimore-md-december-15-2009/
Thanks to 8throwcenter, we have ZG, POTC, HYAMLC, MOC, TFN, RRC, FN & OHN so far and to mycam1 for ALTNOY, MY HANDS, THE RIDDLE, FOG & POTC.
MONTCLAIR & CLEVELAND TOUR PAGES were also updated with more nice vids.
Enjoy watching
Woot! Thank you JR!
Freofan -- so wonderful to hear from you! I think I’ll do the same, next concert--just attend and absorb in as “low-key” a fashion as I can. At every concert so far, I come away feeling like I wasn’t as present as I wished to be--fiddling with my camera and such. Next time, I’ll leave it all at the door and focus my attention 100% on our star and just absorb the light.
And “…even though the different demographic sectors of David’s fanbase don’t always see eye to eye on political, social, and religious issues (particularly related to David), there is a lot we can learn from each other.” I second that emotion! I’ve learned so much, not just from David but from everyone here. Sometimes I find myself saddened a bit, thinking of those olden days when the comments scrolled in the hundreds and we laughed like hyenas!!! But then I just double my gratitude for those who are still here, and still willing to learn from each other. And I triple my gratitude for the admins who tirelessly keep the doors “open for business” here, so to speak! A special Ave Maria to you all during this busy Season of the Heart.
Thank you, Highervibe! I am still around, although I have been very quiet online the past few months. I got really burned out on all the drama (re: Jeff, different fan sites), but I’ve backed away from all that now and have come back refreshed, and reminded why I became a David fan in the first place: because I love his incredible voice!
This post has put me in a reflective mood in a good way. I’ve seen David in concert several this year. At 2 of the shows I was seated amidst teens and kids who 1st learned of David from iCarly & Hannah Montana. At Anaheim, I was seated amidst adults who only knew David from AI and radio airplay. They had not heard of ANY of the fan sites/blogs.
If it’s ok w/the Admins, I’m going to post an article in 2 parts. It’s not available on the Internet. It contains some tidbits not found in the other interviews. For ex, CFTH was David’s idea and he worked very hard on the orchestrations and arrangements. Also, the author views David as much more independent and in control of his career than when he was on AI.
Part I
Daily News (New York), 12/13/09
THE KID’S GOT ‘HEART’
When David Archuleta looks in the mirror, he sees “this kinda dorky kid from Utah.” Much of the country, however, sees the cute and cuddly crooner from “American Idol” who narrowly lost the crown to David Cook in 2008.
“I know I’m not exactly this heartthrob,” says Archuleta, 18. “I’m not a sex symbol, I’m just not. I see this dorky person, this kid who is always laughing a lot and who loves to sing. That is how I see myself. This is who I am.”
Let him argue, then, with the legions of teen girls who scream the second he flashes what he calls his “goofy smile.” Since he first appeared on “Idol,” his fan base has steadily grown. And now that he has turned pro, it has grown even wider.
On Thursday, for the first time, Archuleta plays the huge MGM Grand at Foxwoods as a headliner. It’s a place where he’s too young to gamble, but where the elf-like singer is betting on a big push for his second album in a year, “Christmas From the Heart.”
“The concert won’t be exclusively Christmas material,” he says. “There will be stuff from my first [self-titled] CD, including ‘Crush’” -- the track that pushed the album to No. 2 on Billboard. He will most likely add “Zero Gravity,” a song he co-wrote. It wasn’t on the debut CD, but many consider it to be superior to “Crush.”
Despite his age -- he turns 19 on Dec. 28 -- Archuleta seems to have broken away from the shackles of his overprotective father, Jeff, who reportedly kept tight reins on the kid during his “American Idol” quest.
“The idea to do this Christmas album was mine,” he says. “Christmas has always been about family and doing things for people. This show will be a more laid-back time for me. I worked really hard on the orches-trations and on the arrangements. I’m really happy the way things turned out.”
Part II
Daily News (New York), 12/13/09
THE KID’S GOT ‘HEART’ cont’d
Archuleta is already busy on his third CD, for which he’s writing some of the songs. “I hope a lot of them will get in, but we’ll see,” he says. “We worked with different writers in New York and Nashville. It was really cool seeing some of the shows in Nashville and listening to country music.”
So, is that a hint that Archuleta will next tackle twang? “No, it will be another pop album, I’m sure,” he says, chuckling. “But I want to show much more of my personality.”
Born in Florida and raised in Utah, the young star’s roots are Latino. “Spanish was my first language as a kid,” says Archuleta, whose mother was a salsa singer in Honduras and whose aunts sang to him in their native tongue.
“I used to speak to my mother and my aunts in Spanish. Unfortunately, they didn’t keep it up and now my Spanish is limited, but I would like to get back to it.”
Another thing he’s anxious to get back to is his schooling. Forced to leave high school during his “American Idol” run, Archuleta had to resort to tutors. But his post-”Idol” success has also put a crimp in his studies.
“This has been a real challenge,” he says. “I love music. But I also know that I need an education to fall back on. I am reaching out to see how best to get this done -- tutors or whatever -- because I really want to complete my studies and then take some college classes. This has been a crazy year.”
