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

ldyjocelyn

By ldyjocelyn
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Thread Title Poll  

46 members have voted

  1. 1. What should be the next thread title on the FCA board?

    • He's my happy.
      1
    • Doesn't want to leave RCA.
      1
    • Lullabied...All.night.long Slooooowwwww
      1
    • We do a lot of slow songs because that's what we're good at
      3
    • Krispy Kreme, macaroni and cheese, and sloooooow songs.
      1
    • God, I love his whole damn being!
      2
    • The most adorable, lovable, huggable almost devilish creature that melts my heart .
      7
    • It's never enough with Clay Aiken.
      5
    • Doing the backstroke in a fondue ocean breathing through a cheese straw.
      4
    • Well, it's really no wonder that next thing he knew she was all up on him screaming "Yeah! Yeah!"
      21

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ldyjocelyn Campaign Manager

ldyjocelyn

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Fear, that second picture is really great -- the composition of it especially, IMO. Helps that you've got a really nice subject doesn't it though?

I don't know, but if this tour goes on much longer, I think we might just get a nipple sighting. I swear that man is showing more and more skin.... :Thud:

Either that or the pants will fall down (which is what I think Clayzor has been praying for the past week or so....

No matter...I'll take either.

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luckiest1 Stylist

luckiest1

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We are back in the hotel in Knoxville. We decided to forgo the busline tonight and get some sleep instead. I think I am going to be catching up on my sleep for weeks!

Tonight was fantastic. I had 10th row absolutely dead centre seats, and a clear view. It was a gorgeous, intimate venue and the acoustics were great. Clay was in a great mood, and had everyone killing themselves laughing from beginning to end. The girls were also in great humour. I had one of the 18 year old males that Clay spotlighted directly in front of me, and I can tell you, he was into the show from the first song, bopping his head, clapping, standing to applaud....everything. He killed himself laughing at some of the songs in the Classics (the more recent ones, that he knew). After the show was over I asked him if this was his first show and he said that he goes to one on every tour, but this was his first one this tour. He drove down from Georgia with his girlfriend.

It's too late to do a recap tonight, but I'll do one sometime tomorrow if I can. Thanks to everyone for commenting.....I love writing them because they keep my memories fresh.

Hee, off to sleep and dream about the whip.......... :Thud:

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muskifest Stylist

muskifest

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Fear...uh, what the HELL is your avie all about? :huh::blink::unsure:

:cryingwlaughter:

I survived our day of hurricane cleaning....let's just say that it's a good thing that tomorrow morning is our trash/recycle pickup day....AND that there's still some room in the garage (shutup, couchie and ansa) for bags of stuff headed for Goodwill and whatnot...

The girls and I took a dinner break and went to Fresh Choice while Kenny vegetated in front of a baseball game (I think he was watching the Phillies, CG! They were his childhood team.) Then it was back to work. Oy.

Speaking of oy, where's Diva? Haven't seen her around here lately....

I watched Asheville's Classics and I gotta say that one was one of my favorites...he was having such fun! Loved the twirling the towel over his head during "party all night"!

Now...off to watch some more Asheville goodies!

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muskifest Stylist

muskifest

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I just read that Clay invited Ethel onto his bus tonight. I cannot say I think this is cool. Just don't get it.

Am I jealous? Of course...not so much about the bus thing...but of...

Actually, I'm not sure what I'm jealous of...I do know that I don't think it's a good idea to encourage people who point themselves out consistently...even if she is a nice person, etc. I don't know her, have never met her...don't know what her whole 'thang' is, but

whatever, I guess...hell, I don't know...

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laughn Executive Producer

laughn

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I don't know, but if this tour goes on much longer, I think we might just get a nipple sighting. I swear that man is showing more and more skin.... :Thud:
:cryingwlaughter:

(I could live with that...honestly)

The thing about Ethel, if Clay didn't like her, he wouldn't engage her from the stage like he does. He wouldn't invite her onto his bus more than once. I figure everyone is entitled to like who they want, and for whatever reason, it appears he likes her.

The last time we meet was in a bathroom in Sterling Hts. and she had big log piece of toilet paper stuck to her shoe. I warned her about it and we had a good laugh. It's hard for me to be jealous of her. Aside from getting Clay's attention, she just seems normal to me. Meh.

