David can't wait for SOF!

And here's some lovely Stadium of Fire articles to get everyone excited!

It only took one word for Brad Paisley to express what he expects to contribute to this year's Stadium of Fire on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. "Noise," Paisley said.

Not just any kind of noise. The 38-year-old Paisley is the Country Music Association's reigning Entertainer of the Year, and his newest album, "This is Country Music," released May 23, has already posted a No. 1 single, the 19th of Paisley's career.

Paisley, who's married to actress Kimberly Williams and has two sons, said that it's important to him for people to get their money's worth. "When I take my family to a show," he said, "I want it to be something they'll remember."

Known for his high-energy performances, Paisley said that he hopes to get people on their feet at Stadium of Fire. He also thinks that country music is a natural fit for the strong emphasis on celebrating America that comes with Stadium of Fire, the showpiece event of America's Freedom Festival at Provo. "Of all formats of music out there," Paisley said, "the one that's not afraid to wave the flag, or support the troops, is country."

Paisley will be joined on the Stadium of Fire stage by David Archuleta, the "American Idol" runner-up from Murray who's promoting a new album of his own, "The Other Side of Down," released Oct. 5. The two won't be performing together, Archuleta said, but he's happy to be on the same bill.

Paisley, Archuleta said, is "a really great guy. I'm looking forward to watching him perform." The two met briefly in 2008 when Archuleta presented Paisley with the award for Favorite Country Male Artist at the American Music Awards.

For Archuleta, this year's Stadium of Fire is a return engagement (it's Paisley's first appearance at the event). When he was 12, in 2003, Archuleta sang the national anthem at Stadium of Fire (another country artist, Martina McBride, was the headlining act that year). "It was really a crazy experience, but it was really great to get to do it," he said.

Paisley said that he's enjoyed celebrating the Fourth of July since he was a kid growing up in West Virginia. His father, a state department of transportation official, ran the town fire department, and Paisley got to ride in a fire truck each year and pass out candy during parades. "It's really one of my fondest memories," he said.

Archuleta remembers going to Murray Park to see the city fireworks display with his family. "We'd get the sparklers out and run all around," he said. "It was always a really fun experience to do as a family."

It will be a while before either Paisley or Archuleta puts out another new album, but both are keeping busy. Archuleta said that he's enjoying "working on new music" without having a recording deadline looming. "I'm just trying to focus on my sound and experiment," he said.

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When Brad Paisley was a child, his father was president of the fire department in his small West Virginian hometown.

Every Fourth of July, there was a parade, and Paisley would ride on the town’s fire truck alongside his father, tossing candy to the crowd. It remains one of the country singer’s fondest memories.

When David Archuleta was a child, he and his family would go to Murray Park and watch the fireworks explode "five miles in the air," said the Utah recording artist and 2008 "American Idol" finalist.

Paisley and Archuleta will share a July 4 experience this year: performing for an estimated crowd of about 50,000 at America’s Freedom Festival at Provo’s Stadium of Fire.

Both performers talked to The Salt Lake Tribune before the big show at LaVell Edwards Stadium about Independence Day and their music.

David Archuleta • In his first interview since he parted ways with Jive Records, the 20-year-old singer told The Tribune that the February decision was mutual.

He recorded three albums on the label. The first was his self-titled 2007 debut album, which reached as high as No. 2 on the Billboard charts, sold 765,000 copies and spawned the hit single "Crush." He followed up in 2009 with "Christmas From the Heart" and in 2010 released "The Other Side of Down," which in February had sold only 67,000 copies, according to Billboard magazine.

Leaving Jive Records was a freeing experience, said Archuleta.

"Since ‘American Idol’ I never had the time to think about what decisions need to be made," he said. "I thought [leaving] was a great opportunity. A great new door had opened."

Archuleta said he has talked to other record labels since then, but has resisted the urge to sign. "The goal this year is to take the time I need to know what I want to become."

Too often in the past, he said, producers would give him songs that didn’t fit his vision or voice. "I want to make my voice come through more," Archuleta said. "I want to do songs that are more vocally driven, so I can be emotional."

Archuleta said he is spending time with family and friends, and he said "no" when asked if he had a significant other. He also is writing songs on the piano as he figures out where his path will take him. He still wants to pursue pop music, but doesn’t want to be a "classical pop singer."

He has been listening a lot to Adele and The Civil Wars, the latter a country-folk duo that includes former writing partner Joy Williams.

Immediately after the Stadium of Fire, Archuleta will embark on a short tour of Asia, where interest in him has not abated.

For stateside fans, Archuleta’s 2010 Christmas performances with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be released on CD and DVD Sept. 6. Singing with the choir was a dream come true for him.

"It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ll ever have in my life," he said. I was honored."

The Salt Lake Tribune