#11 I love me some Clay Aiken! He (soft) rocks *g*

[muskifest]

I put something in the Frisco thread....but I don't think you're gonna like it....

[KAndre]

Took me a little longer to get to a computer - concert, concert - it was the most interesting Clay Aiken concert I've been to - I'm looking forward to seeing what changes will be made in Houston.

The "uptempo" concert thingie was a complete and total hoot - Clay singing "you get sprung" will be seared on my memory forevah!

1999? OPP? Yeah? Like A Virgin? Some tractor song? Opposites Attract? Man. Oh Man.

and he did a little boot scootin' - and a little loose booty with Angela...

The pacing was very different than a typical Clay concert - down tempo, then up, then down. I'll confess, I didn't like the TV themes (especially Matlock). Any questions?

[Couch Tomato]

Hey Kandre...did you run out to the field in your bling?

[KAndre]

My idiot ass ran out on the field on my slowly healing cut up foot - but it was worth it!

[JennaZ]

Notacanuck at CH just posted this very interesting interview from the Houston Chronicle:

Clay Aiken embraces his inner dork

Excerpt:

Q: Any songs that didn't make the cut on A Thousand Different Ways?

A: Things other than covers. Sorry, I'm being way too honest today. How do I say this politically correctly? I was strongly encouraged by other sources to do an album of covers. There was the feeling that it might be successful because there'd been success with Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow doing covers. I guess the argument against that would be I don't have the reputation that Rod Stewart has. I really don't have the credibility that he has, so there's no reason for me to do them.

Q: Do you like the disc at all?

A: It did turn out to be something I was really proud of. My mom's always told me, 'Take lemons . . .' I think we really did that.

Q: Will we ever see you bring SexyBack?

A: I'm actually going to do — God help me for saying this — with the Houston Symphony, a little bit of SexyBack. We're going to do a little medley of songs that people wouldn't expect to hear with an orchestra. I know that it's not going to be cool. I have no problem making fun of myself.

Edited July 5, 2007 by JennaZ

[jmh123]

never mind

I love Clay Aiken, passionately, and I love this tour!!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ETA: me too, couchie, me too.

Edited July 5, 2007 by jmh123

[Couch Tomato]

Oh I love that interview. Nothing new there for me except he kinda verified for me that it was a successful formula for somebody like Rod Steward so it was just too easy to say..yay Clay you can do it. I truly always thought that's why Clive came up with the idea, not because he hated Clay. He's just a fogey that wants to go with what works. And yes he did make lemonade out of ATDW and I'm so happy he is proud of it. I also think he handled it in the right way. Seems like for him he'll get to do more of what he wants on his next album. I think his point has been proven without making a federal case out of it.

I'm also happy he still embraces his inner dork and can poke fun at himself and the hip and cool stuff cracked me up. I really don't think he enjoys today's music all that much but it's not going anywhere...so how do we get singers like Clay back on the airwaves. I hope he just goes for great songs and pray he hits pay dirt with one of them. Unfortunately, the secret is out and his grandma fans don't think he's hip or cool..heee. But he seems to know exactly who he is. I've always admired that.

Jenna, I didn't mind the grandma stuff. We'll see how it resonates with the fandom. One of the things that I've always liked about him is that he appreciated the fans, all of them. If people don't want to be a fan of Clay because he has older fans then I thik that's a shame. I think the type of music he does on his next album will be the key anyway, not anything he says in an interview,.

I also love that Clay seems to know exactly what he wants even if he's still defining his sound. I expect good songs..nothing outraeously different from what we have come to know as Clay. Looking forward to it..I think he'll let out tidbits along the way this time. Great!

[JennaZ]

It's a very honest interview, though some comments may be the subject of some discussion.

A few thoughts:

- The grandma quotes, while probably said very tongue-in-cheek, in a joking manner, probably won't go over well. I wish he hadn't said that. I hope it doesn't make younger fans think he is too unhip to follow.

