Aug. 18, West Palm Beach, FL

[Ansamcw]

I'm tired of not being on the radio. I'm making a change. I'm going to start now. It takes a village. I'm going to need your help. I want sing songs that get on the radio. I want to sing songs like, "I like big butts."

Quick poll -- snark? or truth? Or somewhere in the middle?

I think probably somewhere in the middle, but leaning toward snark. JMO.

I vote 100 % SNARK ... just like the whole bit.

But that's just me... and I'm sure I'm in the minority.

I vote 90% snark. I am sure that he is tired of not being on the radio...but I don't think he seriously wants to change who he is and what he wants to sing just to be on the radio. f he could have both...then that would be the preferred scenario.

This reminds me of the game I was suggesting to ldyJ this afternoon...the snark,schtick or truth game.

we can put up something Clay said on M&G or On stage and vote whether we think its snark, schtick or truth.

[luckiest1]

I don't know if I can deal with another album in early 2008. I don't think I recovered from what fans did with this album, writing people, trashing the album on Amazon, making anyone who likedthe album feel as if they were a traitor, etc. .

I think many of us feel this way. I know I do. I will love Clay's next album, but depending on how things go with the boards, I will probably just be hanging out here for the duration.

Thanks to everyone who is transcribing the cellcert and bringing over reports from other boards, since I am cert-less tonight here in the hotel.

[ldyjocelyn]

I think I hang with a bunch of smart women here. I think my answer to the poll leans toward jmh's....but add that 10% grain of truth from Ansa. But unless I get to talk to Clay personally, I'll never know, will I?

Angela killed -- again.....

[jamar1700]

Angela killed -- again.....

Beyonce who?

[Ansamcw]

I don't know if it was just because of the scratchy nature of the cellcert but that sounded really emotional and wonderful LAA

[jamar1700]

I've heard the word bittersweet several times in this banter. Just me?

----

*passes out glowsticks*

Edited August 19, 2007 by jamar1700

[bottlecap]

*passes out glowsticks*

We're swaying... / / / /

[playbiller]

I don't think the eHP forgave me for putting out glowsticks for Asheville yet. Little did they know I gave them to the BAF stand in Cary, heh hehe. Hey, it was all good, people gave them money for them. And it was all because Luckiest dared me.

[Ansamcw]

EEEEEEEEEEEEE KAndre sang with Clay on TWYMMF...

and there was one point that he points to Solo and he said keep away from me.

Clay was talking to the husband and he said he liked to listen to Rod Stewart and Madonna...and he used that as a segue to the classics.

he apologized to the mom ...he said this mom wants her money back...she didn;t expect to deal with my dirty mouth and their dirty mind.

[jmh123]

I vote 90% snark. I am sure that he is tired of not being on the radio...but I don't think he seriously wants to change who he is and what he wants to sing just to be on the radio. If he could have both...then that would be the preferred scenario.

This reminds me of the game I was suggesting to ldyJ this afternoon...the snark,schtick or truth game.

we can put up something Clay said on M&G or On stage and vote whether we think its snark, schtick or truth.

That's a good idea. Snark, schtick or truth. When he does that routine, I'm always thinking he's trying to "feed" all sides with it, or he's an equal opportunity mocker. He also says we do ballads because we're good at ballads and we love to play with orchestras, and I don't think he's snarking when he says that. I think the, "I didn't think orchestras could do fast songs," is partly truth and partly snark on himself. But I think there is some snarking at TPTB involved as well. He does want to be played on the radio, and he should be played on the radio, but I agree with you Ansa on the bolded part.

He has to come up with a unique sound, can't be a sort of better [insert teen idol singer here], he has to be the Clay Aiken. There's no mold he fits into, but he's a trend setter, that man, without even trying (or appearing to).

Shoot - I missed the glowsticks.

Edited August 19, 2007 by jmh123

[Ansamcw]

the mom and daughter was supposed to have a M&G but they thoguht it was after the show...but Mary said they could still have it after the show.

he did all the usual moves with Angela...a very intense sprung...

and there was a conversation about his pants falling down...he said angela has to fix my pants...and he turned around for Angela to fix it.

[jamar1700]

Shoot - I missed the glowsticks.