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bottlecap Stylist

bottlecap

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Ethel sealed the deal with me when I saw the very sweet smile Clay gave her in response to her "It's all good" encouragement before he sang All is Well in Merrillville last year. The only thing I find to resent about her is that she had way better seats than I did at the Columbus and Sterling Heights concerts. :P Clay's schtick with her didn't last more than a couple of minutes in each of those concerts, and I found it to be very funny. YMMV, of course.
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atinal Executive Producer

atinal

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I've never had a problem with Ethel. I'm with you bottle, I really appreciated Ethel's few words of encouragement that night. Maybe, to Clay, Ethel represents the fans that have stuck by him, the ones who support him by going to multiple concerts, the ones who find joy in his voice and performances. She seems to be someone who, when he sees her in his audience, brings him a little joy, and that's ok with me.

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Ansamcw Baby Sitter

Ansamcw

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Ethel sealed the deal with me when I saw the very sweet smile Clay gave her in response to her "It's all good" encouragement before he sang All is Well in Merrillville last year. The only thing I find to resent about her is that she had way better seats than I did at the Columbus and Sterling Heights concerts. :P Clay's schtick with her didn't last more than a couple of minutes in each of those concerts, and I found it to be very funny. YMMV, of course.

WORD...her over the top antics never bothered me as much as people that talk loud on the cell phones or talk loud to each other and disturb other people. The difference to me is that Ethel seem there for CLAY. She is interacting with Clay and gives him her whole attention. The people talking in cellphones and talking to each other are there for their friends, and forget at times the man in front of them giving his all on the stage.

I know watching Clay I have sometimes been moved to sing along...specially with the TV medley. I do hope I didn't sing loud enough to bother people but I know I do it unconciously at times just because I am swept up by his music. There were times when I was moved to stand and cheer loudly for him. In BYLM I found myself singing along because I felt like I should sing the song to him as well. I don't mind seeing that in others because performers love to see an audience totally into the show. oh except when people try to out sing a performer that is giving a moving performance like Angela on Listen. Clay also encourages these type of responses. He wants people to stand up...to sing along at times and I do believe he finds it amusing when people try to talk to him at the right time...it simply energizes him IMO. So I believe when he sees Ethel and sees her having fun and totally lost in the moment, it totally adds to the fun for him. He has talked to her on a lot of occasion so that tells me he sees something special in her and he considers her part of his touring experience.

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jamar1700 Executive Producer

jamar1700

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I've never had a problem with Ethel. I'm with you bottle, I really appreciated Ethel's few words of encouragement that night. Maybe, to Clay, Ethel represents the fans that have stuck by him, the ones who support him by going to multiple concerts, the ones who find joy in his voice and performances. She seems to be someone who, when he sees her in his audience, brings him a little joy, and that's ok with me.

Ditto. And I gotta admire the way she takes her licks (in certain cyber places) & keeps on ticking. She goes about doing her Ethel thang and is not famewhoring about it on the boards all the time, like some might. Heck...if it weren't for people discussing her on the boards I'd never know what she was up to. *g*

---

After unpacking this weekend and finding all my ticket stubs and placing them lovingly in their designated spot on my dresser, I counted (again...) and The Greek was my 20th concert! :wub:

---

muski...glad you got to "play chuck" as we call it. It's cleansing. After watching several people in my life go through moves this year I now have a new mantra. If I were moving would I take this with me? If the answer is no...out it goes. But please as a PSA from a librarian....call ahead and find out what the policy is before lugging those boxes of books to the library...if you haven't already that is.

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Ansamcw Baby Sitter

Ansamcw

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Well...it took me a long time to catch up on the posts....I'm sorry I missed out on a lot of fun on the board...the avie war...the top of the page excitement...the recaps of Kandre and Couchie...and the pictures posted by scarlett!!!! lots of great and funny posts...

I totally missed that when I was off the net..yikes.

rcknrllmom... I was thinking of you during our trip. I was wondering how we can get in touch...you were not posting so I didn;t think you were on line. I wanted to meet you and your talented daughter. Its too bad you didn;t come and say hi at the Mexican restaurant...I sure didn;t see any other Clay fans there. Well next time we have to make firm plans. I was so happy to meet other FCAers like Totally, Jamar, Clayzedover, AAIT and other people from CH that recognized my name.

This was one trip I will never forget and I hope we can have another chance to do it again...maybe in the East coast so we can get a bigger group of FCAers.

To all the recent celebrants...Belated...

:bday2:

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Couch Tomato Baby Sitter

Couch Tomato

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BTW...did I ever mention that my middle name is Ethel? :lilredani:

'BWAH...