- He seems to make it rather clear why he did a covers album, and that he didn't think it was a great idea. However, he also seems quite proud of the product.

- The discussion regarding the direction of the new CD seems very promising -- with an actual effort to "make him hip without trying too hard." I like where that's going. Maybe along the direction of LAL's sound?

- On the whole, I thought he came across as funny, honest and unpretentious. I think he wants to show people that he doesn't take himself too seriously, which I suspect may explain his medley choices.

[Ansamcw]

Hee I love this article...

Here once again I think the poddies will say we were right. I just want to say that Clay has always been very clear that the covers idea was Clive. But he always said that he later embraced the idea and came up with a product he would be proud of. I have been toying with the idea that he agreed to do this to humor Clive and test this cover concept. But he really didn;t want to be the next Rod or Barry...so I think it was TC that didn't want to promote it fully on radio. Not because he was not proud of it...but there was another image they wanted to build later on. I believe by doing it Clives way now...he gets to do what he wants later...and sure enough now he has a grammy winning producer that will help him realize the sound and musical identity he really wanted. I think that is why I don;t think his relationship is necessarily sour...just wary.

BUT I do love how candid he is.

about the concert...I really liked the concept of the TV theme medley...but I do think their theme choices could;ve been better...I wish they had the partridge family, cheers greatest american hero. I do think they will get tighter with the songs a they go along.

[Couch Tomato]

heee KAndre, I hope we got clack of you running to your spot!

hmmmm didn't they practice Cheers?

I never watched Mr. Belvedere ...would have never gotten that one.

[treenuts]

Oh sweet jesus, I loved that entire interview and it makes me want to do him right here, right now! Get your low rider ass over here NOW Clay.

In an odd way I have always felt that he is so uncool and proud of it that it actually makes him cool (in my eyes anyway). He is so not afraid to put himself out there, taking risks is what has been his mark all along. He never followed the crowd. So when he is this open and direct in an interview I just cream!!

Am I alone or did anyone else find him all kinds a hawt doing the Like A Virgin bit? He even looked a mess, rumpled, sweaty and hair was mushed at the crown, barefoot and YET I want him NOW. I've got it so bad for this man. He knows who he is and if the folks hanging out in the back field downing their brewskis and makin plans to work on their buddies car next weekend don't get it then he'll live without 'em.

As for the Houston Chron. interview:

LOVED the turkey baster story....

This made me laugh out loud - "Breaking Benjamin is going to kill themselves because they got mentioned in the same article (as) Clay Aiken. There goes the rep."

And this just plain CMSU! - "I think nowadays radio doesn't care how good someone sings. They just care whether or not people can fake having sex while standing up dancing to it. That's all they want." I would have killed to have actually heard him speak those words.

The entire piece was Clay being Clay. He's a breath of fresh air in the stale cookie cutter world of celebrity. And I'm nowhere near being a grandma but I wouldn't be offended by the remark. Hell, it's true to some degree but mostly this is his way of saying he knows his image. He's not trying to be something he's not. Who knew DORKS could be so hot.

Do me now, Clay!!!

So I have some conflicting feelings about the concert. I can't honestly say whether I would enjoy the "medleys", either of them, until I have seen them live. But my hunch is probably not. Not that I don't think it's bold and creative and showcases his goofier side which I adore wildly. It's that after two years I wish he had come back with (and I was looking forward to) a show with him putting some serious music out there. I wanted some fun, but I LOVED ATDW and his voice with the symphony in a live setting would be spellbinding to say the least. Perhaps he doesn't want to take himself too seriously, and that can be a good thing, but this has been a long time coming and I think it would have wowed some non-fans, like lots, to hear just how serious his shit is!!

I still want to do him

G. O. O. D. N. U. S. S the clack is slow (insert emote of eyes bleeding here)

I think I'm the only person still up

did I say this already?

[luckiest1]

Hee I love this article...

