Do you know whose AVI this is?

For a long time now, Jackryan4Da, otherwise knows as JR, has been an integral part of this site, keeping the concert pages updated almost as fast as the videos appeared on YouTube. Through thick and thin she has been here, working and commenting, creating media files and sharing her incredible ability to sniff out the best videos and audios with us.

Recently, JR accepted an invitation to be a part of our Admin Team and will be writing for us in the near future as well. We look forward to having her join us. She has been an active commenter since the NotingDavid days, and even before that she was a participant at Snarky Archies. But JR was one of the fans who also has been with David since the very beginning. Hollywood week, you ask?  No, she’s been with David since Star Search days.

I spotted David long before AI.  It was actually during his Talent Search days.  It was shown here in Manila because he was competing with an MJ sounding Pinoy kid (who eventually became the winner).  I knew then that he had sumthin’-sumthin’ going on when he belted out a soulful Who’s Lovin’ You.  Season 1 of AI, I remembered him and wondered when he will join — see how much impact and impression he left with me?   So I have been an arch angel when ODD and OTT were not fashionable terms yet haha!

Even though she was able to see David live in Manila, she has just one regret:

“Despite being here for 6D/5N — probably the longest that he has ever stayed in one venue — I, along with all Pinoy angels, have not been privileged to see him upclose in a true-blue M&G.  This remains a dream.

Welcome, JR – and thank you for the work you’ve already done to keep TDC vibrant and up-to-date on David’s performances. We look forward to your voice here on TDC.

~ Freo, Liz, Marlie, Rascal, Ronald (and now, JR!)

THE DAVID CHRONICLES IS…

• A place where there are no hard rules on what may or may not be discussed. The musical, spiritual, personal, social, and political aspects of David are all open for comments.
• A refuge for those who have otherwise felt overly restricted elsewhere. Individuals are encouraged to express their love for David in their own manner, while being tolerant of the expression of others who may do so quite differently.
• A place to champion David, but also to critically analyze his work and his business organization, to enjoy the occasional joke at his expense or the OTT remark about his physical appeal.

And so this declaration ends. Now on to the work and joy of being a fan of David Archuleta.

Christmas Tour 2009 - the whole crew!

Happy Holidays TDCers!

From all of the admins to all the readers, lurkers and commenters of TDC, we wish you a wonderful holiday!  Please know that we value each and every one of you for all the different voices and viewpoints that you bring.

Love's Pure Light (gengen)

The fan communities have had their ups and downs, and more than a bit of drama this year, but dang it, the charm and the mesmerizing Voice of our favorite guy is still strong as we close out the year 2009. In this season of love and light, perhaps we all can simply be grateful that we have been lucky enough to have been touched by this remarkable young man, and that we have a place to share that devotion.  We are all connected by this young man with the voice of an angel, a gentle countenance, and a bountiful and generous heart.

Thank you David for all that you do.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to David and his family, and to all the fans who love him.

~ davidfanLIZ, Freofan, marlie7, Rascal, ronaldsf

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

Sometime yesterday, Friday, September 4th, one of the sites hosted on the same server as TDC got hacked. This was part of what appears to be a series of attacks on WordPress sites that have occurred over the past several days (sites which have not been upgraded are apparently much more vulnerable; TDC was upgraded two weeks ago, the site that was hacked had not been upgraded).

In an effort to restore that site, our host organization offered to do a server restore back to August 31st. What they failed to explain to us is that the restore would affect all the sites hosted on that server, not just the site that had been hacked. So, what we’ve wound up with is a situation where the restore has resulted in many more problems that the original hack. Par for the course in IT, as we are told.

We will be able to manually restore all the posts and media that has now been lost from the past few days, but, unfortunately, it is not likely that we will be able to restore the comments.

The good news is that all of the new registrations, up until about 5:00 p.m. last evening, had been exported by the apparently prescient Marlie7. So if any of you have registered in order to be on the list for upcoming announcements about special offers and events, rest assured that you will be included. Also, rest assured that no information from the database of TDC has been compromised in any way.

