American Idol winner David Cook to perform at Pitt-Greensburg
American Idol winner David Cook will perform at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Nov. 19.
David Cook, winner of the seventh season of American Idol, will perform at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19.
Carolina Liar will open for Cook. The concert, to be held in the Chambers Gymnasium, is presented by the Pitt-Greensburg Student Government Association and Student Activities Board. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for this general admission event.
Cook, a 28-year-old singer, songwriter, and musician, won the seventh season of America’s most popular television show, American Idol, rewrote chart history with a record-breaking 14 debuts on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, released his self-titled major-label debut album in November 2008, watched it debut at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, spawn two Top 20 singles (the platinum “Light On” and “Come Back To Me”), and sell more than a million copies, reaching platinum status.
Cook was 25 years old when he won American Idol in 2008. He performs alternative rock, pop grunge, and pop rock. Cook said his second album, “This Loud Morning,” was the result of him working through the death of his older brother, Adam, who had been fighting a battle with brain cancer.
“I got off the road and all the things that happened that I hadn’t been dealing with while I was on the road reared their head,” Cook said. “So as I began writing these songs that would eventually make up ‘This Loud Morning,’ the act of using these songs as therapeutic outlets became a major release for me, and I think the end result is a bit of up, a bit of down, and a lot of honesty.”
The result is a batch of deeply honest, emotional songs that “allow whomever’s listening to look through a window at the past two years of my life,” the Texas-born, Missouri-raised Cook said.
“It’s probably the most therapeutic album I’ve ever written.”
“This Loud Morning” is a bit of a departure for Cook.
“It’s actually more musically up-tempo than any of my previous albums,” Cook said. “I felt like we created a decent base with the last record (2008’s David Cook) about where my heart was at musically. I’ve always enjoyed big sweeping choruses, stuff that kind of kicks you in the chest and knocks the wind out of you a bit. So with this album, I wanted to take that ideal and expand upon it — make the bigs a bit bigger and the smalls a bit smaller. I wanted it to be more intimate, but also more grandiose, and really stretch the boundaries of those two ideals.”
Having been a musician and performer since he was a teenager, Cook (who first picked up a guitar at age 12 and formed his first band at 15) was eager to hit the road to support “This Loud Morning.”
“The last record took four and a half months from first day of writing to finished product,” Cook said.
“So to go from that to taking a year and a half? I’m ready to play this record for people. I can’t wait to get on a stage, look people in the eye, and see their reaction, whatever it may be. Hopefully it’ll be hands in the air and singing all the words.”
Tickets may be purchased at www.greensburg.pitt.edu/concert or in person at the Student Services Office located on the second floor of Chambers Hall on the Pitt-Greensburg campus.