Never fear...there's always tomorrow.

per someone at CV

Tomorrow...glowsticks for "Because You Loved Me", smileyface glow lights for "When I See You Smile" and votive glowlights for the busline...can't wait!!!!

I'll try to remember which is when and where but I may need some help.

Edited August 19, 2007 by jamar1700

[playbiller]

I think they triedthe glowing smiley faces the other day in Florida and Clay thought it was just some glowy ball. These things are so hard to co-ordinate.

[jamar1700]

Honest to Gawd...I need a spreedsheet.

[playbiller]

No, you need a really big tote bag, heh, and a plan of organization for pulling things out.

What, no blinkie red hearts? Hey, I was looking at them for me - but when with the glowing kosh balls instead.

[jmh123]

*passes out glowsticks*

We're swaying... / / / /

I love these. These'll do. / / / / (OMGosh, it's so clever how you did that.)

So I was caught in the act. I *gasp* stopped listening at the beginning of BYLM. The sound had been crappy all night. The banter was over. The headphones hurt. I'm missing the recaps too, hope the cellcert's available for download.

So I forgot to be schmoopie about the end of the tour because I was fantasizing about the future instead of listening to the end. I can't wait to read the recaps, though. I've become a rabid recap reader. Heh. And like play said, there's a lot of clack to watch.

Edited August 19, 2007 by jmh123

[Ansamcw]

no it wasn;t KAndre...lots of little details thats hard to catch...but the cellcerter thought tonight was as good as knoxville...not as much banter but her was really moving and giving his all.

[luckiest1]

I don't think the eHP forgave me for putting out glowsticks for Asheville yet. Little did they know I gave them to the BAF stand in Cary, heh hehe. Hey, it was all good, people gave them money for them. And it was all because Luckiest dared me.

*lickiest1 cleans out her ears* That's better. I thought you said I dared you when the word was clearly encouraged.

*passes out glowsticks*

We're swaying... / / / /

I love these. These'll do. / / / / (OMGosh, it's so clever how you did that.)

So I was caught in the act. I *gasp* stopped listening at the beginning of BYLM. The sound had been crappy all night. The banter was over. The headphones hurt. I'm missing the recaps too, hope the cellcert's available for download.

So I forgot to be schmoopie about the end of the tour because I was fantasizing about the future instead of listening to the end. I can't wait to read the recaps, though. I've become a rabid recap reader. Heh. And like play said, there's a lot of clack to watch.

Hee, I love them too! And I totally get you about not getting schmoopie because you are fantasizing about the future. Thats how I felt at my last show in Knoxville. Although I am sure I'll probably feel a bit schmoopie tomorrow night when he says "I'm Clay Aiken - G'nite!" for the final time. But we have such a wealth of clack to watch between now and then. We really are so spoiled.

[playbiller]

Hmm, wonder what clack we won't be getting?

From the OFC

Vocal gymnastics....said to Angela you sing higher than I do...you ad lib higher than you do...but when I step away the spotlight follows me!!! and he stepped away and the followed him!!!!

................................

Undershirt tucked in. Sterling heights jeans. White shirt...no skin!!!

................................................

These Open Arms....

said he when he gets interviewed he gets asked the same questions over and over again....

before this show he was backstage working on the Christmas show...it's really hard because he's trying to pick songs for A&Q to sing cause he wants them to sing all the songs....if he had it his way, he'd sit on the front row and listen to them sing!!!

............................................

The girls are telling him his pants are going to fall off..

Suz does her recap....

Sean had parents and friends from high school....Clay says he thinks Sean's parents are Claymates now, Seanmates first, but Claymates because they're stalking us too!!!

Angela doesn't think he has a butt...Sterling jeans look a little looser

Quiana said "Why didn't you wear a belt?" Clay said he didn't like them.

...................

He picked on someone in the audience....asked her how she got her husband to come to the show....she said she told him "your coming"....Clay asked the guys "was it that easy?"....the guy said "Yep!"...Clay said "You're whipped!!!"

...........

Shouters in audience shouted "Bridge Over Trouble Water"

Clay...it amazes me that people think this is a jukebox....they shouted again...Clay says "It astounds me that even after I embarress them in front of 3,000 people they still shout out!!"

...

Went into normal closeout....there's a line in BYLM about "never let me fall" except tonight because I fell on the stage!!!

