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He's thrilled to have all eyes on him. "In a big arena, you have a captive audience," David says as he gazes out over Miami Beach, awaiting his turn on a Jet Ski. He's taking a few hours to unwind at a South Florida resort before hitting the Miami Arena stage. "There are distractions at outdoor venues, at bars and at fairs; people are drinking and dancing and walking around, so it's a totally different crowd. In arenas, there's so much energy! There are no distractions. People are pumped and primed and ready for whatever's in front of them -- and that's the stage -- so as soon as the house lights dim, there's this huge roar.
"That's the difference between 90,000 people in a field and 10,000 in an arena," he says, pointing out that he's played before both. "There's a thousand times more power in an arena, all focused and contained, and the roars are ear-piercing. It's an awesome, awesome situation."
That awesome situation comes courtesy of his successful Curb Records releases, Goodnight Sweetheart and If I Never Stop Loving You. David looks forward to even more and is watching carefully his superstar tourmates for hints.
He learns something from Reba every day.
"After my show last night, I got out front and watched the way Reba works with the lights and the crowd. I made lots of mental notes, because one of these days, Lord willing, I'm going to be up there and it's going to be my show, my stage, and I'm going to have all these ideas from great entertainers. This is my apprenticeship.
"What I'm learning from Reba is what it takes to have a long-term career as far as being professional in every aspect of the show, the meet 'n' greets, just acting like a human being," he says.
He has also learned that talking to the crowd, even in the 20 minutes onstage allotted him, is crucial. "Those people sit on the edge of their seats waiting for Reba to say something, and they absorb it like a sponge. It's important to think about what you're going to say -- you don't want to waste any air. If you're going to say something, make it count. Give the fan something to go home with. "Everything I do in those 20 minutes should be memorable, so that when they think about what Reba did, what Brooks & Dunn did, what Terri Clark did, they can say, 'and wasn't that cool when David Kersh did this?' "
Reba. Brooks & Dunn. Terri Clark. These are not lightweights, but the 27-year-old Texan, a veteran of the Lone Star State music-hall circuit, is taking it in stride.
"Terri is hilarious, and I love her to death," he says. "Brooks and Dunn, however, are nuts. They are. They are nuts and I love their impulsive, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants style. I've heard they play jokes on people, but they haven't nailed me yet. If they do it during the show, I'm going to try to continue -- but if they're drowning me with Silly String or a water gun, what can you do but laugh and keep playing?"
Although the venues may be worlds apart, arena fans respond to the same songs as bar fans, especially to David's hits "Goodnight Sweetheart" and "If I Never Stop Loving You." As he mentions this, David suddenly bursts into a smile. "I just found out from Billboard's Country Airplay Monitor that 'If I Never Stop Loving You' was the fourth most-played song in the first six months of 1998," he says. "I mean, it put me right up there with the George Straits and the Tim McGraws."
His fan base has grown, but his fame is hovering at the comfort level. In celebrity-savvy Miami Beach, he is still able to Jet Ski, hang out on the beach and drink raspberry iced tea without being accosted. Judging from the reaction at the evening's concert, this won't last much longer, but for the moment, approaching stardom has yet to get the better of him.
"The schedule can get pretty rough, and sometimes it's hard work, but I have a lot of fun doing it," he says.
© 1998 Country Weekly |
