#2 - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

[playbiller]

Well, this had to be set up enough for the Insider. Those hosting assignemnts are paying off big time. Heh, sometimes we get to laugh at the neigh sayers.

I am really laughing as I see some people, who seem to have become not-a-fans, being drawn back in by the Clay. They are still complaining, but it is more like a pitiful whimper. Amazing how he draws them back in. Well, at least we know who will be the complainers the next time things go soft.

It is funny to see the things that the haters are posting all over the place, they post the same thing on every site using that 3 letter word. New members of a bunch of sites. Must be because no one is playing in ther mud pens anymore. It is tough to be a hater. I do wonder what these people on these non-Clay blogs are thingking about these weird people who post hate in a non-sequitor. I found neew members of one site I post trying to get things going in a bunch of threads. And I am changing thier hateful comments about Clay into a generic disucssion about society and the world and how we cannot rely on the media, look how it reports on the current administration - although I haveto be more specific since it is a Canadian site, heh. It is not like they are posting it in a Clay thread or anything.

Well, I am packed and ready to leave finally - Yesterday, I was packing and found I had not finished the laundry and the clothes I wanted to take were dirty. I wonder if I threw clean clothes ain the laundry at soime time in the past? Ah well, no excuses. What - a memory, I have no memory.

[bottlecap]

Have a wonderful time at the beach, pb. It looks like we are finally going to get some warm and dry weather in my neck of the woods, so I might actually have to drag out my shorts and t-shirts. I could stand to do some yardwork, if I can turn off the Clack long enough to actually go outside.

Speaking of Clack, I had forgotten the other perfomances of Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me that Clay had done on AI2. The Wildcard performance, complete with the head bob bit, is pretty deepily imprinted in my memory. I had forgotten the performance from the Wildcard show, and then the third rendition from the end of the season, where Clay wore the tan suit with the lovely mint green shirt.

[Ansamcw]

Yup that song is the one he has performed the most on AI...

This version wasn't the most perfect pitchwise...but it was the most dynamic and intense. Truly masterful and shows how far he has come as an artist.

have fun play...will we be hearing from you from the beach?

wow so much clack to go through and archive for FCA...I am so out of practice...

but what a way to start a CD promo.

[georgiaclay]

Ansa,

I heard a rumor that the drop date will be sometime in June. Question is what do you think??? Everybody have a wonderful holiday and BE CAREFUL.

G

[Ansamcw]

Ansa,

I heard a rumor that the drop date will be sometime in June.  Question is what do you think??? Everybody have a wonderful holiday and BE CAREFUL.

G

that rumor has been going awhile for now...remember the June 20 date...

I really hope not. He still needs a longer build up if they want to promote this on the radio. The June 20 date is only 4 weeks away and if he announces it next week that give him 3 weeks. Not very smart IMO.

If he wants to bring it out this summer then July should be the earliest and the announcements should be out by next week.

They can go slow and release a single to radio this summer and let is slowly buld up...he can do appearances at this time too for radio concerts or mirning show concerts and maybe even small concerts to test the materials...

this can all build up to an early fall release.

Now its possiblt that RCA is totally impatient to get this out and will hope that this appearance will be enough of a momentum...but I doubt that.

[clay4shore]

Rumor from another board has the week of July 17th. as the release date..

[bottlecap]

I'm not holding my breath over either of those dates. I saw the June 20th date this morning on one of the Canadian websites that was listing new music releases, but that seems to be old information that never got corrected.

Actually, this week's little 2 and a half minute Clack hit has gone pretty far in restoring my patience with the CD drop date delays. Clay will be back (for MUCH more), and he will be bigger and better than ever. I am curious to see if Team Clay has a plan to build on what seems to be huge momentum from the AI appearance, and how soon we'll see a new print or tv interview. [And isn't it nice to do a Google search, and not see much in the way of mess show up any more?]

I've watched the HAIR a few more times, and honestly, I can't see Clay keeping that exact style for very long. You can see the bangs made him blink alot, and if you're not used to hair hanging down over your eyebrows, I imagine that would bug.

[Ansamcw]

SO the Insider reports that the CD will be out this fall....

so its a slow build up...

[bottlecap]

I have nothing interesting to say, but I'm avoiding going outside in the heat to mow my lawn, so I'll do a little potpourri here.

New HAIR = possible delay on the calender shoot. D'Oh! Takes me awhile, but I get there.