Edited August 19, 2007 by playbiller

[Ansamcw]

posting some hot pics, recaps and reviews...

wandacleo recap:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My friends, I apologize for the length of this. Feel free to scroll:

Just when I swear Clay just couldn’t get any better, he just proves me to be dead wrong. As usual: I’m paraphrasing as best I can. WPB Kravis Center is a beautiful venue with balconies up to the SKY—I mean HIGH, and there were people all the way to the top row! Clay came out on our left tonight while the audience was madly looking forward, backward, and in both directions. Jeans, white shirt (expensive one with French seams), beige jackets with faint blue squares (stripes in both directions), and beige suede loafers. Hair perfection. Didn’t notice stubble, but LOOKING GOOD!!! Amen!!! Brought the audience to its feet in a big screaming roar of approval. After he sang HCYA, while the audience was still screaming, he said something to Q (which I couldn’t decipher). When he sings, “Here you come again, and here I go…..” he sort of moves his head back and forth away from the microphone on the “go” part to modulate the sound. So cool.

EIH was just lovely—pure beautiful sound.

Before IWTKWLI, Clay looked back and forth and back and forth and finally faced Angela, who started singing and he said later it was about the first time he had gotten it right as they decide which one is going to sing each night and don’t tell him. They TORE up that song. Clay is becoming very adventurous with his falsetto and was beckoning to Angela to bring it on, but he WON with a high note to die for. During this whole contest, I got the butt view because I was in the 3rd row on the side (and yes, I’m extremely lucky). Now, normally I’d just be bitching and moaning about a butt view, but I’m willing to make an exception for Clay’s butt. Anyway, Clay was ragging on Angela about how she could sing higher and ad lib better, “but when I step away, the spotlight stays with me and they can’t see you.” Angie said, “You scared me,” and Clay said, “I scared myself. I almost broke a blood vessel. For the first time I got it right [picked the right singer] and wanted to compete in vocal calisthetics.”

Clay told the story about how Q bought the same blouse twice and Q pointed out a woman in the audience who had the same blouse!

Clay talked about how some days and good and some are bad and about having McDonald’s before and how some woman wrote to Q and said he was getting too fat, “She didn’t have the balls to write me, I guess!” (I don’t have to explain the reaction of estrogen-crazed women to the word “balls” coming out of Clay’s mouth.) He said he was frustrated: “Have you seen RUBEN? Did you write him a letter? Do you want me to give you his number?” (All outraged!)

Q was shaking her finger and pointed to a little girl in the audience, saying “He’s sorry. Clay asked the child how old she was and I couldn’t hear her, but he said “Oh, crap!” and Q got on him even more. Clay said, “Her mom’s looking at me like—I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!”

When he sang, WISYS, he was smiling very tenderly down at someone—and I think it was the little girl.

On RHW, he held the “chance” for frigging-ever.

During West Wing, Clay stepped back behind the curtains for a minute.

Clay came back and introduced the orchestra and talked about how great they were and how they should use them and exploit them and talked about the song they played and said, “Which, Angela, you know is…” but she didn’t answer WW fast enough or with enough enthusiasm and he ragged on her and said that all the energy he had felt was gone, so she (or maybe Q) yelled out WEST WING!!

Then, Clay went into his spiel about how he is sick of being accused of sitting on his “fanny” (balls and fanny in one night is almost more riches than one can bear) and watching too much TV and talked with Q about the shows she likes “Divorce court, Insider, Judge Mathis, Judge Judy, and Maury Povich,” and I think Clay said something like “Do you want a paternity test???”

They started in on the theme song routine. Clay’s pantomime of the Brady Bunch is just beyond priceless and I swear that his rubbing his fingers together to signify the couple getting together is totally naughty and he is completely aware that it is. (Dirty Clay, dirty, dirty.)

Clay said, “I feel better. You aint seen that show in how many years and it’s still stuck in your head.” Then, he told about the wrong song and said, “You’ve never heard this story before, Angela.”

When he was singing “Nothing’s going to stop me now” a little tiny bit of spit went flying out and he said, “What in the world came out of my mouth?” and I thought he was talking about the spit, but he was talking about singing the wrong song at AI (just as well as all of the women in the front row would have been on the ground rubbing their hands over the floor to get his DNA.) He divided us up for the contest sing-off and the audience was really into it—men and women and everyone. When Angie did the pole dance and shimmied down the microphone, Clay shimmed right down beside her (YOWZA!). “Party all night” was righteous.

