The Student Activities Board was able to schedule Cook and opening act Ryan Star, to perform at UCA as part of Cook's Declaration Tour to colleges across the United States.

Cook, the 25-year-old 2008 "American Idol" winner from Blue Springs, Mo., said he chose to do a college tour because young people are a huge part of a young artist's success.

"For me, I went to the University of Central Missouri, and I always would head up to Kansas City [for shows]. I always appreciated the vibe I got from college shows," Cook said in an Echo interview last Wednesday. "It seems like an untapped market. If you can impress college students, then you're doing something right."

As the lights went down at 8 p.m., the crowd screamed and red lights came up on a band and lead vocalist Star. With one strum of his guitar, as Dorothy would say, "We weren't in Reynolds anymore." The lighting and the blasting speakers, really made the audience feel as if they were in a large arena.

Star opened with the song "Brand New Day," which is the theme he wrote for the new Fox show "Lie to Me." Star was the perfect open for Cook, but at times, seemed to be trying too hard to be a rock star. Though it was clear the entire audience was there for Cook, many stood up and rocked along with Star. Star, who noticed not everyone was standing up, said, "It's ok, you just met me." His album, "1159" is due out this spring.

Star performed for an hour and then, Cook took the stage at 9 p.m.

The lights were dark as the crowd, who could make out shadowed images moving on the stage, screamed, knowing that Cook was indeed right in front of them.

Cook said the best thing about performing is knowing how the audience feels. He said that on "American Idol," waiting a whole day to know if you performed well enough was hard.

"I love the immediate response. If it goes over well, you're going to know right away," Cook said.

The lights came up and illuminated Cook as the fans cheered with intense approval as everyone jumped to their feet. Cook opened with "Heroes," the first song on his self-titled CD.

It was appropriate to start off with this song because the lyrics say: "I'm not going to come down/Down off of these clouds/All these heroes come and go/You're still standing." The lyrics are a tribute to his family. With Cook new to the fame scene, he was in awe of the audience and the energy in the room – he seemed to be on cloud nine.

Cook said it has been difficult to adjust to fame.

"Really the lack of privacy [has been the hardest thing to adjust to]. To go from obscurity to people wondering who you're dating … it's unnerving," Cook said. "I don't know if it's something I'm willing to wrap my head around yet."

After he finished "Heroes," with his famous grin, he said: "How we doing Conway?" and the crowd erupted with cheers and applause.

He sang many songs off his 14-song CD, including "Mr. Sensitive," "Declaration," "Lie" and of course his hit-single "Light On." Cook wrote or co-wrote 10 songs on the CD.

If a person wins "American Idol," Cook said the show has a lot of input on what kind of CD the artist first produces. He said, however, that he was proud of the CD and much of his inspiration came from the little things in his life.

"I love [the CD]. I think it's definitely a record I would have made with or without "Idol." I think the record is a pretty accurate representation of where I'm at right now," Cook said. "I spent a lot of time with internal inspiration. I wrote about my brother Adam who's had a brain tumor, family and ex-girlfriends. I wanted this record to be a definition of who I am."

Cook said his favorite song off the album is "Permanent," which is about his brother's illness. However, Cook did not perform this song at the concert.

"'Permanent' – I've been writing music since I was 15 and it's probably the most emotionally naked song. The response has been amazing," Cook said.

Cook told the audience the song "Life on the Moon" is a testament to how he's felt since "Idol" ended. With a whirlwind of fame and finally getting the chance to shine, Cook said he was grateful for all of that. Though the song isn't entirely positive and does outline his struggles of dealing with fame, the lyrics are moving because it's evident he feels it. He sang: "The life that I knew, it's through/And I'm gonna need you more than ever/I'm alone in this crowded room/It's like life on the moon."

Cook said though the fame is challenging, he's grateful for all the opportunities he's had so far.

"Well, it's been hectic and all over the place ... I got to play for Hillary Clinton at Carnegie Hall, I got to go to Iraq and play for the troops out there. I got to do things in the last couple months most people don't get to do," Cook said.

Though he's met multiple celebrities recently, Cook said his favorite is Raine Maida, the Canadian singer and songwriter and lead vocalist in the group "Our Lady Peace." Maida helped co-write a few songs on the album and Cook said this was a highlight for him.

"He's a great guy, my musical idol. To have him as a friend is unreal," Cook said.

Cook also performed the song "Bar-ba-rol," which has an upbeat punk/rock vibe with lyrics that include: "Oh where I've been, sold and spun again/All before me like a dream, fallin' in between/I feel sick, I feel nervous, I know just what I did to deserve this/Oh I know it's not a dream."

Cook said: "My favorite song to perform live is 'Bar-ba-rol.' It has a little swagger to it."

The crowd got into this song, arms waving and heads banging.

Besides performing his own songs, he also dedicated the Van Halen song "Hot for Teacher" to all the teachers in the audience.

The crowd favorite was "Light On," which the crowd helped him sing. After the song, he bid farewell to the audience and walked off stage.

One of the most endearing things about the concert was Cook's humble attitude. He constantly thanked the audience and you could tell he really meant it.

Cook said that when he won "American Idol," it was so surreal, that he doesn't remember what went through his mind.

"I don't know. It was probably the only moment in my life that it was a full blackout. My memory of it was on Youtube a few days later," Cook said.

Besides winning "Idol," Cook said his favorite part of the competition was participating in "Idol Gives Back," which is, according to americanidol.com, the annual "American Idol" charity show that raises money for the following charities: The Children's Defense Fund, Children's Health Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More and Save the Children. Many celebrities participate with the contestants in this event.

"[My favorite part was] to be involved with "Idol Gives Back" with Brad Pitt and all those other people," Cook said. "It was our first experience with massive celebrity on slot."

After Cook left the stage, the audience erupted with pleas for him to return. As almost every artist does an encore, the band made its way back onto the stage in the dark and the audience cheered. The drummer, Dorian Crozier, performed a roughly three-minute drum solo in the dark using glowing drum sticks. The encore proved to be a fan favorite for many, including senior Felecia Baldridge.

"The encore was my favorite because it seemed like they really got into it," Baldridge said. "The drum lights were really cool."

Cook performed two more numbers including the song "A Daily Anthem," in which the lights were brought up on the crowd so he could see everyone swaying their hands and singing along with him.

At concert's end, everyone surely had chapped hands from clapping so much, as evidenced by the massive applause throughout the entire concert.

Many audience members do not attend UCA, including UAMS junior Kristen Frierson, who's a fan of Cook.

"It was wonderful when he came in and seeing his beautiful face," Frierson said.

Freshman Courtney Barnhill said: "My favorite song was Declaration. It's a powerful song. I love them all."

As the audience shuffled out, everyone seemed to be pumped from the concert and still in awe of seeing the superstar.

Cook couldn't have put on a better concert and many aspiring artists should focus on his performances to gain some insight on what it takes to liven up a crowd.

Cook said the main thing young artists should focus on is getting exposure.

"Play anywhere and play everywhere. The experience you gain performing in front of people is priceless," he said. "If you can build up a performance, the money will come. I can't tell you how many shows I performed for free."

Watching his journey on "American Idol" and seeing him in person was a rare treat for many Idol fans.