Uorganized version of August 4th Greenville VIP David Archuleta recap

8/5/09


So it's almost 4am, and I'm going to attempt to recap everything that went on at VIP yesterday haha. It's not going to be as good and descriptive as the first one, but I'll add changes to it later. This is mostly just an overview haha. And I forgot a lot and couldn't hear a lot, and you'll read why haha.


So I left the house at about 11:45am and left to go to Greenville, South Carolina at about 12:30pm. It was just my mom and I, which was really cool to have like a day with her. It was so exciting to get to leave. The way there we listened to some of David's CD and talked about how excited we were. Entering South Carolina was so cool, because we knew we were so close. Driving was like, 113 miles just to get to our next turn. After that we got there pretty fast it felt like. I bet my mom that David would wear plaid that night haha.

((( )))

^guess who won ;)



We got there at around 3:15pm at the Bi-Lo center.




We had some parking troubles, though. They sent us to one parking garage and then told us to come back to the other one, so we just ended up parking at the first one that wasn't a VIP parking place. We went up and waiting outside with some people going to VIP for about 45 minutes. I was so excited! The thing about being with David fans, is that they make you feel welcome, like they want you there. When I walked to the group I asked "Are you guys waiting for VIP for David?" And they said "Oh yeah! Hi! What's your name?" Everyone just made you feel welcome. Being with the fans is really the only place I feel I truely belong. Everyone talks to one another and cares and lets you say whatever and makes you feel worthwhile. It was so hot outside though, people were getting lightheaded and feeling sick and everything. I think it was like, 95 degrees. There was NO shade at all haha. Everyone was fanning themselves with papers and stuff. So there was a guy named Christian there that we swore we knew each other from somewhere. I don't know. We never figured it out. But Karin was there, which I knew she would be haha :) And a few people from Duluth were there. It was awesome seeing familiar faces. We talked a lot about David and his fans. People had traveled everywhere to see him, and we talked about what extent some people go to. Everyone was so nice to one another, another thing I love about David fans. They told me "Oh honey don't even worry about it" when I apologized for rambling haha. We talked about how he said either "Awh", "thanks", "sorry", "cool", or "awesome" at least once in every sentence haha.





I met some amazing people as always, and I got to see Michelle again which was great. :) There ended up being a total of 37 people there.A guard came out and told us the rules, and then about 5 minutes later we got in. They put on our bracelet, gave us our ticket, and then gave us the raffle tickets and lanyard.



They told us to go meet up with this girl a few feet away, where she said to start a line. I was first in line, I was so glad. I was hoping that I'd get to be close to the piano when he sang again like my first time. People shopped for a while, and I got a blue David Archuleta Tour 2009 bag and a Demi Lovato glowstick. (she's awesome haha) They told us that we shouldn't buy the bag because they were raffling it off, but of course I never win anything like that so I bought it anyway. Finally they took us to the room, and I was the first one in there and ran straight to the keyboard. I sat in the exact same place as I did the time before! I was so happy and nervous and excited..it was so cool. I was more excited than nervous this time though, since I knew what to expect. But still..it was amazing!



The room was really dark though, they only had a few lamps. We were sitting in an area that overlooked the arena, and they told us that we would get to hear and see David soundcheck in a little while. Which was of course an amazing plus. There was a buzz in the room. Everyone was so excited and just waiting for David to come and everything. Nobody could quite sit still.


(that's kind of the view from where we were..it was like, an outer room I guess.)

They explained to us about not using cameras or cell phones, because David wanted this to be something just between us and something personal. They said David had the choice of doing pictures or autograph signings, and he chose the pictures because he thought they were more intimate. (how thoughtful!) Then they drew the raffle for who would ask questions, and said that we weren't allowed to ask David questions that were too personal for obvious reasons. So when she drew it, she asked the winners what they were going to ask, and told us to feel free to give them ideas. She also asked us to not be too loud, since they needed to hear what they were doing with soundcheck and couldn't have us screaming haha. About 10 minutes later he came out we saw him from up where we were to go soundcheck, and people watched him go over TMH a few times. Of course, it was great. He did some warm ups on the piano and his voice. Kristin said that they usually would warn them when David was coming, but recently he had just been popping up on them haha. When he was done they told us that David was on his way up in the elevator which was across the hall, and everyone got so excited.

