"I went on 'Idol' with a five-card hand and showed three of my cards," Cook says. "Now it's time to put down the other two. I have several layers as an artist and those layers are out there on this record."

"David Cook" is a statement-making album, filled with songs that showcase Cook's vocal chops and songwriting talent, as well as the versatility that made him a star on "Idol." The first single "Light On," with its Southern rock vibe, is light years away from the ballad "Permanent," which couldn't be more different than the swaggering shredder "Bar-Ba-Sol."

The album was produced by Grammy Award winner Rob Cavallo, who has helmed hit albums for artists including Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Kid Rock. Cook's songwriting collaborators include former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik, Nixons singer/guitarist Zac Maloy, and Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida, one of Cook's longtime idols. Cook co-wrote three songs with Maida, including "Heroes," which he describes as an homage to his supportive family, and "Permanent," a song addressed to his older brother Adam who is battling brain cancer.

"We recorded 'Permanent' in two takes and everyone in the room was crying," Cook recalls. "I actually had to leave at one point because it was so emotional. As a musician, any time you can create something where the end result is exactly what's in your head, well there's a heaviness to that moment and it overwhelmed me. I've been writing songs for ten years and that was the first time I'd felt it. I think there's an honesty throughout the record that culminates in that song."

"Permanent" comes near the end of an album that is full of highlights, from the chiming opener "Declaration" to the arena-friendly sing-along closer, "A Daily AntheM," and everything in between, including the propulsive "Come Back to Me" and the poignant "Lie," both of which illustrate the album's recurring theme. "It's the idea of love amidst separation," Cook explains. "'Come Back to Me' is about loving someone you can't be near, whereas 'Lie' is about being in a dysfunctional relationship that you don't want to end because you still see the good in it."

Then there's "Life on the Moon" whose lyric, "The life that I knew, it's through … I'm alone in this crowded room … It's like life on the moon," reflects how much Cook's circumstances have changed since he auditioned for "American Idol" on a whim in August 2007.

Born in Houston, David Cook was raised in Blue Springs, Mo. He began singing in second grade and performed in his school's musical theater productions, but Cook found that rock and roll was more his style when he picked up a guitar at age 13. He formed his first band, Axium, at 15, though his attention was split between music and sports.

During his senior year at the University of Central Missouri, Cook recorded a solo CD, "Analog Heart," which sold well regionally. In 2006, after receiving a degree in graphic arts, Cook had to decide whether he wanted to be a musician or a graphic designer. "I gave myself every opportunity not to do music," he says, "but it was always there. I couldn't ignore it."

Cook moved to Tulsa, Okla., and was in the early stages of recording his second album when his younger brother Andrew asked him to accompany him to Omaha and lend moral support while he tried out for "American Idol." Andrew didn't make the cut, but he encouraged his brother to try out. "It's entirely his fault that all this happened to me," Cook says. On May 21, 2008, Cook was declared the winner of the "American Idol" competition with a record-breaking 56 percent of the nearly 100 million votes cast.

One week later, Cook rewrote chart history when 11 of his songs debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 chart -- the highest number of new entries in a single week by an artist since the Beatles in 1964. Topping the list was "The Time of My Life," which made its debut at No. 3, making it the highest new entry on the Hot 100 of 2008. In July, Cook hit the road with his fellow "Idol" contestants for the American Idols Live! Tour, visiting more than 40 cities across the United States.

David Cook Ticket Information

Tickets go on sale Monday, Feb. 9. General admission tickets are $16 ($10 with a UW-Eau Claire student ID card) at the Service Center in the east lobby of Davies Center. The Service Center is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Patrons may also charge their tickets to MasterCard or Visa when they order by phone. Call 715-836-3727 or, outside the immediate Eau Claire area, call toll-free 800-949-UWEC. A $3 handling fee will be added to all telephone charge orders.

A special advance ticket sale -- for UW-Eau Claire students only -- will take place Wednesday-Sunday, Feb. 4-8. Tickets will be sold only at the Service Center windows, and purchasers must present a valid student Blugold Card. No more than four tickets will be sold to each UW-Eau Claire student during the advance sale. There will be no limit on the number of tickets that may be purchased beginning Feb. 9.

The concert is sponsored by the University Activities Commission of the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate.