American Idol's eighth season kicks off tonight on Fox–but last night, J-14 got our own Idol experience with an intimate InTune concert at Hard Rock Café in New York City's Time Square with last year's runner-up, David Archuleta.
We were there from start to finish, getting a true taste of what David is really like. Right off the bat, it was clear he didn't have even a speck of superstar attitude. In fact, chatting with David is no different than just hanging out with one of your closest friends…he's so friendly, so open, and so sweet.
The moment we stepped into David's dressing room, he was already singing–it's no wonder he's such a natural. Once he got on stage for his soundcheck, he was even more of a pro… adjusting and tweaking sounds so they were just right.
David was constantly being pulled in different directions: meeting fans, doing interviews, posing for photos, and so much more… but he was totally chill about it all and did everything with his trademark grin and modest attitude. He's just the kind of person you want to be a star.
The "Crush" singer wasn't the only star at the show– Nickelodeon's Spectacular! star Nolan Gerard Funk opened with two songs from the TV musical (premieres February 16). It was his first stage show ever–and he had a sinus infection!–yet he worked the crowd like he'd been performing all this life. And boy, were the girls screaming! Definitely a new hottie alert!
The screams amplified with David A. got on stage. He sat at his keyboard and belting the lyrics out the lyrics to "Angels" and "A Thousand Miles" with all his heart–and also got up to rock the house with his hits "Crush" and "A Little Not Too Over You." The crowd encored him back for more–so he took requests, and finally went with "I'll Be." When we met him backstage right after the show, he admitted he totally did that on the spot. "I always forget to prepare an encore," he laughed.
Want even more proof that both David and Nolan are amazing performers? They can totally think quickly and go with the flow under pressure. The tracks for David's "Crush" and Nolan's "Don't Tell Me" were swapped on accident. When Nolan heard the wrong track, he entertained the crowd by getting them pumped up. And then when David got the wrong track too, he started shimmying his shoulders and dancing across the stage–yup, don't mistake the sweet Idol as shy, he's got moves!
Watch all the action in the videos below:
After all that, both Nolan and David still made time to sign autographs for fans–always with a smile. If we didn't already "crush" on David before, last night made us crush even more! And we're more pumped than ever for Spectacular (and the songs are sooo catchy they're stuck in our heads!).
Photos: Startraks/Alex Oliveira
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