DAVID ARCHULETA FANBLAST

Andrew is our resident graphic designer here at Fan Blast, whose designs were actually used on the Fan Blast water bottle (that is on sale at the Fan Blast shout outs for only $5 right now!)

Andrew got wind of David Cook liking the David Archuleta water bottle cartoon so he decided to make one for DC, who has been a big brother to DA throughout the competition and tour. Andrew thought David Cook would appreciate it since he too has a degree in graphic design. To thank him for all the support, Andrew made David Cook his very own cartoon:

“Hey Cook, this is Andrew from FanBlast. I’m the guy who designed the Archie cartoon on your water bottle which I’m sure you will keep forever (right?). Anyway, I heard you liked it and there were some rumors going around that you wanted one…”
-Andrew Power, Newfoundland, Canada

More exclusive FanBlast pictures from the L.A. concert!  Thanks, Angela! (ArchAngel121)

Paula interviews the Idols for ET! (Thanks to many of you who noted this link.)  Paula was told that the boys’ bus stinks, but David refutes this: “Ours doesn’t smell that bad, actually.”  Paula responds with “Well, you’re probably just used to smelling, like, dirty feet.”  (Ummm… not that David smells like dirty feet; but that he is used to smelling dirty feet.  At least that’s what I hope she meant.  You know David just has to smell good.)  David shows off his red and silver sneakers while Paula praises him for being shiny: “You’re supposed be shiny, you’re on stage.”  David is less than enthusiastic: “Yeah, that’s what they said…”

Teen Choice Awards: David, as we now know, is on the ballot for the “Most Fanatic Fans!”  But guess what?  He’s losing!  What’s the problem here?  Go vote, now!  Click on the “Summer” tab after you have entered your birthdate (you are a teenager; did you know that?).

–Jenny

Thanks to FanBlast fan Sam for these FanBlast exclusive pictures from L.A.!

L.A. Videos! (I will update these as more are posted, so check back on this post often!)

Angels (FULL VERSION): Best yet!

Apologize (FULL VERSION)

Stand By Me (FULL VERSION)

In his video interview with MyFox Los Angeles, David Archuleta admits that he “sleep-talks” and “sleep-sings.”  Hmmm…an album of David sleep-singing…yep, I’d buy it.  (Thanks to Vicky for the link)

In honor of the Idols performing in Orange County, the OC Register has a poll: Which American Idol will go on to stardom?  Vote, vote, vote!  (Thanks to archie4life for the link)

This is a long 8-minute audio interview from the Las Vegas Sun.  (Thanks again, archie4life)  Listen! David talks about the crowds being “crazy” and “screamy” on the tour and about he can see the signs that fans hold up (make those signs!); he wondered if fan support would end for him after American Idol and was happy to see that it’s still there (David, pay attention!).  He admits that he has “issues” talking to people but that the concert is giving him great practice.  The reporter gives David plenty of time to vent his frustrations about the negativity surrounding his father–and vent he does!  Have you ever heard David annoyed?  He’s annoyed.  He talks about the impact the rumors had on his whole family and how much it was “really getting on my nerves” when interviewers would focus on the Dadchuleta story.  Go, David!  We’re with you!  He briefly touches on the type of music we can expect from his album: radio songs now, but later in his career, he will hopefully have a chance to be more “flexible.”  He notes that in the U.S. a singer must be either a “radio” singer or “artist-y” and he is trying to strike a balance between the two.  David, that was an excellent interview!

**Visit Becky’s Articles tab for MUCH more information about polls, ranking, and articles!**

FanBlast fans!  Did you attend the concert in L.A.?  Send me your pictures and videos!  fanblastjenny@gmail.com.

–Jenny

Congratulations David Archuleta fans! We have succeeded in flooding Teen Choice with emails to the point where they had to create a new category just for him. David has been nominated for “Most Fanatic Fans” and is up against some tough competition. Aiming for the prize along with him are the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney, and Britney Spears.

Getting David nominated was only the first step! It’s our job now to make sure that he takes home the “surfboard”. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE until your fingers are numb! The other nominees don’t stand a chance against our mad voting skills. Remember your American Idol training!