During “Moving on Up!” Clay just danced up a storm! (Who says he can’t dance???)

When the song was over, Clay sort of collapsed on the stool and I think he must have looked down at his pants (missed that to my great dismay) because Q started giggling and couldn’t thought. Clay said, “I thought she said I busted my pants and I had to see! What did you say?” Q said that she said, “Don’t bust your pants.”

Q sang the “hit” in hit parade tonight!!

Clay asked Jesse to play Matlock and said, “I just wanted you to have a moment.”

TOA rocked.

Clay talked about how he is asked the same question in interviews “over and over and over and over and over and over” about which singers he liked the best and how it was hard to find people. He asked A and she said she listens to oldies but goodies.

He said that he likes to take a rest and break to get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out and took a number of deep breaths. He said that he had been putting together a Christmas tour and trying to pick songs for A & Q to sing but it was hard because they could sing the whole show.

Q was really good tonight.

After intermission, Clay came out laughing, saying something to Q. ATD rocked. I swear I heard a couple of little growls on some of the words.

During SSTBTHW, Clay sits demurely on the stool, tugs his shirt down, and holds his hands strategically, protecting that to which he had made a prior reference.

MOAM—great—and the audience was up and screaming again.

Clay talked about who brought who. Sean’s parents and friends were there and Clay said they were Seanmates and Claymates now and that he could depend on Sean to help fill up the venues.

Clay said to Angela, “I don’t think the pants thing is helping me” as he sort of tugged at his pants, and he said that Angela had done her “mommy” thing during the break and rolled the band on his jeans under all the way around (be still my heart) because she doesn’t think he has a butt and was afraid his pants would fall off (and someone said something I couldn’t hear but I’m sure was dirty). Clay said he could apologize for his foul mouth but he couldn’t do anything about the dirty minds of some of the women, “They get dirtier and dirtier, and most of them are married. This mother wants her money back!!!!” (pointing toward the mother of the little girl!) The audience was just about dying laughing.

Then, he started picking on a guy in the audience who just happened to be sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME” Clay started asking the guy questions about if he could name what Clay was singing (I think) and the guy said,

“No, I can’t,” and Clay said, “The snoring was too loud. Did she [the guy’s wife] bring you here?”

“Absolutely” the guy answered. Clay said that sometimes you just want people to lie.

Clay asked what the wife had to do to get him to come and the guy said, “Said I’m coming.”

Clay whooped, “He’s like, I AM WHIPPED!!” Then Clay went on to say that some of the “ladies come to every single show and their husbands haven’t seen them for 2 months! When Clay was singing WY, he inserted a line about “try to stay awake.” After the song, Clay was holding his side and said he hurt, “I think I pulled something.” Then, Clay started picking on the guy again and said “You did stay awake! That was your third song!’ and the guy yelled out, “SECOND.” That cracked Clay up and he said something about the guy getting “This close!!” to getting into big trouble. He asked the guy whom he liked and he said Rod Stewart. Clay said, “Rod Stewart and me, we’re very much alike.” And then he asked for more names, and the guy said “Madonna.” And Clay said, “Some would say that we’re alike.” Clay came and squatted right down in front of the guy to talk to him. I had to force myself to look at his face since he was only about 4 feet in front of us! (Hardest thing I’ve done all year.) He asked the guy when he was born and then started asking the audience about when they were born, “in the early 40s?” and so on. Clay said that people come to his concerts in strollers and walkers.

So anyhow, Clay goes on to do the fast song stuff and starts singing his Michael Jackson and goes to get off the stage and falls on his butt (which unfortunately I couldn’t see but I could hear. Clay continued to sing and then got up on the stage and said something about “No audience has ever knocked me off my feet” and Q said he did a Beyonce. Then Clay did a whole routine:

“Who saw it? Raise your hands?” (Half the audience raised hands)

“How many of you have cameras?” (Huge amount of hands up!)

“How many of you had a video camera?” (about half the hands stay up) and Jerome makes a running grab for someone! Very funny. Clay talked about how he only fell one other time but fell gracefully but this time he fell right on his butt He said, “Thank God I have been getting fat and had some padding).

