#13 The Aiken Experience. There's nothing else like it.

[playbiller]

Ahhh, I would have liked to see a picture of K'Andre in a swan boat with a tiara - it would have been a real Disney moment. They used to have then at Seaside Heights boardwalk when I wasa very, very small child and at Olympic Park, which also closed down when I was very young. I was thrilled when I saw something from a distant memory of my childhood.

Claysiempre - I know that name, I think I was PMing her for some reason in the past, long before OFC was a twinkle in Clay's eye. Nice person, I am happy she got a M&G.

[YSRN]

It's ClaySiempre's blog. I posted her name in the previous post, but not the one with the link, sorry. I'll go edit that in. The OFC is weird that way!!

ETA...

Heh, I see lickiest1 already answered... God, I need more coffee.

Jeez a whole page was added and I missed it...

Poutine is fries with curds and gravy? Who knew...? I always thought it was some animal thing... don't ever ask Shady to describe hog maw to you... GAG ME!!! It's disgusting. IMHO of course. Hee.

sorry, treenuts... It's pretty darn long too, but mostly the gist (clack-related) is that Clay doesn't mind clack as long as the venue doesn't and the clacker isn't blocking anyone else's view of the concert. He doesn't see it as advertising or promotional tool. And of course, he doesn't like flashes.

Ahhh, I would have liked to see a picture of K'Andre in a swan boat with a tiara - it would have been a real Disney moment.

I can so totally picture it though... dramatic effects and all. Edited July 31, 2007 by YSRN

[cha cha trusty]

I think this will work if you are logged in. Scroll down to her second most recent blog.

If the link doesn't work, log in, look at the list of members online at the bottom of the page (this is the OFC, not the message board), and click her name.

http://www.clayonline.com/blog.html?displa...8&add_blog=

And, er, thanks for the congrats. I'm sure it will be an interesting adventure. Oy.

Whose blog is this? If there's a way to tell from the page, I'm not seeing it, lol.

Thanks YSRN - reading now.......

The reason I said "sort of" is I've had my daughter and SIL living here with us off and on for the past 4 years (now they have their own place, but she is in Ecuador right now!) and it was a big adjustment after being used to the empty nest!

Wacky-Bear-Trackers Update - All is Well - No Luggage Yet!

cindi - it's ClaySiempre's blog......... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Edited July 31, 2007 by cha cha trusty

[pkmiller]

eta: I forgot to address the ghost photo question........ because I think I know the answer!!

the "ghost" image is what happens when the digital camera lens is still open and the photographer moves the camera, usually when lowering it from the eye.

You can see another example of it HERE and sometimes it creates very interesting visual effects!! (scroll down a little to the one in the middle of Clay in white)

WOW, that photo is stranger than mine! But how do you explain the pink bow?

pkmiller thanks for posting that photo. I right clicked and saved since I was at that concert. Sorry I didn't see you to say hello. It sure looks like miss lady brady hee.

Legend has it that a stagehand hung himself in the Brady and that he sits in the rafters watching the shows. I thought maybe he was jumping down to get a better look.

[laughn]

Just wanted to say I've been loving everyone's recaps and reading in Couchie's cousin's thread (try saying that three times fast), so thank you for all for taking the time to share. Even if I haven't been much of a talker lately, I'm reading. . *muah*

Poutine at the McDonald's in Canada, at least the area around Detroit, is made with fries, gravy and melted cheese. Could never bring myself to try it.

ClaySiempre gave a great M&G recap in her blog, but when she talked about the arm hair shaving she said it was 'what the fans had already guessed.' Color me out of the loop, but could anyone tell me what that might have been?

[ldyjocelyn]

First of all -- I love my fries. I love my cheese curds. I love my gravy. Mixed together? Sounds like an unappetizing mess to me. *shrug*

Found this on the Clayboard, something for the southern California peeps to keep an eye out for:

Advertising coming up for the California shows...with new pictures!

Here's the pictures:

I'm glad they are using pictures from Frisco -- including SKIN!!! Hee.

Karen Eh?, your stories always crack me up, and your pictures always make me swoon. BTW, please don't buy your next Volkswagon through Ticketmaster, OK? Glad you've got that "cut & paste" thing down too. *g*

I found this report interesting (from Couchie's cousin):

Every label is different... There is no paint by the numbers way to say how things will be worked and promoted. Every artist is different. Every artist contract is different. The players involved for each artist may be different.

