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David Archuleta’s Boston City Winery review

David Archuleta has mentioned Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder and Bryan Adams, among others, as his musical influences. (Photo courtesy of Christina Laderoute/UMass Lowell Connector)

Christina Laderoute
Connector Staff

The lights dimmed and David Archuleta took the stage at the Boston City Winery. He was met with an abundance of applause from the dinner guests waiting for his arrival.

Archuleta spoke about how he did not start singing because he wanted all eyes on him. He mentioned that when he was younger, he would sing to the sky and he felt filled from singing.

He performed “Spotlight Down” off of his album “Postcards in the Sky” and it was very clear that he was comfortable on stage and felt moved by what he was singing.

Accompanied by a keyboardist, electric guitarist, and a drummer, Archuleta sang songs both old and new. At one point he sang his rendition of “Shallow” from the popular movie, “Shallow.”

After performing a few songs with the full band, they transitioned to an acoustic set. There was a drum pad, two acoustic guitars and supporting vocals from his band members.

As the evening went on, Archuleta opened up more and was blooming on stage. He went from standing at the microphone stand to jumping around stage and dancing about.

He said that performing at the City Winery was like “spending the evening with a friend.”

During Archuleta’s performance of “Postcards in the Sky,” everyone in the audience held up handmade postcards previously handed out earlier in the night by some fans. He was extremely moved by this. Right before the last chorus of the song he shouted out, “Put those postcards up!”

He performed an unreleased song for the crowd which he wrote with his friend Isabel, who is from Massachusetts. Her parents were in the audience and Archuleta gave them a shout out.

Throughout the evening, Archuleta paused in between songs to tell stories and talk with the audience. He spoke a lot about his mission to Chile, finding himself and growing as a person. One of the more serious topics he spoke on was how he felt so defeated and considered quitting music altogether at one point. He went into what he thought would be his last songwriting session and left with having written his song, “Numb,” and he followed up that story with his performance of it.

Archuleta spoke a lot about how he wants his music to stay close to God. He does not want to write and sing songs that do not mean anything. He wants his music to speak to other people.

The last song he sang before his inevitable encore of his popular song “Crush” was “Invincible” off his “Postcards in the Sky” album. He mixed it up a bit by mashing it together with “Happier” by Bastille. The two songs meshed so perfectly together as if they were one song.

When the show ended, he thanked everyone for coming and his excitement was incredibly obvious. Archuleta put on a wonderful show full of emotion, honesty and happiness.

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