Richmond Review!

The Richmond Times Dispatch’s Melissa Ruggeri wrote a review of David’s performance at The National!

Published: February 25, 2009

Sometimes, it’s not so bad to come in second.

And it certainly doesn’t hurt if you’re a tiny teen idol with puppy dog eyes and hair begging to be ruffled.

The angelic David Archuleta might have lost last season’s “American Idol” to sultry rocker David Cook. But don’t forget Archuleta still nabbed about 44 percent of 97 million votes, so obviously, the kid has a rabid following.

About 1,500 of the devout jammed The National tonight during Archuleta’s sold-out show — the second date of his first headlining tour. Though the 18-year-old crooner bopped on stage about 30 minutes later than planned after dealing with inflamed vocal cords backstage, the restless crowd was instantly forgiving at the first glimpse of his sneakered feet and the opening notes of “Touch My Hand.”

Considering that Archuleta’s voice was obliterated by an incessant wave of high-pitched (mostly female) caterwauling, he probably could have sung like Tom Waits and no one would have noticed the change in tone.

But, throughout his 75-minute set, the relentlessly chipper Archuleta sounded pretty much like he did every week on “Idol” — smooth, pleasant, off-key on an occasional note and as sterile as a doctor’s office.

Wholesome pop songs such as “Barriers,” his first hit, “Crush” and his new single, “A Little Too Not Over You,” were indistinguishable, but that’s exactly why his legions of fans adore him: His harmlessness is his greatest magnet.

Archuleta was never one for loquaciousness on “Idol,” usually batting away Ryan Seacrest’s questions with some cute blinking and a grin stretched across cheeks ripe for pinching.

That hasn’t changed, as his stage patter consisted of wide-eyed exclamations of “There’s a lot of people here tonight — it’s crazy!” and “Oh my gosh, you guys, it’s awesome here [in Virginia]!” — but it’s tough not to appreciate Archuleta’s seemingly unblemished youthfulness.

Though much of the night he seemed tentative about his newfound freedom as a headliner free of the “Idol” regime, Archuleta did lean into “Works For Me” with a soulful tinge that would have even made Simon Cowell half-smile.

And when he broke into a four-song medley of some of his favorite songs (Desiree’s “You Gotta Be,” which was a hit when Archuleta was 4, and Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” among them) it became abundantly clear that Archuleta has successfully turned what could have been a stint as a cruise-ship performer into a bonafide career.

The Richmond Times Dispatch’s Melissa Ruggeri wrote a review of David’s performance at The National! Published: February 25, 2009 Sometimes, it’s not so bad to come in second. And it certainly doesn’t hurt if you’re a tiny teen idol with puppy dog eyes and hair begging to be ruffled. The angelic David Archuleta might have lost last season’s [...]

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