This reinforces something I've always believed, that there is no standard playbook as to how an artist should be promoted. So often, fans complain that Ruben got this or Kelly got that, that the label must hate Clay because he didn't get precisely every single promotion that another artist got -- even when Clay received different promotional opportunities.

Seems like every artist is promoted differently, so what applies to others may not necessarily apply to Clay. And he is, admittedly, a unique individual with an atypical fanbase. I'm not saying that necessarily excuses RCA for anything, but to me, it may explain the label's difficulty in trying to fashion the ideal marketing strategy for him. They aren't going to promote him like, say, Daughtrey, because guess what? He's NOT DAUGHTREY. Nor should he be.

Amen! The other thing too is that I think Clay realizes this as well, and is always on the lookout for a promotional opportunity that maybe the suits wouldn't get. The one that I can think of off the top of my head, that wasn't ENTIRELY successful IMO, was the DOOL connection. It sounded to me in interviews that Clay himself was looking for that.

Anyway -- I've always looked at promo opportunities for Clay just like I look at things in my own life. I know that while some things will work well for others, they may not work well for ME, and I plan accordingly. When it comes to Clay, I know that it can be difficult not to do comparisons, but in my case, I just have to trust, you know? And realize that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Another tidbit from couchie's cousin:

We aren't the only fan group that checks out stores for product. LOL. One well known singer's fans works WITH the management by scouting out the stores - management uses that info to deal with the label. I'm sure many fan groups do this but frankly only one has made itself notorious from top of the label all the way down to the man on the street. She was cracking me up about those scarey fans. I wish she worked for RCA because I wonder if WE are scarey enough for them or just amateurs.

You know, in a way, this kinda frightens me. Yes, I've checked stock for Clay at my local stores, but that's only been for my enjoyment. I guess I have a REAL hard time with what I'm seeing here as the blurring of my "job" as a fan versus the job that these people are supposed to be doing. The mix there makes me very uncomfortable.

And one more:

unless the man on the street is in the stores making sure they are actually going..well there's human error and dependence on the store to do its job. The Rogers of the world depend on the people under them to do their jobs.

Another thing that I've always 100% believed. The people complaining about stock issues and taking that directly to the top of the marketing departments without going through the local people first confounded me. Working the way up the chain first always made more sense to me...especially (and unfortunately) when you are talking about people who are barely making minimum wage as stock clerks and wouldn't know Clay Aiken from Ruben Studdard.

The suits are trying so hard, operating on the model that they must tell people who and what to like, and they can't understand why it isn't working. But it's really so simple. Good music. Variety.

ITA...and yet, for some reason, your statement here jmh combined with this from couchie's cousin:

She talked a bit about fickle fans. How they just won't consistently buy from one album to the next - even when it's similar in style. This is why they don't want people to deviate too much from what they are known for. It's hard enough keeping people coming back.

...made me think that I might be understanding a bit where the suits are coming from. They truly believe that if an artist varies from their "norm," the fan's won't come back. Worse yet, if "we" like one particular style of music, whether on the radio or from a particular artist, they think that we'll like similar stuff from other artists. Of course, WE know that's not the case...but I think the suits still hold on to their beliefs. They really don't understand, IMO, that almost everyone changes their minds regarding musical tastes at some point...probably several times throughout their lifetime. But yet, that confuses people who are trying to market to a particular niche. Anyway, to the suits, it seems like "variety" is a dirty word, IMO.

I will say, though, that I think it's a fine line to walk/tread regarding all this. I keep going back to Jaymes' "stay in your lane, but swerve a little" comment. Now, what I don't know when she said this was if she was talking from a "suits" POV or a "creative" POV. Hard to tell, really.

All I know is that I want Clay to stay true to himself. I'm simple that way.

YSRN, thanks for bringing that blog to our attention. The interesting thing to me was his feeling on Clack. I think early in the fandom, it was a big advertisement -- I mean, how many of us, if we hadn't seen the "OMG, OMG" Invisible clip, would have gone to an AI show? I wouldn't have! But I think he's right in that the die-hards really know more about where the clack is than a general person....although he might have to revise that thinking a bit with the advent of YouTube. *g*

That was a sweet story to end the blog too.

