On Monday evening, 20 November 2017, David Archuleta returned to his home state of Utah and performed a concert at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was the first time that David has performed at the venue in six years. The crowds went wild as the house lights went down and he took the stage. He told the audience, “It’s so nostalgic to be here. I remember the last time I was on this stage, the last time I was here six years ago, I had a special announcement that I made here, that I was going on a mission for two years to South America.”

After returning home from his mission in March 2014, fans anxiously and patiently awaited the release of any new music from David. The long wait finally came to an end, three and a half years after his return home, when on Friday, 20 October 2017, David released his 16-track album called Postcards in the Sky.

David’s concert at Abravanel Hall marked the end of his fall tour to promote the new album. He sang several new hits from the album during the performance including “Invincible” and “Numb.” He also shared the backstory to his new song “I’m Ready,” which was inspired by his decision to serve a mission despite the negative feedback that he received, being told that a two-year break in his music career was not advisable. David commented, “I just feel like God’s guiding me if I trust him enough to follow him. That didn’t make sense, to go just stop everything for two years and go on a mission, but it was so worth it.”

Deseret News reported, “Judging by the audience’s loud cheering and applause following Archuleta’s first mention of the album, the new music has been well received among the Utah native’s home crowd.”

David also performed several songs that he recorded before leaving on his mission, including a medley from his debut album, released nine years ago this month. He added a twist to his original song “Parachutes and Airplanes,” which was a perfect Segway into a cover for “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons, proving to be a big hit with the audience. He also performed a cover for Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” which led to a cover for “No Scars to Your Beautiful,” which he dedicated to his sisters. He commented, “I’ve heard my sisters say too many times that they don’t think they’re beautiful. The very make of who we are, and our being and our soul is made of light, and when we come to understand that, and we start living by that and we start shining that light, it is beautiful.”

Madilyn Paige, who competed on season six of The Voice, opened the show with a set of seven songs, including two original compositions. She also shared the story behind a song she wrote while in high school during a difficult time in her life called “Irreplaceable.” She said, “I did not have any confidence and the low self-esteem that a teenager can have. . . .and I decided to write this song. It was the first song that I’d ever written and finished. . . .and now it’s become an anthem in a way for me. But I think everybody needs to hear (this message), which is, ‘You are irreplaceable.’”

Madilyn also appeared on stage with David and they sang a duet of the song “Seasons” which she sings with him on the album Postcards in the Sky. Prior to singing the duet, David favored the crowd with two Christmas carols – “The First Noel” and “Riu Riu Chiu.”

David also demonstrated his Latin heritage with some of his dance moves while singing the song “Nunca Pense.” Deseret News reports, “At the conclusion of the fast-paced, show-stopping number, Archuleta and his band exited the stage, but the crowd’s loud and insistent cheering quickly invited them back for an encore. The group performed “Glorious” and “Crush” to end the night, two obvious fan favorites.”

Judging by the response of the crowd, comprised of both young and old, throughout the night, it is apparent that both David and Madilyn know what makes the fans at home happy.