Cook performances heat up the house

Rock singer, songwriter and Platinum recording artist David Cook performed two private acoustic concerts at the Lodge for Canyon Lake residents on Saturday, September 5.

The American Idol season 7 winner rocked the crowd in the Holiday Bay Room for 75 minutes at 5 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Cook dazzled the crowd with his laid-back banter and delivered the goods, performing many of his greatest hits, including his first single, “The Time of My Life.”

David Cook is pictured with concert promoter and Canyon Lake resident Doug Schultz. Photo by Donna Ritchie.

David Cook is pictured with concert promoter and Canyon Lake resident Doug Schultz. Photo by Donna Ritchie.

The upfront and personal acoustic concert had a set list that included a single from Cook’s soon-to-be-released fourth studio album, Digital Vein. One of the highlights occurred when Cook performed a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean,” which had residents belting out the lyrics and dancing on the sides of the stage. Cook’s wife, Rachel, could be seen rocking out right alongside the residents.

“The concert was great and the energy from the audience was amazing. It’s awesome to have something like this in Canyon Lake,” says resident Cathy Michener.

Concert goer Nicole Davidson says, “I thought he did an amazing job; his voice is amazing.”

The Cook concert, along with Johnny Lee concert on August 23, was promoted by Doug Schultz. Doug, a Canyon Lake resident, has over 30 years experience in his professional field. He has produced over 2,000 concert events and worked with more than 5,000 national acts. For the past 11 years he has worked as a concert manager for LFM radio stations in San Diego. Doug promoted both shows free of charge for the residents of Canyon Lake.

He's also seen signing autographs, something he normally isn't accustomed to doing at concerts. . Photo by Mike Clary.

He’s also seen signing autographs, something he normally isn’t accustomed to doing at concerts. . Photo by Mike Clary.

Doug says, “There were about 50 unsold tickets for the first show at 5 p.m., but the 8 p.m. show was sold out. Overall we had a great turnout.”

Residents who attended the second show were treated to a meet and greet after the concert. Cook signed autographs and posed for photos with residents for more than an hour after the concert.

“David doesn’t normally do meet and greets after his performances, so this was a special treat for residents,” says Doug.

Like the Johnny Lee concert, the VIP ticket holders at the Cook concert also had a separate entrance from the General Admission ticket holders, and access to patio seating outside the Holiday Bay Room where they could mix and mingle before and after the concert. The Cook concert also had a VIP bar stationed on the patio to accommodate VIP ticket holders. The bar included a selection of alcohol that was not available to General Admission tickets holders.

The General Admission bar inside the Holiday Bay Room sold beer and wine only. According to Lodge Director Jeff Main, liquor sales totaled approximately $3,000 from the VIP and General Admission bars.

David Cook offers a toast to Canyon Lake during one of his performances last Saturday. Photo by Mike Clary.

David Cook offers a toast to Canyon Lake during one of his performances last Saturday. Photo by Mike Clary.

The Lighthouse Restaurant and Lodge bar also profited from the concert. Several hundred people dined at the Lighthouse on the evening of the Cook concert, taking advantage of the special 10 percent dinner discount that was included with the ticket purchase.

“We had over 270 guest checks in the restaurant and about $2,000 in liquor sales at the Lodge bar,” says Jeff. “The total overall sales from the concert were approximately $29,000. We definitely made a profit.”

Cook, along with his wife,  band and crew, dined with Doug at the Lighthouse before the 5 p.m. concert. “Both the food and service were great,” says Doug.

Cook arrived in Canyon Lake on Friday. He stayed at the lake front vacation home of Doug’s daughter, which is next door to Doug. On Friday, David toured the Golf Course and enjoyed nine holes of golf. “David plays golf often and was really impressed with our Golf Course,” says Doug. He also enjoyed kayaking and relaxing in the lake on an Aqua Lily Pad.

On Saturday, Doug treated David to a tour of Canyon Lake. The tour included Happy Camp, the Equestrian Center and Holiday  Harbor. Doug says, “David and his wife were really impressed with Canyon Lake and our amenities. He never heard of Canyon Lake before and thinks it’s one of the best kept secrets.”

During the concert, Cook made mention of Canyon Lake, at one point raising his glass and making a toast to the “great city.” He was overheard talking to residents about what a great time he was having in Canyon Lake, and how sore his arms were from kayaking the day before.

Overall, Cook put on an entertaining show that left residents more than satisfied. “I never watched American Idol. I didn’t know who he was, so I went to the concert with no expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and I’m now a fan,” says resident Kellie Welty.

When asked if he was going to promote more concerts for Canyon Lake residents, Doug says, “Jeff Main at the Lodge and Chris Mitchell at the POA were a pleasure to work with, but I have a full time job and promoting these concerts takes a lot of time and effort. I would love to do this again for free for my community, but we’ll see if my schedule permits it when the time comes.”




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