Good luck with and for your sister, YSRN!

Eeeegads.............Someone stole my husband and replaced him with someone who is delirious and talking nonsense. He wants to sell everything out and move to South America. Ecuador no less.........Where the hell did this come from?

Oh dear. Keep us posted!

Can't stay. I'm having real problems. It hurts me too much to sit for long. Must go find something to clean. Maybe later...........

Oh dear number 2. Hope you feel better!

laughn, I think it had to do with Clay and self-tanner. I think. But I still want to know why he was supposedly kinda sore ("don't squeeze too hard") that week!

[muskifest]

Howdy, pardners! From El Paso, TX!

And now adios! Finally got here late last night---plane late from Oakland, plane late from Phoenix...then about an hour on the runway waiting in Phoenix in a tiny little plane....turbulent weather to El Paso...and now we're stylin' in El Paso in a freakin' yellow PT Cruiser!

I'm going now to Target to buy some fringe for the windows and a couple of dice to hang from the rearview mirror.

Good Lord.

Will catch up later...MuskiDaughter#1 and I are starving and are on our way to that bastion of HealthyEats---iHop!

Later :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ldyjocelyn....LOVE your avie! LOVE it! BWAH!

[YSRN]

But I still want to know why he was supposedly kinda sore ("don't squeeze too hard") that week!

Actually I read somewhere (maybe even in ClaySiempre's blog, that Jerome said Clay'd been bruised in the past from the too-hard-squeezing, not that he was bruised now (then).

So, I guess the Jericho nuclear bomb exploding sending Clay running and diving for cover as his arm hair burnt off wasn't the right answer.

Couchie... I'll find some fine dining establishment BAR for us to meet up at Wednesday night and PM you. Squeee... I'm meeting my twin.

I guess I have to work now. Harumpfh! I'd much rather be in El Paso slurpin' up the pancake syrup.

Edited July 31, 2007 by YSRN

[cindilu2]

<snip> First of all -- I love my fries. I love my cheese curds. I love my gravy. Mixed together? Sounds like an unappetizing mess to me. *shrug* <snip>

Here's the pictures:

I'm glad they are using pictures from Frisco -- including SKIN!!! Hee.

Amen! The other thing too is that I think Clay realizes this as well, and is always on the lookout for a promotional opportunity that maybe the suits wouldn't get. The one that I can think of off the top of my head, that wasn't ENTIRELY successful IMO, was the DOOL connection. It sounded to me in interviews that Clay himself was looking for that.

Heheh. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. It's delicious!

Okay, how many times did I think something was trying to crawl up Clay's shirt in that second pic before I realized it was a hole in the paper. BWAH! Lucky hole.

And I'm curious what you think was not successful about the DOOL appearance? I only read good things about it - it was what it was. A cameo on a Christmas episode of a soap, that gained him some more exposure. What should it have been for it to be deemed successful?

[ldyjocelyn]

And I'm curious what you think was not successful about the DOOL appearance? I only read good things about it - it was what it was. A cameo on a Christmas episode of a soap, that gained him some more exposure. What should it have been for it to be deemed successful?

I was really hoping that it would cause in a jump in sales that next week, and if I remember correctly, it didn't....or at least, not enough for MY liking. *g* I agree that it was good exposure for Clay, and it got him into some print media that doesn't normally cover him. Also, the blurbs when it was announced he was doing this were really great.

But I was hoping for more sales because of it. I was hoping that the soap fans would be all over themselves trying to get this CD after hearing the song, and I'm not sure it did.

Of course, "successful" is in the eyes of the beholder. Since Clay seemed happy doing it, I was with him 200% for doing it.

[laughn]

So, I guess the Jericho nuclear bomb exploding sending Clay running and diving for cover as his arm hair burnt off wasn't the right answer.

LOL

I figured he shaved the hair to get the tan, but I guess my mind was more interested in why that pasty white boy wanted to get himself all tan and whatnot. I was hoping it was for more than just wedding photos, like a television appearance or something...but nothing has ever been mentioned, so... *sigh* for wishful thinking...

