David Archuleta and David Cook - Davids Report - Houston, TX - 08/24/08
(Here's the Davids Report from Celeste in Houston, TX! She was one of our cellcasters that night, thanks!)
Alrighty, the day starts as me and one of my best friends, Katie were on our way downtown to meet up at Kimson with fellow David fans. We get the call to skip the restaurant and go straight to the barricades that are being put up. We speed all the way there and got there around 10:15-10:30ish in the morning. It was sooooo hot. We were all melting out there. Suddenly, a tour bus speeds by where we were and honks several times, we all made bets it had to be Puppy Johns lol At that time there was maybe 10-15 there. After noon the crowd started growing. Me and Katie kept seeing this security guard coming by to look at the crowd, his name was Joe but at the time we didn’t see his tag. He went in and out eating and drinking in front of us while we were starved and thirsty. So she playfully nicknamed him Taco, since it looked like it was a Taco that he was last eating. She and him kinda chatted but he didn’t know his name yet. I was so hot I put a towel on my head for some shade. Finally, at 2:30, the Idols were coming out. The first 3 out were David Cook, Jason, and Carly. Cook gets to us first but he was rushed seeing he only had 10 minutes out there and had spent most of it already. He came to sign my picture and gave me this smile and smirk while I stood there smiling and speechless. He signed the pic and moved on, my friend then pointed out, I still had the towel on my head, oh geez. It had to be in front of Cook. Gah. Ok, Jason, a total sweetheart. He stayed the whole hour I believe. Carly was attacked by an ant and said “Texas hates my hair !” when it started frizzing for out according to her, she’s so funny. Cook leaves, and Kristy Lee and Brooke come out. A while after, Archie comes out. The screams, wow. I’m sure all of downtown could hear it. Security said he didn’t feel good so to not get too close or ask for hugs. While Archie was nearing us, Katie gets Taco’s attention and asks him for his autograph, calling him Taco. He responds “Just for that, I’m not signing anything ! Plus, it was a Subway, not a Taco.” She says ok “You’re new name is Subway.” He laughs and walks around helping the Idols with their gift bags. He was just 3 feet from Archie when he reached Katie. He starts signing pics for Katie, who is a big Archie fan. While he signs she yells “Subway, I still need your autograph !” He yells out no, and Archie looks at them both like “What ? What’s going on ?” She explains everything including his nickname being Subway. He laughs like crazy and gestures for Subway to come over, but Subway nods no, lol When he got to me, some fan began clawing her way through, then tried to pull me back. I refused and she elbowed me right on the neck !! The crowd pushed her back, and I was in pain. Archie, with a scared look asked “Oh man, are you ok ? You sure ? “ I nodded and smiled, faking it cause it hurt a lot. And he moved on laughing as Katie kept yelling for Subway’s attention. After Archie went in we drove home with another friend, Stephanie friend I found there. Rickey calls and we plan out the cellcast on the way home since we still had to pick up my other best friend, Nisha, (big Cook fan) who had a family party she had to attend to, and my mother who couldn’t go because she can’t stay in the heat or stand long due to her illnesses. Katie went to her home for a bit, we picked up everyone, then we drove back to the venue.
The show was great ! Our seats were floor, should have been incredible. However, all of us, excpet Katie being just 5’1, shorties, kinda killed that being on the floor happiness. In front of us, for atleast 7 rows deep ahead, were tall, tall people who just never wanted to sit down. I or mom could not see the stage AT ALL. We were pretty upset. Mom settled for the tv screen, but me the photographer and filmer was highly upset. I filmed and took a few pics while heads moved for a split second giving me a small gap and with my incredible zoom, I got lucky a few rare times. Everyone did an amazing job. I couldn’t believe some were so much better live than the show, I became a fan of almost everyone that night. Finally, Syesha ended her set. Archie time !! Well everyone stood up, so I settled for the screen taking several pics holding the camera high, shooting hoping to get atleast one good pic. During his 2nd song I remembered he was supposed to be sick. He certainly did not show it, he was amazing !! Now my friend Katie had gone home to make a sign that read “Subway, where are you ?” for Joe the guard and she was hoping if Archie saw it, he’d bust out laughing. Sadly, he did not see it. She was kinda sad about that. I told her, hold it up during David Cook’s set, he reads signs and he even asked one city about a Free the Gnomes sign someone had, so she agreed. Archie, so sweet and talented, finished his set sadly. I could have loved more from little David.