I have been watching my tape of the Finale, and I have to say, I really enjoyed the Burt Bacharach number (except for Miss Warwick's final missed note.) The kids looked great, and managed to sound good, too. As long as they don't have to sing in a horde, they can actually blend together from time to time. Chicken Little's "What's New Pussycat" was a hoot, and Chris still managing to attach his wallet chain to his tuxedo pants made me snort. The girls had some really fab jewelry - it must have been the real stuff they were able to borrow for the show. Looking a little closer at Lisa, I'd say her make-up person hates her. Her eyebrows were shaped to make her look even scowlier than normal , and the blue eyeshadow didn't help matters. She had a cool dress, though. For some reason I didn't notice any of that stuff the first time around, since I was still busy trying to recover all the pieces from the top of my head flying off from Clay's appearance. Hee. (I'm feeling a little bad for some of the misgivings I expressed in the AI real-time thread, and I thought about editing them out, but decided against it. It was what it was. I'm willing to admit that I can be wrong. Occasionally. Very occasionally. )

And you know what else I'm finding to be very cool? The buzz of good feelings and positive energy around the Clay Nation is still going strong. It seems like the good feelings over blogs and other stuff has gotten quashed pretty quickly in the past. I love that happy fangirly and guyliness can keep flowing. Tres cool.

[Ansamcw]

I just have to share my daughter's reaction to the clip this morning...

My daughter Cai is now 5, she has Down syndrome and I shared the story before of how she used to call Clay daddy when she was two whenever she watched the ICHM clip (no I didn't coach her and she called him that before her own daddy, don't tell him please). This morning, when I was showing the girls the clip she was sitting there watching it for the first time. She claps when people were cheering for Micheal...she pointed at Ryan...but as soon as Clay came out of the back...when she saw the long shot...she started bouncing up and down...waved at the screen and shrieked daddy, daddy (her vocabulary is still very limited)...then she proceeded to try and sing with him and kept waving and bouncing,,,she was so excited. She had us playing that clip non stop for 2 hours. She didn't always watch...but she was listening cos even when she was playing with something else..she would call us to play the clip again once the clip stop. She still has the Aiken love...and she recognized him sooner than I did in that clip.

My elder girls also had cute reactions. They are not Clay fans.They have an issue with my Clay love. When they watched the clip their reactions:

sam: OMG...he's a rocker dude

Tay: much better than before...

They still couldn't admit he was hot...but they sure were shocked when their friends all find him so hot now. They couldn't understand it cos they all used to find him so gay and geeky. BTW..it was my eldest daughter who wanted to watch the clip this morning. I haven't been watching cos I didn't want to seem obsessed with it so she had to ask me to put it on. She claims she just wants to see how her friends could find him hot now..then we proceeded to discuss his every feature...the nose...cheekbones...hair...hmm should I tell them resistance is futile....*g*

[bottlecap]

Ansa, that story is so very sweet. Glad to hear the next generation of fangirls are coming along so nicely.

(I've never greeted Clay's image with cries of "daddy", but I may have let a few "Hey, baby"'s slip from time to time while watching Clack. )

I'm wondering if it was not so much the HAIR that grabbed peoples' attention as it was Clay's powerful presence and command of the situation. The whole confident stance and the aura that just draws the viewers in. Resistance is futile indeed.

So, Clay, we are indeed still out here, waiting for you, ready to scream our lungs out, pump our fists, and beam our affection back at you so hard it knocks you off your feet. If you cause that much hysteria in an unprepared crowd, imagine what you're in for when you step out on the stage (or drop from the rafters, or are launched from a cannon, or parachute in - we know you like to make a big entrance...) for your next concert. Can't wait...

[georgiaclay]

:15: :15:

Ansa, I am so proud of your daughter and that is too funny, "Daddy" when seeing Clay.

I am with you Bottle, he does not bring the thoughts of "Daddy" to me, just "so freakin sexy". GOD definitely "grew" something special in that man. I have such impure thoughts when he is anywhere in my radar.

And the HAIR is definitely, definitely growing on me after watching AI5 for about the 10,000s times at different angles. Now if they can find a way to cut out fake Clay, that would definitely. be. good.

G

Everybody have a great Memorial Day and remember the troops, past and present.

[bottlecap]

I have been paging oh-so-slowly through the Finale pictures posted on the American Idol website, and so far I have only come across this one picture of Clay with Michael and Ryan.

Geez, after much clicking and loading, here is the beginning of the series of pictures of Clay's performance - Photos 128 through 141.

Edited May 29, 2006 by bottlecap

[Couch Tomato]

Anybody still watching the AI clack over and over. I get a big old silly smile on my face every time I think about it. Be prepared for something different - indeed.

[muskifest]

Yes and no, couchie...I LOVE his beautiful humongous titanium balls....yes, I do.

The hair?

Not so much. At least the way it is now....I do think it has potential, but it needs work. Too thin looking and stringy and greasy looking for my tastes. Maybe when it's not loaded with product..? I don't know. I think he looked paradoxically manly and like a little boy.

The little boy part made me feel sorta ewwwwww, considering how I spend most of my thinking about the guy...

But ultimately----damn, that VOICE! The presence, power, confidence, ....the man. You know, Pauler did say a couple of smart things in her drug fog.

"He just....IS."