Thank you Rika for the awesome video! Spread the word through videos on youtube, emails, forum threads, and instant messages! Text your friends, call your neighbors, and even tell your pets! 

Click HERE to vote for David. You can only vote once a day with just one email account, but there’s no limit to the number of accounts you can register with. You technically can’t vote if you are over 18, but who’s to judge whether or not you are a teen at heart? (so lie…SHH!). Now go show Teen Choice just how fanatic David Archuleta’s fans are!

–Fran

• nicoleyloc from IDF (see the thread here) did some impressive detective work last night and discovered a song that has been written and registered for David Archuleta on the ASCAP website.  Speculation abounds!  ASCAP ”protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works,” so it’s fair to assume that a song titled “Crush” has been written and copyrighted for David to perform.  Thanks, nicoleyloc! 
• About David’s rumored songwriters: David Hodges co-wrote many of Evanescence’s songs from their debut album; Fallen, but left in 2002 because he thought that he was leading the band into a more Christian Rock scene. He has also worked with Josh Groban, Backstreet Boys, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Jesse Mcartney and many more artists. Jess Cates and Emanuel Kiriakou have worked with BSB, Celine Dion, Jesse Mcartney, Nick Lachey, and Clay Aiken. Thanks Miss Mary for the info!
• FanBlast moderator Miss Mary created a beautiful video for David: “This is the video that I made–I was up into the wee hours of the morning last night/today making this.  David chose the song “When You Say You Love Me” to represent how much he loves his fans.  Throughout the course of the Idol season and thus far, David has on countless occasions made us fall in love with him all over again.  He is such a great person inside, and he shows this through his singing.  He conveys such raw emotion–that it brings me to tears every time I watch him perform.  When David started on Idol, he sang about waiting on the world to change–and now, six months later, the world has changed…because of him.  He has brought hope, love, and inspiration to people all over the world, myself included.  So won’t you join me and tell David how much you love him, too?”

• FanBlast fan Lauren has provided us with pictures from the concert in Vegas.  Thanks, Lauren!

L to R: Kelly, Daisy, David, Lauren, Sunny, and Maggie

PLEASE NOTICE THE WATER BOTTLE UNDER DAVID’S ARM…THIS IS THE FANBLAST WATER BOTTLE GIVEN TO HIM BY TEAM FANBLAST!  WOO-HOO!   The little David icon is the design on the water bottle; David loved it!  All of the Idols wanted one, so Cody obliged.  (Do you like this icon?  Buy a t-shirt here and support FanBlast!)

–Jenny

In his Seventeen Magazine interview, David Archuleta mentions that “Many The Miles”by Sara Bareilles, an artist he looks up to, was the last song he listened to on his iPod.  In typical David fashion, he lays it all on the table: “I love Sara Bareilles. She’s just so clever. I wish I were her. She’s so awesome.”

Sara Bareilles, 28, is already a prolific songwriter and vocalist.  In my brief foray into her music, I have found her to be simultaneously intelligent, soothing, sensual, feminist, poignant, and best of all, fearless (“Love Song” was a hilarious stick-it-to-you song directed toward her record label).  In her self-penned biography on her official website, she discusses her one true love: “I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember,” she muses.  “It’s the most sacred thing in my life.”  She admits that songwriting is how she processes her world, and the songs she wrote for her album Little Voice  (which is, remarkably, her first major record and certified gold in the United States), helped her to gain empowerment as an artist:  “This record was really about me learning to trust my own instincts, and more importantly, recognize how desperately I needed to learn to listen to myself, however inexperienced and naïve I may be.”  Sara writes mostly on the piano and mentions that she is compared to Norah Jones and Fiona Apple.  Her eclectic musical influences include Elton John, Ben Folds, Radiohead, the Police, Bjork, Ben Gibbard, Etta James, and Sam Cooke, among others.  She thinks about her fans often and regrets not being able to respond to everyone: “People that stop me on the street, fans whose faces have stuck in my brain, my dear friends, my critics, sweet little kids that sing along, people who constantly are encouraging me to continue to do whatever it is that I’m doing.  I think about you all the time…”  Her latest blog on her website reveals that she is currently writing new music and feels “very inspired right now.”  Sara is MTV Artist of the Week!  Look for new clips of her music all week (as MTV squeezes actual music in between reality shows, that is).

