Daughtry Live at Eastwood City!!!
For tickets, call Eastwood City Customer Information Center at 687 1499, 687 6770-74, 0917 8EWCITY or Ticketnet at 911 5555 or visit www.ticketnet.com.ph and www.eastwoodcity.com
Rock band Daughtry visits Manila for the first time and finds “home” in Eastwood City.

American Idol has not yet produced a bona fide rock star alum, but Chris Daughtry has managed to even out that score a bit. Much has been said about Chris Daughtry`s shocking ouster from Season 5, him having been predicted to have a very strong finish—possibly all the way to the top. But truth is, he has much to be grateful now. On the night that he got kicked out of the show, he revealed to Rolling Stone that he got a call from Priscilla Presley who was fuming mad, to put it mildly, about his premature exit. But when asked now if he hoped he had won instead, his answer is, “No way!”

Despite the fact that Simon Cowell voted against sending him on to the show, Chris managed to prove Cowell`s original misgivings wrong when, after appearing on Idol, he and his band practically shot to the top of the charts with an album that`s now been certified triple platinum. With the strength of the band`s first single, “It`s Not Over,” as well as the massive exposure that “Home”—a ballad the singer actually dedicates to American troops fighting overseas—got as the farewell song for eliminated contestants on Idol`s Season 6, Daughtry the album has scored for the band a list of impressive milestone moments.

Considered as one of the most successful recording artists of 2006, whose album became the best-selling album of the first half of 2007 and the fifth best-selling digital album of all time, Daughtry the band burst out strong. Its album was “anointed the quickest selling rock album in Soundscan history,” and became the #1 top selling album in the U.S. twice after debuting at #2 upon its release in November 2006. Moving about 300,000 copies in the first week alone, it is clear that Daughtry has managed to woo the fickle masses to its side. The album became the first since the 2006 phenomenon High School Musical soundtrack to log more than nine weeks among the Top 3 albums in Billboard Top 200.

Despite the record-breaking success of such a new band, undeniably riding the wave of the Idol success that its frontman and lead singer was fortunate enough to enjoy, Daughtry likewise had its share of criticisms. But Chris takes it all in stride, more thankful for the opportunities that have allowed him to reach his audience in this massive way than actually bogged down by other people`s opinions.

Criticized by a reviewer in The Chicago Sun-Times as “slick” but “generic” that “reveals a… lack of substance,” Daughtry tells Rolling Stone that, “It`s certainly very slick, and we wanted it that way… It was all about hooky melodies that people could sing to.” Chris continues to say that it does seem like the songs that do well in the mainstream—the ones that majority of people actually get and like—are generally the ones that get the bad reviews.

But all this isn`t as daunting as it sounds, considering the band`s success also reaches into the digital domain. Their artist site has been generating one million page views per week, and the album also a Top 10 staple on iTunes since its release.

Truth is, Chris Daughtry might have had other dreams prior to hitting paydirt with his singing, like that of wanting to become a comic book artists as he tells Rolling Stone. At some point, he reveals, he also wanted to be the next Jean-Claude Van Damme! But thankfully, being on stage is what won over—and this is where he now shines the brightest. Growing up during the grunge era, Chris was fourteen when he began listening to (`90s bands like) Bush, Live, Soundgarden and STP. But don`t discount his `80s influences that are as diverse as Rick Astley and Ace of Base to Skid Row and Guns N` Roses to Public Enemy, N. W. A., House of Pain to (gasp!) Vanilla Ice. His wife, he claims, even turned him on to Led Zeppelin—thank God for that!

But as far as dreams go, having them come into reality in this manner is quite amazing, even for an artist as used to performing as Chris Daughtry. His band`s success—indeed his own success as a singer and songwriter—is a by-product of his ability to communicate his thoughts and feelings to listeners through music that they can easily identify with. And that`s why they are as big as they are now. Making that connection with others who feel the same way they do is the place that they can certainly call home.

And speaking of being in the loving company of their fans and supporters, Daughtry visits Manila for the first time ever and finds “home” at Eastwood City, where the band is slated to have a special one-night-only concert at the Eastwood City Central Plaza on July 29, 2008. DAUGHTRY - Live at Eastwood City is presented by Eastwood City in cooperation with Samsung, Clear Men, Lipton Milk Tea, Magic 89.9, MTV Philippines, Manila Bulletin, Music Management Intl. D and in participation with McDonald`s, Fudge Magazine, C! Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, NU 107, Odyssey Music & Video, Information Gateway, Business World, Yehey.com and Sony-BMG Music Entertainment. Don`t miss the Rock Event of the Year!!! For tickets, call Eastwood City Customer Information Center at 687 1499, 687 6770-74, 0917 8EWCITY or Ticketnet at 911 5555 or visit www.ticketnet.com.ph and www.eastwoodcity.com