#3 - Here He Comes Again

[bottlecap]

Okay, I think I caught up at the CH, but I still don't understand when the KAndre and Evil Clive thing went down exactly. At the Kimmel show, or in the CD signing line? Recaps, LA peeps. We need recaps.

Sounds like much potential fresh Clackage today. Clay is scheduled to be on the local news on KTLA this morning, both Entertainment Tonight and The Insider have a picture and blurbs about Clay on their home pages which would seem to indicate he would maybe on the shows, and then Larry King Live (but looking embalmed, so why don't you just retire already) tonight.

:nana:

[playbiller]

Maybe you can ask K'andre later or ask someone for a download of the cellcert.

[bottlecap]

People.com's StarTracks has the Clay /Kimmel picture up from the CD signing. The caption:

THE ULTIMATE CLAYMATE

Clay Aiken finds a superfan in Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday as the talk show host dons full Claymate regalia to greet the singer at an autograph signing in Hollywood. Later, Aiken returned the favor, showing up on Kimmel's chatfest for a two-song performance to promote his new album, A Thousand Different Ways.

[bottlecap]

I'm reading the recaps of Clay's appearance on KTLA this morning, and I can't wait to see it. My Clack downloading queue is going to be pretty long when I get home tonight, what with the Kimmel stuff and hopefully the lengthy KTLA show.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[KAndre]

SHRIEK! Didja'll see me on Kimmel!?!?!?

KAndre staggers in, arms appropriately extended in the approved zombie position...anyone expecting actual like work from me is gonna be sadly mistaken...

A Small Recap of my Visit to LAm Jimmy Kimmel Live and one Mr. Clay Aiken

Man, this was a GREAT trip! I want a note made: I got to the airport EARLY! All by myself! No mad dashes through traffic (the emphasis on this will become clear later). Having been a complete idiot, I do not go to bed at all the night before, emailing couchiemaking sure all of my gels, aerosol, and miscellaneous liquidy type objects were appropriately packaged in a sturdy quart size freezer ziploc bag. The freezer seemed right at the time. I get to the airport at 6:15a for a 7:45a flight (YES!) and the TSA takes the time to actually PRAISE my ziploc bag. They show its perfection to the other security personnel and few fellow travellers - they also admired my chapeau. I bounce over to the gate and keep an eye peeled for Invisible926, who I know y'all will be SHOCKED to discover decided to spend her birthday chasing a young man halfway across the country. She is an excellent auxillary to the eHP. And also admired my hat. She appears just as the plane begins to board - we're good! I persuade her check in for the return before we board the first plane - which turns out to be a REALLY GOOD IDEA, right, Solo? We board the plane and Invisible her delightful new toy, a video iPod, that just happened to have Clay stuff on it! And she happened to have purchased a People with Clay in it at the airport. And we might have been discussing Clay a tad loudly at the stewardess, in a faintly sarcastic tone, commented that we clearly knew how to rescue ourselves -- I agreed politely - and she then commented maybe our fellow passengers would like to learn? Frankly, I didn't think they looked all that interested in rescuing themselves, but we subsided. For a little bit. Then we went back to discussing our excitement in seeing Clay. Our seatmate (Bambi? I will check with Invisible - 30-40 something attractive female) commented that this must be a fun trip and seemed to recognized our plans...turned she was a fan of Tom Petty and the parellels to the Clay Nation was freakish. She said his fans were known as the Honey Bees, they had a nickname for uncooperative significant others, they met on the internet, they followed him around the country, they have online listening parties, they had they own words, they collected audio and video of his concerts - we immediately attempted to add her to the Clay fandom as well. She volunteered the fact she had seen his television commercial and liked it. We played her "Broken Wings" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" because those were our favorites before the live version and showed her pictures and showed her the AI5 clip. She thought he sang pretty, was cute and clearly demonstrated interest. We talked to her for most of the part of the flight we stayed awake. Woke up, landed in LA at about 9:20a, told Bambi maybe we'll see her on the concert trail again (OK, pay attention, this is foreshadowing!). I gotta admit, travelling light is the BOMB! We walked off the plane, called Solo (who was stuck in traffic. This is also foreshadowing.) She picks us around 10a, we admire her new personal GPS thing that she made the effort of dragging along with her, turns it on and immediately announces, Feh! I don't wanna go that way. I gently ask if she actually knows how to get back to the Kodiak theater. She says no, but there was a freeway involved. Alternating between Solo's psychic visions and the condescending commentary from the GPS, we arrived at Hollywood and Vine, where our favorite paranoid forward element of the eHP, one Scarlett had plopped herself down at 8 am that morning. She wanted to start at 6:30 but Solo forcibly dragged her away. We park in some mall-like place across from the theater and an Italian woman I had never seen before wanted to take a picture of me giving her husband an Oscar (we used a business card as a stand in). The rest of my day contained many, many moments like this. We trot across the street and the sea of Clay Nation greets us! waves madly at all I met We collect our wristbands from Scarlett, let her use the facilities, and immediately abandon her to get our 20 seconds with Clay.

