Jayson Paraskevopoulos Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 I agree! Jayson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Please, can someone fill me in on what happened to Gregory? I'm so worried, is he okay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 (edited) Jen, all we know for sure is that Gregory is under the weather, and will not be performing for a few days on his doctor's recommendation. I think he is expected back on stage later this week, maybe in Charlotte on Wednesday, or for the hometown show in Raleigh on Thursday. The play part of the show was restructured, with Alison delivering alot of the dialog, so Gregory's replacement didn't have to learn many lines. Adding a comment from a M&Ger at Atlanta: We told him that we were very pleased with how well Garner was doing in place of Gregory tonight and Clay proceeded to tell us that this little boy was from Marietta and that he had come in at 2pm that afternoon and learned his lines! We were so impressed by this and Clay seemed so proud. He told us that Gregory is going to be okay and that he was sure that he would be back with the tour because he was sure that Gregory would want to play in his hometown! Since we're thinking about Gregory, Clay Aiken Kids has a nice Q&A with him here. ______________________ And because you can never have too much penguin content, this story came up at the top of my Yahoo page: Fat Penguins. BWAHHH! Edited December 19, 2005 by bottlecap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 From Clay Aiken's Blog on the OFC: 12/18/05 09:09 PM: Big G. (feel free to copy and paste verbatim to other sites) Well.. you folks sure know how to speculate! It's been quite funny for all of us to read the different "knowledge" that so many have with regard to our little star, Gregory, and his "condition". You should know by now that you can't believe what you read on the internet. Allow me to assure you... Gregory is simply not feeling well. He's 11 years old and this is a grueling schedule that takes its toll on all of us. He is an AMAZINGLY professional young man, who shows all of us up on stage every night with his talent and energy. His "condition" is not a "condition" at all. It is nothing serious and we expect fully for him to be back on stage showing us all up again very soon. Your prayers and words of encouragement for him and his family are still appreciated, as they are for us all. c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 (edited) Hee. Fountaindawg from the Clackhouse has been busy photoshopping. This little number is for a vegetable we know pretty well here at FCA. Too funny! Why, yes I am still off on vacation. But don't worry, I have to go back to work tomorrow, and will stop post-hoing so much... Edited December 19, 2005 by bottlecap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Hee. Fountaindawg from the Clackhouse has been busy photoshopping. This little number is for a vegetable we know pretty well here at FCA. Too funny! Hee -- I missed that one. I bet couchie would like for Clay to sing to her like that. *g* Why, yes I am still off on vacation. But don't worry, I have to go back to work tomorrow, and will stop post-hoing so much... Aw...bottlecap, I enjoy your post-hoiness (?!). Love, love, love the interview from yesterday. He's gotten to the point where I though he would eventually -- comfortable with the career and all that entails. It's taken a while...but I knew it would happen. I mean, can you imagine what his life was like in October 2003? I would have gone stark raving bonkers, and I think he did admirably keeping it together. But at the same time....there was just too much going on for him to have the time to adjust and process it all. With the passage of time...it's finally happening. Good for Clay! Glad he blogged about Gregory too. Gee, you think Clay knows anything about rumors and speculation? *g* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 The lyrics I heard on the underwater cellcert last night are starting to make more sense now: "Peas, Celery, mushroom. Gimme a cucumber...." It's not a just a heartwarming song about missing your family and friends, it's a salad receipe! Run for your life, Ms. Tomato! :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 The lyrics I heard on the underwater cellcert last night are starting to make more sense now: "Peas, Celery, mushroom. Gimme a cucumber...." It's not a just a heartwarming song about missing your family and friends, it's a salad receipe! Run for your life, Ms. Tomato! :o Bwah!!!! this made me laugh last night its even funnier today with the clever Fdawg photoshop... Hey all this shout out will probably push our miss couchie to do her recap...I think she may be a bit fangirly right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couch Tomato Posted December 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I'm working on it. I'm working on it. Take your tums right now because I am naseatingly fangirlie right now. First Mr. Aiken, gave me a perfect show in Nashville which I watched from 5th row center.... then he