Edited July 31, 2007 by laughn

[Couch Tomato]

As a former ok current since I'm watching GH again, it was too bad that DOOL didn't use the song as more of a theme song for the couple. They should have used the song a lot leading up to his appearance and then continued to use it. Perhaps then it would have gained more traction with the soap fans. Lord knows I still remember theme songs from back in the day...

Baby Come to Me by Patti Austin comes to mind. They wore that song out on General Hospital and it turned me into a fan. Jack Wagner's All I need.... I think that one did pretty well on the charts and they played it a lot on the show.

Yep it's TMI so you might want to scroll

YES! My monthly visitor has arrived and at least I will only be a bitchy mess through Thursday and not the entire trip.

[YSRN]

Baby Come to Me by Patti Austin comes to mind. They wore that song out on General Hospital and it turned me into a fan. Jack Wagner's All I need.... I think that one did pretty well on the charts and they played it a lot on the show.

Aww, a whole little GH montage just scrolled through the recesses of my mind. Baby, come to meeee...

I know when guest bands or singers appeared in Luke's club (GH), they never really got another mention, so I didn't expect one later... I don't watch DOOL so I have no idea if the song or Clay's appearance was ever alluded to again... I guess I would have heard about it though.

Lucky hole.

[atinal]

I think EIH on DOOL was one of his best performances of the ATDWs promo stuff. I love Clay's performances on TV but felt that for the most part WY and ATD didn't show up well on TV. I think so many of those small TV studios just don't capture his voice well. I know after so many of the appearances people who were there live said the songs sounded great and I have no doubt that they did, but when the shows aired something seemed to be off and it didn't always seem to be the same thing. I think I remember the Martha Stewart being another one that came accross well. I guess what I'm taking a long time trying to say is, I'm not sure that some of those appearances sold many CDs for Clay. Of course, I could be just talkin' out my butt, it wouldn't be the first time.

[ldyjocelyn]

couchie, that's exactly what I was thinking about regarding the DOOL thing, that if EIH had become a "theme," I think more people would have sought out ATDW.

atinal, I remember the Martha ATD working especially well...but I think that was partially because the cameraperson (whom I think MUST have been a woman!) knew exactly what we were looking for too!

Meanwhile, in more charitable things:

Earthtimes.org

Caregiving: Clay Aiken to expand camps

ALBANY, N.Y., July 31 Long before appearing on Fox's "American Idol" in 2003, Clay Aiken had a dream that did not involve being a pop star.

As a YMCA camp counselor, it saddened him that children with developmental disabilities had to be turned away from not only the fun of camp, but from the experience of being with other children, and he promised himself that this was something he would try to change.

"American Idol," several hit tours and 4.3 million album sales later, the pop star announced earlier this month that his dream is becoming a reality with the goal of raising $1 million to expand the Bubel/Aiken Foundation's "Let ALL Play" initiative so that 100 camps in 2008 would become inclusive to children with special needs.

It's simple concept really, but all too often, special needs children are excluded from everyday activities like swimming, arts and crafts, games, community service and physical fitness programs.

"It's an ambitious goal and it will be a challenge -- 100 camps and $1 million dollars in less than one year -- but we are about 20 percent of the way to that goal," Jerry Aiken, executive director of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, told UPI's Caregiving. "But we also have a fan base with a tremendous amount of experience and strong passion for this issue -- we have close to 1,000 volunteers -- working with the foundation and we have been listening to them and they have some great ideas."

Jerry Aiken, Clay Aiken's uncle on his mother's side, held senior level positions at Nortel Networks, TRW and Fujitsu Network Communications, before coming to the foundation in May.

"I was told of a parent with a child with special needs and on the first day of camp the parent is coaxing the child to get out of the car and give camp a try, but a couple of days later the child can't wait to get to camp and is running inside -- when you hear these stories you see the value -- the self-worth element -- of inclusion," said Jerry Aiken.

"There was a 8-year-old child with autism, who was diagnosed at age 2 and he attended a YMCA camp this summer -- his vocabulary before the camp was about two words and after attending camp it jumped to 11 words -- that's huge."

There are several things currently in the works to raise funds, including working with a number of companies to gain sponsorship and there will be a celebrity version of the TV show on Fox's "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader" that may offer us some opportunities as well, according to Jerry Aiken.