Ho-lee shit, so do I!

Here once again I think the poddies will say we were right.

Oh, of course they will. But they always think they are right.

Seriously, I just rolled back out of bed, this is the first thing I've read, and it's totally made my morning already. Haven't even watched a stick of clack yet, either. But I always love, love, love the candid, honest interviews he gives. So much of this one cracks me the hell up, too. God, I love him. YAY! Less than 2 weeks to my first concert, where I will be sitting in the 3rd row. That is SO going to RAWK!

OK off to watch clack. :Tour3:

ETA: Or not. The downloads are crawling!

Edited July 5, 2007 by luckiest1

[jamar1700]

I'm UP!

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Cool interview. So Clay. So very Clay. *g*

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Loved the pics...but ummmm....didn't we get mulitple(!) reports of WHITE Jeans/pants? Just goes to show ya.

Off to download me some stuff!

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O Crap...now my desktops full of videos and I have NO IDEA! what to watch first. I only have 2 1/2 hours before I go to work ya'll....

Edited July 5, 2007 by jamar1700

[luckiest1]

*crawls back to FCA on knees*

OH My GAWWWWWWWWWWWWWD. I just managed to d/l and watch two things - Like A Virgin, and the part 3 of the Sexyback medley. I finally tore myself away after the 4th repeat so I could come here and die with the biggest grin of my face of all time.

*dies*

[bottlecap]

I'm writing this post-mortem. Seriously, I just watched farouche's Lover All Alone. It's all stubble and cheeks bones and eyelahes and lips and intensity and I' m dead.

I was only able to download and watch a couple of other things this morning - spot's Part 1 & 2 of the Sexyback montage. It looks like great giggly fun.

That said, based on the scratchy, underwater cellcert last night, I'd rather have the set include either the TV theme thing or the Pop medley, but maybe not both. More ATDW to give the tour some substance, and less novelty fluff. And Broken Wings needs to go into the setlist somewhere, or I'm gonna have to go over to the OFC and start a long, whiny thread about it. You know I'll do it, too.

muskifest and other Frisco attendees, I hope you don't feel like you need to hold back - tell us about your experiences and thoughts. Based on that Houston article, Clay's apparently decided he's going to be Mr. Honesty and pull no punches, so we shouldn't have to hold back either.

Man, so much to get caught up on this morning.... Later, ma peeps!

[cindilu2]

Okay - I'm really going to try to stay at least visually unspoiled for the most part. But I had to see the uptempo medley for myself. OMG. With respect to those who were there and feel differently, I can't imagine how anybody who has ever heard of Clay Aiken could watch that and not get that it was a fun, tongue in cheek piece of entertainment. And yet STILL he sings the shiznit out of it. Wheeeee!!!!!

eta: bottlecap, I don't think you need ever have heard of Keith to get the 'funny' in that. It's Clay Aiken. Singing Madonna. Like a Virgin. I know mileages will vary all over the place for this tour, and I promise not to argue about any more of it because everybody has their perceptions. But it's Clay. Singing Like A Virgin. OMG.

Edited July 5, 2007 by cindilu2

[bottlecap]

IMO, the Keith "Like a Virgin" impression is probably pretty obscure to anyone who's not a hardcore Clay / AI fan. Its been four years since Keith, and there have been hundreds on "bad" auditions broadcast since then, and I think his crown as the "Worst Ever" is a distant memory to many.

[luckiest1]

I don't think I've ever watched the Keith version (or the Madonna version either) and I don't think you need to have done so to get that Clay is snarking pretty heavily on that number. Hee!

cindilu2, I really really really want to stay unspoiled for some things, but I am not sure what yet. Maybe I'll stay unspoiled for something from Houston. Seriously, I have no will power whatsoever. Tonight is going to be a Clack-a-palooza at my house!!

So, where are the eHP? Other than muski, has anyone checked in yet? We need more first hand reports. And we need to hear how our tour virgins made out! Are they still alive?????

