My American Idol

I am 30. I am a responsible adult. I have a full time job. I am the mother of two children. But I turned into an embarrassingly shrill 15 year old at the American Idol concert last Monday night. Um, this is me with David Cook onstage in the background.

Let me just clarify by saying that this past season was really the only season I've followed regularly, and only because I wanted to see someone legitimate make it all the way to the end. Someone with experience who can play instruments, carry a tune, write and arrange music, and look good in the process. I am tired of the cheesy ballad singer, the Norah Jones imitation, and the Broadway actress-turned-singer not because they don't have talent, but selfishly because at the end of the day, I wouldn't buy an album from any of them.

I will buy a David Cook album however. I'll buy several. And just to show my support, I went to the American Idols Live concert (okay, to show my support and because my good friend generously got us a free suite). IT WAS SO GOOD. There were about ten 15 year olds next to us screaming at new octaves for Jason Castro and David Archuletta. I joined them, rather, I surpassed them, when David Cook took the stage with his own rock version of Lionel Ritchie's Hello. Next came Aerosmith's Don't Wanna Miss a Thing, the American Idol Original Time of My Life, and Hero by Fuel, along with a few witty quips and genuine audience appreciation, and the plethora of guitar picks spun into the crowd. He exited the stage only to return for an encore of the one and only Billy Jean, arranged by Chris Cornell and performed old-school rock-n-roll style including a 2-minute electric guitar interlude in the middle.

All the other performers looked and sounded exactly as they did on the show (I actually felt like I was watching the show at times) but when Cook came on it was like we orbed to a legitimate rock concert. If you're not yet a fan, YouTube his performances of Always Be My Baby, Hello, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, or even Phantom of the Opera's Music of the Night. Or look up the performance of Sharp Dressed Man he led with ZZ Top at the finale. Then tell me you're not a fan.


Go David, Go!