Phil Cook with Chris Rosenau- The Back Room @ Colectivo, 11/2/18

Few artists exude more joy for playing live music than Phil Cook.  Coming on stage to a roaring ovation from a near-capacity crowd, Cook appeared donning a huge Cheshire-cat grin.  Cook immediately got the crowd going with a soulful rendition of "He Gives Us All His Love," a noteworthy track off of his latest 2018 release, People Are My Drug, which originally appeared on Randy Newman's 1972 Sail Away record.  From there Cook went into another cover tune that he has put his own style on, the often requested, "1922" originally penned by Minneapolis songsmith Charlie Parr.

Cook, a Chippewa Falls native who relocated to North Carolina, is a masterful Americana artist who blends elements of gospel, blues, folk, jazz, and rock together to create a soulful sound uniquely his own.  Cook's guitar chops have landed him many noteworthy gigs in his career including appearing with the likes of Justin Vernon and Bruce Hornsby and serving as the guitarist for Hiss Golden Messanger, just to name a few.  Cook frequently gigs with gospel acts and has a passion like none other to play music, a gift he discovered as a child growing up in northwestern Wisconsin.

Touring in support of his soulfully introspective 2018 release People Are My Drug, Cook delivered a set filled with songs, stories, and above all a palpable honesty and joy.  Cook's set dug deep into the catalogs of songs from across his solo catalog and peppered in a smattering of covers.  Some noteworthy highlights in the set included "Gone," from Cook's amazing 2015 release Southland Mission, and a roaring rendition of "Steampowered Blues," the opening track off of People Are My Drug.  

Throughout the set, Cook told stories like an old friend catching up with his buddies.  He recapped his drive from Door County to Milwaukee and stop in Sheboygan to see his grandparents' house, told about trying to get his church choir to "cut loose" when he was fourteen, and, in perhaps his most fun tale, shared about watching Packer games at his aunt's home, with his aunt dancing and smiling in the front row as her nephew spun the tale.  Looking around the crowd, there was a sea of smiles throughout the set admiring the earnest and sincere Cook.  By the time the show concluded with Cook's instrumental masterpiece "The Jensens" followed by Southland Mission's standout "Ain't It Sweet," the crowd was in a frenzy, as was Cook, who leaped off the stage and proceeded quickly to the merch stand to hug and thank concertgoers on the way out.  The scene of fans greeting the artist and Cook's genuine appreciation of them reminded me a bit of the late Charles Bradley who would literally walk off the front of the stage and start hugging fans.  I am sure that Charles was smiling down on us from up above on a magical Friday night at the Back Room at Colectivo.

Opening for Phil Cook was guitar virtuoso and sonic magician, Chris Rosenau.  Rosenau is a long-time friend and musical collaborator of Cook's and both artists play key roles in the Eaux Claires music festival curated by fellow friend Justin Vernon.  Rosenau is a unique performer as a solo act as one could argue that he played the guitar more with his feet than with his hands.  With a wide array of pedals at his disposal, Rosenau's set captivated the crowd with some neat loops and effects that are rarely seen with an acoustic guitar.  Rosenau did guitar interpretations of tracks from his band, Collections of Colonies of Bees's, latest work Hawaii, and closed with a cover of Cook's tune, "The Jensens."  Hearing Cook's version of this number later in the night furthered the mutual respect, admiration, and talent shared by both Rosenau and Cook.