Y'all understand, I vaguely understand the meaning of wait in a long ass line, right? So we go in the MegaStore, something on me sets off the freakin' alarm, I claim to be traumatized and need to be soothed by having stuff signed now. I think it would have worked except for the mild eye-rolling of my compadres. They point us to the line out the back of the store. We follow the line. It goes up the stairs, around a corner and up a long slope. There is a fire door. Then the line resumes across a patio. There is a restaurant. The the line resumes under some stairs and a second, smaller courtyard. Then the line goes down some more stairs. Turns right. Goes down the parking lot to the street. Turns left on the street. Goes back to freakin' Hollywood (yes, where we temporarily abandoned Scarlett). It is approx. 10:30a. We wait. And we wait. And we wait some more. The line is moving like molasses on a cold winter's day. By 2:50 pm (we were told we would have to back in front of Kimmel at 3 pm exactly or forfeit our tickets and force me to go on a murderous rampage through iota's roster), we have gotten through the parking lot, back up the stairs and were between the second courtyard and the restaurant. Having bonded with our peers in the line over Mr. Sun-burned Tits and Pasty Cellulite man (this 50-year-old dude strolled down the street wearing nothing a black thong, some floral mini-skirt that showed his buttcheeks, and what looked like a a red cross-your-heart bra with the cups removed and his manboobs hanging out. Sunburned manboobs. I cannot describe the attractiveness of this picture. After perambulating in front of us, he got in a white Lexus and drove away. I am NEVER sitting in the driver's seat of a white Lexus just on the off chance that naked pasty, dimply buttcheeks ever touched it. He still only got a 4 on the creepitude scale compared to Dirty Bunny Man. Who didn't act like the bunny suit was a costume, if you know what I mean. And he got a LOT of "personal" enjoyment from it.) and having secured their agreement for us to return to our place in line, we sprint (well, semi-sprint – there’s only so much sprinting I do per day and I didn’t want to wear myself out) back to Kimmel and those SOB didn’t even show up until 3:10p! When the revolution comes, heads are gonna ROLL! We sprint back to the signage line including Scarlett (see, aren’t you glad I saved my sprint allowance?) and lo and behold, our clique is on the ramp where Security Dude is selecting 20 to go down the stair at the back of the MegaStore for the little short line going our the door. So we trudge to the back of the line (which isn’t that far since lots and lots of people ran like rabbits (but not like Dirty Bunny Man) to get their Kimmel wristbands. As we are waiting, a shortish lady with long brown curly hair has a video camera and is recording the fans in line; she occasionally stops and get a comment and moves on down the line. She gets to the evil Houston posse. Solo and Scarlett immediately retreat to the back giggling., so Invisible and I face. She requests the typical “I love you Clay” clips and I asked her who is she with. She sez “RCA” and that this was going to be seen by Roger, Clay and Clive.

Aside: As many of you are probably aware, I don’t believe in any of the conspiracies, don’t think the promotion was particularly bad, didn’t think an album cover is/was the end of Clay’s career, think selling 200K not coming directly off AI is great, and don’t particularly care for “Lover All Alone” and am apparently one of those fans Clive/Clay is selling to with this album. However, I am aware that others don’t feel this way. And I am an extremely sarcastic heifer.