Since I have a new bug up my butt about people being a disturbance I really hope if Ethel is doing that that she stops it and considers those around her. But...OMG I love her and think she is hysterical. And she is a great foil for Clay. Every interaction he's had with her has been hysterically funny. And I guess the hissing about Ethel in Atlantic City when Clay pointed her out and then folks preceeding to tell the not just us folks why she is evil was worst than the infraction. And in that case there was no infraction per se..she was just upgrading herself to a better seat and he caught her. :cryingwlaughter: And I guess at the last show he said some snarky stuff to her and that was supposed to be a sign that he didn't like her so am not unhappy he took her on the bus.

Muski, can my house be next on the list of houses to clean? I think my closets could use a little work. My mom is a pack rat and every time she goes away I make considerable progress on tossing the junk. And she has two more trips this year. Whoo hooo.

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JennaZ personal manager

JennaZ

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Whoa, indeed! That is a hot photo! Thanks for the find, Muski!

I only know Ethel from the Clack, but I've never found her offensive. Her moments in the spotlight are very brief, occasional, funny and, IMHO, hardly disruptive. If Clay didn't like her, he certainly wouldn't continue to single her out. I would not be surprised if he actually looks for her in certain regions.

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Couch Tomato Baby Sitter

Couch Tomato

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Ahem..nice picture

Knoxville review

Review: With personality and charm, Aiken holds own at Tennessee

Singer Clay Aiken opened his Sunday night concert at the Tennessee Theatre by tackling a local legend, and he held his own admirably. Aiken displayed nerves of steel as he launched with Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again” in front of about 1,330 enthusiastic Aiken fans. It would have seemed as though he were catering to the home crowd but for the fact that the tune is one of the highlights of his most recent album and that at least half the crowd — as revealed by an Aiken poll — wasn’t from around here, as the natives say.

Aiken spent two hours onstage with his longtime backup vocalists, Angela Fisher and Quiana Parler, pianist/musical director Jesse Vargas, drummer Sean McDaniel and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Well, two hours minus the five or so minutes he danced in the aisle among his fans during “The Way You Make Me Feel,” as security guards jumped into alert mode.

Attendance was less than half what the “American Idol” Season 2 runner-up drew at his first Knoxville gig in August 2004, but that was at the cavernous Thompson-Boling Arena. This time, Aiken tried for a more intimate connection, and he succeeded.

It helped that many of those present are avid, not to say rabid, Aiken fans and have attended his concerts multiple times. Some of them have his patter down, as a young woman who’d seen his show last week in Raleigh, N.C., proved.

Aiken’s voice was mostly rich, warm and powerful, though he strained on some high and quiet notes. Parler soloed on “When the Lights Go Down” and Fisher on “Listen,” both beautifully.

They say that love is blind — it’s certainly deaf as regards Aiken’s supporters. The set list was heavy on songs from “A Thousand Different Ways,” which is basically a tribute album to the cheesiest power ballads of the past three decades.

The crowd swallowed the cheese and the corn whole as Aiken, Fisher and Parler poured passion into such fare as “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “When I See You Smile,” “Right Here Waiting” and “Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word.”

All three of the vocalists are first-rate, so it seemed a pity that their repertoire was so deeply steeped in adult-contemporary elevator music. They and the fans deserve better.

But Aiken brings something to his shows that few acts bother with: his personality and charm. His banter with Fisher and Parler and self-deprecating wit (who says he isn’t cool?) made up for the gazillionth interpretation of “Because You Loved Me.”

Betsy Pickle may be reached at 865-342-6442.

I'm sure Betsy will be inundated with "mandate" and "ultimatum" emails. :cryingwlaughter:

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JennaZ personal manager

JennaZ

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I'm sure Betsy will be inundated with "mandate" and "ultimatum" emails. :cryingwlaughter:

Judging by certain other boards, it's already started.

I gotta say. This Betsy is an obscure writer in a minor market. Her review, for the most part, is quite positive, with praise directed toward his voice, charm, and personality. Why should we care that she didn't like the song choice?

Clay may have been told to do covers, but I think he likes these songs. So some of them may be considered "cheesy" by some. As he has said at every concert, "I'm not cool." I think he knows the ATDW aren't particularly hip or cool, but he doesn't care. He's having too much fun.

And so are audiences. I've read too many not.just.us reports to believe that the show is only successful for the die-hard fans.

But, some seem to have an almost Pavlovian response to any word that might possibly be construed as less than enthusiastic. MUST.E-MAIL.NOW!

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