Angie Bradshaw said she would quit her job if it meant she could follow the tour alongside David Cook, a Blue Springs native and winner of last season’s “American Idol.”
“I told my boss I was sick to get up here at noon,” said Bradshaw, a Blue Springs resident. “I don’t need work if it means I can be with David.”
Three hours before Friday’s “American Idol” concert at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, which featured the top 10 finalists from the past season, Bradshaw was among several hundred lined up for the show. She sported a shirt and hat with the “David Cook” insignia. A friend of hers, Kaitlin Massey of Lee’s Summit, wore shorts with COOK sewn into the seat. There were balloons, posters, umbrellas – all showcasing the 25-year-old Blue Springs South alumnus who, during the spring, became a hometown hero.
One day after the concert, Bradshaw was still catching her breath.
“That was the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen,” she said. “David blew my mind.”
Bradshaw said she enjoyed the performances of the nine other finalists, who were allowed three songs apiece with the exception of David Archuleta, who was permitted four. Cook, on the other hand, was able to sing five songs.
Wearing a Tony Gonzalez jersey, Bradshaw said Cook screamed Kansas City.
“You could tell how much he loves this town,” she said.
According to Bradshaw, his performance of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was uncanny.
“It brought down the house,” she said. “I couldn’t hear myself think.”
Bradshaw said tears were streaming down her cheeks during Cook’s time on-stage, beginning with his rocked-out rendition of Lionel Richie’s “Hello” and concluding with “Billie Jean” for an encore. In between Cook played “The Time of My Life” – Cook’s debut single he sang for the first time after being announced the winner – the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero,” which was dedicated to his brother Adam, and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
Bradshaw said her Cook envy was not necessarily at an end.
“I dropped nearly $150 to see him again (Saturday night),” Bradshaw said.
Blue Springs resident Elizabeth Huff went with a group to the concert Saturday night.
“It was a really fun night out,” Huff said. “I personally don’t know David, but it was definitely an emotional experience for me to see him.”
Come November, Bradshaw said she will again spend most of a day standing in line.
“I can’t wait to get my hands on his CD,” she said.
