Fort Wayne is Shari’s 4th show. Read about her adventures and the lessons learned in her thoughtful re-cap below…
I was able to go to the concert in Ft. Wayne last night and just wanted to add my impressions to those of Grahamy. But first I hope you will indulge me in a little back ground. Last night I was a disappointed David Cook fan. I love the guy, don’t get me wrong, but this is my fourth concert and the fourth time he did not come out to meet the fans before the show. I’m from the Chicago area so my first concert was in Chicago. I had been reading all of the blogs and posts about the prior concert stops and how friendly he was and how much time he spent with the fans. I couldn’t wait to meet my Idol at the buses before the show. I got there with my little green gift bag at 10:30 not knowing what to expect and wanting to make sure I got there in time. Along with a hundred or so other fans, I waited in the rain and humidity until the buses finally came and every single person came out to greet fans except Chikezie and David Cook. I was told he had press. I was really disappointed, but the concert was great and it was reaffirming that David Cook is The American Idol and is very deserving of the title.
More recap after the JUMP…
Not to be deterred, I bought tickets to drive to Indianapolis to meet him there. I figured what are the chances that I would strike out two times in a row and it was only about a five hour drive. I threw my little green gift bag in the car and headed for Indianapolis. It was a beautiful sunny, hot day, and I waited and waited and waited and again got Kristy Lee’s autograph, Brooke’s, Syesha’s, David A.’s, Jason’s, Michael’s, Ramielle’s, Carly’s, but no David Cook and no Chikezie. This time I was told he was with family. So, I stayed after the show and sure enough at the very end David Cook came out. However, I wasn’t first along the barricade and instead was behind a gaggle of shreiking Archie fans and couldn’t get close enough to get his attention and even though I called out, “I love you David Cook!”, I had no voice left after screaming all the way through his set, which was again fantastic.
Then I decided I had to see him play to his home crowd and bought tickets for Kansas City. My little green gift bag and I flew to Kansas and I walked to the venue from the hotel, where all of the Idol contestants were staying on my same floor, as previously reported, except for David Cook who was home in Blue Springs. Surely he would not fail to recognize his home town crowd for all of their support. So I stood in the heat and the sun and waited and waited and waited. Again, Brooke and Kristy Lee, Jason, and David A. all spent time with the fans. As the minutes turned to hours I realized that once again I was going to be disappointed. No David Cook. Again he had press and family obligations. I’m sorry, but by now I was beginning to feel a little sorry for myself. I wanted to ask won’t these family people see him for the rest of his life?? We only have a few opportunities ever. Selfish, I know. I’m sorry. Even so, the concert was great. The support for my Idol was overwhelming at times even for him. The crowd was just fantastic and David Cook was clearly the man of the year.
I left a bit before the end of Don’t Stop the Music to get a place by the barricade and David C. appeared. He really did. On my third concert try, David appeared and I got his autograph. Of course I didn’t say a word to him and he didn’t even really look at me as he signed, still talking to the group of women from South Carolina who had given him a huge gift bag, but I got his autograph. I was happy about that. Still no chance to give him my little green gift bag. I had left it back in the hotel rather than lugging it to the concert. So, I ran back to the hotel and got it and ran back to the line of fans and gave it to him just before he disappeared behind the security guards.
So that brings me to Ft. Wayne. This time only a 3 and 1/2 hour drive, I figured why not. It is a smaller venue and a smaller town. Maybe he would venture out to meet fans and I could actually find my voice to tell him how invested I am in him as a performer. By now I am seeing familiar faces in the line of people waiting for the buses. I have met some really great people at every location and really have had fun chatting. I brought a David Cook sign this time to show my support and my preference, in case my David Cook t-shirt didn’t get the message across, and, I’ll admit, in hopes he would notice and come and chat a bit. The buses finally arrived and Kristy Lee is the first one over to meet us. She is the nicest person spending time with each and every fan. Brooke came by in a hurry telling us she didn’t have time for pictures. Jason Castro had a huge group of people waiting for him with banners and signs and dreadhead dolls. He was so sweet talking with everyone, making everyone feel special and appreciated. David Archuleta was out with us, too. For almost two full hours these two guys chatted with fans, had their picture taken about a gazillion times with everyone who asked, and signed everything in sight. It was Chikezie’s birthday the next day so we called him and finally he came over. He is the best hugger in the world. Just a world class hugger. We put on birthday hats and sang to him and he looked really pleased. He spent quite a bit of time with the fans which was great and the first time I had a chance to get his autograph. But no one else came out. Ramielle was outside the venue talking on her cell phone and hanging out, but did not come to the line of fans. We saw Carly walk back and forth from the bus, but she did not come out by us. Fourth concert, no David Cook before the show. This time I had things from friends to give him and to have signed. I felt bad not to have been able to give him their messages. Every night I read about how great he is with the fans and in four concerts he has not come out once before the show. I’m sorry. I was dejected.
Then the concert. I’ve critiqued it before and everyone knows the order, but here are some random thoughts. Chikezie was incredible. He was all over the stage singing his heart out. The audience reaction was very positive. My seat was row three on the main floor on the Mavid side so I was up by the stage for most of the night. The security people made us sit down once and then pretty much left us alone. Ramielle was peppy, cute, and did a great job. Michael Johns brought the house down with all three of his songs. He is a crowd pleaser no doubt. Kristy Lee was sweet and sang like an angel and got a great reaction for God Bless the USA, but I have to admit Squeezin’ the Love Out of You” is beginning to grow on me. Carly was great. This time I really liked I Drove All Night. The whole show is fast paced and varied and just plain fun. Brooke White was lovely as always. She is so consistent. Every time I have seen the show she has been just as good as the time before. Love her bare feet. Since she is either at the piano (first and last songs) or at the mic with her guitar she doesn’t get around to the edges of the stage like most of the others, but she connects with the audience because she is just so darn nice.