proceeded to just blow me away in Atlanta with the most extraordinary performance I have ever seen. I am more than impressed with everyone that was on that stage. And then I come home to a snippy lecture from Clay for spreading rumours. It was me, I confess. I talked to santa (one of the local community players) and he said Gregory had diabetes and that little replacement kid would be traveling with Clay for the next few shows. It was SANTA...I believed him, what can i say. Maybe Clay would like to punish me personally LOL. I love snippy Clay. whoo hooo Oh Skate....I got a chance to do a little Jerome watching... I'm sure you'll pay particularly close attention to that part of the recap. heeeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Hee. I love that Clay's appearance at a Bobcats / Kings basketball game in Charlotte last night is considered significant enough that it gets mentioned in the sports pages: From the Charlotte Observer: Clay Aiken was popular, signing autographs at halftime. That hat he wore was ... uh ... different. From the wires: Three seats down was pop star and North Carolina native Clay Aiken, who defied a security guard by signing an autograph for a little girl. And because the Clay Nation has eyes everywhere, this eyewitness description from the CB: My daughter and SIL called me too last night. He wore the beige bucket hat, a striped sweater and she didn't see the pants and shoes. He was with 2 girls, she didn't know them and Jermone. She says, he was sitting in the same row as a big shot Panther player and during half time, everyone wanted his autograph and not the big shot Panther's player. My SIL said, bet that's the first time Steve has played second fiddle to a skinney white guy. She, also, said security was shooing folks away(not during half time), some of the time, that she watched him, instead of the game. Courtside seats apparently, bay-bee! Awhooo Hooo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Totally love this...its cool that he is getting mentioned as one of the clebrities courtside...and giving autographs too. wish there was a picture...want to see the bucket hat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skatejoy Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 A Jerome recap! That rocks. Are there pictures??? Can I just say I'm starting to worry about our dear Clay? Here's why: A ) He's titled his new albume Where I Belong B ) He's talked about being in a comfortable place geographically and musically C ) He's discussing MONGOLIAN POLKA MUSIC Do you see my worry? Is this where he belongs? Hmmm... deep thoughts to ponder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 A Jerome recap! That rocks. Are there pictures??? Can I just say I'm starting to worry about our dear Clay? Here's why: A ) He's titled his new albume Where I Belong B ) He's talked about being in a comfortable place geographically and musically C ) He's discussing MONGOLIAN POLKA MUSIC Do you see my worry? Is this where he belongs? Hmmm... deep thoughts to ponder. Well you've got a point there Skatejoy...but we have to respect Clay;s need to experiment, to stretch himself...It may not be my kind of music but if he chooses to explore this traditional genre then I think we should just support his choice....I will buy seven!!!! I trust Clay and his musical vision... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Well, Raleigh and the Triangle are supposed to be very vibrant and rapidly growing, which often means new immigrants are moving in to an area. There could well be an underground Mongolian polka scene there that is just waiting to burst into the national consciousness. This could be Clay’s opportunity to be a trend-setter, and bring this music to a wider audience. (Think Paul Simon and “Graceland”, which was based on South African music.) What? It could happen, I tell ya! On a slightly more serious note, I hope Clay finds what he thinks he’s looking for by moving back to Raleigh. It seems to be some great shining prize at the end of the Yellow Brick Road for him. “There’s no place like home”, “There’s no place like home”, “There’s no place like home” comes across like a mantra in all his recent interviews. It seems like he is almost inevitably setting himself up for a let down. There’s just no way things can ever be the same for him there. Maybe all his talk about it is him trying to convince himself that it can. Or maybe, I’m full of crap, and the experience will be all he hopes. YMMV, JMO, etc. (Not on the me being full of crap part, because I think we can all agree on that, but the Clay moving home bit…) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Oh no...do we have to get serious bottlecap Although I think this is a valid point, personally I have no worries about this. I have the impression that Clay's family and friends are well grounded and they probably gave him a good view of the mixed reaction the natives have of Clay. I also think what's important for Clay is to have a circle of frinds and family he can hang out with when he has nothing to do. In LA he will need to go to parties