Our apologies for the inconvenience of lost commentary — no one is more upset about that than we are. And we have also spoken directly with supervisors at the hosting organization to make sure they amend their customer service procedures so that it is clear to account holders what a full server restore actually entails.

Please expect re-posts of the articles which have been lost due to this incident, and please continue to comment and participate with confidence. We are on the case!

– the staff of The David Chronicles

Front two pages of scrapbook (with letter from TDC)

Last night in Grand Rapids, I (Freofan) had the privilege of giving David a memory book on behalf of The David Chronicles. The book itself is small and about five pages in length. It includes a collection of photos from Ashlee’s recent visit for the past few weeks. The photos were taken and collected by fans (I attributed the photos in the book if I had the info). I am sharing photos of the book’s pages with you. It was fun to make and to deliver the book in person.

I had some help in making the book from my cat.

I found this rubber-stamped verse (below) at the craft store and thought it was perfect for David’s friendship with Ashlee. I know the verse is a little hokey, perhaps, but I loved the sentiment of it:

Early in the book was a screen-capped image of David’s early interview after the Idol Finale, when he spotted Ashlee in the audience.

Interview after finale: "Ashlee!"

The rest of the small book includes photos from various concert stops and their duets together. It was fun to design a color scheme for each page that was in keeping with the book’s dark maroon cover. The photos include images from their duets and interactions on stage. I believe that the photos communicated the fans’ warm welcome of Ashlee, who clearly  has strong, caring friendship with David.

It was great to meet Ashlee and we wish her all the best in the future.

The last page of the scrapbook with verse repeated

David performing at Milwaukee's Rave/Eagles Club on Monday, August 10

My experiences of following David’s career encompass three different areas: his music, friendships made within fan community, and David himself. While staying in Milwaukee with other fans for David’s concert at the Rave/Eagles Club this past Monday, I often shared with other fans how I find David the person to be fascinating. I am continually amazed by his work ethic, focus, passion, and yet quiet unassuming nature.

Sometimes I see glimpses of his world. I believe that those glimpses largely create the rollercoaster of emotions I often experience around a concert event. In September, I will attend Regina Spektor’s concert as a casual fan with no knowledge of her schedule, personality, or fanbase relationships. David’s concert is a completely different story.

During the morning of the concert day, I sipped coffee with Joner at an outdoor café across the street from the venue. Shortly after 8 a.m., we watched David’s bus pull into the venue parking lot. From the safe perch of our patio table, we sat transfixed for quite some time as we watched the slow progression of activity in the parking lot.

David's tour bus pulls up to the venue.

Watching the bus’ arrival tangentially placed us in David’s world for the next 15 hours. If I had been following any other artist, I would have known little or nothing about their personal preparations for the concert. Following David’s timetable, we knew that he was caring for his tired voice as we prepared to walk to the VIP session. Through Tweets we knew that he was talking with his friend, Ashlee, through a computer and a whiteboard as she sat next to him earlier that day.

Once at the VIP session, I could have cut the palpable anticipation with a knife before David entered the room. Neither Joner nor I touched the pizza, instead downing cups of water to hydrate because we were doing the mosh pit. Our quiet anticipation increased when we learned that David was on vocal rest and would not be doing a sound check.

We learned from David’s friend, Ashlee, that the recording session scheduled the next day had been canceled. As we chatted with other fans, Kristen informed us that David would be attempting a sound check after all before the VIP session. We heard the band struck up “Touch My Hand” and David’s familiar, but very hoarse voice floated through the dark room. Our worry magnified. Joner, our friend Jane, and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes.

I was excited to meet David again, but I felt strangely nervous because I was worried about David’s voice. He held up cards with greetings written on them in lieu of talking. We arranged with Kristen to have three little girls present David with our handmade little surfboards to recognize his three Teen Choice Awards.

Joner, our friend Jane, and I came up with this fun idea. Jane, who has design training, came up with the visual concept based on the TCA surfboard and Joner helped her color.

