David Cook Rattles the Rev Room with Rock Show

Douglas Boultinghouse
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Photo by Douglas Boultinghouse

'Come Back to' Arkansas - David Cook played his third show in Arkansas on his 2009 Declaration Tour at the Rev Room in Little Rock. He performed several songs off his debut album.

   Reigning “American Idol” David Cook returned to Little Rock April 29 for his third show in the Natural state since February. Supporting act Ryan Star opened the show.

   Star performed several songs from his upcoming album “11:59:” “Brand New Day,” “Right Now,” “Breathe,” “Last Train Home” and more during his 30-minute set.

   'All These Heroes Come and Go, But You're Still Standing'

   By the time Cook took the stage roughly around 10 p.m., room to move disappeared. People packed into the Rev Room like sardines. Almost wall-to-wall, the place filled up with fans chanting “David! David!”

   After one song, Cook made it clear the majority of contenders on “Idol” this year have big shoes to fill. Only three of the final four would be able to command a stage half as intense as Cook controlled it in Little Rock.

   He opened his show with “Heroes,” the high-energy alternative-rock number used as promotion during many NBA games.

   Within his hour-long show, he performed songs from his debut self-titled album, unreleased songs and a cover. With each one, he showed his ability to put on one of the best rock shows of the year, on top of having one of the strongest voices for a male singer.

   The high-notes he belted on “Mr. Sensitive,” “Declaration,” Kiss on the Neck” and “Lie” rattled the Rev Room and possibly all of the Rivermarket.

   Kiss-and-Tell

   Before performing “Avalanche,” he thanked the crowd for coming to the show and thanked Star for opening the show. At this point, Star ran onto the stage and kissed him on the cheek in return. A grimace and look of confusion came over Cook as the entire venue burst into laughter. Trying to control his laughter, he pushed Star to the side and told him to get off the stage.

   He threw “We’re Only Honest When We’re Sleeping” and “Souvenir,” both songs that barely missed the cut for his album, into the set list. After performances at many shows, “Sleeping” became a fan-favorite, but the emergence of “Souvenir,” leaves everyone asking, “How could this have not made the cut?”

   Cook left the stage after the highlight of the night, his current hit “Come Back to Me,” in which the audience sang along, hitting note-after-note with him.

   “Oh, and I'll let you go, I'll set you free / And when you've seen what you need to see / When you find you / Come back to me,” he sang.

Photo by Douglas Boultinghouse

'Get Off the Stage' - Cook tells opening act Ryan Star to get off the stage after he ran on the stage to kiss his friend on the cheek as a joke.

   Encore

   He returned to the stage moments later for a two-song encore. His performance of the leading-single “Light On” sent the crowd into a frenzy of cheers. His voice nailed every line in perfect pitch, even going above and beyond the recorded version.

    He closed the show with “Bar-Ba-Sol,” the dual-single to “Come Back to Me” for rock outlets.  He called the song his favorite from the album and asked fans to call the radio stations and request it.

   Very much the intense-rocker of the album, it provided a chilling ending to the night with the electric guitars and flashing lights of red and blue.

   “Oh where I've been sold in spite again / Long before me like a dream / Falling in between / I feel sick, I feel nervous / I know just what I did to deserve this / Oh I know it's not a dream,” he rocked.

   Cook scheduled the tour to wrap on April 25 in Tulsa, but he announced in Little Rock his tour had been extended through October.  If you get the chance to see him live, do not hesitate on getting tickets. Do not walk; run to the venue. You will not be disappointed.

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