It’s easy to see what draws David to Sara: she has a tender, rich voice and expresses herself–indeed, transposes her life–through her music.  The songs that she composes are intensely personal and yet somehow strike a chord with the masses: I can’t help but to nod my head and think “you tell it, sister,” when I listen to her music.  I want David to hear her message that with her first record she is learning to trust herself even in the face of her inexperience: David seems to understand the direction he wants his music to take with such clarity, yet he admits that he struggles to express that vision to others.  David, I know you will learn to believe in your own brilliance as an artist and a songwriter and find the words you need to convey that conviction to those who are helping you make your music.

And David, another debt of gratitude is in order here: I have become a big fan of Natasha Bedingfield, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Eva Cassidy, and now Sara Bareilles because of your affinity with these artists.  Yet another way you continue to bring music into the lives of your fans…

–Jenny

By popular demand, all of the one of a kind FANBLAST Shout Outs to Archie will be at the main entrances of all arenas at 12:30pm local time on the day of the concert… starting with San Jose and then on.

No tickets are necessary, just bring your posters and signs and join Archie fans from all over as you will welcome in the buses shortly thereafter (bus arrival times will vary and access to the final landing area is not guaranteed).

We also encourage all Archie concert-goers to make a sign.  So far we have seen more Archie posters showing up at the concerts… and we want to see more!  You may bring your finished posters and signs in with you into the arena however they must be rolled up before you get in!

Be at our shout outs so we can film your poster/sign for Archie’s Tour Documentary!

Which shows are you going to? Which ones have you been to already? How many are you going to? The next 5 tour dates are in bold - let us know if you are going to those, especially! You still have time to plan a meet up with your Fan Blast friends…

(Update: there are multiple dates for certain areas, but we are just making this list show the first of each location)

July 1 Glendale, Ariz.
July 2 San Diego
July 3 Fresno
July 5 Las Vegas
July 7 Los Angeles
July 8 San Jose, Calif.
July 9 Sacramento
July 11 Portland, Ore.
July 12 Tacoma, Wash.
July 14 West Valley City, Utah
July 18 St. Louis
July 19 Rosemont, Ill.
July 20 Columbus, Ohio
July 22 Indianapolis
July 23 Cincinnati
July 24 Detroit
July 26 Toronto
July 27 Rochester, N.Y.
July 29 Pittsburgh
July 30 Newark
Aug. 2 Atlantic City
Aug. 4 Long Island, N.Y.
Aug. 6 Albany, N.Y.
Aug. 8 Hartford, Conn.
Aug. 9 Worcester, Mass.
Aug. 10 Manchester, N.H.
Aug. 12 Baltimore
Aug. 13 Philadelphia
Aug. 14 Washington, D.C.
Aug. 16 Lexington, Ky.
Aug. 17 Charlotte
Aug. 18 Duluth, Ga.
Aug. 20 Sunrise, Fla.
Aug. 21 Tampa
Aug. 24 Houston
Aug. 25 Dallas
Aug. 26 Bossier City, La.
Aug. 28 Oklahoma City
Aug. 29 Kansas City, Mo.
Aug. 31 Minneapolis
Sept. 2 Green Bay, Wis.
Sept. 3 Grand Rapids, Mich.
Sept. 4 Cleveland
Sept. 6 Bridgeport, Conn.
Sept. 7 Providence
Sept. 8 Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Sept. 10 Fort Wayne, Ind.
Sept. 11 Evansville, Ind.
Sept. 13 Tulsa

Even if you are technically a year older, we all know you’re still young at heart.

You may not have a twin like Tia and Tamera Mowry, can’t rap as hardcore at 50 Cent, might not be able to throw a right hook like Sylvester Stallone, might not be able to lead a country like George W. Bush, and maybe not paint vivid scenes like Frida Kahlo either, but you are still our favorite person to be born on July 6th.

So how many new hats did you get for your birthday? Since your birthday is so close to July 4th, I hope your friends and family don’t double gift you… (Well, who gives gifts for 4th of July anyway?)

And major props for always sporting a hat, btw. You’re a smart man - blocking out those harmful UV rays.