It was delightful to talk with Ashlee at the VIP session. Our conversation gave us a glimpse of his everyday off-stage world. It is clear that he is loyal to friends and they communicate often. I was stunned to learn that he has been able to attend church even while on the road. My excuses about not attending services while on work-related travel suddenly seemed lame.

Surely David’s spiritual devotion played a role in Monday’s performance. As Joner already eloquently described in her TDC Short Take, we were amazed when his voice was stronger then ever during the concert. Although his speaking voice was hoarse, his voice soared through the numbers and he put new vocal twists on many of the songs. We tried to describe his hoarse sound check to a few audience members with general admission tickets. They could not believe it.

We recounted the concert with other fans (Jane, Janey, Jesse, and Dominic) afterward in the outdoor café across the street. We spoke of our amazement about how the day’s events unfolded. We described how knowing some of the background events (such as David’s vocal tiredness and busy schedule) definitely gives us a fuller perspective of the concert experience. Sometimes, I admit, it is almost too much information, but nonetheless I seek it.

Around 11 p.m., David’s bus slowly reversed and pulled out of the parking lot before lumbering toward the direction of the Interstate. I was quite tired from simultaneously worrying and celebrating that day. Still, I stood and watched the bus lights until they faded in the distance, feeling an unexpected and sharp sadness as I said goodbye to the glimpses of David’s world that day.

Here is my video of David’s “You Can” from Milwaukee:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvxDg12-m0Q

~ Freofan

Note: Freofan’s feature below is part of a two-part series on our relationships with each other as David fans. Freofan and Mikesd’s posts each have a different take on fan relationships, but both features invite us to think about how and why these relationships are meaningful to us.

I sincerely enjoy the convergence of so many fans from different backgrounds and ages on The David Chronicles. Our differences on TDC lead to frequent thoughtful discussions and sometimes heated debate, as this last week in David fandom attests. We are like a family, with caring, quirkiness, disagreement, and humor all rolled up together.

One quality, though, that I especially treasure about this site is that a good number of posters are matured fans (for lack of a better word), who have full-time jobs, families, and other pressing adult responsibilities. Because of these responsibilities, I am similar to many other TDC posters in that my fan adventures are very different than my working or other leisure activities. However, the David activities are a fun break. My working life requires so much abstract thinking that the fan activities, along with other hobbies such as exercise, give me a needed mental balance.

If someone were to ask me what joys I most receive from following David’s young career, I would honestly respond that much of the enjoyment comes from my friendships with other fans. I am continually amazed how many new people I have met since July 2008. Some meetings have developed into great friendships.

I reflected on these new-found relationships last Friday during my train trips to and from Chicago. Last Friday, I waited with several other fans outside the backstage area of Chicago’s All-State Arena. The evening was strikingly similar to another adventure a year ago. Almost to the day in 2008, I waited alongside the buses with another fan in Indianapolis during the American Idols summer tour. Over the next month I will travel with other fans to several more concerts.

I firmly believe that ‘place’ is an important part of any community. These diverse places are sites of connection with other fans, whose support and enthusiasm form part of our joy in following David. My new fan friendships have certainly taken me to unexpected places. Over the past year I’ve had conversations with other fans at a Jingle Bash concert, small venues in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, coffee shops and hotel lobbies, and backstage areas.

I’ve been in some hilarious places, too. In a daring moment earlier this year, I walked around a venue’s basement area trying closed doors in hopes of finding the loading dock. As a friend asked me, “What would you have done if you had run into David?” Probably felt a little silly, but with a colorful story I could never share without belly-busting laughter. I am sure that many fellow readers can relate to this situation.

I eagerly anticipate two more concerts during the next month. As I plan these trips, I know that seeing so many familiar faces at each venue will powerfully remind me how the music and fan friendships truly go hand-in-hand. As this last week affirmed, different fans and even fan sites do not always see eye-to-eye, but we are united in our commitment to David’s success.

I would love to hear what instances in your fan friendships have been most meaningful to you. Like me, your recollections may range from in-depth conversations to sheer hilarity. What have been your moments of connection with other fans?

