By rascal
Reading of the reaction by musicians to the $159 million, 22-month upgrade of Alice Tully Hall, part of Lincoln Center’s $1.2 billion renovation, I couldn’t help but long for the day when David will be recognized and appreciated for his vocal genius (and when the music he selects and writes conforms more closely to this dimension of his talent), and be invited to perform in places that cater to those who will by that time crave the kind of Archuexperience such venues offer.
I quite realize that those days are years away. David must surely cultivate his peer audiences (I guess), and have some fun exploring “who he is as an artist.” When his artistic oats sowing reaches its denouement, a singular focus will remain: The Voice.
By rascal
I received an interesting correspondence from a member who expressed an interest in discussing the implications of David’s choices of favorite music and musical artists, as evidenced by things like his “song of the day” suggestions. The only concern I have about highlighting this as a topic is our ability to confine discussion here to David’s artistic interests and inclinations. Comments could very easily lead to speculation about David’s personal life and private thoughts, and as those are not supported categories of discussion on notingDavid (at least not until such time as David decides to make them public knowledge), I would ask that we please be extremely careful and respectful in this regard.
I did want to blog about this perhaps especially because the member who wrote to me expresses what I fear is a fairly common set of perceptions and expectations among the DA fan base, views that I feel are at least in part somewhat misguided. In regards the song, “A Stranger in Moscow,” my correspondent speculates on what contributes to David’s enthusiasm for this song:
…Is it the “message” -? That’s what scares me about our David liking this song. His life to present has been so “special” – does he feel isolated deep inside – does he feel he has to go out in the rain at night to find new friends?
And, later on, this:
… (I) wonder what a “young”, barely-18-year-old-Mormon-boy with such wonderful gifts and talents sees in Jason Mraz …I guess I’m “judging” him personally with lyrics (such as those) from “Butterfly” that just don’t seem to fit with the image of what I feel DA is trying to create.
First and foremost, I do not agree that David is trying to create or maintain a particular public image. That strikes me as far too contrived for him. David simply is who he is, and as many have already remarked, not all of his fans are likely to agree with all of his choices as his career unfolds, and I dare say quite a few of them are likely to be very surprised by a few things–especially things like lyrics.
Even though I do not believe it is a contrivance, David’s public persona is just that — the public face of a private person. I do not believe it is disingenuous, but neither does it represent by any means all that David is as a person. It is enticing to buy into the “sweet Mormon boy” image (an image created not by him but by public interpretations of his manner and his biography), but this view is a caricature. David may be sweet and he may be Mormon, but he is also a fully realized human being, now an adult, with all that that implies.
All one has to do is listen to any of the slightly more serious songs that David has recorded and it is instantly clear that he has a depth of understanding about the human condition that suggests both an inner and outer life that involves far more complexity and contradiction than may be hinted at in any dimension of his expression or persona except his music. As I have said before, David does “darkness” very well. Michael Jackson is a highly controversial figure, and it does not surprise me that David identifies with him; the innate musical genius, the child-like wonder, and, yes, the isolation, the darkness, of being so uncommon.
As for the highly sexualized nature of the some of the music produced by some of David’s favorite artists, just because David currently chooses not to engage in such expressions in his own work, doesn’t mean he rejects or cannot appreciate such aspects in the work of others. I confess I would be far more concerned if David harbored some categorical repudiation of anything beyond the bounds of strict piety (I’ve decided to consider the shorts drawing incident an aberration; besides, life and art are two very different worlds for David). That is decidedly not the framework within which artistic temperament tends to flourish.
Finally, I have a distinct sense that we will always know a lot more about David from his music and from his appreciation and discussion of music than we will ever know otherwise. On the one hand, I think it is easy to read too much into these musical selections, on the other hand they are probably more revealing than any interview will ever be.
By rascal
I love reading the girls at Snarky Archies, especially when they catapult into ODD orbit. Beauty. Hilarity. Entertainment. David inspires people toward many things, and in reading a portion of sabrina’s latest, I got the distinct sense that she had crossed a literary line… With apologies, I have taken the liberty of reformatting the section of her prose that lifted itself off the page and floated before my eyes as poetry.