(Just wear any hat except for one like this, okay? Deal.)

If you’re planning on meeting David/Jeff at the buses or at a meet and greet, why not pick up a birthday gift? There are some great hats (a TON of variety) at www.e4hats.com.

Jeff, thanks again for everything you do - in style.

Becky from Articles here, posting at the request of Jenny, who is away from her computer for most of the day today…big shoes to fill!  Thanks Jenny!

Well, David will surely be embarrassed by this, but we all knew it was inevitable (and much deserved).  He is #8 on VH-1’s list of Hottest Hunks Under 25!  He shares the list with other younger stars such as Shia LaBeouf, Chris Brown, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford and Teddy Geiger.

http://www.vh1.com/photos/gallery/?fid=1588662&pid=2996922

And a special mention to David’s buddy, David Cook, on the list at #18.  I think more than a few of us here at FanBlast appreciate Cookie’s sincere friendship towards David, his amazing talent and his very good looks!  Congrats David C! 

VH-1 used this picture to showcase David in the #8 spot in their countdown:

May I just take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to David Archuleta?  David, do you realize that your fans are scouring the internet for concert videos for EVERY concert that you play?  And even though these videos have been covertly filmed through shaking cell phones, with thousands of screaming fans competing with you, you sound amazing, better than any live performer I have ever heard?  Did you know that most of us can watch four blurry concert videos of “Stand By Me” and identify within five seconds if you are singing in Glendale, San Diego, Fresno, or Vegas?  When we say we love you…we mean it!  Can you feel our love, too?

Videos!

Stand By Me (Vegas): this is partial and kind of scratchy, but incredible, nevertheless! (thanks, Georgeann)

Angels (Vegas): again, partial and scratchy sound quality, but beautiful! (thanks, Georgeann)

When You Say You Love Me (Vegas): No words to describe this… (thanks for the link, Pam05)

Angels from a different angle (Vegas)

Apologize (Vegas): very tender…

Reviews from fans in Vegas (this is from the AI forums).

I know we love him, but can we promise to not do this  if we meet him?  Can we wait our turn without saying his name 100 times and pushing?  Personal space, please.

Becky has a picture you MUST see over on the Articles tab…

Polls!

David Archuleta being first, of course, who is your second favorite on the tour?  1,738 votes!  28% of you identified David Cook as being your second favorite, with Carly close behind at 21%.

Who would you like to see David tour with next year as he promotes his new album?  1,797 votes!  One Republic at 28% edged out Natasha Bedingfield at 27%.

Which of David’s concert songs is your favorite so far? 1,748 votes!  “Stand By Me” won at 40%, with “When You Say You Love Me” close behind at 33%.

What would be the ideal outfit for David’s American Idol concert tour?  1,335 votes, with 33% of you choosing jeans and layered graphic tees–a very casual look.  24% chose black dress pants, brightly-colored shirt with a tie, and a casual jacket.  I think we all agree that we just want you to be comfortable, David!  And dressed in clothes that fit!

And now for today’s poll, as envisioned by FanBlast Fran!  (Thanks, Fran, for the idea.  Vegas video link for SBM above; Fresno here; San Diego here; Glendale here.)

–Jenny

CONGRATULATIONS BRITTANY!! After a week of fabulous art submissions, we finally have our first winner! We had some of the Chat Box Moderators give their opinions and went through several frustrating tiebreakers before coming to a decision. We’d like to thank everyone who contributed to our first contest. There are no losers, there are only Archie Artists! 

The contest doesn’t end here folks! You still have plenty of chances to show off your artistic talents! Submit any David fan art you have for next week’s contest. Meanwhile, click HERE or on the Gallery tab to view our “Honorable Mention” winners!!!

After 300 posts and over 20,000 comments, the site is growing more everyday! Can you believe it’s only been four months? Your support is phenomenal. The FANS here at FAN Blast are beyond incredible, keep commenting and stay active in the DAFB community.

March 4th - July 4th. We’ve been through voting, chat boxes, JTV, YouTube videos, e-mails, polls, and a lot more together. What do you remember most prominently about the last 4 months? Reminisce on some Fan Blast memories…

David Archuleta

Saturday, July 05, 2008 (12:29 PM)

Stand By Me (Fresno) (Thanks for the link, Becky, and several others!)