When he walked in everyone clapped, and I was, again, filled to the brim with happiness. He had on jeans and a black shirt with the M&M guy on the bottom left side haha. He sat down in front of us and said hey! And mentioned how he was losing his voice because he screamed at Disney World the day before. We all tried to say that his soundcheck was great of course, but he was like "Well, that's because I didn't hit the high notes!" And pressed a key on the keyboard and sang "Somethin bout your beautiful FAAAAAACE". Which was perfect of course, but he still thought he sounded bad. He was saying how he needed to hurry up and sing it because Jordan was about to start soundchecking. He did some whoOOOO warm ups a few times and smiled. Someone asked him why he couldn't eat dairy and he said "Because it makes my throat phlegmy". I thought it was cool how like, open he is haha. Then before he started singing he said "Well I'll play this one" and put his hands in a position on the keyboard, and then said "No I'll do this one.." and changed his hands again and then said "No I'll just do this one" and started singing Heaven. Which was amazing. Michelle started like spazzing during the middle of it and he started smiling really big, and I laughed and he looked at me and smiled. Haha, it was so cool. And then he mentioned about how Crazy had higher notes, and started singing that. It was amazing too of course. He always puts so much energy into his songs and really draws you into it, and it didn't matter there were less than 40 people in the room. He still gave it his all. Then David said "So..what kind of food do you guys have?" Haha. He asked at some point about who was from South Carolina? And a few people raised their hands and asked where was everyone else from and I heard a lot of Georgias. So he asked who was from Georgia and the majority of the room raised their hand. Haha, at one point during the photo op he commented on how he liked the accents here. Which I don't have at all, so I don't count lol. And the people went up for the questions then. The first one was asking if he could sing Still Be My Soul. He wasn't sure about it. "We won't get offended, or anything" I said. He agreed to it, but Jordan's soundcheck started and he said sorry it was too loud. And he started pressing keys on his keyboard, like going up a scale, and while the guy was asking him the question he pressed one more and giggled. He messed with the keyboard a few times, it was cute. So the Iloveallaccess lady Kristin (who I mentioned before) asked if he had another question and he wasn't sure, so the next person asked how it was at Disney World. He was saying he loved being with his friends and family and everything, and I said "Did you go on the American Idol experience? Haha" And he said "Oh yeah it was so weird. Like one of the previous Idols said I was their favorite and it was weird." Then a girl asked what was his most memorable moment out of his fame and everything, and he was like "Well it changes a lot. Right now I'd say yesterday. But I don't know, just getting to go here and there and getting to see like my history and everything.." and talked about that. Then the next question was "What advice would you give to someone going for American Idol?" And he was starting to talk while soundcheck was going on, so you couldn't hear him hardly at all. He knew that too, he started laughing through the question. I could hear him say partly about try to sing different songs because you have to sing a lot of different songs on the show and everything and then had to learn a lot too. A lot that he said during VIP was random though , like out of the blue stuff. Which is so David haha. There was one time he was trying to remember something and did that like, cool finger snap thing he can do haha. He asked us a few times if we had read the blog yet and if anyone knew if it was up, and made sure everyone had their cell phones off. They told us it was picture time, and they lined us outside. I was 5th in line. They were letting us go in one by one, but after the first or second person they started trying to get us to hurry up, I guess. But they were just getting some of us in the room and said that after we take a picture to sit down. When I got in there I started walking up and said; "Haha we match!" and he said "Haha yeah!" and I was like "Uhm. Would it be okay if we did a hugging picture?" and he kind of squinted and looked around and was like "Uhm..sure." So I was like great I just freaked him out. So I hugged him and they took the picture.



