lilyshine

Almost totally OT and highly irrelevant to anything at all.

I enjoying playing a game called "Civilization" that lets you play as almost any country in the world starting in 1000BC. All the "civs" have different icons for stuff you can build - buildings, weapons, people etc. I recently started playing a fantasy version and was puzzled by one civ's symbol for a catapult. Then I realized.

It was a

<drumroll>

COW!

I bet Clay's memories of the last 8 years are vastly different from ours. I do wonder what his standout moments are.

....

I so agree with this. Clay's experience of a tour and ours are two different universes that only intersect in a brief moment. Even those intersections are understood and experienced totally differently. Moments which become iconic in the fandom may not even be remembered by Clay, e.g. Did I really sing When a Man Loves a Woman?

As for the rest of the time? The intersection between Clay's universe and most of ours is practically nil. One of the many reasons the gerbil wheel of "he Should..." makes no sense to me. Speculation can be fun, but in the absence of any data, rather pointless.

...

Oh, I thought of a favorite performance!!! Lover All Alone in Canandaigua, with the rain pouring down, DCAT '07.

Funny you should mention that. I actually asked Clay in my M&G if he remembered Canandaigua and the rain. He had no clue as to what I was babbling about. He did say he remembered Chatauqua. Close, but no cigar.

On a totally different topic -- Clay's singing!

I just downloaded a new compilation of AI Clay. I've found it fascinating to hear how much his voice improved over that time, especially his breath control. I don't know jack about music, but even I can hear his voice getting smoother and richer. Working with professional vocal coaches must have been exciting for him. I'm sure he learned tons, being such a sponge.

I'm going to have to listen to some of the newer stuff to compare it, although I find there's so much more production it interferes with listening to just the voice. Don't misunderstand, I love the horns and cellos etc., but the minimal and rather boring background on AI really showcased his voice.

Hope did the Sendspace and if anyone is interested, I'll try to find the link.

Definitely not back channel. I'm not that important and don't know anyone!

The riot act was because Dmom thought Wacky was a troll trying to stir the turd by pretending to be Clay.

I thought the whole thing was a hoot, nothing more. I don't really care if Clay or Team Clay posts or blogs or twits. As long as I can hear the voice!

I don't know much about what happened at CV about Wackyjacky, but my understanding was that he/she posted a "from Clay" message and Dancermom immediately read him/her the riot act, erased the post and banned further posts. She was then contacted by "Someone" who informed her that the posts were coming from an unidentified (at least to the Board) person on Team Clay and gave enough proof that she and the other admins were satisfied. She reinstated the posts and put a bag over her head.

No clue who any of the backstage people were, but that was the story as it played out on CV.

Considering that Clay met, talked to, hugged, and had pictures with more than 1000 of us during a month-long tour, I really think he deserves a rest a long, long way from the fandom. What could he possibly say in a blog or a tweet that he didn't in the M&Gs and on stage every night? Boggles the mind.

...snip...

I have a suggestion...not sure if it's fantasy or just a narcotic induced thought....but Clay getting a tattoo of the US and having each state filled in that he's performed in along the way...and the promise that those states he's never had a concert in, he'd go to.

I'll say....either in a million years or over his dead body. Does that sound accurate?

Fear sounds like hubby is starting to get on the mend. Yay!

Funny you should say that. That's one of the things Clay talked about in the Houston M&G. The only states he's never been to are Montana and Alaska. One of the M&Gers was from Montana. He then said those plus one or two others were the only states were he'd never performed. I'm not sure about the latter, but maybe someone with a better memory can fill in the states.

Thanks!

I just downloaded it and showed it to her. She is very happy. Even noticed the couple of times Clay looked at her and her "Mom". It's definitely a keeper.

I'm sure he recognized me but didn't want to acknowledge it, which was fine. Including the PBS thing, he had M&G'd over 50 people that night. Besides, I'd made a few foot-in-mouth comments and after the LOUD woman, I'm sure he didn't want any more commentary.

If you know where there is a clear recording of the exchange, please let me know. The cellcert I downloaded isn't clear enough to hear Clay's questions or GD's responses.

One thing to add. When GD told her mom about the conversation with Clay, her mom said, "But you don't listen to the radio."

GD said that she listened to Pandora, so that should count.

So Clay has a very skewed poll of what 11 year-olds listen to.

I'm even more impatient for lilyshine to post now. She was with her granddaughter, who first saw Clay when she was 4, and has eclectic musical tastes. How many of those were at the concert I wonder? She has to be the one who was talking to Clay, who said she listened to the radio.

YESSSS That was my g-daughter. I'm very proud of her. But the best part was that Clay kept saying she was with her mother! LOL. One generation off, but nice.

Whole encounter went something like this:

Clay: Who listens to the radio?

GD puts up hand.

Clay points to her : Who do you listen to?

GD: U2 & Coldplay.

Clay talks to some others then comes back: How old are you?

GD: 11

Clay: So you were 3 when I was on Idol.

Me & GD: I went to your concert when I was 4.

After that, throughout the show Clay kept making references to being 11, like when he was introducing the new guitarist who was young.

GD was thrilled by the interaction. She likes Clay, but is not a superfan and preferred the bouncier songs of the night.

M&G was interesting. Fairly short because of the large number of PBSers who were waiting for him. We did get to ask questions, but didn't have any real conversations. Mary & Jerome were as efficient as usual in wrangling the schedule.

Concert was fabulous. In person is so much better than recorded, but it just flies by. It was after 9 before it ended which is a lot of singing with no intermission. The only breaks Clay got were during Quiana's solos.

And I have one for Houston!!

It presents a dilemma though as I'll be going with my 11-year old granddaughter. Don't want to leave her alone and I don't know if they'd let her go instead of me.

It's this Houston Symphony link write-up, but it's with all the "regular" concerts. It's just nice to see them giving equal billing to Clay, who isn't part of any of their regular season series.

EEEeeee!!!

Just got my mail and there was a slicked-back Clay singing for me! It was an ad for the Houston Symphony and Clay was right between Verdi's Requiem and Ravel's Bolero. Sure hope it sells a few tickets.

If I had a scanner, I'd scan it for you.

Funny you should mention LOTR. I'm half-way through the Two Towers. Extended version, of course. Will probably finish it up tonight and move on to Return for New Years.

I think I've also watched all the commentary and the appendices at one time or another. My favorite bits are scattered throughout all three films. Love the ent scenes, great job of visualizing the Balrog, Hobbittown was well done, can't stand Haldor, Faramir is much more interesting in the original, etc., etc.

I used to read LOTR at least once a year - preferably when I could just snuggle in bed and read for a week. It was my way of coping with being sick or needing to escape from the garbage real life was handing out.

Thank you so much. I never would have found it on my own.

I don't keep my browser at full screen usually and the Tour box was off the right-hand edge! Now, at least, I know what everyone is talking about - only a few days late!

I give up. I can't find the song poll on OFC.

Can someone have pity on me and lead me by the hand? Where is it?

Thanks.

Love the Clay and Tyra pictures.

Hate that they were intruded on by the photographer.

Love that they both seem to take it in stride and not get fussed.

Love the guy in shorts and sandals. Who are these people and why is that person taking photos of them!

Sorry to ask for old information, but do we know when the Houston (Valentine's Day) tickets go on pre-sale? It looks like Clay is avoiding my area after having been so friendly for so long. Think I'll take my granddaughter and give son & d-in-law a romantic evening to themselves.

Great that another fandom has discovered clack!

Could someone with access please post a "please do not stream, right click and save as..." note since the link they give takes them right into the CU vault.

I like Clay's "Mack the Knife." Not my favorite, but I like it. It's easy, upbeat and jazzy.

Not at all what Brecht wrote about. He was probably the darkest playwright of his era, and there were some pretty bleak plays written then. Weill was pretty true to his vision, Bobby Darin - not so much.

For me, the definitive version has always been Louis Armstrong, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert in my youth. The rasp and grit in his voice were perfect for the sleazy world Brecht's characters inhabited.

Why can't I stop humming the other Make Believe?? The one from Carousel. Whenever I try to remember Clay's, the other one gets caught in my head.

I wonder why Linda and Quiana are not listed in the credits.

So there's the guy who lives above me (his floor is my ceiling) who plays the cello. He doesn't play that often--gets together with a small group sometimes on Sundays--but he practiced a lot a few weeks before the taping, and was clearly practicing parts for some kind of group rather than solo pieces. I thought, nah, too big a coincidence. But I did entertain the idea that maybe.... He got home just after we did the night of the taping, and judging from the sounds (I listen to this person moving around all day long) he had his cello with him and was energized about something. Didn't know his name then, but he received a package that was left downstairs, so I checked him out. Turns out he has a rather demanding job that has nothing to do with music. Would he really have time for something like this? I figured maybe I'd find out for sure when I got the DVD, because maybe they would list the names of the musicians. But I grabbed one cap from the preview video that shows his face well. So what do y'all think, same guy, or not?

I would say Yes, based on two things that are totally non-determinative - his fingers long & bendy) and his eyes (quite deep-set) Even though you'll be gone soon - go ahead and ask!