| QUOTE (lothlorien May 16 2007 @ 03:24 PM The Little Train That Could (The Etrain celebrates its first year)) |
The ETrain Station marks it's first year today -- May 17th 2007, one year to the day that this board came into existence. But by all accounts, the Etrain was born 13 weeks before that day last year. It was born the day a contestant on American Idol from Richmond, Virginia, then only known as that guy who stood up to 1/2 of the dreaded duo known as the Brittenum Twins, sang and totally tore up Stevie Wonder's "If You Really Love Me" on Top 24 night. That contestant's name was Elliott Yamin and the Etrain is the motley crew of people from across different backgrounds and varied localities and timezones that have grown in friendship borne from mutual admiration and support of that contestant's voice, humble personality and winning back story. This is every bit his story as well as theirs. The Early Days The Etrain was first spawned in the pages of the American Idol forum boards but it actually took a while before the name ETrain was conceptualized albeit the essential ingredient was there -- people who liked what they heard that first night (perhaps even a few nights before that when Elliott sang "The Shoop Shoop Song" and was pronounced as the best of the group during the Hollywood Rounds) and wanted to hear more of it in weeks to come. Propelled by normally snarky Simon Cowell's "potentially, the best male vocalist we've ever had" comment after his Top 24 performance, people have started to pay closer attention to this little man from Virginia, whose looks then got mixed responses from people. The talent was not to be denied though, and come Top 20 night, when Elliott sang a little known song called "Moody's Mood for Love" and got the first ever (and to date, only) standing ovation from Randy Jackson that season, there was more for people to talk about other than his looks. Of course it helped that the video before his performance featured his devotion to his mother and people were moved by it. Thus was born... In a season where the more overtly visually stunning but less vocally gifted contestants were being pimped, people were getting more and more intrigued by Elliott who was understated throughout the previous episodes but came out singing the shiznits the last two episodes that little by little, that small group of people, initially people from his hometown who knew and supported him, grew. The thread at the General Discussions Board at the AI Forum (created by good friend Brandon Crowe and labeled Elliott Yamin Fans Unite!) invited more and more people and it was then that discussion started at what the group should be called. Early favorites in the competition who have had extensive exposure before the Top 24 had already well-established fan bases but this group was not to be outdone. Several ideas floated about (Yaminions who later created their own website, Yamilitia, even WolfMan Fan at one point) and although several people didn't really feel the need to call the group by any one name, the moniker ETrain was brought up and being liked by many, kind of stuck. Still, it was a small group of people at the time and Elliott was up against other guys who've had time to build a fan base having been introduced to the AI audience long before Top 24 that we were all a bit unsure if our collective efforts would be enough to get him to the all important Top 12. It didn't help much that Simon Cowell was not too enthusiastic this time about Elliott's Top 16 performance of Bryan Adam's "Heaven" which he called a "cop-out performance". Ironically, Elliott picked that song in part due to Simon's advice that he should sing more well-known songs as opposed to the little known "Moody's Mood for Love". Once again though, on what was to be another in the ETrain's string of little victories, Elliott and the Etrain pulled through, making the Top 12 and more importantly, getting Elliott to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams -- singing with his idol, Stevie Wonder. Incidentally, this was the night we learned of Elliott's deafness in one ear and that amazed us even more at just how many obstacles he had to deal with in life and yet how uncomplaining he was. Making the Top 12 It was Top 12 night that audiences worldwide were granted another sneak peek into the person that was Elliott Yamin, as it was that night when he unabashedly cried in the presence of the singer he looked up to but never thought he would ever have the chance to meet, let alone work with. This experience was even more significant for it was Mr. Stevie Wonder himself that told Elliott "you should definitely (sing) for a living". And although his performance of "Knocks Me Off My Feet" was not as well-received by the judges and some fans even called the performance shaky and nervous, Elliott once again avoided the boot and made it through another week. And the nervous performance only made it all the more apparent to the ETrain how truly unassuming a person and how astounded he was about getting as far as he has in the competition and meeting