Group number.
Second half starts with Jason getting more and more comfortable but still blowing some of the lines on Over the Rainbow. By now, I don’t even care about the words. I have so much fun watching his facial expressions he could sing the alphabet and it would be entertaining. He had a huge fan base in Ft. Wayne and they showed him the love with posters and squeals all through his set. Plus, other than Security Guy Dave, I have probably spent more time talking to Jason than any other idol. He is just a really great guy. Syesha’s up next. From my vantage point at the base of the stage I can report that she does wear biker shorts under that flouncy short skirt. She sounded great on all three songs. There really wasn’t a bad moment in the entire show. The audience showed great appreciation for Listen which just seems to get better and better all of the time and was pretty fantastic to begin with. If she had sung that her final performance night rather than Fever, I’m not sure she would not have been in the finals.
Archie seemed to be over his cold or whatever was bothering his voice. He sounded absolutely wonderful on all four songs. His little dance during the Beautiful Girls bridge was adorable. I really wish him all of the success in the world that he so richly deserves. What a talented, sweet guy. He had lots and lots of fan reaction and seems to just radiate a refreshing normalness for a guy on the brink of a phenomenal career.
Then comes my moment. I am standing right next to the stage with my David Cook sign that I agonized over for hours the night before. It says David Cook in big red letters and then in smaller black letters it reads Super Star Ready to ‘Plode. Off to the side it says Good Luck Always and has a couple of pictures of him from previous concerts and my name and the name of some of my friends from his message board on it along with lots of stars in different sizes and colors. Nothing extraordinary, but I thought it was nice. Any way, David comes out and nails Hello. Just nails it. Great start. He is throwing pics out and one lands on the floor behind me. A lady behind me is down on her hands and knees searching for the pic and after Time of My Life, that the entire audience seemed to know by heart now, David comes to the edge of the stage right by me and motions to give her a pic. I thought that was really nice, except for a minute I thought he might be giving it to me in appreciation for my great sign. But no, instead he makes some comment about whether I am going to be holding that sign for his entire set. Oh. Swallow. I wasn’t sure if he meant I should put it away or if I should keep holding it. I was holding it next to the railing so that it wouldn’t block anyone’s view but so that he could read it. He noticed it. Should I be glad of that? Did it really matter when all is said and done? But somehow it did matter.
During his songs he waved at people, threw pics at people, brought a girl’s blue sign that said “I Made This Sign So That David Cook Would Notice Me” down on the stage with him and gave her a water bottle in exchange. He winked at people, raised his eye brow at others. He certainly knows how to work a crowd, except that I was still standing there wondering whether to hold up my dumb sign or throw it away. He sang every song just as perfectly as he always has but some of the excitement evaporated for me as I began to worry that I was really dumb for making four trips to see this guy sing and he clearly didn’t care for me or my sign. No winks. No eye contact. No smirky smile. No waves. No acknowledgment of me standing there in my black and red David Cook t-shirt, bought online, and saved for just such an event as this, trying my best to smile from ear to ear. Of course there were literally thousands of others that he did not acknowledge either, but they weren’t standing right next to the freakin’ stage having bought two tickets, the one online and another better one at the box office.
So I guess my expectations were a little unrealistic.
I had scoped out the place before the concert to find the fastest way out to the rope barricades to secure a front row and by now it was freezing outside as we waited and waited for the Idols to be finished with those lucky people who actually scored a ticket to the After Party. Finally Kristy Lee came out. Brooke came in a hurry telling us no time for pictures but that she would sign anything we had for her to sign. Jason came out. That was it. Then with minutes to go before the bus pulled out Michael Johns ran by. That was nice. No time for autographs or pictures, but at least he ran by and said thanks to the fans. I read on Grahamy’s recap that Archie ran by, too. By then I was walking dejectedly to my car. David Cook, I am told was with family.
So now, I am going to Tulsa. Why, you may ask, am I flying to Tulsa to see the same concert I have now seen four times and to try to meet my American Idol that I have invested my time and money in since January and have yet to exchange one word with? The chances are slim to none that he is going to come out to meet the fans, if for no other reason than because I am going to be there which clearly is the kiss of death for informal fan meetings. It is already just a sure thing that he will have press or family there since he was living there before the auditions. Afterwards they are probably going to want to spend time with each other as this is the final time they will perform together. So why go??
I will tell you why. Because even if he didn’t notice me, didn’t speak to me while signing my program, didn’t like my sign, didn’t come out to greet fans at any of the concerts I have attended, he is still the best American Idol contestant in seven years. He still has that sparkle in his eye, that mischievous grin, that gritty voice that can wale with the best of the rockers or caress a song with the best of the balladeers. He still makes my heart beat a little faster just knowing he is in the vicinity and I still think he is going to be a mega star and I was there to see him from the beginning. So, I’m flying to Tulsa, even though I am scared to death of flying, and this time I am not bringing a gift bag. I am not bringing a sign to be mocked. I am not bringing anything of my own to be signed and I am not bringing any expectations that I will actually get to see him face-to-face to tell him that I love him as a performer. I am just going to enjoy the show. The last time any of us will get to see these ten amazing artists perform on stage together. I want to be there for that reason alone.
In friendship, Shari