Since she was the only minion of RCA available, I explained that some on the boards had some issues with some things. She says, “Like what”. I said some fans felt RCA hates Clay and want to crush him. She denies this but starts filming furiously at that point and suggests I tell her more. I then mention what some would consider the poor pre-promotion, lack of print media, lack of superstar treatment, lack of radio support, doing covers for his sophomore album, the ratio of covers to original material, Why K-mart of all places, why was Lover All Alone not on the CD, lack of proper PR., etc. etc., etc. I’ll see if Invisible remembers more. She is apparently finds this interesting and continues to films. I think I covered a lot of things mentioned in a lot of places. At the end, I ask if Clive is evil incarnate. She looks shocked, but there is no denial. Clearly, Clive is the devil. She seemed to think I made good footage. Once she’s though filming, Security sends us down the second to last flight of stairs! We are almost at the purpose of 6 frickin’ hours waiting in line. We can see him in the back of the store. He’s so cute! And happy looking! It’s soon my turn for signage and Video chickie comes up to me and says, ‘I’d knew I’d see you again. When it’s your turn, do something dramatic.” I thought, “Me? Dramatic? How in the hell will I ever pull that off?” So I get up to Clay and tell me, “What’s-her-face says I have to do something dramatic so we can film it”. Clay says “Who’s she?” and I say, “I dunno, she’s one of your people,” and so he turns around and gives her a look, turns back and signs my CD, and says, “OK, so what are ya gonna do?” and I sez to him, “Well, I asked her if Clive Davis was evil incarnate” and he does that patented Clay Aiken over exaggerated double take and begins laughing. Though I notice no one has denied the evilness that is Clive. I might have to rethink my position. Scarlett frankly got the best siggy of all, much better than tat girls. I wander off, clutching my signed CD to my bosom and am distracting by all the new clack playing on the monitors! It is superlative! The end credits roll, and it listed Roger and Roger’s contact informative and a Jill Abrams as director or producer or something like that. I consulted with my minions and decided video girl was probably this Jill person and we would have to explain to her that we needed copies of this. By any means necessary. So we head back to the Kimmel line. And there’s video girl again, who agrees that she is this Jill Abrams. I tell her I want all video that she has done for Clay. She said she couldn’t give to me though she wanted to and that Roger said it was going on Clay’s official fan site. Hmm. OK. She asked me more questions and films the answers. Then Clay comes out and across the street. There are lots and lots of squeals and Clay goes into the theater. Jill and Invisible have a long discussion about Clay. I didn’t do a whole lot of listening because I think she was presenting her personal opinions and wasn’t really involved in Clay’s management. She then gave me an opportunity to close. And I actually remember some of this: I said, I could call myself a typical Clay fan – but that wouldn’t be true. I don’t think there is such a thing. If there is anything I’d like RCA to take away, is its diversity. And keep it in mind.

I also liked the motorcycle cop who was there to keep the other Clay fans from being rowdy. He said I could be rowdy if I wanted.

So we waited some more. All the way to 6:40p! Man, this is getting old!

To be continued…

[bottlecap]

To be continued…

Should this be accompanied by ominous music [Dun Dun DUUUUNNNN] and a manical MMWWAAAAAHHHHH HA HA!! ?

I may have seen a cowboy-hatted vision on Kimmel. Was that you?

Smacking down the Dread Lord, huh?

And I hope you notice I have been busy posting and whatnot while y'all were gone. I can't answer for the rest of your minions.... [Hint: ]

[KAndre]

You, bottle, are an EXCELLENT semi-sober minion!

And why yes, if i was a white cowboy hat with a tiara - I do believe that was moi!

[playbiller]

I have to scour the video again. I didn't think they would let you wear a hat inside.

Well, KAndre, you didn't want to do anything else today did you? You can finish posting, sleep is over rated.

Manwhile My dog is nipping at me from under the desk, so I better get on with today. Be back.