Cook made his grand entrance, handsome as always. He opened with an amazing “Hello”. Again I couldn’t see and was furious. I kept my cool and did my best recording Cook. Even if half the video becomes blocked at points, I certainly have his incredible voice recorded. He went on to “Time of My Life” that had all four of us singing for the first time that night. He talked about how he left in 1983 and how he was honored to be back in Houston while on tour. He was so sweet about it and played around with the drummer (who Nisha last year nicknamed “Keenan” because when he wore a wig during Blake’s set looked like Keenan Thompson) Aaron (sp?) and said how there was this one lady giving him the death stare, poor guy. He was funny about it though, go David. He filmed the crowd and Katie lifts up her sign when he got near our side, so we’re sure he filmed Subway lol He was singing “My Hero” when Katie remembered about the sign again. She held it up and while the song in the middle is just instrumental he looks out to our side and laughs as he saw Katie’s sign. She puts it down, mission kinda accomplished. He sings again and randomly she holds it up when he looks to our area and he laughs and smiles again. She was hoping for more banter and a possible comment about it but he ran to get ready for Billie Jean. From what I saw on the screen, he was so incredible, total Rockstar !! Afterwards, it was Mavid time !! I told everyone about it, since none of them knew anything about Mavid, to wait for it. I started filming had a good shot then, everyone like they knew stand up in front of me as I see Cook and MJ disappear. I was so upset, as I only saw their heads bob. Nisha said it was like a shuffle or chicken dance on the floor. Thank goodness I knew Stephanie would get it, her being closer. I thought I would be annoyed at the number cause I already was annoyed with the song after watching all the Mavids over and over, and over again, but no it was GREAT !! Everyone was wonderful. I grabbed a streamer and we left.
My mother had twisted her ankle coming down the stairs to get to the floor so leaving we had to ask for an escort up. They escorted us upstairs via elevator and that took us to an exit we weren’t familiar with. The moment we walked out, we found barricades with a large crowd already there. I asked mom if she wanted to try it, and she said she’d wait 15-20 minutes and see. Seeing my mom stumbling, people scooted and let her lean against the barricades so she wouldn’t lose her balance. I was very glad this crowd was so nice. Not even 10 after Kristy Lee and Carly come out. Then came Jason, Brooke, Chikezie, Michael, and Syesha. And mom turned so fangirly, it was cute. She took my program and asked for autographs and talked to every Idol that came to her, I was so happy she was having a good time. Nisha was already upset when we told her that David Cook wasn’t coming out. So she was just smiling and taking pics of my mom with the Idols. When Michael came, she was so awed, I gave her a pic I had wanted him to sign for me, to sign for her and he told her he loved the pic, smiled, cracked a joke, and gave her the pic back. She was pretty happy after that, lol It softened the blow that she wouldn't see Cookie. Archie finally came out !! After a while he got to our side. He signed the book for my mom and moved to Katie. He smiled recognizing us and she said “I want you to sign this.” and handed him the Subway sign. He bust out laughing signing it a few times here and there. Ray and another guard had looked at him like “What ?” he just said to them “Long story” giggling about it. Katie then said “Be sure you tell David Cook about the sign, he kept laughing at during his set and is probably confused and amused by it.” Archie laughed and said “He probably filmed it so when I see it in the tape, I’ll tell him.” He continued for a few minutes and left. We left since I was starting a job the next day while mom was supposed to wake up early as well. We had such a good time. We all plan on getting together this week just to share pictures. Both Katie and Nisha came in the show not knowing anything of that season’s show except for their favorite and came out a fan of pretty much all the Idols. Now mom is in love with Jason and Chikezie since they stayed with her for a few minutes, lol She still loves her Davids though.