Tony Potter is a reporter who has interviewed and interacted with David on previous occasions and although he liked David enough, you could not say that he was a diehard fan. He didn’t buy into all that “American Idol Star” hype. But something about David made him curious enough to attend his recent Rexburg show and this is his review:
I’m a 28-year-old male. My musical tastes include Keane, U2, They Might Be Giants, Regina Spektor and Broadway soundtracks. I am not what I would have called a typical David Archuleta fan. And even though I have interviewed him twice, and met him twice more, I had never, until Saturday night, heard a single song sung by him.
I interview a lot of artists and bands, and most of these interviews come with the opportunity to attend their respective concerts, take photos for the paper, etc. I rarely attend these events, mostly due to time. However, I so enjoyed my interactions with Archuleta this past week that I decided to take my wife to his concert.
“Why did I do this?” I asked myself as I sat through a particularly not enjoyable pre-show. When the screaming started (true to Archuleta’s own words, the loudest he’s ever heard) I was even more outside of my comfort zone. Thankfully, I was “taking pictures for the paper,” which made my front and center position less awkward and noticeable.
But what was my surprise when this “American Idol” star, an accolade I often scoff at, opened with what I can only describe as a fun, truly enjoyable song. And lo, the second song was even better. My expectations of weak vocals and cheesy, teen-pop lyrics fled, and I sat back to enjoy the show.
But more impressive to me than his performance were the traits he exhibited in our interaction during the week, the very traits that prompted me to attend his concert.
Trait No. 1: He’s a regular, even humble, kid.
When speaking of the release of his new book, Archuleta had no assumption of his own great wisdom or experience. Instead, he said the publishers approached him, so he thought maybe, since he has been a teenager, his experience with trials and overcoming might speak to other teenagers and help them out. While I saw for a fact that many nonteenagers were buying his book, Archuleta held no illusions for himself of trying to be profound to an older audience.
Trait No. 2: He’s loyal to his fans. When I asked the manager at Deseret Book how long Archuleta would be signing books last Thursday, he told me it started at 6 p.m.
“When does it end?” I asked.
“When all the books are signed,” he replied.
The manager went on to say that Archuleta personalizes each book he signs, something most artists don’t take the time to do. From the look of things, Archuleta has a strong enough fan base to get away with just signing books from 6 to 8 p.m. So why go the extra mile? I guess he really appreciates those that have made him who he is today, and hasn’t forgotten it.
Trait No. 3: It turns out he really can sing.
What’s the lesson learned here? I guess it’s that hordes of young ladies and women falling over the pop icon with dreamy eyes and a magical voice can’t always be counted on to be irrational and lacking in real musical inclinations. It turns out, every once in a while, the hype is dead on.