jmh123

YAY--Couchie won some bucks!!!

Wheeee--you have me going with that ULTIMATUM thing! BWAH!!!!

From CV cellcerter:

About the only jokes were Angela (?) and Clay changing places and him doing backup. Jesse's piano messed up. The pedal...the foot pedal. He was talking like he knew, had done it or had it done. Some of the sweet ladies around her kept saying, "Oh, I hope they get the pedal fixed." "Because You Loved Me"--he wasn't as emotional as he was in Cary the other night. Sweetest smile on his face. I think he's tired, too. He looked a bit relieved. He didn't really look emotional. Sweetest, most content smile on his face. Bridget did think he looked like he might cry. I did notice at the end of "thank you everyone" and telling us he loved us that his eyes did look welled up but it passed quickly. He's so sweet. Preaching to the choir, ain't I?

AWWWWW. He was teary during BYLM.

Standing O for nearly every song in the 2nd half, and some for first half too.

For Sorry, really powerful but subdued drawn out note.

Applause at the end of MOAM went on and on forever. He kept trying to shut them up.

Thumbs up on the clack. Spotlightlover.

Others too--lots of clack to come.

Wah.

Stolen from CV:

Lots of folks had glow light avatars. It was pretty.

Missed that! Oh, Jerome!!!

/ / / / /

He sounds wonderful on LAA tonight. Sigh.

Starhorse from CV picked this up from the banter:

I have never been this cool...I have never been this fly....

or, another version:

Ah ain't always been this fly!

and another:

Regina, you understand what I'm saying now? I ain't always been so cool! Ain't always been so fly. Ain't always been.... You gotta' sings songs about butts. Not necessarily that one. But you have to sing songs about butts and tractors and Shorty and... Only the cool people listen to top 40. I tell you what. I'm too cool for....

Sean's dad is wearing the Aiken t-shirt, according to CV.

BWAH! We're trying to get Ansa filled in.

Someone got engaged here--they're in the balcony. He says they just met in the lobby. Heh. Making a fool of yourself. Are they just saying that, or it is true? They did get engaged today. Congratulations.

These slow songs are tough. Introducing friends and family. Quiana, Sean, 7 shows his parents have been to. Someone is wearing a Clay shirt. Bob of Bob and Linda has been to 121 concerts.

Where's YSRN been? You don't suppose she snuck off to Florida??

I wish.

Grabs and smooches YSRN!!! Sawwwy. I loved fantasizing that you ran off to FL.

Ok, I did. And I'm writing this from my blackberry.

Kewl!!!!

Where's YSRN been? You don't suppose she snuck off to Florida??

I wish.

Grabs and smooches YSRN!!! Sawwwy. I loved fantasizing that you ran off to FL.

I switched to CV too. It was hard to follow what all that was about, with the switching of instruments and parts, but it sounded like they're having fun. I thought I heard Clay say, "Sean says the piano's working fine for him." I think Clay sabotaged the pedals--why else would he keep bringing it up?

Where's YSRN been? You don't suppose she snuck off to Florida??

Here ya go!

You'll have to provide your own whipped cream though...sorry.

Thank you!! YUM!!!

What? Is he trying to change us? We Have to be nice to each other - Yeah ., just try and make us Clay!!!!

Dang straight! We only like the famewhores from our own boards - everybody else is subject to a pile-on!

Gotta bwah this one more time!!!

I'm late--I had to finish hanging up some laundry. I was listening, but not reading the board.

I haven't posted in a while, and I figured some of y'all were missing my avatar. *g* Anyway, so, considering it's the last night of the tour, and we all know just how much Mr. Aiken loves himself some pranks, anyone want to make some predictions as to just how revved up the highjinks will be tonight? I can't imagine him not trying to retaliate a little bit for the handcuffs and the whip. Oh. Ahem. <takes a moment t/m jemock> All righty then; anybody else think it's going to be a wild time in the land of the mouse?

Have I mentioned how much I love your avatar??

I think there'll definitely be tricks and games and laughter galore. Can't wait.

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/

Now as I recall Matt Bronlewee thought he'd have at least one song on the CD right up until the last minute, so this doesn't mean anything, but it's interesting. I've been wondering if they're going to use any of the songs considered for the last album, maybe rerecorded with a different "sound"???

Pre-concert dinner at my house! Hubby is burning burgers, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes from the garden, and fresh peaches with a little sugar and a mound of whipped cream on top for dessert! Oh, and booze. Wine for me.

Anyone want to join me?!?!?!?

Me me me me me!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight's wandacleo recap:

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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.

*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.

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.

From CV:

When he asked who had a video camera Jerome pretended to go after them when they responded.Seems like Jerome is also joining the act like the newly funny Miss Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher.

Definitely in between. I think he's snarking on the fans who want him to be cool, and also on radio for not playing his slooooow songs, and also on RCA for the song choices. All of the above.

ETA: I don't think he'll be singing any songs like those in the medley on the next album.

FROM CB

He's asking who saw me fall??? who has a video camera...He said he fell off the stage!!! He did it in Newark, too..talking about that, when he fell straight to his knees...thank God he is getting fat????not sure what he is saying now!!!

From CV:

I've only fallen one other time on the tour. (Telling about that) Talking about the last four years. I'm sure you've heard about this....internet... I'm not cool spiel.

What I heard:

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."

More detail from CV:

I'm not cool...at all. You've read it and the truth is that I'm tired of not being cool. I'm tired of being called nerdy and dorky. I'm sick and tired of.... I'm tired of not being on the radio! (applause!) I...change. I'm gonna' start now. I might as well ask you to help me with this because I know you can't change on your own. I feel like you guys here and can help me. I need your help. One day we might be cool. I want to sing songs that get on the radio. That's my goal. I like big butts...

He jumped off the stage and fell down again, according to CH reporter.

He's cracking them up but I can't understand a word. I think he's talking about falling down.

OK, he said, "That song just knocked me off my feet."

Crowd is going wild!!

CV reports he said his pants would not fall down.

From CV:

Clay said something about his foul mouth and dirty mind? Dirtier and dirtier? One of the girls said something, "You make it so easy."

plus an appearance on AI this year, maybe as guest artist,

Guest artist, host and replacement judge?!?!?!?!? Oh oh and how about musical guest/host every other Saturday night on SNL, while filing in for LK, Jimmy Kimmel & Mike (of the Mike & Juliet Show) during the week.

Hey! A fan after my own heart. Love the way you think!!

From CV,

The symphony, esp the cellists, were singing along during the tv songs.

Also from CV,

From Meet and Greet. When a Man Loves a Woman--why didn't he sing it because we loved it so much? He said he didn't realize people loved it so much and he'd work on it. Said maybe he'd sing it in another tour.

But *gasp* - it's a cover!! Heh.