annabear

Since we're still talking about Kelly a little. I considered myself a fan before the IT, she was my favorite on AI1, but I would not have cared about seeing her in concert. I was one who was glad when it was announced that they would tour together. Upon seeing her in concert, I just thought she was ok, she had no stage presence what so ever and IMO, Clay made her look like an amateur. I still liked her though and felt like she would probably get better at performing live, which I think is a criteria that doesn't matter much to a lot of young fans

When I went to the NAT, I told the friend that went with me that I actually enjoyed Cherie's set more than I did Kelly's in the IT, that surprised me.

I had a similar reaction with the IT, atinal. I hdan't watched AI1, but I definitely knew who Kelly was & liked her well enough. I thought getting to see both of them on the same ticket was a great deal. Of course, not having seen Clay yet in concert, I also didn't understand why anyone would want to go to multiple concerts either - hee!

Sitting through the Beau Sisters was excruciating. Nothing against them, but the energy in that arena most definitely wasn't for them. When Kelly came out, I quickly realized the energy wasn't for her either. When Clay came striding in from the back, singing Kyrie, I thought we all might explode! I also couldn't believe: he was right there, how tall he was, how cute he was, how good he sounded and that his hair was really that spikey - heh! I also hadn't seen Jerome up to that point, but became quite aquainted with him since I had an aisle seat and he was standing right next me for a good bit of the evening.

At breakfast the next morning, all of us were worrying about if/when we'd get to see him again. We didn't yet know how much he liked to tour! Ahhhh, memories.....

I'm kinda liking this one, too....

Hee great minds and all that! You can never have too much Clay Aiken

True and truer!

From CV:

scrpkym just posted this at the CH with a WARNING!

Ya know, sometimes you can just over analyze something

Yep, and suck all the fun right out of it.

I had an all at once inspiring and depressing consultation with a personal training service yesterday.

Inspiring because it sounds like the program I've been looking for all my life. Depressing because I'm not rich enough to be able to afford any of the packages they offer.

Back to trying it on my own yet again....

Giant carrier pigeons in the Fed Ex commercial - now those suckers could probably carry a coconut. I'm just saying...

Tech question for anyone who may be able to help.....

I downloaded Windows Media Encoder so that I could convert some mpg files to wmv files in order to burn them to a DVD. It all works fine except my final output videos are crappy! The audio is fine, but the video itself is very stilted and choppy. I know nothing about any particular settings I might/should/need to be following. Any help would be greatly appreciated - TIA! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

A very interesting and descriptive (heh) recap of last night's show from dreamlarge at CH:

I laughed so hard last night that my stomach hurt. And I don’t even like Monty Python. This cast is just superb.

I think that Clay has the best “big” number of the show. And sitting front row center last night...well, the Jewish dance sequence nearly killed me. I thought he did a great job on his big number when I saw him opening night, but I felt like I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought through the sequence of steps. The concentration on his face and his physical effort was very visible to me.

It appears that he’s totally assimilated the pieces and now it all just flows. So he gets up from the piano, faces the audience and he is stunning. He raises his arms and stomps down that size 13 1/2....and my God he is HUGE. He IS this dance. He drops to his knees, flings out that leg and slides himself forward... and then again....his head and shoulders are erect...and again he slides...closer....his eyes are DIAMONDS...and again ......he's intense....sleek and ferocious .... closer.... he’s nearly right on top of us.......

I think that’s when I passed out....because the next thing I know, he’s standing on top of the piano and I need a cigarette.

Yeah. It was good for me. He's doing a great job in this show and it sure looks like he's having a blast. And eeeee! I got my first autograph.

That's quite the visual, yes?

Well, I'm on track with a lot of you who've said your first reaction to that article was "odd". Except the word that immediately came to my mind was "bizarre". Reading through here this morning I had way too many people I wanted to quote. In the end, I think this summed it up best for me:

<<<I think this more accurately states my reaction!!!!!

And a huge BWAH!!! to bottlecap!

I'd like to comment about Ms. Levy's oddly distorted, funhouse mirror view of her subject, but I have to catch a ride on the turnip truck so I can get my sadly sagging, delusional, lonely and unfulfilled middle-aged ass into my job here in the vast cultural wasteland of Middle America. And Crap! My best overalls are still out on the clothesline!

:mockery-046:

From rockys mom at CH.... for those like me, who are prone to look on the schmoopie side of life....

I can't help but wonder if,as he emrges from that stage door tonight,to cheers and screams and flashes popping and playbills being waved in his face for him to autograph.....

I wonder if he thinks about the fact that 5 years ago tonight was the last night he was truly anonymous,that none of "us" had ever heard his name.

That five years ago,for most of us here.....

the number 5230 was just another number

saying "you had me at 'Take' " didn't make any sense yet

Clack didn't exist so of course our vaults didn't either.In fact neither did any of our boards.

we had yet to listen to a cell-cert

we didn't live to "right-click-and-save-target-as"

Waldo was a character in kid's books

a lot of us had never been in a chat room or posted on a message board.Hell,some of us didn't even own a computer.

we had no idea we could take such beautiful pictures or wonderful video and share them with others on the internet.

we didn't know we could write the snarky or the silly or the schmoopie and others would enjoy reading it.

we didn't hate ticketmaster

we didn't know that we'd pick some silly little name to call ourselves and what's even more surprsing is that others would call us by that name as well.....for some of us that name at the left there when we post has become just as much our "real name" as the one we see on our driver's license or our (maxxed out) credit cards.

we didn't dream that we would be jumping in our cars,hopping trains and planes and buses and traveling all over the country because this kid whose voice is going to be making our jaws drop tours almost constantly and we can not get enough of seeing him perform live.

