‘Idolatry’ at its finest: Campus buzzes with anticipation for top musician
American Idol winner David Cook performs at Uptown accompanied by up-and-coming rocker Ryan Star
By Tracy Lum
Arts & Entertainment Editor
As an avid “American Idol” viewer, Drew Hackman ’11 felt there was no way he would miss David Cook’s performance Saturday night, even though it meant standing in the 150-person line to get into Uptown.
“A lot of people would be mad at me if I didn’t go see him when he was right next door,” Hackman said.
Many other students also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the winner of “American Idol’s” seventh season at Uptown, squealing and singing Cook’s tunes and cover songs late into the night. Up-and-coming rocker Ryan Star opened the show to the large, eager audience.
Members of the Activities and Campus Events Committee (ACE) had anticipated a bigger crowd, as did students who lined up well before the doors opened at 9:30.
Allison Fox ’12 joined the line around 9 p.m., but still worried about getting in; her friends got in line around 7.
“When I heard about [Cook] coming, I ran and grabbed a newspaper to make sure it was true,” she said.
Hackman said he was excited to see Cook because he watched all of American Idol season seven. He said he would have been satisfied with either Cook or opponent David Archuleta winning the contest, but “[Cook] had more variety and was more versatile.”
Fortunately there was more than enough room for the crowd, and fans said Cook’s show did not disappoint. Lively and chatty, the crowd buzzed with anticipation.
Star began his set with the darkly optimistic “Brand New Day.” Screaming, facial distortions and lyrics filled with anguish marked his act. Though Star has a decently deep and resonating voice, his enormous lung capacity caused him to overindulge in long, belting strains.
Students seemed indifferent to his performance, especially since most chose to chat while the artist poured his soul into his songs.
“He was good. It was alright,” Johanna Lerner ’12 said.
Others expressed similar sentiments.
“I thought he was pretty good. His songs had a nice beat,” Lauren Killick ’12 said.
The audience erupted in deafening screams when Cook finally appeared on stage. In his opening number, “Heroes,” his smooth, yet edgy voice, carried throughout the room.
Accompanied by a full band, Cook proved himself an able and amiable musician as well as a gracious entertainer.
“I love you. I don’t know what you look like, but I love you because love is blind,” he said, addressing the fans.
Cook went on to play a cover of Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” and songs from his self-titled album, like “Declaration,” “Come Back to Me,” “Bar-ba-sol” and “Light On.”
Throughout the show Cook connected with the audience, commenting on the Uptown cameras and television screens and alluding to the basketball team’s win against the University of Kansas in a 2005 NCAA win.
The epilepsy-inducing, neon lights accompanying Cook’s act detracted from the show’s overall success.
Blinding and unnecessary, they were an unwelcome and distracting addition to an already confined performance space.
Breanna Eckley ’10, who had never heard of Cook before, disagreed about the lights, but enjoyed the show overall.
“I thought it was really good. The lights were pretty,” she said.
An enthusiastic Cook fan, Sarah Kosheff ’11 agreed with Eckley’s evaluation.
“The show was great … even for those who weren’t David Cook fans,” Kosheff said. “That’s why everyone gave him an encore after he and his band had left the stage.”