Edited May 30, 2006 by muskifest

[bottlecap]

The more I watch the clip (and I'm a slacker - generally only a couple of times a day), the bigger fan I become of Michael. That kid is truely awesome, even if he is truely deluded. Michael was trying so hard to be all cool and snarky, and based on his original Clay-lite audition schtick, I had no confidence that he was really a fan. His hysterical, knocked-back on his heels reaction to Clay's appearance pretty quickly dispelled that notion. My favorite scene is when Ryan sits him down and asks if he's alright. All he can do is squeal "OMG, OMG!", while Ryan grins like a maniac. Such a great moment that illustrates the shakes-you-to-the-core power of the Aiken. Tres Cool!

The HAIR and I are still trying to find an even keel in our relationship. Sometimes I'm willing to accept it, and other times not so much. I guess in my mind the HAIR stills needs some work and refinement.

[bottlecap]

Hee. Am I the only one suffering through Post-Idol-What-Do-I-Do-With-Myself-Nowitis?

While I haven't been following the AI recap threads on TWoP this year, I have been working my way in chucks through the thread for the Finale. It's TWoP, so there is the usual high levels of snark, some funny and some not so much. But there is positive comment after positive comment about Clay: Great voice, when did he get so hawt, hilarious bit, OMG, I need to check out his CD when it drops, I had forgotten how much I loved him, I'm not a Claymate, but.... The usual spitefulness by some, mixed with a few "I don't get it"'s, and frequent dislike for the hair, but overall pretty heartening.

By no means do I feel the TWoP posters represent the general public, but I think the positive reaction bodes well for the album release. I see it posted over and over again, and I believe it is true: Clay sells himself - people just have to see and hear him. I can't think of any other prime time venue that would have worked so well for launching Clay 2.0. Hope we see some decent follow-up publicity from Team Clay soon.

Now the comments about Toni "Woo" Braxton, on the other hand: Yikes....... :o

[Ansamcw]

Me TOO...I was doing so well concentrating on my family and my cross stitch project...now Clay is dominating my brains again.

I want the next step...salvo...strike...wave to happen soon...PUHLEEZE...

I also want to see that hot guy Clay Aiken again...

or just a blog...

[Couch Tomato]

I'm not watching for the hair -- it was just seeing him again. i'm just as crazy about him as ever...as if there was any doubt. i also loved the reaction to that 2 minute appearance. wouldn't it be funny if Idol finally wins that Emmy because of that clip. i do think it was a spectacular moment.

Muski...call me on my cell!!

[bottlecap]

I love it when good conversations go on overnight at the other boards, and I wake up to the subtle hints of very good things to come indeed. Why do I even bother trying to speculate or guess about what Clay is going to do next, since he is the master of the unexpected?

Tiny eeeeeeeeeee's which I hope will soon explode into full-fledged, throated ripping, oxygen-depleting, so-excited-you-pass-out-for-a-moment EEEEEEEEEEEEE's.

Ahemm. Kinda got away from myself there for a moment.

[clay4shore]

I love it when good conversations go on overnight at the other boards, and I wake up to the subtle hints of very good things to come indeed.  Why do I even bother trying to speculate or guess about what Clay is going to do next, since he is the master of the unexpected? 

Tiny eeeeeeeeeee's which I hope will soon explode into full-fledged, throated ripping, oxygen-depleting, so-excited-you-pass-out-for-a-moment EEEEEEEEEEEEE's.

Ahemm.  Kinda got away from myself there for a moment.   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What other boards are buzzing with subtle hints???? :o

[bottlecap]

clay4shore, calliek has posted again at the Clackhouse about the hints of buzz she is hearing from her music industry contacts. Nothing specific, but it seems very, very good. Personally, I'm choosing not to salt those particular rumors for no other reason than that I really want to believe it's true. YMMV, of course. Again, nothing specific or concrete - just buzz.

[muskifest]

bottlecap...I'm with you. I try not to do the whole salt lick crap anyway. I read, ponder, consider, snark, pshaw...whatever...but mostly, I just wait and see, you know?

But calliek's posts make me grin like a fool and feel all jumpy inside and that's a helluva lot better than dwelling on my sciatica!

[bottlecap]

Snort. Saw this press release about Taylor's new single at the CH. Take a look at the cover shot and tell me they didn't airbrush about ten pounds off of his face. They managed to make Taylor look almost (gulp) handsome. Who knew? And I would swear he's attempting either a pout or heaven help us, an eyef*ck.

If the photo whizzes can make Taylor look good, Clay 2.0's album cover shots are likely to keel me deed.

[playbiller]

Don't forget that they also darkend Taylors hair. It may always be grey, but not 100%, I think he is definitely going the dyeway.

As fopr the look, it is apporaching Constantine's in skeevieness. I guess it is something that can't be done by another, must be left to Clay and Justin (got to give credit to the original) to be done right.