[bottlecap]

ETOnline.com now has a video up of Clay with Jann Carl from yesterday's CD signing. I can't really listen to it in my cube, but Clay looks very animated in the clip. I assume it means he will be on the show today - has anybody seen it yet?

Also, KTLA.com also has video of Clay's visit this morning up under "Celebrity Interviews".

Edited September 27, 2006 by bottlecap

[Ansamcw]

WHY>>>>WHY>>>WHY did I have to go to work today....

Kandre I bow to your brilliance...love your parting words...and it was so great of you to actually let RCA know whats been bothering the fans even if you were not one of thsoe complaining loudly...what sacrifice.

I;m sure you were super entertaining and delivered your line with aplomb...Clay will surely remember you...and Couch Tomato of the funny name...hee

GAH I sure hope we get that video...I have heard about the fact that Clay has a videographer following him all around...I wish we can actually see the results...

so can you describe the video that you were watching on the Virign store that Jill took...are they video of Clay performing...a day in the life...or concert footage...

we need more info!!!!

[playbiller]

That Et video is a riot - when asked about his fans thinking he is funny and a prankster, Clay answers that he almost got two dancers deported this year, but it was all in fun, you have to let it out some way.

Now he was naming groups again and he forgot the PROC - do you think he thinks it was just a for runner of ClayNation? He used to know he had a republic?

[bottlecap]

Clay's piece on ET tonight was even shorter than the online video, but he had funny interview with Jann Carl, and the showed the bit of Clay fleeing from a "Crazed" Kimmel at the CD signing.

So, what's up with the rest of the California peeps? Couchie, muski, Claygasm? Is this going to be one of those "What happened in LA stays in LA dealies, 'cause that doesn't work for me. Spill it DUDES!

No cable for me, so I'm going to watch the Lost catch-up show and then read the board commentary, so be descriptive!

Waves to georgiaclay.

[Ansamcw]

Couchie is still on her way home...and unfortunately has a family emergency...her mom is in the hospital so I don;t know when we will hear from her...

((((Couchie and Mom))))

sending good thoughts and prayers your way

she did give us some inf...it was cute cos I think she and her friend ended up in third row or something during Kimmel...so she had a really great time.

So hopefully we hear from Muski and Claygasm soon...

LKL is on...they showed a piece of ATD video but its the anna nicole smith story first.

[Ansamcw]

OMG...Clay is doing so great on the LKL interview...they are asking actual fan question

the first question about LAA...it was written by DF and he wrote the lyrics...was too sad to add to the cd...makes sense.

LKL I thought was asking really great follow up questions and making Clay look very good.

GAH...I so admire this guy!!!!

[ldyjocelyn]

I am really, really liking the LKL interview so far...yes, even the gay/not gay stuff. Clay stood his ground, stated his case. Sure, LK pushed...and Clay pushed right back. I like that a lot.

They are talking some very good points...the tabloids, his faith, the album, LAA, his work with kids. I think this is a great interview.

More later.

Where's muski? Miss ya babe!

{{{{{{{couchie}}}}}}}}}}}}

[bottlecap]

So LKL was mostly good? Glad to hear it, and hopefully I'll get to see the Clack tomorrow.

((((Couchie and family))))

[playbiller]

LKL was great, but now I have a new project runway, sooooooo. I am distracted

I just hope taht Couchie's Mom is in the hospital for one of those little things that happen all the time and will be out soon.

Edited September 28, 2006 by playbiller

[bottlecap]

A Larry King screencap by way of the Clayboard

[georgiaclay]

Hi everyone and waving at Bottle,

Everything is "crazy" here in Georgialand. Dad is spiraling out of control but I guess that is to be expected with his diagnosis of dementia/alzhiemer's disease. It is just so hard sometimes.

I have had a very good couple of days in Clayland. My escape from the real world. LOL.

Going to watch LKL now. Just got home from work UGH!!!. The inmates are on the loose again. LOL.

Waves again to everybody. Check in tomorrow.