[jamar1700]

Okay now for my really most likely unpopular opinion that I've formed after watching most of the clack and not having seen the actual show yet. (How's that for a disclaimer? *g*)

I think, I'm looking forward more to the TV Themes Medley than the Classics Medley.

I think Clay's right. There were some teriffic themes back in the day. Just plain great songs. And I think he hit MOST of my favorites so of course I feel the con.nec.tion (hee). The set up to the bit w/the Perfect Strangers theme (which is all I've seen) really works IMO. It is part of Clay's story (which he also mentioned in LTS). And if singing TV Themes is cheesy so be it. Clay has shown a penchent for cheese in the past. Has he not?

OTOH maybe Clive will sense an idea for the next covers CD.

I KEED! I KEED!

*Ouch! Stop throwing things*

That being said, I also agree with Clay that LAL is rather a downer. I think it will work but I do understand his reticence about putting it in the show and I don't think he's just being overly humble. From what I saw, it has a vulnerable quality to it that I'm not sure he's comfortable with at this point.

But what do I know? I apparently like CHEESE as much as the next mouse because I get a bigger kick out of him singing lyrics like

THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY DREAM AND NOTHING'S GONNA STOP ME NOW!

That's MY guy! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

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Thank goodness it's almost Tulsa Time [tm DonWilliams] [tm Eric Clapton]

:Tour3: :Tour3: :Tour3:

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Now, since I have to work at 9 I must...

exit ... stage left ... double time .... eefen [tm Snagglepuss] <---cuz I'm on a tm kick

Edited July 5, 2007 by jamar1700

[bottlecap]

Hee. I wrote in the concert thread last night that I wondered if Clay was trying to audition to sing the theme song for one of the new fall TV shows. That would be a great way to get his voice heard on a regular basis.

Just speculating and snarkin', BTW, just to be clear...

[luckiest1]

Question: should we bring conversation from the Frisco thread out to main now? I responded to a few posts in there but figure no one will see it since the concert is over.

[Couch Tomato]

Hee. I wrote in the concert thread last night that I wondered if Clay was trying to audition to sing the theme song for one of the new fall TV shows. That would be a great way to get his voice heard on a regular basis.

Just speculating and snarkin', BTW, just to be clear...

Works for me Bottle. heee.

While I liked the two bits from what I could hear and I haven't watched the clack yet -- I thik the flow may be a little jarring but will get better with the longer set. We'll find out on Friday. And the way he honed in on trying to make the show uptempo makes me think he was a little too worried over fears that this was going to be a boring show so he came up with things that were more gimmicky than just adding an uptempo song or two or three along the way. That would have worked just as well. Still can't wait to see it adn the ATDW stuff just really sounded spectacular. I want to hear Broken Wings and Lonely No more. I hope that is added in Houston. Borken WIngs doesn't have to sound just like the record with the spoken word. He can do it any old way he wants. I just want to hear him sing it.

Yeah, I thought I heard about white pants too. Did he change..cuz how could jeans and white pants get confused...well long hair and short hair got reported too. heee.

[cindilu2]

Maybe they got confused because Angela and Quiana were wearing white pants? You know how us old ladies are.

God I love him.

eta: Speaking of PANTS! I think he was a half-a-breath-in away from losing them completely during the beginning of that medley. Wooooooooo!!

Edited July 5, 2007 by cindilu2

[bottlecap]

eta: Speaking of PANTS! I think he was a half-a-breath-in away from losing them completely during the beginning of that medley. Wooooooooo!!

Hee. Hide the Krispy Kremes and push the salads!! Five pounds of weight loss oughta do it, eh?

[luckiest1]

I am listening to deborah760's audio of LAA right now. I totally think he only put this in the set list because of all the people begging him to do so on the OFC (as per his opening comments). So I take back all my negative comments about that thread. If this is the end result, it was worth it. *dies again*