Most impressive is that he performed this show with his broken left wrist; moreover, he got a guitar player to learn his music in two weeks, in an effort to not cancel the acoustic tour for the fans. Earlier this year, Cook stole the show on Broadway in Kinky Boots as Charlie Price.
At his Sony Hall show, Cook battled through the pain and delivered a dynamic performance, which brought the house down. Ever modest and grateful, he thanked his band for their musical work, and rightfully so.
Cook sang the empowering “Carry You,” which resonated well with his Sony Hall audience. He took a sip of water, and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you very much, guys,” he said. “I am excited tonight for many different reasons. I checked before the show if we had access to the disco ball. Let’s make this a prom,” he added.
Cook went on to inquire how many people in the crowd are in a relationship. “This next song is ‘kind of a ballad’ for you guys,” he said. “We have some single folks in the crowd tonight too,” he added, and told the story behind the song “Kiss & Tell.”
His rendition of David Bowie’s “Heroes” was expressive with a stirring vibe to it. “Not bad, New York,” he complimented the crowd. “It’s a trip to come back to New York every time,” he admitted. “We’ve done a lot of incredible things in this city,” Cook added.
In one of the most emotional aspects of the show, Cook opened up about the loss of his brother, Adam, to brain cancer. “This is the song that saved my life,” he said and went on to perform “Goodbye to the Girl” with maximum soul.
Equally powerful and haunting were “Gimme Heartbreak,” which has a neat echo effect to it. An added treat was the inclusion of “Day Is Gone” by Noah Gundersen and The Forest Rangers, whose lyrics were pure poetry.
“Come Back To Me” was sheer vocal perfection, which is one of this journalist’s all-time favorite David Cook recordings ever. He went on to debut a new song on this tour, which they briefly rehearsed on the previous day. Cook simply nailed Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise,” where he was joined by special musical guest Ryan Star on harmonies.
Cook belted out the high noted on the piano-driven “Light On” and closed with his brand new single “Death of Me,” where he left his fans thirsty for more. Well done.
The Verdict
Overall, David Cook put on a superb concert at Sony Hall in New York City. This acoustic show allowed the audience to experience his voice in its purest form. Ryan Star also rocked during the Phil Collins song. Cook’s live set at Sony Hall garnered five out of five stars.
