keepingfaith

Deep hugs to Couchie, Couchie Mama, and the entire Couchie Family.

Ain't he cute? Pointy hair and recycled clothing and all!

I l.o.v.e. my hawt humanatarianactivistsingersongwriterambassador boyfriend

I knooow. I love my hawt, civil rights defending, political activist boyfriend. He sends me.

Gotta post this before I forget ....

This morning my friend said to me, "I dreamed about your man last night." I asked what the dream was about and she proceeded to tell me about being in Macy's and shopping when a woman had a crazy accident and my friend was going for water for this woman when she ran into "my man" who was also helping. I mentioned the name of the person I assumed she meant by "my man" and she said, "Oh no, not him. I meant Clay. Clay Aiken was in my dream helping me take care of this woman."

This is my work friend who told me a couple of weeks ago that I had recruited her after I suggested a CU download in an email I had sent to her by mistake, and she in turn downloaded ALL of the Hampton Beach clack and announced to me that she had become a fan. So now she's dreaming about him!

I want to dream about him, dammit!

I don't get it!

I am a donut?

Yes, it is! Etcetera, etcetera....

et al.

Ich bin ein Berliner.

You're a donut?

Yes, it is! Etcetera, etcetera....

et al.

Yeah, it's a puzzlement.

Every year the State Fair of Texas features a new "fried" item, but reading this just made me ill. I can't imagine what the winner will be, but I'd go for the Fried Frito Pie -- if I was a contestant on Survivor and forced to eat one of these hellish concoctions.

DALLAS — Fried food fans looking to feast at this year's State Fair of Texas may have to bring an ID along with their appetite. Fair officials unveiled the eight finalists in the Big Tex Choice Awards.

• Beer-filled pretzel pockets
  
• Deep-fried frozen margaritas
  
• Deep fried S'mores Pop-Tarts
  
• Fried club salad
  
• Fried chocolate
  
• Fried lemonade
  
• Fried caviar featuring black-eyed peas
  
• Fried Frito pie, with chili and corn chips
  

Some very nice pictures have come out of this tour.

No kidding. For the first time ever, he looks so fine that the hair did.not.matter. The hair is no longer critical to his good looks. Whatever he wants to do with it, no matter how wild or how conventional, he is gorgeous. I didn't always feel this way in the past, but now, I want him.

Y'all are quiet. Here are some beauties to sleep on:

Just found this at CH from hope. The entire Biloxi concert is uploaded and can be watched as a whole at wowzers's YouTube channel. This is Scarlett's full concert. Click on "Playlists" at the top and then the first video under Playlists and the entire concert will play in sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Wowzers4Clay

Here's what I've put together for the Tried & True tour so far:

• Thursday, 2/10 - Miami
  
• Friday, 2/11 - Orlando
  
• Saturday, 2/12 - Sarasota
  
• Sunday, 2/13 - OPEN
  
• Monday, 2/14 - Houston
  
• Tuesday, 2/15 - OPEN
  
• Wednesday, 2/16 - Atlanta
  
• Thursday, 2/17 - Knoxville
  
• Friday, 2/18 - Pittsburgh
  
• Saturday, 2/19 - Cleveland
  
• Sunday, 2/20 - OPEN
  
• Monday, 2/21 - OPEN
  
• Tuesday, 2/22 - Baltimore
  
• Wednesday, 2/23 - Charlotte
  
• Thursday, 2/24 - Greenville
  
• Friday, 2/25 - OPEN
  
• Saturday, 2/26 - Westbury
  
• Sunday, 2/27 - Glenside
  
• Monday, 2/28 - OPEN
  
• Tuesday, 3/1 - Cincinnati
  
• Wednesday, 3/2 - Ft. Wayne
  
• Thursday, 3/3 - OPEN
  
• Friday, 3/4 - Waukegan
  
• Saturday, 3/5 - Minneapolis
  
• Sunday, 3/6 - OPEN
  
• Monday, 3/7 - Memphis
  
• Tuesday, 3/8 - Dallas
  
• Wednesday, 3/9 - OPEN
  
• Thursday, 3/10 - Mesa
  
• Friday, 3/11 - OPEN
  
• Saturday, 3/12 - San Francisco
  

There are spots open on some prime nights to add more venues, and there may be dates before Miami and after San Francisco. My two "givens" (Houston and Dallas) are on a Monday in February and a Tuesday in March. I may have to look at a Friday or Saturday night somewhere on the road.

Desertrose and I are signed up to take pledges in Houston for the PBS Special on September 8th. Thanks to treenuts for the connection!

Baby, Stay With Me Tonight? (Ruben)

I don't remember Ruben singing this. Where was I?

Nope don't get the clay-ness. Because NOBODY sounds like Clay to me. The first time I heard him sing, what grabbed me was the uniqueness of his voice, the tone and styling was all his own. I just don't compare his voice to anyone.

The only "old folks" songs I liked from the early 60's were Sammy Davis, Jr.'s What Kind of Fool Am I (also loved Anthony Newley singing it), and Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea, and I don't even know why I like that song, because I didn't like Mack the Knife. I loved Timi Yuro's "Hurt" with a passion that may still not be assuaged, and I was 11 or 12 when that one came out. Anybody remember Timi?

ETA: I'd love to hear Quiana get ahold of that one!

but the Beatles were and are still my all time favorite band! LOVE

Steppenwolf was some cool shit though! I think the lead singer sounded a bit like Eric Burden (The Animals, which was another fav of mine) but I may have been halucinating acid flash

Here's what I know/recall about Jack Jones -

The Looooove Boat,

promises something for everyone.

Set a course for adventure,

Your mind on a new romance....

1. For a long time I never fully trusted anyone of my generation who didn't like The Beatles. Right off the bat, there was a problem. So I married a guy who didn't like The Beatles. Lust screwed with my life so many times!

2. I love John Kay's voice and he sounds like no one else. I adored Eric Burden too. That husband I just spoke of always said the best concert he ever saw was The Animals down at Padre Island in the late 60's. I've heard Classic Rock stations for mumblety-years and they are a pale comparison to the old underground radio stations, like K-AUM in Houston. Classic Rock doesn't play The Pusher or Monster or any of the truly greats from Steppenwolf, you'll usually just hear Magic Carpet Ride and Born to Be Wild. My favorite Burden/Animals was Don't Bring Me Down (not the Lennon-McCartney song although I love it) and the later stuff with War. Speaking of the Lennon-McCartney Don't Bring Me Down, there's a guy singing in a sandwich shop a few blocks down who either has a very limited repertoire or I'm just hitting it at strange moments, because 75% of the time when I pass by he's singing "Don't Bring Me Down" -- the rooftop version. And speaking of sandwich shop, my stream of consciousness has moved to the guy I saw while walking down San Jacinto Street week before last, a long-hair wearing a sandwich board home-made from a cardboard box, and the only thing I could read from it as he passed by was the first line, "I Am An Asshole." There's gotta be a story there. I was then stopped on the street by a strange looking man who asked me, "Are you a writer, a musician or an artist?" Yeah, I kept walking. Life in the city. But then there was the best looking man I've ever seen in my life who was stopped at the corner with me on Thursday and when I looked at him I almost had a heart attack. He was dressed oh so gorgeously and was dazzlingly handsome. I was stricken by how handsome this man was. He walked quickly and I was losing ground to him for at least 4 blocks when I saw him enter my workplace. If he's a new professor here this semester, OMG!

3. Could I possibly be the only person in America who never watched even one full episode of The Love Boat, or Fantasy Island, or Love, American Style? In many ways my pop culture knowledge is very sketchy.

I loved it all from the Beatles to Brazil 66. My tastes were so eclectic-my album collection ranged from the Anita Kerr singers to Steppenwolf.

Thank YOU, Cagney. I read the words Brazil 66 and immediately saw Sergio Mendes and heard Mas Que Nada in my head!

I never had any Jack Jones records. He was in that group with Andy Williams, Perry Como and Robert Goulet that my mother liked -- the "Wives and Lovers" stuff. Maybe Jack had a version, but "Can't Get Used to Loving You" was a big hit for Andy Williams. About that time I was preferring Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" and The Tymes "So Much In Love" and The Ronettes "Be My Baby." It was also about the time I started buying Peter, Paul and Mary records, Joe & Eddie, The Chad Mitchell Trio in the early 60's.

Regarding Steppenwolf, anybody remember that song "Tenderness" that had a country vibe, very different from "Ride With Me" and "Monster" and "Born to Be Wild" etc. -- but I loved that song very much. And I remember some dudes who didn't much care for it!

I don't care what Clay records next, except I want it to be something he can dance to! I love to watch the man's moves.

And just for the record, the only other song I ever sang to someone was Barbara Lewis's Baby, I'm Yours.

I'll take the 60s KF. I'm an old school girl at heart.

Yes, take the 60's for Couchie Mama -- I know she'd love to listen to all the Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye! You know, my favorite of the 60's medley is perhaps the shortest clip -- Doris Troy's Just One Look. It was probably my favorite song of 1963, right before I abandoned my existing life in 1964 for The Beatles, and my continuing quest to solve the Kennedy Assassination (because there was no Oswald in that 6th floor window). By 1965 I was back to loving my Motown and Jr. Walker's Shotgun was a huge favorite. Watching Clay do The Jerk so perfectly just hit on my heart. But, again, I've never stopped loving Just One Look, and it's one of the few songs I've actually ever sung to someone! I'm pretty sure I lived in Ruben's '60's. I didn't recognize much of Clay's. He sang good, though!

Just One Look - Original Atlantic Single 1963

I laughed so hard during this. It takes several revival clips and puts them together. Enjoy, This was done by SueRue:

That's a great video. I love the unscripted parts so much, and they were so good at it. I LOL at the Snoqualmie bit when Rubin says, "These people are tired of seeing you mess up on stage," and Clay cracks up. It's all good. In my estimation, this skit was the funniest Clay has ever been, and Ruben is the rock. Can you tell I love it?

I'd be happy to take the 60's or the 70's. The Sixties, I've got some definite opinions, and throughout it Clay is the best dancer on the stage. He's the only one who knows how to do The Jerk! I wouldn't mind doing the Seventies either, especially since Clay does more singing in the 70's than in the 60's medley. And, DGBMH and MTAF are in that decade. Okay, I'll take that one for the team. Give me the 70's.

ETA: Couchie, you could kill on the 90's, if you had a damn sound card.

If y'all are doing a 'best of' and that's what the list is about, I can give you the best Revival performance of the tour right now. It was last Saturday night in Biloxi. I downloaded every Preacher/Revival link available for every performance because they tweaked it every night until they got it how they wanted it. The skit started funny in Asheville and got better as it moved along the road. By the last night, they had it; it was done. And this clip has three, no four, jokes that no other had that crack me up, including The Price is Right theme. And, as I wrote last week, I heard two men at separate times rave about it while leaving the show. Anyway, it's been uploaded to You Tube today so you can see the entire thing for yourself.

Hampton Beach would be the runner-up simply because Clay and Ruben cracked each other up. I love it when Clay can't keep it together to talk and Ruben is tapping on his head. I laugh every time. For me, that one starts at the point when Clay walks out in his swaddling clothes.

But The Revival at the Beau Rivage, was shorter, oh so sweet, and damned funny. I absolutely advise watching it full screen. Wanna see it? Here it goes.

The Revival at the Beau Rivage

What venue is that from, kf? Love the Reverend Bishop Doctor Deacon (but not Bob Barker) Studdard!

That was Biloxi. And it was funny, hunny.

It's that old fantasy versus reality bugaboo and some fans have trouble separating the two...me...if Clay is happy that is all that matters to me no matter who he is with.

Clay's the only one who knows his own reality, or when and if he's happy at any particular time. When extrapolating and dreaming and surmising and reading the tea leaves and believing what somebody else told somebody who told you, when all that doesn't make you happy, stop.

The first I heard of Devin or that there were Clay fans mourning the great demise of Clay and Reed (as in deeming to judge a relationship they aren't in and be honestly pissed about it ) was in Reno. So I'm happy to be out of the loop.

Sitting here pondering posts I've read on various boards for years that dream about a hot-loving Clay Aiken breaking hearts from coast to coast. As soon as he dumps the first guy we know about, some are severely pissed. Sometimes I think this fandom, collectively, needs to recline on a comfortable couch.

Couchie, you like Suspicious Minds? Who knew? If we'd known you like it that much we could have played in on a loop ... oh yeah, never-mind.

Being that it's Sunday morning, I'm offering a small video edit (about 60 seconds) of the Reverend Bishop Studdard's service to click on. This is one of those truly special moments for me.