In addition, Jerry Aiken, a golfer, is working toward a golf tournament tentatively scheduled in Florida this year or in early 2008.

"I play golf and I have encouraged Clay to take it up, but golf takes a commitment and at the moment he doesn't have the time for golf, but he would be at the golf tournament," Jerry Aiken said.

The foundation is working with established camp programs such as the YMCA or other qualified American Camp Association members by providing financial support plus a detailed camp manual, training and ongoing assistance -- most of the funds that we raise cover training, additional counselors, equipment/supplies as well as a camp scholarships if required, according to Jerry Aiken.

"We stress to the camps they should not significantly change their program; the 'Let's ALL Play' manual and the training is about developing the camp team to provide a typical camp experience."

There is tug of war in pedagogy and psychological circles on how to best challenge the special needs child and the typical child so both experience optional challenges, according to Dr. Larry Lachman, a licensed clinical psychologist at Chapman University in Monterey, Calif.

"If either the special needs child, or the typical child does not get enough stimulation, it won't work," Lachman told UPI's Caregiving.

"Assuming the staff/counselors are trained in special needs, that the design of the program is appropriate and the typical children have the emotional maturity so they do not tease, this can be a highly beneficial experience and broaden the skill sets of both sets of children -- it sets the bar higher for all the children and opens everyone's eye to seeing something from a different point of view."

I saw things from a different point of view after I heard Clay Aiken in an interview several years ago with Diane Sawyer of ABC News. He said what made him passionate about being a special education teacher was the challenge -- the puzzle -- and how to figure out ways to help unlock the world so that a special needs child could connect and function better.

At the time, I was experiencing the "distancing" of friends of mine and friends of my father who treated the news of my father's Alzheimer's disease as if it was leprosy. I never heard from them again.

But thinking about dementia as a challenge, as a puzzle that can be solved, bit by bit, instead of giving up, made a big difference for me. It's certainly not the message I got from traditional healthcare.

So I understand why Clay Aiken's fan base is more than just the usual pop star fan base of teens -- many of his fans are caregivers -- who appreciate the message of inclusion.

In an era when many men in their 20s are only passionate about video games or have nothing else on their minds than perfecting their backhand, Clay Aiken talking about inclusion of those with special needs is enormously attractive to women of all ages, so I can understand why his fans are so devoted and why the foundation has such ambitious plans.

--

Alex Cukan is an award-winning journalist, but she has also been a caregiver since she was a teenager. UPI welcomes comments and questions about this column.)

(e-mail: parentcaregiving@gmail.com)

ALBANY, N.Y., July 31 --

Well, now we know how Jerry Aiken is related to Clay. Also, I'm trying to imagine Clay golfing, and find myself

[cindilu2]

Ehhh - I think of things like the DOOL appearance as exposure - keeps his name out there and he looked SO fine!

I know I'm a minority when it comes to this, but I have never, ever gone out and bought a cd based on somebody's appearance on a TV show. If all it did is put him on people's radar who might not otherwise have heard of him, I consider it a success.

[jamar1700]

Well I'm off.

Hope to meet up with some of you in Cali! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[cindilu2]

Oohh, I can totally see Clay being a golfer. Tall, thin people are so much better off (speaking as a short, not so thin person, whose boobs get in the way of a good golf swing, lol). NO plus-fours though Clay, please!

What a great article. It's nice to see the positive aspects of his 'fandom' written about without the mocking 'tone'. Clay talking about his passion in life? Hell yeah, that's sexy. HELL YEAH!!!!

[YSRN]

Jerry Aiken, Clay Aiken's uncle on his mother's side, held senior level positions at Nortel Networks

WooT... con.nec.shun! I think the addition of Jerry to the BAF was a very good thing, indeed.

I'm LMAO at the "flood warning" on that screen cap up there!

Safe travels, jamar!

[Couch Tomato]

Ehhh - I think of things like the DOOL appearance as exposure - keeps his name out there and he looked SO fine!

I know I'm a minority when it comes to this, but I have never, ever gone out and bought a cd based on somebody's appearance on a TV show. If all it did is put him on people's radar who might not otherwise have heard of him, I consider it a success.