Angels (Fresno)  WOW!

Apologize (Fresno)

*Be sure to leave a comment on the videos on YouTube: the poster put them all up as a special request from me.

When You Say You Love Me (San Diego) Nice shots of the big screen; amazing vocals; my favorite WYSYLM so far.  David, oh my…

“There are times I swear I feel like I can ffffffllllllyyyyyy….”

Sign a petition to have David sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl! (Thanks, lady_n_red)

Great video montage of David (Thanks, Louise)

Funny fashion video of David and MJ (Thanks, Amy2_Tampa)

Don’t forget to visit Becky’s Articles tab here on FanBlast.  She has updates of polls, ranking, articles, and reviews of David in concert that you must read!

Keep voting on our fashion poll in the post below! 

–Jenny

The Thomas and Mack Center in Vegas seats 11,000…and every seat will be filled for tonight’s concert!  David will be playing to a packed house of screaming fans; what a tremendous experience.  Good luck and have the time of your life!

FanBlast fans!  If you are gong to Vegas tonight, send FanBlast your stories, pictures, and videos links!  Please!  (fanblastjenny@gmail.com)

We have had so many inspiring and insightful discussions about the extraordinary gift that is David Archuleta, and I feel that we are keeping the fire burning here at FanBlast.  Sometimes, however, we need to take a step back and get a little goofy, kind of like, well…like David.  So let’s get the goofy out and discuss a burning question that has surfaced again and again in your comments: what’s with the concert outfit?  Sparkly lapels may fit the bill in Vegas, but let’s take another good look at this fabulous picture taken by FanBlast Phil:

Big dark jacket with sparkly bling on the lapels.  Big baggy pants.  Very red…are those sneakers?  I cannot help but to feel like the wardrobe staff is doing this very handsome young man a grave injustice here.  And as David politely put it, “It’s not me.”  Hmmmm…what would you dress David in this summer?  Consider for a moment the concert attire of other young artists who are hot in the music industry right now: Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Chris Brown, Joe Jonas, and Jesse McCartney.  All different styles are represented below (with not a sequin in sight, mind you).

There has actually been a petition started to get David’s concert attire changed!  (We are action-oriented fans, aren’t we?!)  Thanks for the link, Louise.

Do you feel a poll coming on?

–Jenny

•  MP3 of “When You Say You Love Me” (Glendale):

 when-you-say-you-love-me

There has been a lot of discussion about this already, but David is singing this song to his fans, don’t you agree?  He puts his hand over his heart (the sign!) before he begins, and then he tells us how much he loves us.  The lyrics from the bridge to the end (he doesn’t sing this part of the song, as a fan pointed out) are poignant:

And this journey that we’re on.
How far we’ve come and I celebrate every moment.
And when you say you love me,
That’s all you have to say.
I’ll always feel this way.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
In that moment,I know why I’m alive

When you say you love me.
When you say you love me.
Do you know how I love you?

• Remember the Crying Girl?  Oh, David…you handled that very well.
• Guitar Hero 70’s Commercial from halftime show at concert…listen to the crowd cheer whenever David Archuleta is shown!  He is dancing and playing a tambourine; it’s hilarious.
• Please Don’t Stop the Music from Glendale: David comes in at 1:50 and the crowd goes wild!
• New Poll!  Scroll down and look for the David questions; there are five, I think (this is a LONG poll).  (Thanks, DragonBahamut)
• Fresno video (thanks, Frogcooke): this is a montage with David’s “Apologize” at the end.

–Jenny

David’s performance of the National Anthem at the Jazz game:

David’s performance of the National Anthem in 2003:

David’s performance of “America” during Neil Diamond Week:

David’s performance of “God Bless America” (2003?)

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.    ~Thomas Paine

–Jenny

We’re really thankful for the number of people who registered on our new forum. Unfortunately we were not expecting that many people and the site crashed. LOL. We are really sorry that we had to restart the forum, but if it’s any consolation we still have the famous David Emoticons! (Thank you Andrew)

Click HERE to go to the FanBlast Forums.