to have some social life and that is not hos scene at all. I also doubt he would like to hang out with the lindsay lohan, ashton kutcher types. The friends he has made in the business Kim, Kelly, Ruben are all so busy with their own careers I doubt they can actually drop in for a poker game. I think what Clay will find eventually is that even his Raleigh friendswill move on to their own family and he may have to build his own nuclear family to fill his life. I do think at this point having a homebase for Clay simply means there is something he can consider permanent in his life that would be there whatever happens for him. Raleigh is that because he has familial roots there. Even if his career fails...there will be a reason to go back to Raleigh because of family and friends. This is something he will never lose...something that is stable in this ever shifting lifestyle he has at the moment. Besides I bet he will spend majority of the time away from Raleigh. eta: awww poor penguin...don;t worry bottlecap I have your back!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 (edited) I just want to make it clear that I had absolutely nothing to do with this. Ummm, y'all be my alibi, right? I swear I was listening to the cellstream at the time... Edited December 20, 2005 by bottlecap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgiaclay Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Evening all, Okay, first and foremost, Bottlecap I will be your back up. I know that you would never take a quick flight to England to procure a more pitiful penguin. On to more important information, I really think that Clay needs a home base and as he had said before "I need a home base" as we all do. A place where we be can ourselves and not have to live a certain persona (as in Ashton, Paris and Lidsey L. - like who would want to live like that anyway, I certainly don't and I am cannot be sure, but I lay odds on it, so does our Mr. Aiken. He is who he is, a regular guy who grabbed for the golden ring, obtained the golden ring and does not want to change, although, he had had to change for reasons that we all know, but down deep, he is still that "skinny white boy who has no rhythm" and I would not want him any other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 A couple of interesting items on Lycos this morning. First, via a blog entry, a picture of the new Finnish Idol. Looks just slightly familiar. Apparently, there is a Finnish version of John D. Check out the white tie and tails - very formal. Secondly, a review of the Columbia SC show from the State: The meaning of Christmas isn’t lost on Clay Aiken. The spirit of this joyous season often becomes wrapped in wish lists, parties and sales pageantry. But for the former “American Idol” star, Christmas is about friendship, family and love. About 2,000 people shared in Aiken’s Christmas joy at The Township on Tuesday night. It’s wasn’t enough for Aiken to just sing Christmas songs — actors and dancers, including members of the Chapin Community Theatre, portrayed a story line that wove through the performance. The story of the friendship of young Tommy and Miss Beverly, written by Aiken, personified his meaning of Christmas: Sometimes it takes kids to remind us that we should be with the people we care about for the holidays. Apparently it is possible to steal Aiken’s shine, especially if you’re a community theater performer like Louis DeFelice, who played Tommy. With the regular Tommy ill, the young fellow was handed a script at 1 p.m. Tuesday. And he handled the role like a pro, dropping dialogue zingers like, “My mom says I have diarrhea of the mouth.” While many of Aiken’s fans are used to screaming and clasping their hands to their chests, this wasn’t an “oh gosh, he’s so cute” type of show. (Although some fans did get to The Township at 8 a.m., said Sally Roach, the venue’s director). The crowd was rather sedate as Aiken gave a better-than-average performance. His voice was steady and clean on songs such as “Mary Did You Know,” “Sleigh Ride” and “The First Noel,” which enjoyed festive treatment. Christmas songs on the radio and especially at the mall are so taxed that it’s enough to make drivers and shoppers gloomy. But Aiken, never at a loss for a smile, makes Christmas music almost exciting. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” had a silky bop, while “Jingle Bells” went through lounge, jazz and rock movements. “Silver Bells” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” were dazzling, but Aiken never let loose (he came close on “O, Holy Night”) like he did with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the “Idol” competition. Still, for those who were at the show, listening to Aiken sing was the best Christmas present of the season. Based on the cellstream, I'd have to agree with the bolded part. Clay was great, but he never turned it up to "11", like he has in some of the past concerts. All in all, a good review, and it lines up with what I heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 I was thinking of this last night...he was in great