After they took it I was like "I met you in Duluth last month" and he looked at me for a second and was like "Oh yeah! That's cool" (or something along those lines), I watched him take pictures with everyone else. He didn't look freaked out with just me thankfully lol. I don't think it was like he was freaked out, just he seemed confused on why people wanted to do certain poses with him I guess haha. He said at one point to some people from South Carolina "Awh I'm glad I have some South Carolina fans." I think about it now and feel bad, because it was his first time there and everyone there seemed to be from Georgia or somewhere surrounding South Carolina. He probably thought he had no fans there. But during the photo op people were sitting on this part of the area that if you leaned back you would fall backwards, into like the chairs (this was behind the stage up in a balcony kind of area, I don't really know how to explain it.) And he was saying something about to be careful because if you fell it'd be a long drop, and started singing the line to a song. I'm not sure what song, though. I sat down on it and when he was done with a picture he came over near me and was like "Oh, well I guess it wouldn't be that far of a drop." He was looking around a minute later and was like "What's the ratio of guys here?" And stood on his tip toes and counted 8 guys. Before he left he thanked us, and someone said "David? Now that it's quiet could you sing Still Be My Soul?" We wasn't sure about it, though, because I think he was supposed to leave then or something. But he said "Okay, I'll do a part of it." And closed his eyes, and sang. During the whole time he sang it, he was totally in it, but figited with something in his hands, I'm not sure what, but I thought it was cute. (Kristin later said, "Well David hates saying no..haha") And when he was done he smiled, and waved by, and left. Then they did the raffle drawing. Remember that blue bag I bought? Well of course I won the one he signed haha. When they called my number I was like THAT'S ME! I couldn't believe it. It's so pretty.



I felt kind of bad about freaking him out (which even though in the picture he doesn't look scared haha) so when Mike was in the room I asked him if he could tell David I said sorry, which I ended up quickly adding to my letter as a sort of PS. (Which now I feel really stupid for doing haha) Mike starting saying it was totally fine it happens all the time and about how David just wasn't really one of those people that was outwardly affectionate. (did you know Mike's known David since David was 12?) And we talked and then he left. After David left, the buzz in the room I mentioned earlier was pretty much gone. People commented on it too. Everyone just kind of stood around and talked or sat down and ate. It's amazing that someone has such an effect on people like David does on his fans.


The concert was great of course. I noticed how he didn't try to hit all of the usual high notes and remembered what he said at the VIP haha. He still made it amazing though. Our seats were in row K, and they had some chairs blocking an area up front. Me and Michelle were like haha, we're going to find a way to get up there. And we did. Even though a venue staff lady tried to move us back. They forgot to drop the curtain at the beginning of TMH, and I got to touch his hand.

I was standing pretty much exactly where I was the beginning of the concert last time and then moved to where I was too. (you can see it in my previous entry.) When he sang Works For Me he messed up at a part, which I always think is cute. Everyone screamed even more then. He just smiled and kept going. He commented on a girl's poster, which I glanced at that said something about Modest is Hottest haha. I admit, I cried when he sang Apologize. It was just like, so pretty. And I was just so happy in general and felt so blessed, it was like overwhelming. Haha. And I cried when he left. I don't really know why. My mom said the last time I did that was when Barney left when I was little. (haha raaandom) Michelle hugged me and said "Dont worry! We'll see him again! He's not getting rid of us yet!" Haha and "He'll be like oh gosh there's those freaky Georgia girls again."


But I really enjoyed this time. Last time since it was my first time, I was nervous over excited. Which wasn't great, because it was uncomfortable as you can probably tell in my picture. If you look at the difference between the two pictures, you can tell I was a lot more comfortable this time. Of course though, it was amazing. He's such a sweet, genuine guy, and I hope to see him many times more in the future. :)



PS: Demi is awesome too. I got to touch her hand twice during the show. ;)

PSS: Uhm. I'm trying to upload videos on youtube. (grapeexmagoo). It's taking a while though sorry haha. And I didn't record all of them, as selfish as it sounds I didn't want to have the experience taken away by holding a camera and trying to focus it the whole time haha. I'm too ADD. ;)

UPDATE 12/7/09: I'm going to be going to David's concert in Cleveland, Ohio this Saturday the 12th! I will try to either type it or make a video recap. It'll be up around the 13th or 14th. :) Thanks for reading!