Then, he did the serious, “I want to talk” routine about what we have hear on the Internet and blogs and at work when people say, “YOU WENT TO A CLAY AIKEN CONCERT!! He’s a _____. Talked about how he’d had his fair share of criticism and he was tired of it and was “working on changing that.” During this, Q kept reminding the audience that it wasn’t funny.” Clay said, “I’m not cool, and I think it’s been obvious this evening.” He said he was sick of not being cool and not being on the radio. He said, “It takes a village, and I feel you guys can help me.” He started singing Big Butts and when he did the beginning of 1999, he squatted down and I was treated to a brief glimpse of BUTT from those low slung pants because his shirt had ridden up a bit, but Q saw it and went over and tugged the shirt down, grinning (and who wouldn’t be!!??) When he was done he was slouching around, “How you feel girl? I too cool for this mess.”

Anyhow, near the end when he’s talking some blithering idiot yelled out “BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER!!”

Clay said, “It amazes me that some people think I’m a juke box and you can just put a quarter in me [she yelled again] and I’ll sing and even after I’ve made fun of them in front of 3000 people, they still keep yelling. It makes me feel like I haven’t pleased you. You can’t make everyone happy, so I’ll sing what I want. This will make you really depressed,” and he sang LAA just beyond beautifully.

There were glow lights all over the audience tonight and Q was teary-eyed, and Clay seemed really touched as well.

OMG, I have gone on much too long, but I didn’t want to forget anything!!

Wonderful concert.

Wonderful man.

The guy Clay had been teasing was just having a blast. I asked a white-haired somewhat older usher how she liked the show as I walked out and she said, “It was wonderful, very special,” and grinned just like the rest of us.

I gotta bring over this great review:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/con...AIKEN_0819.html

PALM BEACH POST.COM

Aiken more than singer he's a showman

By LESLIE GRAY STREETER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, August 19, 2007

WEST PALM BEACH — Clay Aiken, whether or not you are a fan of his, is pretty much considered a good singer by most people who have ears.

You also may be aware that he has a gigantic following of fans, mostly female, who might best be described as enthusiastic. But until you have seen Clay Aiken, who has described himself as Opie-like, shake his slack-clad hips and belt out Naughty By Nature's extracurricular cheating classic OPP ... well, you just don't know anything about Clay Aiken.

Admittedly most of the crowd at the Kravis Center on Saturday already knew more about him, as many of them are Claymates, the American Idol runner-up's devoted fan base and staunch defenders against criticism of his aforementioned Opieness. But even the uninitiated would have to be blind not to see that Aiken - who has an amazing range and was vocally flawless - is that rare celebrity who is both a singer and a performer, equally, even though, as he pointed out, "I am not cool."

But here are three things that Clay Aiken is:

• Clay Aiken is a funny guy. Whether leading the crowd through a medley of television theme songs, including Diff'rent Strokes and Growing Pains, or mocking his uncoolness with OPP or SexyBack (yeah, you read that right), the boy's got a comedian's timing and deft touch with a zinger.

• Clay Aiken is really talented. He is not just a whiz at the questionably sappy original songs like Into These Arms. Aiken breathed new life into I Wanna Know What Love Is, a song that hasn't been fresh since 1984, and made the theme to Perfect Strangers, which was never really all that fresh, revelatory.

• Clay Aiken is kinda sorta sexy. I'll let you chew on that.

This is not to say that the show, which featured a Michael Jackson cover and a symphony of Claymate-wielded glowsticks during Because You Loved Me, did not have its cheesy moments. Our man was sometimes basically doing the backstroke in a fondue ocean breathing through a cheese straw.

But because Aiken revels in that, he transcends even the goofy moments into genuine entertainment, like with his cover of Bad English's When I See You Smile. He is so uncool that he sort of is. And that's a talent.

An M&G report from Zeesawe at CH:

My very first M&G happened in West Palm Beach. EEEEEEE!

We waited for our passes then waited for Jerome to come and get us. It was HOT and a nice security person took pity on us and told us we could wait in a little lobby with air conditioning, yay! Thank you, mister security guy. Jerome came to get us after a while, played a little joke on me, then counted us and we were missing 3 people. We were six OFC winners and a Ticketmaster BAF winner (her friend was not able to make it).