I will start by sharing several moments of my own. I will always treasure first getting to know Joner (a fellow TDC poster) through a fan luncheon we hosted back in December in Chicago. We supported each other through the disappointment of not being able to meet David privately backstage after we got caught in traffic. Also, the videos below from last summer’s Idol stop in Indianapolis capture moments of new-found friendship with another fellow fan with whom I am still in touch.

David walking over to us at the end (my friend and I laughed hysterically after I dropped the camera):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwUWzWkzq6s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhMWkzeI1zQ

~Freofan

I learned of Michael Jackson’s death on June 25 while vacationing at a Wisconsin cabin with no phone or Internet access. Although it was frustrating to not be able to follow the day’s sad events, my forced communicative distance from the news gave me time to reflect. I thought about what Jackson’s legacy would be in the coming years.

Although I was never an avid Jackson fan, I am at once fascinated and perplexed by his life. The details of his biography that were equally incredible, poignant, and sad are already well-known to many people. However, what remains to be seen are the threads of Jackson’s story that are yet unwritten.

Today, July 8, would have been my father’s 68th birthday. He passed away unexpectedly in 2005 and his presence is deeply missed. He was a single father who raised my sister and I to be strong and independent women. At his funeral, the minister read brief narratives that each of us had written about his life. I was touched by how the motif of “story” was threaded through our narrative offerings. The minister described how I could carry on his memory through my writing and work with students. My nephew shared a hilarious incident in which my father drag-raced someone down the highway. “There are many more things I could share. That example is just part of his story,” my nephew said.

We Share … So the Next Generation Would Know

I am a member of an educational discussion group in my local community. Our group’s leader typically opens each meeting’s discussion with a meditation from texts such as poetry or religious scripture. She began the discussion several days ago by reading several passages from Psalm 78 of the Old Testament:

1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth./2 …we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done./6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. (New International Version)

These passages touched me because I had been thinking about Jackson’s funeral and public memorial service this week. The finality of his untimely death deeply saddens me as I reflect on the rehearsals for his comeback tour that no one will be able to see.

However, I found the Biblical verses to be strangely comforting because they reminded me that Jackson’s actual death is just part of his story. Indeed, if we think of his life’s story as a continual narrative, with sometimes contradictory plotlines and extended characters, we can see that his wider story will carry on through the people he influenced both directly and indirectly. Some of those who will be touched by Jackson have not yet been born.

Jackson was often vilified for his eccentric behavior by the press and public. I clearly remember his 1993 Super Bowl performance of “Heal the World” (from his album Dangerous). I was living in London at the time and watched the show with my English boyfriend, also named David. I remember how we discussed Jackson’s plastic surgeries and other behaviors while watching the halftime performance. “He has completely lost it,” David said, and I agreed. Here is Jackson’s Superbowl performance:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HbTjFn7KjE

Now, with an older perspective I feel sadness about that moment because I ignored the message of the song that Jackson sang. In recent days, Jackson’s friends have described his gentle spirit and genuine concern for future generations. The lyrics to “Heal the World” echo this sentiment. The song’s hopeful message of unity and selflessness urges us to work toward future peace for others through our present actions. I will share several stanzas from the song (chorus and part of the bridge):

Chorus:

Heal the world/Make it a better place/For you and for me and the entire human race/There are people dying/If you care enough for the living/Make a better place for/You and for me.

Second stanza of bridge:

We could fly so high/ Let our spirits never die/In my heart I feel/You are all my brothers/Create a world with no fear/Together we’ll cry happy tears/See the nations turn /Their swords into plowshares/We could really get there/ If you cared enough for the living/Make a little space to make a better place.

Almost immediately after learning of Jackson’s passing, I wondered what David was thinking. He was born long after my memories of Jackson’s early global popularity in the 1970s and early ‘80s. I would enjoy telling David about one of my elementary school classmates, who became the most popular girl in school after sporting a red leather zipper jacket like Jackson’s “Thriller” video outfit. We were awed that her mother spent $100 for it. We danced to “Billie Jean” and other songs at our school dances that marked our coming of age.