one of his idols firsthand. Funky White Boy Gaining more and more confidence and finally beginning to wrap his mind around the possibility of actually doing good in the competition, Elliott came back strong in the following weeks, performing "Teach Me Tonight" on 50's Week (mentored by Barry Manilow, whom he said he wasn't really a fan of until that week when he became a true blue Fanilow) and a fearless "I Don't Wanna Be" (initially performed by well-loved AI contestant from the previous season Bo Bice) the next week which saw him at the all-important pimp spot. This was the night too that Paula Abdul pulled out her memorable "funky white boy" label to Elliott. All this time, the little train kept chugging on, gaining more and more "passengers" each week. By this time, the AI stylists were in full swing and no one could fault Elliott on his appearance anymore. In fact, it was during this time that the train welcomed a new breed of fans into their coaches -- the thud-sistahs! The ETrain thus began to pick up steam and the members were on a roll. Topic counts and hits on the Elliott Yamin Board on the AI Forum began to pick up, and polls from anywhere and everywhere that made the most brief mentions of Elliott were quickly inundated by members who wanted to put Elliott right up there with other AI favorites. All the while, friendships were being formed and developed as they bonded over voting tips, and collective thumb-twiddling over what the results night might hold. Roadblocks It was Top 9 Week when the ETrain encountered its first roadblock. Country Week didn't bode too well for Elliott. He was in the bottom two for the first time with another rather popular, if not more popular contestant. It wasn't the end for him though as it was Mandisa that got the boot. Elliott showed perfect class through and through, being totally supportive of Mandisa and even declaring that he loved her and embracing her when Seacrest made the announcement. Top 8 Week saw the idols rocking out to the music of Queen. And Elliott and the ETrain was not about to let the previous week's experience shake them. This was the night we learned of Elliott and his gazillion odd jobs before idol, one of which was deejaying for a local radio station. He thus fittingly introduced his next performance dj-style and rocked out to "Somebody to Love". The results night saw an extra treat for AI fans as we were all treated to videos of the contestant's family and friends, and Elliott's video talked of his diabetes and once again showed his special relationship with his mother Claudette, who too was beginning to be popular in her own right. Alas, the ETrain was to be roadblocked once again as this was Elliott's second time in the bottom three. Seacrest asked him to perform again despite being in tears over the video of his mother saying how proud she was of him and how she was such a good soul. Elliott was unfazed though and belted out "Somebody to Love" once again, prompting Seacrest to ask the audience "does he deserve to go home tonight?" to which everyone answered in the negative. And again, the little train made it past this roadblock and chugged through. Coming Back Strong The next week brought new energy to the train and to Elliott, the past week having awoken a lot of AI fans over the incredible voice that was Elliott Yamin. It was Great American Songbook Week and Elliott had chosen to sing "It had to be You". Rod Stewart who was their mentor at the time, called Elliott a blue-eyed soul and although Simon Cowell once again bemoaned his so-called "lack of personality", Elliott was safe this week and was all set to perform for the next week -- Love Songs Week. By this time, courtesy of his friends who were active members of the ETrain on the AI Board, fans were able to get certain messages across to Elliott. And for several weeks now, the ETrain had been asking to hear Elliott do "A Song for You" once again having heard him do it the first time at auditions. This was the week that wish was to come true. This was the week too that Elliott first made a shout out to his fans. This was the week Elliott once again paid tribute to one of his idols Donny Hathaway and his daughter Kenya. This was the week Paula Abdul was reduced to a crying mess and Simon, recalling his "potentially best male vocalist" comment from 7 weeks back, called his performance a "vocal masterclass", a comment he had only given to him and season 3 winner Fantasia (and more recently, to Melinda Doolittle). This was the week which would land him in third in EW's list of the Top 10 best AI performances of all time (next to Fantasia's Summertime and Kelly Clarkson's Stuff Like That There -- this makes his performance the highest placed performance from a non-AI winner). This time, America once again voted correctly and Elliott was through to the Top 5. Slowly but surely, Elliott and the Train were beating out several AI favorites and early front-runners. Surpassing Expectations Top 5 Week saw the contestant singing two songs each. And for Elliott, it was to be Home by Michael Buble and On Broadway