Tori is an avid Archie fan who is compiling a guest book which she will deliver to David personally on August 4th. She knows security so they are allowing her to deliver the book to them. She is adding your signatures at the end, so please leave a comment and submit your name and she will add it on - David will see this!

Here’s a copy of the letter:

UPDATE: Tori has worked out the errors with the spelling/grammar/punctuation. Also, the list of names will be straightened out on the letter, it just got a little messy when transferred over. Thanks to you guys, she has over 600 more names to add to the list!

Dear David,

We thank you so much for all you have done for us through music!!! You have a tendency to thank your fans for you making it so far in the completion, your welcome but you MUST know it was your own accomplishments and merits that got you where you are today. How could we not support you! You have an amazing voice, a bright smile, an adorable giggle, and let’s not forget your unique and very versatile personality. You are an overall very special guy! We want to take this time to thank you for:

- auditioning for idol to share your amazing talent

- Singing your heart out every week

- Delivering MAD HOT VOCALS each week (as said by Randy Jackson)

- Always putting a smile on our faces

- For being an awesome role model!

- Doing “the sign” (hand over heart)

- Being the best dang runner up the show has ever had

- For being no one else other then yourself, DAVID ARCHULETA!!

Love the Archies,

Tori M.           Amaryllis            Cassidy                Meagan           Cassidy             Cassie           Victoria          Dana

Brittney         Justin                 Amanda                 Taylor                Chelsea              Holly              Hillary           Melissa

Kasi                Alice                    Jazel                     Anne                 Karlene             Courtney        Danielle        Carrie

Andrea          Katie(69)             Tori                       Elisabeth           Belinda              Venus           Rafael           Kristen

Elise              Samantha           Cindy                    Sydnie               Diane                William          Kelly T.          Helen

Karah            Hannah               Sevgi                     Elizabeth             Heidi                 Meaghan      Samantha      Conor

Andrea C.      David                  Leyla                     Anne                 Carmen              Kelsey          Simone          Rachel

Gaby             Sharmaine Rae  Sharyl Rae             Dil                      Rachel              Toni               Jean              Nancy

Jessica          Annette              Arlene                    Lisa                    Lara                  Kate               Hannah        Callie

Hannah         Crystal                Ashley                   Taya                  Brenda             Marisa            Shine            Sarah

Paulina          Natalie                Lindsey                 Camille              Petrina             Maria              Linda

Alyssa           Shaun                 Katie                     Karla                  Serena             Erikah

Bre                Heather              Yasmin                  Sue                    Pagie               Diana

Tori               Madison              Meera                   Summer             Troy                 Melissa

Hannah         Mira                    Sam                      Kirsta                 Rosie               Serena

Amanda        Angel                  Ethan                    Claire                 Megan             Pagie

Dani              Mina                   Rosa                     Sarah                 Nancy              Troy

Tessa           Jess                   Christina                Jay                     Tara                  Rosie

Beth              Gabrlelia           Jessi                      James                Kate

Graci            William               Debbie                   Sandy                Amanda

Brittany Meredith            Taylor                      Nancy Ann        Kaitlan

Heather       Makayla             Gwen                      Annie                Nance

Jenny          Melissa              Kristin                     Jules                 Ron

Julaine        Shannon             Amy                        Rose                Ryan

Neal            Ashley Nicole    Robyn                     Tami                 Craig

Julie            Savannah         Victor                       Miranda D.       Christine

TJ               Diandra             Natalie                     Elise                 Alex

Stephanie   Kayla                Nikki                         Brittany            Jordana

Audrina      Sarah                Justine                     Debbie             Meghan

Holly          Sharon               Susan                      Darren              BG

Cherlyn     Gabby               Brandi                      Xin                    Virgina

Meleah      Amanda            Mariah                     Cocoy               Kristy

Farah        Rose                 Rachel                     Juila Q.             Jasmine

Matthew   Stephanie          Elizabeth                  Chloe                Thea

Won          Lisa                  Breeanna                 Alexa                 Allison

Finally!  “Angels” from San Diego!  It’s amazing!  No smoke so you can see his face!

