陽光大衛私房粉絲網

That charisma, that unseen factor prized by many but possessed by only a fortunate few, it’s what Archuleta has. 寫的多棒！光看這句就值回票價了！

manilatimes

It could’ve been the Eraserheads reunion concert all over again, if it weren’t for the hoots of “I Love You David!” every two minutes or so.

The runner-up took to the stage first. It would’ve been easy to assume he was just a warm-up act for the Idol champ who would come later, but this was a co-headlining show and from the moment Archuleta appeared onstage with his trademark, aw-shucks smile, it was evident he was prepared to put on a great show.

He opened with “Touch My Hand,” one of the catchier numbers in his unabashedly pop eponymous debut. As expected, everyone got on their feet and whipped out their camera phones to preserve the moment. For many of those in the audience who’ve been fantasizing about Archuleta performing on Philippine soil ever since they first saw the then 16 year-old meekly trying out in the audition stages on American Idol, this was as awesome as it was going get.

Now 18 years old, Archuleta has obviously picked up not a few things since he almost won the Idol title. Wearing his favored plaid button-down with a slim tie, jeans and sneakers, he worked the stage from end to end as he sang, engaging the audience with his energy and enthusiasm. And of course, that wide grin. “I’m so glad to be here. I’ve had a fantastic time,” he said to the wild applause from the audience. Despite having had countless opportunities to perform onstage since Idol, there was still a boyish, almost amateurish quality to his delivery. He’s already a pro, but he still has that wide-eyed, innocent thing going, and this is no doubt part of what endears the young talent to his legions of fans.

There’s that voice, too, of course. Part matinee idol, part smooth crooner, say what you will about the kid but he sure could sing. He played piano during his interpretation of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles,” and throughout he displayed vocal chops that would impress the most cynical of judges (cough* Cowell *cough). That charisma, that unseen factor prized by many but possessed by only a fortunate few, it’s what Archuleta has, and by the time he walked off the stage after singing his monster hit “Crush,” it all felt like the hour just wasn’t enough.

During the 30-minute intermission, the fireworks show did a much better job of distracting the audience while the stage was set-up than the poker place ads that showed on the screens, but that’s just me.

David Cook materialized via hydraulics from beneath the stage. While Archuleta was bubblegum pop through and through, Cook expectedly brought his rough-edged rock persona to his set. With the heavy guitars, heavy bass and heavy drums, even Cook’s presence was anything but lightweight: there was no denying who won American Idol, and why.

Cook was a struggling musician even before Idol, as most everyone who ever followed his career knows, so it was no surprise he was much more experienced in his onstage performance in ways Archuleta could only hope to be. Each raising of the eyebrow, every invitation to make some noise, Cook was a consummate performer, with a rock star swagger that reminds one of fellow Idol alum Chris Daughtry. His gruff vocals, though comparable to the Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik and Collective Soul’s Ed Roland (he even opened the show with an excerpt of their “World I Know”), were still uniquely his own. The older songs may have left many in the crowd clueless, but you have to admire his resolve to stay true to his roots and even mine it for material to offer to an entirely new set of devoted followers. (For those waiting for more familiar pieces, he performed his much-applauded version of that Mariah Carey song, the first time ever with the full band, he said.)

At one point, Cook climbed down the stage and made himself available to his “Titanium” (what that section of the seats was called) fans. Now that was an unmistakable rock star image if there ever was one: his smiling mug surrounded by a gaggle of disembodied, digicam-wielding hands. Truly, David Cook has arrived. Even his version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” was Cook-ified, becoming a hard rock anthem but still recognizable enough to sing along to.

“I’m having a blast,” he said towards the end. The crowd loved it, of course. He played three encores, including his first hit post-Idol, “Light On.” After calling pal Archuleta to the stage on his final song, the two Davids embraced amid an unending shower of shouts, whistles and applause. All in all, it was a damn good show, whichever David you were screaming for.