by George Benson. Elliott and the Train once again edged out another favorite -- Paris Bennet. By this time, although he was through to the Top 4, people were beginning to doubt whether Elliott would last for one more week as the remaining contestants (Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, and eventual winner Taylor Hicks) each had impressive fan bases and were favored to win it. Elliott, much like the ETrain came out fighting in Elvis Week though, and gave the strongest performances of the evening, singing "If I Can Dream" and "Trouble". By the time results night came, Elliott was firmly in the top two contestants with the highest votes and Chris Daughtry, the odds-on favorite to win it was sent home. By this time, people realized just how much of a force to reckon with the Train was. We truly were, the little Train that could. The End(?) and yet... Elliott was now in the semi-finals, and more importantly, was going to get to visit his hometown. And this he did, with no less than a hero's welcome waiting for him. Richmond locals were all in a frenzy, some even climbing up on their roofs as Elliott waved to the crowd. And we all saw just how big the Train was. Semi-finals saw the Top 3 singing three songs each -- one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by music mogul Clive Davis and one chosen by the contestants themselves. Elliott sang "Open Arms" (Clive's choice), "What you won't do" (Paula's choice") and "I Believe to My Soul" (Elliott's choice and personal favorite). This week's results was the closest yet in AI history, each contestant garnering about 1/3 of all votes cast, and their percentages separated only the merest hundredth percentages. And so it came to pass that by the slightest margin, Elliott Yamin was eliminated off American Idol. All through the boards, collective gasps of shock were heard. Most everyone on the train couldn't believe what they had just seen and naturally, everyone was depressed for a time. The AI boards went crazy with messages of surprise and disdain at how the results panned out. Gloom was the general atmosphere, as well as a general wondering. We were a group of people who have developed friendships notwithstanding not having seen each other personally. Day in and day out, our routine has consisted of logging on and discussing things Elliott and non-Elliott related. We have bonded not only over hand-wringing results nights but also over our common musical tastes, our all too common domestic craziness, and sometimes our similar technologically challenged quandaries. We've swapped not just voting tips and Elliott mp3s, but also favorite recipes, views and opinions over anything and everything, jokes, anecdotes, stories of embarrassing experiences, the works. Life wouldn't just feel the same without those familiar groups of people you talk to online; people whose faces are digital avatars and whose current moods are mirrored by emoticons, and yet are friends in the truest sense of the word. But we were the train that could. We set out to conquer the competition one tiny impossibility at a time. The tracks weren't destined to end there, in much the same way that Elliott's talent was not going to be confined in AI nor end with his elimination off the show. In a bid to keep ties with everyone, I (Lothlorien), opted to form a yahoo group just so I could have everyone's email address and still keep in touch. Everyone immediately jumped on board and signed up. People were still hurting over Elliott's boot though and the AI boards were crazy with people from other fan bases wanting the ETrain votes thrown their way when we just wanted to be left in peace for a while. We needed a refuge and we needed the friends who actually understood what we were feeling that people kept emailing the yahoo group members back and forth, forum board style. A Yahoo Group isn't exactly conducive for group chats though, so at the suggestion of one other member, I was directed to a site that offered free forum board hostings. I signed up for a free account, posted the link to everyone, and in a few mouse clicks, thus was born the ETrain Station. I enlisted the help of several other tech-savvy members who gladly came onboard and helped set things up. Little by little, and slowly but surely, as is the usual fashion of the little train that we were, the ETrain Station grew cozier and cozier. New banners and new skins were put up. Multimedia content contributed by members were likewise made available. All in all, it was the continuing support of the members that kept it moving. Movin' On Although we were all devastated at Elliott's boot off the show, we were all so excited at seeing him take the stage with Mary J. Blige during the finale in one of the show stopping performances in AI history. And everyone "believed to their soul" that this was not to be the end. There was yet the tour to be excited about. Members were finally to meet Elliott for the first time. We swapped pictures and funny stories and amazing encounters. Elliott and ETrain mania were on a high as members "pimped their