David Twittered and spoke of Jackson’s impact in interviews shortly after learning the sad news. “I’m really devastated to see the loss of such an amazing and inspiring artist,” David told PopEater. “Michael Jackson has been one of the most influential artists to me and so many other people around the world.” That evening on June 25, David paid tribute to Jackson in a short speech at his concert in Newark, New Jersey:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol885ibfyFQ

It is incredible to consider how an artist whose major cuts were released long before David was even born would leave such an impact. This is certainly a reminder of the timeliness of art. Almost immediately after Jackson’s death many fellow musicians detailed how he influenced their dancing, song phrasing, writing, and video construction.

In the same PopEater interview, David urged people to remember Jackson’s contributions to music and not to focus on negative details about his life. That perspective, which helps us remember Jackson’s musical genius, is also a reminder of how each of our stories is never truly just our own.

Both the Biblical passage and Jackson’s song affirm how our stories live on because others may be impacted by them in ways we may never know. This is beauty of mystery and time. As a David Archuleta fan, I know that his music and life will impact others, too.

Feature dedicated to Clifford H. (1941-2005)

--Freofan

Few people know of my interest in David’s music. For one thing, I usually anticipate their negative reaction to my interest in a singer who was twice a television reality show contestant.

The day after the Season 8 finale, friends with an interest in popular culture mentioned they had watched the episode. We talked about the show’s results. I questioned why Adam did not win even though the show itself and entertainment media promoted him so heavily. Did voters on the East Coast have an unfair advantage? Did Adam’s sexual orientation dissuade voters in more conservative parts of the country? Did some voters have an unfair advantage because their cell phone provider allowed them to vote multiple times at once?

I casually mentioned my disappointment about Cook’s win last year. I shared my belief that American Idol strategically positions their hoped-for winner through song choices, media coverage, and other tactics. I told one person that I no longer watch American Idol after realizing how heavily it is produced. He dismissed my conspiracy theories and asked why I even cared. “It’s a show where people call in and vote,” he said.

It is intriguing to see the different and often dismissive reactions to both American Idol and David among people I know. It’s sad to admit, but I even remind myself not to internalize these attitudes. Recently, I attended a dinner party and was pleasantly surprised to find that an acquaintance was a native of the Murray, Utah area. Without thinking, I mentioned that I followed a young singer from there. Naturally, he asked the singer’s name. I stammered out David’s name because I felt embarrassed that I had watched American Idol.

It’s certainly true that shows like American Idol are less scripted and cheaper to produce than a news program or made-for-TV movie with a famous guest star or two. The proliferation of reality shows in this current weak economy attests to their affordability and appeal to audiences already immersed in celebrity culture.

At the end of the day, most reality shows will not stand the test of time. These shows are examples of disposable consumer culture. For most contestants, American Idol and other programs are steps toward a larger goal of getting public exposure for singing, acting, or modeling careers. However, many American Idol contestants will probably never have a long-term career, or even a short public one. The entertainment business is a harsh animal that spits out the current Hot Thing for the Next Big One.

Although many reality show contestants will come and go, I believe that David will stand the test of time. I did not discover him until late in Season 7 because I stopped watching the show after Season 4. However, I was immediately intrigued by David’s demeanor and voice that communicates depths of emotion and past pain that we are now just beginning to understand.

Discovering David

The moment

I am sure that all of us can point to specific moments that clinched our desire to follow David’s burgeoning career. For me, that moment was the split-second look on David’s face after he finished singing, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” on Top Two Night on May 20, 2008.

His face bespoke  emotional and physical exhaustion from complete submission to the music. I can honestly say that this moment was one of the most moving images I have ever seen on television. It was raw, passionate, and utterly real. I knew right then that this shy, diminutive boy was strong.

I found later that David had confessed to his vocal coach, Dean Kaelin, earlier that day that his gut instinct told him Cook would win. Still, David decided that no matter what, he would go out with self-respect and the knowledge that he truly tried his best.

In that fleeting moment, that look on David’s face and its projected vulnerability in front of millions clinched my position as a lifelong fan.

What was the moment for you?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AosUJBnfHxM

--Freofan