David Archuleta performed at House of Blues in San Diego on Sept. 29, where his energy was felt throughout the entire venue.

His vocals and stage presence throughout his set were strong and enticing. 

While the audience anticipated Archuleta coming on stage, the band Alexandra John hyped up the crowd as they opened for this tour. 

The band consists of twins Liza Cain, the lead singer and Weston Cain, the guitarist. Liza wore a sparkly silver hat with a red jump suit and a long fluffy red coat to go along with it. Her outfit conveyed her outgoing personality and stood out on the stage. 

The band Alexandra John started their set off with their original songs, not yet released including “Insomniac” and “Mr. Nice Guy.” 

“Lifeline” and “Crazy Stupid Love” were other unreleased songs performed and are anticipated to come out next year. Although these songs were unknown to the audience, they still danced with Liza.

Their released songs “Fancy” and “Me & You” also got the crowd dancing and singing along. 

They performed a cover of “Hung Up” by Madonna, where the crowd danced and sang loudly. The last song they played was “Taking Off” where Liza strutted across the stage and took off her iconic red coat. 

By the time their set ended, the House of Blues was filled with fans ready for Archuleta to perform. 

He opened his set with “Dulce Amor,” leading into “Give You the World,” where he brought out two background dancers. Archuleta gave a passionate rendition, on his knees for his audience.

He then addressed the audience, asking if anyone has been to his concerts before, as well as welcoming new fans.

“This next song is for the OG Archie’s,” Archuleta said.

Archuleta sang “Touch My Hand,” where he went to all parts of the stage and reached out to hold fans’ hands. During this song, a lyric about flashlights led to the audience holding up their own flashlights and swaying along.

Archuleta then left the stage, and another audio recording was played that set a dramatic mood for his next songs.

He came back on stage with the two background dancers and then started to perform “Créme Brulée.” 

This was followed by “Fade to Black” and “Can I Call You.” Archuleta danced at the ending of the song, causing the audience to cheer for him in excitement.

Addressing the audience again, the artist talked about American Idol being a special time in his life. He also mentioned how he has been trying to be more in touch with his body and sexuality.

“It was hard to learn how to love myself when being taught and told a lot of things about the LGBTQ+ community,” Archuleta said. “I didn’t really know why it was bad, but I was just told it was bad.” 

Archuleta talked about how he realized he was different in elementary school, and noticed he had feelings for other boys. The artist said he was taught that through faith, he could make those feelings go away, but at 30 years old, he began to wonder if this was who he truly was. Archuleta mentioned that he had been engaged to three women, but it didn’t change who he was attracted to.

When Archuleta told the crowd he realized there was nothing about him in need of fixing, the crowd cheered for him, showing their support and empathy.

Before coming out publicly, he decided to come out to his mom first. Although his mom was not accepting of his sexuality at first, she eventually realized that she felt her church should accept her children for who they are, so she stepped back from the church.

Archutela’s deeply personal story was powerful and touched many fans. The audience cheered for him throughout, showing their support in that vulnerable moment. He then sang “Hell Together,” a song inspired by his mom. 

Going back to his original songs, he sang “Lucky” with his dancers, bringing out a chair they used as a prop throughout the song. He walked off and then entered in a tank top instead of his suit.

“Hello! Are you reading to rock out with me San Diego?” Archuleta asked. 

His performance of “Faith in Me” brought the energy as he capered around the stage, and he included choreography with his dancers during “I’m Yours.”

He then sang “Afraid to Love,” ending the song with his hands in the shape of a heart. Fans copied the gesture, holding their hands up to him affectionately.

Archuleta emphasized the importance of being yourself by covering George Michael’s “Freedom,” before he exited the stage.

After coming back out a few minutes later, he sang “Crush,” his debut single after his season of “American Idol.” Fans sang and danced along, one of them even giving Archuleta flowers to thank him for a memorable night.

As the final notes faded, Archuleta left the stage having not only entertained, but inspired a roomful of fans to embrace themselves just as they are.