Jerome gave us the instructions and we sat in a semicircle of chairs, in a very large room that seemed to be used for some sort of productions (Clay even mentioned that about the room later).

Soon Clay came in all glowing and with his hair quite wet, obviously just out of the shower! It looked like a towel might have gone through it; a comb…not so much. Ha! As he walked in he said something about sorry they were running late but ‘mah flay was down or something’! bwah He wore a white Fifty2thirty polo shirt and the khaki cargo shorts and sandals. He asked our names as he went around and shook our hands then he sat down. There was some talk and kidding around about whom he had met before. And he asked something about where we were in Florida, was it Tampa?! Someone told him that he better work on the geography before the Smarter show. He then snarkily said something like, ask me any capital and I bet I’ll know it. Someone said what’s the capital of Liechtenstein and it took him a few seconds but he came up with it (Vaduz). We were all very impressed.

He then asked us if we had questions. He was talking fast and I’ll do the best I can at recollecting and paraphrasing. I did ask the M&G folks to wait and help to recall some of the answers so I could quickly scribble some notes to myself to help me remember more of the details. Thank you nice fellow M&G folks!

So here goes, and believe me the questions and answers and everything after that was f.a.s.t. and simultaneous!

He was asked how come he has not sung the entire Always and Forever in concert. He answered that he doesn’t really know all the words to it and that it was not one of the ones in the group that he had prepared for the Idol audition, but that after he sang the Perfect Strangers song the producer handed him a list with several songs on it and asked him to sing one of them and that is the one he picked!

It was then my turn to ask a question. I asked him if he had any TV projects in the works other than Smarter and the Skating show. He thought about it for a few seconds and then said no or not just yet or something to that effect, he looked right at me and focused his eyes on me and I couldn’t hear and look at him at the same time too well. I think he asked me if I had another question and I did (handy list in my lap in case my brain had gah’d). I chose to ask him if Jimmy Kimmel would have him as a guest host. He lit up at that and said that when Jimmy was sick they (I assume Jimmy’s show) had called him about it; but since Jimmy’s show doesn’t have guest hosts they didn’t go ahead with it. (I guess that is why they went with repeats). Clay said that if it ever happened it would be either him or Sara that would likely do it. He said this quite matter of fact and it really was so nice to feel how easily he spoke about it. They really must be great buddies.

The next question was about the album. I didn’t hear the question or the start of the answer because at that point Jamie came up to the two of us that had just asked questions and asked for our items to be signed and it took a little bit to get that in order. I caught the end regarding how hard it is to estimate the time when a CD will come out because of post production, artwork, etc. From my notes it appears some of the others did hear him say his goal is early 2008 (with the possible addition of time for the etceteras). This is so that there can be a summer tour (please let it be so!).

He was signing items and asked how to spell my name and since it is unusual he made sure he had the letters right. I did enunciate, however, another person with a very long name apparently didn’t and he had to creatively ‘fix’ her name. He told us he signed it “use your voice and enunciate” hee.

Other answers to questions:

He will not be back on Tyra’s show until he has something to promote.

He doesn’t sing much in the shower.

He will likely sing Solitaire at the Neil Sedaka event.

About singing in the car: He doesn’t like to sing when there are others in the car with him. Only sings in the car when his brother is in it and he asked Jamie if he ever sung in the car when she was in it and she nodded, so he laughed and said ‘and sometimes Jamie’. He said Nick never wants to hear him and laughed. He said when he was in school and his friends wanted him to sing in the car, he would sing badly and they would ask him to sing and he felt that if he did he would be like kind of showing off so he didn’t like to do it. (Awwwww)

Why he hasn’t sung the complete WAMLAW in concert: He got that funny look on his face and he couldn’t remember that he had sung part of it on the JBT; we had to remind him! And also that he was given the lyrics to sing from. I think it kind of came back to him, and he might have said something about he would keep it in mind (I really can’t recall exactly).

His hair: Someone mentioned what hair style they liked and I think told Jamie they liked the album cover style. Clay said he didn’t like it as long as it had been for the Christmas tour. I guess it helped because Jamie did a nice job on his hair last night!

