#also i'm afraid i left off some really good stuff omg why am i overthinking this

[rhiminee]

FAV LIVE PERFORMANCES 2017

Here it is! Finally!!!! My favorite David performances of the year!!!!

This year was harder because there was so much new music that came out and David toured quite a bit so there was an abundance of stellar material to choose from. I know there are very few people as crazy as me that are gonna watch every video on this list but if you’ve not had a chance to catch many performances this year, this is a nice place to start and do a bit of browsing. It’s guaranteed all quality ;p

P.S. There are way more great videos than just what’s here. I had to narrow down so much just to get a top 20. It was torture getting a top 12. Each made the cut for different reasons but all of them made me FEEL. 

ORIGINAL MUSIC

Up All Night  This gorgeousness. It has the distinction of offering amazing audio quality given the fact it was recorded in a studio-like setting so we’re not depending on someone’s phone camera for the sound. I’m not ripping on fan cams, just saying that clearly this is optimal. ha.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJRt_zv9L7Y

Someone To Love The funky groooooove of this song! So good. So so good. This comes from the Nashville show, which was i n c r e d i b l e. He does this smooth growl sliding vocal thing here that really just slays me. Bless. Also that pause at “jumpstart” is 100% kickass.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuyNJuXj04

Other Things in Sight Second Nashville video in a row! I didn’t plan it that way, that’s just how the chips fell. This song. You guys this song and performance is sasschuleta at his divalicious best. I adore everything about it. The little hands on the hips at 2:30 even I’m dying. This is David 2.0 hello. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJZau1gHJE

       Bonus: OTIS acoustic        So technically this is kinda cheating but it’s my list so I do what I want. And the vocal on this (from David’s EP launch live on Facebook) is ridiculously good. I was gonna leave it off the list but it just wouldn’t let me. I get chills everytime I listen. He does mess up the lyric in one spot toward the end, which is why I have it as my secondary OTIS choice, but honestly I’m not even mad because something has to show us he’s human. Because damn sure that vocal is perfection, complete and total. I wanna bathe in it. LEGIT.        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCl93lWzHx4

Parachutes and Thunder There are no words for how surprised I was that David started covering Thunder by Imagine Dragons at his shows this fall. And he absolutely kills it. This boy can seriously embody a song and he does that. The best part is that he ties it into one of his own amazing songs (Parachutes & Airplanes) and I dare you to try and watch this without a huge smile on your face. Truly this is one of my favorite surprises of 2017. This specific video is from the Salt Lake City show and hearing and seeing the enthusiasm of the crowd just makes it even better. This video is 100000% love. He claps! He stomps! He spins!!!! He pulls the crowd in no matter what, they can’t help but be energized by his absolute conviction in delivering this song. I. LOVE. HIM. Honestly there is no one like him. Also he is pretty. Bonus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QUYYsctvc

Numb Ok I’m gonna be real and say this one caught me by surprise. Until today I had no idea Numb would be included on this post. Then I stumbled across this video and was fully blown away. Who sings like thiiiiiissssssssss. David Freaking Archuleta, that’s who. This is from a morning tv show appearance in Nashville. I was traveling when it happened (to Nashville lol) so I totally missed appreciating it until now. For some perspective, he was coming off 4 nights in a row of concerts and driving half the night between each venue after the shows and being a bit sick at the start of that week. He had been on vocal rest between shows to try and save himself for the grueling schedule. So he got done with his show in KC the night before and flew into Nashville the next morning and did this and then had his Nashville show the next night. This boy has a magic voice, that is all. It’s so soulful and heartfelt and strong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-VQ8RXFKs

Crush Iconic. This song experienced a bit of renaissance this year and part of it was because of the amazing rendition David did in this video. During his visit to the Philippines this piece of magic happened.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC4Brtznsb0

Broken This song doesn’t get lots of attention but honestly it’s one of the most melodically lovely pieces of music. This performance from the L.A. show is stellar. Some of those notes David hits. Wow boy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVKVWt3u9k

COVERS

Fast Car Ok. Ok ok ok ok ok. This kills me. This is so good. From the Seattle VIP. First you have to know I adore this song. But David singing it is almost more than I can stand. There are no huge showy power notes here or stomping or dancing but it is quietly one of the most startling and moving performances of the year. I am beyond moved. I am reminded of the lyrics of “Killing me softly” when I watch this video. I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style, And so I came to see him, to listen for a while, And there he was, this young boy, a stranger to my eyes, Strumming my pain with his fingers Singing my life with his words Killing me softly with his song Killing me softly with his song Telling my whole life with his words Killing me softly with his song. Yes. That’s this performance. That exactly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBgz8ajtTdw

Higher Ground This has only gotten better and better since David first covered it at Tuacahn last year. Honestly I thought it couldn’t get better but I was so wrong. So happily wrong. I can’t even understand the leaps and bounds that David’s confidence and performing abilities have taken. He just totally owns the stage and the audience and the song. Watch and appreciate. Make sure you keep it on through the band intros. You’ll thank me. And then that absolute WAILING at the end holy crap I cannot even. This is another SLC show gem.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWpbh7Nt398

Beautiful / Scars to Your Beautiful Scars to Your Beautiful is totally a David song. Totally. I love love love the way he sings this. From the L.A. show, the crowd reaction is fab too. The second half of the video especially is just A++++ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LryGqAIisog

Forevermore Another surprise entry but it’s just so gorgeous that I can’t leave it off this year’s list. David’s voice is divine here, I’m fully enchanted. Just watch. I promise you won’t regret it. Pure musical bliss. This is our third entry from the Nashville concert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrbgT6tMHWI

You Are My Song “oh my god it's amazing” actual comment to this video on Youtube and I really can’t describe it any better. This duet from David’s trip to Manila is stellar. Don’t overlook it just because you don’t know the song. It’s such a gorgeous love song and the way David sings it here I am knocked over. Tippy dos Santos is a wonderful duet partner too and I cannot stop smiling while watching. This is awesome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Vc94sN3bg

BUT WAIT! WE HAVE AN EXTRA BONUS BONUS. lol I thought I was done but then realized I needed to include this last video because yes. David performing Nandito Ako at his first concert back in the Philippines in over 6 years. David has a special connection with the Philippines and the fans there and they love him in such an unrestrained way and to see his very real very strong reaction to that love when he sang Nandito Ako is a true thing of beauty. You can see David’s surprise at how the emotion caught him and the tears made it difficult to sing and you hear the crowd’s support and love of him throughout. He said he didn’t know if he would still have fans there after so long away. They said don’t doubt us. And here is the culmination. A thoroughly lovely note to end this list on. <3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xOWtAS2YS8

These are some of my favorite musical moments of 2017. There are many more but really how long can I make this list???? It’s already probably about 8 songs too long for most people. ha. It took way too long to make this post and I’m sorry it’s late and the descriptions could be better but it’s 2:45 am on January 1st 2018 and all good things must come to an end. If you read this far, I love you. And I can’t wait to see what David brings us this year. Kisses to all y’all!!!