G

:trink3: :704: :schwirr:

[Couch Tomato]

Hi everyone

I'm home. As Ansa noted my perfect Tuesday turned into a more worrisome Wednesday as I called home to check on my mom and she didn't answer. Then i couldn't reach anyone in my family. I knew something was up. My sister stayed over at the house on Tuesday night with my mom because she had been under the weather. and i talked to her tuesday night and she seemed ok..but then i guess she took a turn this morning when my sister left for work..so she called her doctor who told her to call 911. as for now, it's a mystery problem. her blood pressure was through the roof though..she's diabetic and hasn't been eating well because she can't keep anything down so i'm sure that contributed too. anyway, they have admitted her and are still running tests.

i will recap everything tomorrow... I'm going to bed..but i had a really wonderful wonderful time. Long ass lines and all, tuesday was just perfect. clay seemed so happy to me... i will not worry about him. I will just enjoy him as i think he will land on his feet no matter what happens.

It was not all roses for all of our fca family but i'll let them tell their own story if they so choose. I love you Muski and nice to meet you Claygasm.

And Ansa, I hope you're ready... I've got an idea for FCA...heeee.

ETA..so i will share my usual couchie silliness.... i did have computer access at our hotel but when we went through the hacking problems a couple months ago i changed all my passwords to something complicated that i can no longer remember. so i didn't post here becuase i couldn't remember my password to get in.... sigh

[Ansamcw]

Nice to have you all back...

(((to all who need them)))

Ready for anything .... just not today...need to go into work and pretend to teach a bunch of hormonal teens.

[bottlecap]

(((((FCA'ers and Families)))))

==========================
The transcript for Larry King Live is here. I took a quick glimpse at it, and my jaw dropped momentarily when I saw one of the first lines was "So are you the father?". Then I figured out it starts with the Anna Nicole section. :glare:

Anyway, I've got the interview downloading away at home, so hopefully I'll have time to watch and absorb it tonight. Besides that, I need to re-watch Jimmy Kimmel again.

CLAY

[Couch Tomato]

OK...grrrrr the board was down again today because they didn't solve my problem last month. So I cancelled my automatic paypal payment and now will just pay when billed since they never seemed to match that payment up with this account anyway. And while i was there i changed packages cutting my monthly payment 60% soo whoo hoo for that. You should feel no effects from that change... unless everybody starts posting 100 times a day all of a sudden. have a good day.

[georgiaclay]

(((HUGS TO EVERYONE AND ESPECIALLY COUCHIE TODAY)))

Like Bottle said the other day (HI BOTTLE, lots of hugs sent your way), we pretty much are all in the same boat with aging parents.

My story (short version): Dad with alzhiemer's (good days and BAD days), mother who is upset, depressed, cannot get a grip on the situation as she does not know what to do, only brother who lives out out state (lucky him) and me. I live with my parents (lucky me), but I guess it is a blessing. I can be here for them. They are still mobile on dad's good days and get out of the house, but those days are fewer and father between now.

I guess the main fact is that the disease has changed my father from being a sweet, gentle man to hell on wheels. He is now getting violent both in speech and lashing out. But I work nights, so it is hard to do my job and wonder what is happening at home. I guess the next step is medication to keep him calmer, but I don't want a zombie but we can't keep on like we have this past week. I guess I will just have to talk to his doctor again and see what we can do. Mother's nerves are frayed, my nerves are frayed and my sweet, adorable brother (sarcasm) has no clue!!!.

Well that is my story. Sorry to bore you all.

Again waves, hugs and prayers to all that need them. Couchie, hope mom is doing better today. Play, take care of Holly. At least she won't talk back LOL.

G

[playbiller]

Hey everybody. I did hear that Kimmel shorted the tickets, that must not have been fun for anyone. I think you got one great concert, Can't wait until we get to crash the site when they put it up on Kimmel.

So, am I the only one that thought that Larry liked Clay and was being nice, but nosy to him? I guess it follows since I decided that Diane Sawyer was playing a role as nosy invasive tabloid reporter to Clay.

Hee, I almost posted that Diane Sawywer played a roll, I guess that is as opposed to playing a bagel.