Before the “American Idol” season 11 tour hits Manila shores in September, another AI winner will be bringing his soulful brand of rock back to our concert-hungry country. Season 7 Grand Champion David Cook will be having a two-night concert next weekend—July 14 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum and July 15 at the Waterfront Hotel Cebu, courtesy of Dayly Entertainment, LAMC Productions and Rockstar Touring.

WGWG

Hailed as the original “WGWG” (“White Guy With Guitar”) AI winner, the 29-year-old Missouri native became a household name when he blew the judges and audience away with his unforgettable rock rendition of Mariah Carey’s hit “Always Be My Baby.” A week after winning the coveted title, he had 11 of his songs debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, beating out Miley Cyrus and coming in second only to The Beatles’ 14-song feat.  Cook soon launched his eponymous debut album with the carrier single “Light On”; the record was certified platinum.

He went on to headline his own US tour in 2009, and performed back-to-back with season 7 runner-up David Archuleta in Manila that same year. Even after AI, his strong ties to the show remain; he provided the “elimination soundtrack” for season 10, a cover of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from the John Hughes coming-of-age flick “The Breakfast Club.” He also debuted his new single, “The Last Song I’ll Write for You,” during season 11 just last May.

Straight from the heart

Cook’s ability to write—and perform—straight from the heart endeared him to millions of fans worldwide, and anyone who’s seen him live can attest to that. Very few people will forget his tearful rendition of Collective Soul’s “The World I Know” while in the competition, nor his emotionally-charged performance of the song “Permanent” during AI’s Season 8 finale, which he dedicated to his brother who had just passed away.

Now armed with a new album, 2011’s “This Loud Morning,” he’s raring to play an entirely new set (and maybe some old favorites as well) for the loyal Cookistas in Manila and Cebu. If you missed the first show in 2009, here’s your chance to see him. For those who were there the last time, you still wouldn’t want to miss out on this; after all, one can never have too much of a good thing. Angela V. Ignacio, Contributor

Tickets are still available at www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555 (Manila). For Cebu inquiries, call (032) 232-6888 or (032) 514-3500.