rides" ETrain style. Tour after-parties were organized; and we even took time to be philanthropists and raised funds together for diabetes research and awareness -- all in the name of Elliott. And as the AI tour finally wrapped up, together we pondered on what the future was gonna hold. We snapped up on every little tidbit we could find, informing and reminding others of Elliott appearances, reaching out to other Elliott fan groups (we love yah, Moosak Peeps) and more importantly, were there for everyone as friends inside and outside of American Idol and maybe even outside of Elliott Yamin. There were quite a few rough spots along the way in the form of petty disagreements and sometimes, some major falling out, but we hold together through the tough times, chugging on confidently, knowing the more important things that matter are the ones that keep all of us together. Chugging along... And then, after much aniticpation, it happened; 10 months after his fateful elimination off the show, Elliott Yamin finally released an album, debuting at #3 on Billboard and we couldn't be prouder. And we haven't even stopped yet. The train is very much on track. And today, we mark the first year of this amazing journey. We've weathered through bad judge comments, weeks of being in the bottom three, an unexpected boot-out, crazy AI tours, speculation over whether the guy we supported was ever gonna have a career after AI, and on the sidelines, some rather untoward clashes with other groups, even one of our members getting ill, but through it all, we have stuck together, becoming better persons for it. I have never been a member of any other fan group. So I wouldn't be sure if we are the only ones who can claim such a history and such cohesiveness. But I nonetheless feel blessed that I have had the singular opportunity at having experienced all of that in this lifetime with everyone on this Train. So from me to everyone here, Happy First Anniversary! Here's to many more years and many more tracks we've yet to chug on. Postcripts On a personal note, i'd like to give special shoutouts to everyone who has made this possible: First up, to Brandon Crowe who's been our special link to all things Elliott. You've been one of the people that made this site extra special. The magic this site brings, I believe is that it makes Elliott seem accessible and without question, you are the man that makes that possible. So thanks a whole lot. To MC (Mike Cornelio), Fabb, Gracestreet, Yamingirl, and everyone who had anything to do with the pimping of the site. You've all been very unselfish with your mad computer skills and technological savvy, and sometimes, even your personal finances that this site rocks because you guys rock, too. To all the mods and former mods -- Lise, michl, mommasays (i miss you a whole lot, momma), YG, TXRangerette, croweb70, Emjay321, H-Bomb, MC, nymphadora, Sk888, Cath, EY_forever, DoxiechickluvsE, Goldie -- I couldn't have done all of this without each one of you. You've all been very generous with your time. I feel absolutely blessed to count you all as friends. And finally, to all the members who frequent this board and make it the fun place that it is, you make all this worth the while. We'll be here for as long as you guys are here. You can count on that. In case I've forgotten anyone or failed to mention anyone by name, please know that it's an error of mind not of heart. And I'm gonna wrap all this up now cause it's sounding like a Grammy acceptance speech or something. lol. cheers! |
| QUOTE (TxRangerette @ Apr 5 2008, 04:53 PM) | ||
|
| QUOTE (Linda4Elliott @ Apr 5 2008, 07:51 PM) |
| I'd like to add my thanks, Toni for posting that. I was not a part of the very early days, since I had never really used the computer that much until Elliott, and the first place I found in my search for all things Elliott, was Yaminmachine, which led to Moosak, and then here. I remember so clearly getting on the computer the day after Elliott was eliminated, and googling everything I could think of. I was not going to let that be the end of the greatest singer in the world!!! I was about to die until I connected with some people who felt the same way I did. I was on the Poll Patrol at Yaminmachine until that dissolved. I'm SO glad I found Moosak and the :chloe: |
| QUOTE (TxRangerette @ Apr 5 2008, 01:53 PM) | ||
|
| QUOTE (Efan2 @ Apr 5 2008, 09:53 PM) | ||
Haven't we learned a lot about computers, message boards, posting, downloading pictures, private messaging, quoting, photobucketing (is that a word?), MySpacing, etc. etc. etc. I would never haved learned these things if not for Elliott and the Etrain. It's been quite a ride! :chloe: |
| QUOTE (SoulMusicRocks @ Apr 6 2008, 05:04 PM) |
| It's pretty crazy how fast time has gone by. We've been through quite an evolving process of personalities and dynamics. It's a great board that I'm proud to be apart of :) |
| QUOTE (lindagt @ Apr 6 2008, 04:06 PM) | ||
Yes - it's hard to believe that we have been together almost two years now!! What a great board and what great friendships we have made! |