Oh the little things in life…! You would think that I got a million bucks in the mail today. I got better… a postcard from David thanking me for the CDs I put in a gift basket to him in Santa Rosa. It was the French version of Les Miserables, something I thought he would enjoy hearing now that he has tackled French in CFTH.
What a nice Christmas gift!
Mike, that is wonderful!
FREO -- I very much like your take and the context from which you wrote your concert recap. For us unable to physically share with this Winter Tour madness -- and I say madness in a very good way (I think, tee-hee) -- it is refreshing to get a “glimpse” of the tour’s surrounding. It adds a different dimension to our YT experience.
And I agree: in the cacophony of voices for and surrounding this tour, the magnificent thing that cannot be ignored is how well David serves as a uniting force among people of different backgrounds, race, age, gender, beliefs, vocations, inclinations and persuasions.
Who among us has not stopped, tuned in to his Ave Maria, O Holy Night or Silent Night & What Child Is This and be pulled into that spot where he stands, the surroundings fading out? I was not there with you but that was how I felt, just looking at my small screen. That’s how powerful his voice is and I can only imagine how that must have felt live for you guys.
For that one brief segment of our lives, were we not one with him in experiencing the good, the beautiful and the pure?
No wonder I have not seen a single comprehensive account of Ann Arbor. That experience may perhaps be the closest feeling to heaven, next to falling in love for the 1st time or seeing a new born child (soft smile). So pure, indescribable and frighteningly hard to let go.
With that I leave you with 2 more Ann Arbor pics which I have not seen posted before:
David and the full orchestra: bird’s eye view
http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=qz4njkwzzzw
Maestro Lipsky looks on David
http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=gzevof2ayw0
Is that the look of love for a fresh & astounding talent?
DESERTRAT -- what a great & insightful article. Thanks a ton for posting it. A prodigy indeed!
MIKESD -- awwwww… what a wonderful gesture from David. So where do you plan to hang it? Bedroom? Office? Vault? Haha
Desertrat -- thank you for posting that! I just love to read the latest interviews -- do you notice David is being asked more pertinent questions? He’s getting a lot more respect lately…deservedly so.
Mikesd: Oh, man, a postcard from David -- Merry, Merry Christmas!
Freofan, Thank you for the lovely article.
I was lucky enough to go to the Waukegan show and it’s an experience I will not soon forget. He was stunning that night.
I went with my husband, not the biggest fan, and my father-in-law, who watched him on AI and was curious to see how he would perform live.
I know many people have written their reviews of the show but there’s a few things that stuck out to me.
His set is so diverse. From Zero Gravity to Fields of Gold to Ave Maria. I’ve seen all the Youtubes, but to watch the set from beginning to end live, it’s quite amazing to see his range. And I don’t just mean the styles of music, but also his emotional range.
The crowd was also diverse. There was a lot of screaming young girls but there was also couples and families of all ages. In the row in front of me I was especially touched to see a father who brought his young son with special needs to the show. They were having such a wonderful time together. You could tell the young boy was really feeling music and his father really enjoyed watching his son enjoy the music.
Silent night live is Amazing. I mean all the performances are but that one really stuck out. The last verse… Wow. He really builds the emotion up in the song. By the end of the song I felt my heart bursting. It was one of the few songs where the entire place was seated and the standing ovation at the end was so moving. Just the look of appreciation and reverence on David’s face and the love coming from the crowd. My favorite moment of the night.
I think my husband finally gets why I adore David and he ended up saying many of the same things of us fans always say. “He sounds so much better live!” “He really needs a producer who can bring that magic to his CDs.” “How does he transform from that normal, rambling teenager to that performer (after POTC)?” “That song was one of the best songs, why wasn’t that a single? (about Zero Gravity)” “He’s got some serious pipes (after Ave Maria)” “Why don’t that play that French caroling song on the radio? It’s so original.” (Why Jive, why??!!)
At the end of the show my father-in-law just turned to me and said “His heart is in the right place.”
Amazing night…looking forward to the live show online tomorrow!
Thanks JR for that picture of the Maestro looking at david… His face shows pure joy… gosh, looks like the same expression I get staring at this computer much more than i should.
What a nice little surprise that must have been Mike.
Have a nice night everyone. Big, big billboard concert tomorrow!! Almost makes up for the fact that the tour did not head south.
mb- thanks for sharing. love what your hubby said. Silent Night has become one of my favorites from the album. And to think I was almost ( hangs head) afraid to hear it, because it was so familiar I was worried I may be bored. David breathed life into that song that I know like the back of my hand, in a way that made it seem brand new.
“His heart is in the right place”
MBMONCHI -- look at what you made me do! Pls say thanks to your hubby & dad-in-law for the great feedback.
Yay! 18 hours and 53 min away from billboard live!
Freofan: Your review brought me back to last Sunday’s show in Montclair, where the crowd was also diverse, representative of David’s unique fanbase. Maybe you’re right; maybe it is all part of the master plan. If an artist has the ability to bring together so many different people, maybe we’re all more alike than we realize. Food for thought. Thanks for the insight!