Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Four years may be an eternity to wait before releasing a new project these days, but David Cook was far from idle between 2011’s “This Loud Morning” and 2015’s “Digital Vein” (a #4 score on the Billboard Pop Album Chart). The multi-platinum singer/songwriter/season 7 “American Idol” winner launched his own record label Analog Heart Music (a nod to the name of his pre-frame first album), partnered with PledgeMusic to crowd fund its first collection and penned David Nail’s country hit “Kiss You Tonight.”

Cook also addressed the key tunes that helped him set the Billboard Hot 100 record for most debut entries by a male solo artist, including “Come Back To Me” and “Light On,” and while his stock may not be nearly as hot as it was during those days, his new music retains a similar quality and is worth exploring within the practically impossible clutter of digital era.

On his first tour in just as long, Cook is even further removed from the arenas he used to play on the “Idol” tours, but is doing just fine at the club level, filling The Abbey with obvious superfans of “that show,” plus those who’ve simply come on board from his fresh alt-pop/rock angle. Much of the material from “Digital Vein” fit right in with longtime influences Soundgarden, Goo Goo Dolls, Collective Soul and Our Lady Peace, but with updated production and the increased use of gang harmonies courtesy of his three piece band, which paired with a powerhouse voice that beat David Archuleta by an astounding 12 million votes, made for a pretty forceful presentation.

Anthemic cuts “Heartbeat,” “Broken Windows” and “Criminals” resonated like they’ve been part of his repertoire for quite some time, while a cover of crooner Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” whipped the original’s laid back vibe into a haunting frenzy. Along the way, Cook was also very conversational and interactive with the crowd, allowing a few more active attendees to come on stage for selfies, drinking three rounds of shots sent up by fans and regularly checking the baseball score.

It was far from polished, but everyone seemed to eat up the banter, which was balanced by an even longer show than scheduled (nearly two hours), plus the spontaneous inclusions of extras such as the sublime oldie “Permanent” and Michael Jackson’s rocked out “Billie Jean.” Cook also addressed some tunes that helped him set the Billboard Hot 100 record for most debut entries by a male solo artist, including “Come Back To Me” and “Light On,” and while his stock may not be nearly as hot as it was during those days, his new music retains a similar quality worth exploring within the practically impossible clutter of digital era.

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