Christmas tour: He is not coming to Florida this year for Christmas (boo hoo). He explained what happens is that they receive offers and if the offers are mostly concentrated in one area then they concentrate the tour there. He called it Heartland again and it was pointed out about NJ, CT, DC not being in the heartland, but I don’t think we got an answer on it directly, just that most of them were in the heartland and we didn’t have all of them yet and there would be more dates announced soon. Mary confirmed it, plus she confirmed that Merrillville will be the last concert stop for the Christmas tour.

We were having our pictures taken through a lot of the last questions, and then sadly he was gone from the room. *sigh* He really is luminous and lights up a room. Thank you Clay!

It has also been great seeing everyone at this Florida four-fer! I have met many new friends and also hugged now friends that were previously acquaintances. So many to name that I fear leaving someone out which I would likely do with so little sleep! I will wave and send a big hug to everyone one of you it was great spending a little bit of time with each of you (you all know who you are)! On our way to the last one for this tour as I hit submit. I think Clay said he might do something special for this last show. I'm wondering about pranks *g*

From the Palm Beach Post reviewer's blog:

Clay Aiken: the aftermath!

"So you're going to be Clayverted!"

More than one Claymate, or hopelessly devoted fan of singer, humanitarian, near-American Idol and cultural phenomenon, decried that by the time Clay's show at the Kravis Center was over, I would be one of them, ready to don the T-shirts, join the Internet groups and plan my vacations around Mr. Aiken's concert schedule.

So now? I'd gladly see him again, because he was great. Do I see me wearing a Clay T-shirt or traveling to see him or joining a huge network of Clay fans...Uh...don't kill me, but not really. I'm a fan now, but not one approaching the heights of what I've seen in my week of Claymate exposure. But I get it now, now that I've seen Clay Aiken and found him wonderful.

So I can admit this without the Claymates coming to kill me: With every fiber of my being, before the show, I'd really wished I was at the Chris Isaak show in Boca.

And this is not because I don't like Clay, but because Chris Isaak is, lock, stock and sparkly pantsuit, pretty much to me what Clay is to the Claymates. I've seen him maybe 6 times, in different states, to which I have driven and changed work schedules to go to. I have shook his hand and shouted my name at him while he Sharpied his name on my shirt or my hat or my ticket. I have squealed in an undignified manner and not even cared how undignified I looked, because Chris Isaak just has it like that.

So I get it, Claymates. I get it. And I am admitting now, after talking to you and seeing how hysterical and talented and kinda cute Clay is, that I understand a little bit better. And after meeting Katie, Helene, Debi and Carolyn, our featured Claymates on the Palm Beach Post.com site and their friends, I get that their devotion now transcends the love of the music or the smile of a cute boy. They have met lifelong friends, seen cities they'd never have been to otherwise, and found new charities to volunteer for, new causes to embrace. I met a woman who is currently undergoing chemotherapy, who came out to the show because Clay and his fans seem to give her strength. She's in a wheelchair but she's not down. And that's not keeping her from her Clay.

If one guy can inspire all that, then by all means, I'm a fan. Thanks, y'all.

P.S. Next time you get a chance to see Chris Isaak, you really ought to if Clay's not in town. He's a different kind of hot. And his suits are shiny.

Posted by Leslie Streeter at 1:48 PM

Oooo - just found a tidbit on CB, on

this page.

Last nite at Kravis/WPB, I had the wonderful pleasure of sitting next to the songwriter who wrote the song "A Thousand Days" !! (too bad Clay didn't make mention of him being in the audience--- actually we were all sitting on the same row at Sean McDaniel's family.

It was the first time he's seen Clay perform "ATD" LIVE !! He (and his parents and agent were with him).

And Yippee ! He said that he is currently working on several original songs for Clay's upcoming album!! (I choose not to ask him about the producer for the new album; when Clay is ready, he will tell us...)

He said he really respects Clay and enjoys working with him! He did say that many of his fellow songwriter colleagues also feel the same!! YIPPEE

If anyone wants to check out his website (he gave it to me in case anyone was interested in seeing which other performers he has also written for!(CELINE DION, GLADY KNIGHT and more).. He's only 30 and I was very impressed!! He and his parents really enjoyed the show..

Christian Leuzzi at www.christianleuzzisongs.com/

[Ansamcw]

There's a lot of purdy pics in this album: dc4clay - WPB

such as:

and

and

and

and

Shoot. On top again. Ah, oh well, it's for the pretty. YAY.