There are degrees to success and if they had used that as a theme song rather than a one time event it would have been a larger success. As a soap fan I used to hate the special events and special guest stars they used to bring in. ...just give me my storyline. If the song is intrinsic to the story... it can make a difference. When I watched OLTL and they introduced this entire Latino community and started jamming Latin music day after day and it became familiar..I was buying stuff left and right ..and didn't even understand what I was listening to.

Grey's Anatomy introduces and sells a lot of music. I asked my cousin about this and of course there in an entire other division that handles this and it's growing. Getting your songs on TV shows in key scenes or stories or as a theme can have a huge effect. I want to see this for Clay.

[cindilu2]

Ehhh - I think of things like the DOOL appearance as exposure - keeps his name out there and he looked SO fine!

I know I'm a minority when it comes to this, but I have never, ever gone out and bought a cd based on somebody's appearance on a TV show. If all it did is put him on people's radar who might not otherwise have heard of him, I consider it a success.

There are degrees to success and if they had used that as a theme song rather than a one time event it would have been a larger success. As a soap fan I used to hate the special events and special guest stars they used to bring in. ...just give me my storyline. If the song is intrinsic to the story... it can make a difference. When I watched OLTL and they introduced this entire Latino community and started jamming Latin music day after day and it became familiar..I was buying stuff left and right ..and didn't even understand what I was listening to.

Grey's Anatomy introduces and sells a lot of music. I asked my cousin about this and of course there in an entire other division that handles this and it's growing. Getting your songs on TV shows in key scenes or stories or as a theme can have a huge effect. I want to see this for Clay.

I agree with this couchie, and I would LOVE to see one of Clay's songs (especially Lover All Alone) make it onto a tv show or movie soundtrack. That is my fondest dream for him at the moment.

[ldyjocelyn]

[JennaZ]

Great story about the BAF's $1 million goal. It's ambitious, but hopefully the Fifth Grader appearance will make a big difference, not just from any money Clay wins, but from the national exposure the show could bring.

While it's rare that a television appearance or song use will cause someone to buy a CD, I do think it's common for them to cause people to download songs, either legally or illegally. And eventually, that "taste" can lead to bigger purchases down the road. DOOL may not have lead to a large increase in sales, but it's possible that it did create interest for some who may not have heard him before.

And I get why Clack is not really advertising or promotion. While I do think it has helped sell tickets to die-hard fans, it really isn't out there, even on You Tube. My sense is that if it were completely up to him, he'd allow it as long as it wasn't disturbing others. However, every performance has other interested parties as well. Musicians typically get paid to perform on video. Songwriters are supposed to get royalties every time their work is used. Fans are paying them squat for the video. And I doubt that the argument that they should be grateful because it's "promotional," is really persuasive to them. Some venues/orchestras may be stricter about enforcement than others, but the bottom line is that it is their right to prohibit filming. I'm grateful to Clack gatherer for risking their equipment and experience to provide video. However, I can't blame Clay, Jerome, or even the orchestras for the "clackdown." On the whole, I think Clay has actually looked the other way more often than not.

[Claygasm]

Checking in from work before I leave work so I can go to California!!!!

Woo the hell hoo!!!

Boarding pass is run. I just have a few errands to do and then I will head home to pack.

I am still sad muski won't be there. Seems strange to be flying into Oakland and not be seeing her, but I HOPE we'll be seeing her somewhere along the way (even though I really do want Carrie's team to do really, really well......).

But..... I get meet couchie and ansa and my twin!!!!!! And then JennaZ in LA and who knows who else along the way!!! :TourExcite:

Couchie... I'll find some fine dining establishment BAR for us to meet up at Wednesday night and PM you. Squeee... I'm meeting my twin.

Hee! Cannot wait!

I'm LMAO at the "flood warning" on that screen cap up there!

Good catch!! And how appropriate is that!

Hopefully I can read the blog tonight and the info from couchie's cousin so I can be all caught up before I leave!

I am getting excited!!!!!!

:Tour3: :Tour3: :Tour3:

[laughn]

I asked and received permission to post ClaySiempre's blog M&G story. I put it in the 'tidbits' thread.

Have fun all ye CA peeps. May your dinner be yummy, as well as Clay. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Edited July 31, 2007 by laughn