We didn't know that we'd be doing all of that traveling with people we were going to be meeting on internet message boards.If someone had told me five years ago that someone I had never met would offer to drive me to Poughkeepsie NY in the dead of winter and share a hotel room with me....and that I would agree to it without a moment's hesitation I would have asked what they were smoking.

Think of all the people in your life whom you now call your friend.....did you know them 5 years ago today?

Did you think you would ever feel like you were twelve years old again? Did you think you would wait in line for someone young enough to be your son to walk past and touch your hand? Did you think you would jump up and down and squeal when you got his autograph after a Broadway performance?

Did you think the sound of someone's voice would be able to move you to tears?The curve of their lashes or the movement of their fingers make you gasp for breath?

The words "He Blogged" hadn't yetmade your heart skip a beat and your fingers shake until you could log in at the OFC

Our houses were clean,our laundry was folded,our bills paid on time,our bank balances were larger than our credit card bills.....and our lives were about to be turned upside down.

Did any of us realize,five years ago tonight,just how much our lives were about to change?

Another one here who received the pins with no postage due! They're very cute! Thanks, Couchie & Cindilu.

Thanks also to everyone who's shared their adventures in getting to NYC and their thoughts on Clay as Sir Robin. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I've been watching 00lsee's DHP clips this weekend - so funny! Can't wait 'til April.....

Does anyone think keepingfaith is excited? Na!!!!

I keep thinking that this time last week I was watching Clay on Broadway!!!!! I wanna be there!!!!

I've been doing that all day. Last week at this time I was: getting on the plane for NY; arriving at the hotel: entering the theatre; listening to Clay's English accent for the first time; and sitting there with a shit-eating grin on my face.

Only 83 days 'til I get to do all of those ^^^ things! :00000442:

I kinda have to walk like a stick person cause my joints can't even bend with all those clothes on.

grrrrrr. Nasty winter.

Now I've got this image of the little brother (Randy) from A Christmas Story, waddling down the sidewalk in his snow suit! :laught31:

I'm sorry for your loss, {{{{Claygasm}}}}.

But isn't he dreamy?

Yes he is!

And I think your banner looks smashing!!!

I agree! With both statements!!

Is it April yet?

Now I wanna see that while "sight" seeing around NYC!

But after I held and feed that first preemie who weighed about 3 lbs. I lightened up a bit.

Nothing like a little perspective, huh? Glad you finally made it safely.

I'm not crazy about The View hair, but this is Clay, so I'm sure it'll change shortly. Besides, when he's looking so fine otherwise and showing us his Russian dance and telling us in his British accent - eeeeeeee! how he picked it up from a cartoon TV commercial spokes-gekko, I don't care about his hair!

Is everyone sick of stagedoor pics from the weekend? Too bad!

All c_lickable....

Hi CV!!!

I've not had much time to even attempt to catch up so that will have to wait until tomorrow. However, I do have a few pretties that some may be interested in. More to come tomorrow.

Nite CV

BFS at the OFC said they've extended memberships through this week to let everyone get used to the new site & renewal info will be posted in a few days. Hopefully that doesn't mean the same thing as "soon".

Is there a list somewhere on this site that tells which members are going to see Spamalot on which nights?

I can't find one.

Here you go

So sad about Heath Ledger. My god, I think I'd probably drop over dead myself if I were ever to read something like this about Clay. He's so far from that kind of life---and death---isn't he? God, I love him.

This is exactly what went through my mind when I heard about Heath Ledger on the radio on the way home tonight.

Back to happy thoughts.... it's about an hour & a half 'til curtain time on his 6th show! Break a leg again tonight, Clay! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Have a WONDERFUL time Play, Fear & Mr. Fear!

Off to download The View.

That being said.....O.M.G! He was so frickin' cute and funny and charming and charismatic and hot and lovable and tall and smart and witty and sweet and animated and thudly and well perserved...for his advanced age.

I can go to work happy!

But, please, tell us how you really feel.

Thank you for posting the real-time reports! :F_05BL17blowkiss: And the screen caps! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Don't those women ever shut up?? Don't they know we want Clay Aiken???

Today is not my day for meetings.... early one meant for tomorrow and now 11:00 doesn't show up... grrrr.....

Add me to the schmoopie car after reading about the cast party. I just love hearing nice little blurbs of info like that.

My day is full of meetings, so I'll have to wait until tonight to hear/see what happens on The View. Speaking of meetings, I need to rant for a moment....

[rant]People who schedule 7:45 AM meetings, first off, should be shot! And then when you finally get in at that ungodly hour, after having to leave EXTRA early because it snowed and people don't know how to drive in snow, and you have a notice that says, Oops! they meant to schedule the horrifically early meeting for Wed., not Tues. - they seriously should be SHOT!!![/end rant]

Have a nice day!

Clay Aiken, the Ideal Idol has a clip of Friday night's performance and the stage door afterwards, via TMZ.com. Look on the left hand side of the screen for this clip, dated 1-21-08. No snide comments from TMZ, just pure footage.

It's very cool.

Thanks, ldyjocelyn! That is very cool, but it's a tease - now I want MORE, NOW!!!