Monday, September 30, 2013

Stick a fork in me...I'm Cooked.

I'm an oxymoron.  I'm a chick who watches every Braves baseball game from first pitch to last out and I'm a preacher's wife who is enthralled with a rock band.  Let's talk David Cook shall we?

I'll never forget watching American Idol when Ryan Seacrest announced,"Up next, David Cook...after this message from Coke".  I voiced out loud with indignation, "I never like the rockers."   Even when I was young and pretended to resemble some sort of cool I wasn't a rock and roll kinda girl.  When Lionel Richie's "Hello" was performed by the shaggy haired, electric guitar toting so and so I realized something. While I wouldn't pay to hear David Cook sing the phone book I'd pay to hear him perform just about anything else. Classical vocal training has given me a great appreciation for clear, open throat-ed crooners no matter the genre.  When David Cook's self titled album was produced I looked past the black eyeliner on the cover art and downloaded that sucker.  Being a decade into Baby Einsteins and Barney, Cook's album was a fantastic wake up call. I was being left behind in the wide world of music and after all, don't I deserve a turn in the mini van!

As much as I enjoyed DC's first album I reeeeeeeally love the second, This Loud Morning.  My favorite song, "Fade Into Me", takes many emotions developed over 17 years of marriage and puts them into words.  In my opinion, there's not a whole lot on iTunes Top 40 I would encourage my 15 year old daughter to sing or mind my pre-teen son listening to. A lot of it is quite appalling to my delicate southern level of decorum. David Cook (with the help of others) writes lyrics that are poetic, metaphorical and intelligent.  There's no need for "Blurred Lines" when you can come up with

Let go, fall in.
Drown in the moment with me.
Sinking 'til we start to breathe.

When my atmosphere is thick with adolescence or I cannot take another question from the peanut gallery in the back seat, I turn on some of my favorite music and listen to them "all sing along".  Priceless.

Last Thursday my fellow DC fan and sister in law joined me for my third David Cook concert.  The venue was very cool and the company was a blast.  A drink at dinner and a glass of wine at the concert made for a very fun time for us two light weights.  The highlight was getting to join the VIP-ers for part of the sound check and then have a little face time with David himself.  I'm certain when little Davey started this rock venture and considered a successful meet and greet in his mind's eye, it didn't include the mini van driving mother of three who was clearly pushing 40.  He was, however, nothing but kind, thoughtful and interested in my very fast, possibly incoherent line of jabber.  I had so much to say and so little time! Who knows what really came out of my mouth but I attempted to relay my appreciation for his musicality, poetic lyrics, and overall amazing talent. I asked if he was ever tempted to raunch up his lyrics in order to sell more albums or get more notoriety. He said that isn't really a temptation cause it's just not how the lyrics come to him.   There's never enough time or access in these sorts of moments.  I was hoping to tell Andy Skib that my cousin is his friend Garrett Honea and "hey, you're really awesome".  I don't know a lot about drummers but clearly Nick Adams is stellar.  Monty Anderson seems like a nice, happy to be alive kinda guy and I'm very glad he doesn't do everything David may request on stage. Inside joke... had to be there.  You can tell when a band enjoys being together and this one definitely does.  Oh and to the tour manager, can't remember his name, I'm so sorry that drunk lady wouldn't leave you alone.





I don't know why This Loud Morning hasn't sold as well as the first album but I have extremely high hopes for the next one.  Dave (we're buddies now so I can call him that) and the guys played some new stuff at WorkPlay last Thursday night that was ridiculous crazy good.  The next concert I go to I will be taking along my husband just in case an acoustic version of "Fade Into Me" is on the set list.

If you have any appreciation for good music you'll go to iTunes this minute and download the new single "Laying Me Low".  It's just a taste of the fantastic music yet to come.  I'm telling you...we have not yet heard the best of this talented band.




4 comments:

  1. Right on! Meeting David is a wonderful experience and it seems he always has time for a chat, no matter how many people are there. I'm thrilled that you got to have this experience and know that you will be enjoying many more years of Cookie! I got to spend about an hour with him in San Diego and it is one of the highlights of my world!! BTW, Fade Into Me is also one of my fav's (he sand it in SD but not acoustic)--it was on the DVD we did for my husband's funeral so I know what you mean about summing up marriage... Smiles for miles, Chris

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  2. This is such a cool, right on the money summation for so many of us. Hope "Dave" (we buds, too!) gets a chance to read this.

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    1. Thanks! I have to admit, that would be awesome. Feel free to RT!

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  3. Well I RT'ed to David.. really hope he reads it!!

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