voice. No strain that I can hear and yet he didn't go for broke the way he did in Atlanta. I think last night he did the show with proper technique in mind...it was a more cerebral performance. In atlanta he was all heart. I think he knew he needed to give it not just his all but 110 % so he went for broke and he risked voice strain for it. It was marvelous but it really is a performance he cannot give everynight. I think he is very conscious of the fact that he has two more consecutive shows to do. I bet he wants to be in best voice for Raleigh so he needs to conserve all that energy. As much as I wanted to hear another marvelous TFN I was glad he was able to give an almost flawless performance without going for the flourish. At times that is more difficult because your voice is there naked...you need to be as close to perfection as possible for people to appreciate the beauty. Last night that was what it was all about. Its tough to really appreciate that on the cellstream since the audio is not perfect so I am looking forward to the clack. I hope we do get stellar voice again tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if he would be loser in Charlotte than in Raeligh. He always seem to be a bit reserved in Raleigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skatejoy Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 A discussion of "Where I Belong" is always interesting at Christmas. I'm heading off in a few minutes to spend a week in the Great White North with my family. In the years after I moved away I struggled all the time with where I belonged. I didn't seem to belong in a big fast moving city where I had no roots. Yet, when I went "home" things had changed, and I had changed, so I didn't really belong there either. I've recently realized that I need to find a place where I feel comfortable, where I can live my life the way I want to (or need to) and that reflects my values and then put down roots there. I hope Clay has found a similar peace. Merry Christmas to you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzztechie Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 (edited) A small early Xmas present for y'all. Rhode Island JNT2 Photos Some Highlights: In the Snow! Beautiful closeup Just a pinch! Socks! Pulling out Tommy's tie Holding onto the Mic! Awww... Dont be sad Clay! DSIAFCD Glory Note! Yes, I am in Charge! Good News Other JNT2 Concert Photos New York - Friday New York - Sunday I am headed out for a week of fun in the snow with family at Yellowstone NP. Pray we dont get eaten by wolves! Happy Holidays Everyone!!! Edited December 21, 2005 by buzztechie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 (edited) EEEEE! buzztechie RI pictures that she risked life and limb to get! Too much pretty! Socks! Zits and/or shaving bumps! Manhandling the mike! EEEEEEE! On a slightly calmer note, happy trails and safe travels to y'all this season. Holiday hugs all around! ________________ I was scrolling around, and noticed it was Jen's Sweet 16 today! Happy Birthday! Edited December 21, 2005 by bottlecap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 A nice picture from the Atlanta concert in People Online. I'm liking the amount of coverage People has been giving Clay - I hope it bodes well for album promotion coverage when the time comes. (And. What's. With. The. . John?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansamcw Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Buzztechie...thanks for the lovely photos....Gorgeous as always.... You are right Skatejoy...at times you don't really feel quite right in your hometown. I felt like that when I went back to the Philippines and I guess my husband feels like that too now that we are living in his hometown. But I think what made us uncomfortable is because our old homes didn't fit us since we have changed so much and we really didn;t have the resources to make sure it was comfortable for us. For example...in the Philippines we ended up living with my mom. We had to adjust ourselves to her household and although that was the home that I grew up in, it was still my moms place and was suited to her not to me. Same with the house we live in now...This is my husbands ancestral home...Its been in his family for about 100 years. So although it is completely ours...my husband does not feel free to change it too much to fit our family cos he is sentimental that way. Right now, the one thing that Clay will have when he goes home is enough resources to make sure the new home he has fits his needs and not his mothers or his family...he is not tied to Raleigh cos he can go anywhere for his career or if he happens to get bored with the local scene...I think the most important thing is for Clay to find peace within himself so that wherever he is...he is at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 I was Yahooing around and saw this caption contest on Sports Illustrated. I was worried until I read the Clay reference, and it is actually pretty funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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