Originally posted Friday, November 9, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
David Cook has been touring and making music for more than a decade since the end of winning season 7 of "American Idol" in 2008. The rocker's next stop in Atlanta is a return to the City Winery, a place he visited a little over a year ago.
He'll be there again on Monday, November 19. (Tickets available $24-$32 here)
“Honestly, it’s’ one of my favorite rooms,” Cook said. “The staff and room were fantastic. We’ve had great vibes in that room. I’m excited to be back.”
Cook will return with an acoustic set. “Doing that last year opened the door to break down these songs,” he said, “and tell these stories a different way. It’s exciting for us to perform ‘Light On” and rework it a bet, keep it fresh.”
He recently released a dark tune “Death of Me,” which he has been playing on tour. He had just finished his second run with “Kinky Boots” on Broadway and it was near Halloween. “I first thought of a title that would work and ‘Death of Me’ popped up,” he said. “The toughest part for me is trying to tweak a melody the right way, the lyrical content. This one happened pretty quickly. That’s a sign of a good song.”
Cook said he has wanted to scratch his theatrical itch for awhile and was finally able to latch onto “Kinky Boots” last year. “I love the show,” he said. “I love the story. I love the message. The show to me seemed so pertinent especially now, the idea of inclusion and acceptance. I had done theater in middle school and high school and went to theater school. But the band thing took over. To revisit this was an awesome shot in the arm. I made some amazing friends in the process.”
He was super nervous meeting Cyndi Lauper, the brains behind the music of "Kinky Boots."
"She said she was glad to have me here and walked away," Cook said. "Was I supposed to get more? I was told that was the Cyndi Lauper seal of approval. I felt great!"
During his first run, he got to be on stage with the incomparable Wayne Brady. "The guy blows his nose and the Kleenex is covered in talent," Cook joked. "He never does the same show twice. It made it extra fun. Add Kirstin Maldonado from Pentatonix and I really loved it." (By the way, Cook said he would be terrible on Pentatonix. "I don't do five-part harmonies," he said. "I just let my guitar sing with me.")
He also said Broadway singing vs. rock concert singing are two completely different things: “I don’t know if my songs would have the same resonance if I attacked them with my Broadway timbre, and vice versa.”
Cook has been an independent artist for a few years since leaving RCA and he has no regrets. “It’s been really all positive,” he said. “I think as much as I appreciate the time I spent at RCA and the relationships I made there, I think the artistic freedom is something I’ve really enjoyed. Just being able to chase whatever creative endeavors gets me excited any given moment. I love wearing different hats. It allows me to maintain a freshness across all platforms.”
He had a recent hand injury after one of his dogs got away from him and he tripped. “I didn’t stick the landing,” he said. This prevents him from playing guitar on tour. “I’m 35 years old,” he said. “This is the first major break I’ve ever had. I’m kind of flying blind.”
He actually talked to season 8 winner Kris Allen, who had a much nastier wrist injury after a car accident a few years ago and had to re-learn how to play guitar form scratch. "I picked his brain a little," Cook said. "I was lucky. His was more severe than mine. I avoided surgery."
The downside of not playing his guitar: “I have no idea what to do with my hands. I don’t know what looks natural. Hopefully, I’m getting a little bit more in the pocket with every show. By the time we get to Atlanta, everything will be well oiled.”
***
David Archuleta's "Winter in the Air" video is out off his second Christmas album:
***
This past Monday, Lauren Alaina performed a truncated version of her new song "Ladies in the 90s" on "Dancing With the Stars" while Alexis Ran danced. Alaina, by the way, was born in 1994, as noted in the song, which she co wrote.
Below is the full version of the song. She name-checks Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine," Britney Spears' "Baby Hit Me One More Time," TLC's "No Scrubs," Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," Faith Hill's "Breathe," Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" and the Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away." "
***
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris
Florida Today spoke with Chris Daughtry, who regrets one thing he did 12 years ago: naming his band after himself.
Q: If you could do one thing over in your career and do it differently, what would it be and why?
A: I would change the band name. That's a tough question but to have the band named after you just feels weird. I think it would be cool to be more anonymous with the band than have it tied to one person, me.
***
Clay Aiken Tweet of the Week
Folks were making a lot of Ruth Bader Ginsburg jokes after she fell in her office and broke three ribs. She is up and working again.
About the Author