(i have a theory about david.
it’s not really a theory, actually,
or maybe it is,
i don’t know.
the thing is, he constantly gets me off guard.
it’s annoying and wonderful, and
i blame it on my inability to multitask.
david’s attractions are threefold, you see,
and i never learned how to juggle.
there’s the part where he’s so adorable
you have to believe he’s a hologram;
the part he’s so talented
you have to believe he’s a machine;
and the part he’s so decent, kind and good-person-y,
you have to believe he’s the second coming.
if i’m barely dealing with one of the points of this triangle,
you can bet your ass
he’ll go ahead
and decide to slay me with another.
example -
he is playing A Thousand Miles
and i am embarrassingly on the verge of tears
because
it is just too much.
And then mid-song he asks
if someone in the audience is okay,
because as a performer on stage
that is completely his concern
and not security’s.
and then,
to round it out
and use everything in his arsenal,
he goes and proves he’s too cute to exist,
stopping the performance
so he can readjust the peddles.
you’re a ****, david.
i hate you so much words fail me.)
By rascal
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF1rDyEdObs
How did we go from awkward rapport and stumbling stage management to easy nonchalance and complete charm in less than six months? Dang it, this kid is a sponge. I also think he is realizing just what home means to him.
And oh, yeah–he sounds amazing.
By rascal
I realize the Clayton photographs are old news already (sometimes I think this fan base gets news of things before they actually happen), but I’ve been waylaid with attempts to mitigate that impact of the financial crisis on practically every aspect of professional and personal business. Occasionally my career has to come before David’s. But only occasionally.
I like the Clayton photographs. I don’t love them. Aside from the styling (not diggin’ the hair), the problem for me (and it’s not really a problem so much as it is a stylistic choice) is that there is really nothing in the way of attitude or viewpoint in these layouts. Nothing to really sink your teeth into, as it were; nothing even remotely inscrutable. Clayton is a skilled photog, but more of a talented journeyman than an artist. His work is lovely, classic, fresh, and authentic. He avoids, for the most part, anything mawkish or trite, even as he stays quite safely within the bounds of well-established convention. Nice work, nothing more.
I remain in a state of chagrin about the continued pimping of David in those awful teen magazines. I was given a vivid reminder of why I’m so against this strategy (or lack of one) when I read recently about the actor Chris Evans, and the issues surrounding a much passed-around shirtless photo spread of him that appeared in Flaunt magazine. The shoot lead to a ban by the actor’s publicist on photo shoots of that nature, so as to protect his chances at becoming a serious actor. Said Evans of the shoot: “I really didn’t think twice about taking my shirt off at the time, but my current publicist would pull her hair out if I did that photo shoot today.” Evans’ publicist is exactly right. Image is everything in show business and the careful crafting and aggressive control of perception is especially critical if an artist wants to be taken seriously. David cuddling stuffed animals in the pages of Teen Bop Tiger Pop undermines his potential to be seen as a serious musician just as surely as Chris Evans flaunting beefcake in Flaunt compromises his intentions as a serious actor.
It’s time for David to decide what his intentions are, and make certain that the people who work for him are carrying out his wishes.
By rascal
Just in case there was any doubt that David thinks of his fans with great compassion and appreciation, here he is making a happy treat for the lovely ladies (and handsome gentlemen) at notingDavid! Thanks, David!
By rascal
Andrew from FOD/IFC does some very cool work (he’s the one that did all of those wonderful idol face icons). Here’s his newest, which strikes me as very ’80s-retro and very cool. Click the image for a large non-cropped version, and check out Andrew’s art page here.
Snow Watch
Well folks, the Archuletor does not disappoint. Here it is barely five days into the new year and we already have a nominee for 2009’s “Best Video Moment, Non-Performance.” You can see the entire interview here, but I extracted a moment that completely broke me up (and if you had any idea of the financial news we got at my agency today, you’d know what a challenge getting a laugh out of me tonight was–and how much I needed it). The reaction to the weather news is priceless. Oh, David, you really are too, too much fun.
[MEDIA=15]