• Long video of David signing autographs in San Diego, and don’t forget Part Two!
• Fan Story (on AI forums)
• Another fan story (with pictures and descriptions of meet-and-greet)
• And another fan story with pictures…
• David signing autographs and speaking Spanish (thanks for the link, archie4life)
• Random David picture with Ramiele and a cute story about a David/Rami piggyback ride:

• I was thinking…when David sings at the Olympics someday, maybe he has a shot at a gymnastics medal…

• A picture from the San Diego group number (thanks to rickey.org and archey reporter Kristin)

GOOD LUCK IN FRESNO TONIGHT, DAVID!  We will post Fresno videos tomorrow!

Well, that’s it for now…you know, the Archuleta fix can never really be satisfied…so keep sending us links and pictures and stories!

–Jenny

Videos from San Diego concert!

Apologize (San Diego)

When You Say You Love Me, Part 1 (San Diego)

When You Say You Love Me, Part 2 (San Diego)

Stand By Me (San Diego)

10 minute video from MyFox Phoenix

*I will be updating this post with videos and fan stories as they come in!  So leave your links and comments below!

On July 30 and 31, 2007–almost a full year ago–a shy young man auditioned for American Idol at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.  After singing a short snippet in the first round, this young man was dismissed by the staff, along with the rest of his group.  He was done, but oh well; at least he gave it his best shot.  On his way out of the stadium, an American Idol staffer stopped him.  “You’re through!” they said to him, and he thought they had mistaken him for someone else.  But no!  Unbelievably, he was through to the next round after being initially dismissed.  He was nervous, but he auditioned well before the three judges, even though he did forget a lyric.

I’ll never forget that day (even though I didn’t see it until it was broadcast in January of 2008).  I remember watching that episode and turning to my husband and saying, “That’s him.  He’s your next American Idol.”  I didn’t know it then, but that’s really the day my life started to change direction.  Inspiration is a nebulous thing–it’s difficult to define because it manifests differently for each person.  The sensation as I listened to David’s “Waiting on the World to Change” was one of elation, disbelief, and this…this urge to fight my way out of a rut and start creating.  He inspired me.

Can you imagine if that American Idol staffer had not been able to find David Archuleta in that thronging mass of people in San Diego that day?  Neither can I.  It’s like trying to remember what your life was like before you have kids–you know you had a life, but it’s virtually impossible to envision your life without them.

–Jenny

Bravo to Brittany for capturing a great fan video of both David Archuleta and David Cook doing hand stands next to the IDOL buses upon arrival at the Sports Arena in San Diego on Wednesday!

The Fan Blast crew is in San Diego right now but took time out of their day to answer some questions through the live JustinTV feed - justin.tv/fanblast

We learned a lot about the FBC, here are some of the details…

Phil E stands at 6′2″ (6′3″ with the faux-hawk) and is quite a personality - he especially enjoys reading out “L-O-L” so make sure to say that a often and repetitively, so Phil has an even better time. And if you weren’t there, you definitely missed out. Phil E, our resident (and only) rapper on Fan Blast broke out his hardcore Vanilla Ice rap. Phil E is touring with Fan Blast for 10 weeks, and hopefully breaking into the entertainment industry after that, a job he is well suited for.

Cody seemed to have a good time answering questions as well - and wasn’t afraid to point out when a situation was “awkward.” He was attacked by a swarm of bugs, or at least one. Dubbed “Sonic Ether,” he is the master remixer and is passionate about music and has been for a few years. When asked about auditioning for American Idol, he said that wouldn’t be the right fit for him.

Eric’s the guy behind the camera who was occasionally heard in the background, as Frogcooke and Hugs4Archie were keen to point out. Yes, you heard it here first, folks. Eric, the creator of Fan Blast’s very valuable voice.

Wish them good luck on their tour journey and make sure to sign up for the Fan Blast shout outs so you can actually meet them! T-shirt sales are helping to support their trip, so make sure you check them out. They’re really well designed (Andrew FTW) and comfortable (or so I’m guessing since they’re cotton)… and stay tuned for future live feeds with the FBC!

GO TO JUSTIN.TV/FANBLAST

FanBlast first night footage of David Archuleta, in the Idols Live Tour 08!  The songs will cycle on the 24 hour Tour channel filled with live broadcasts with Phil E and Cody on the road… ALL STOPS and the latest footage available anywhere!