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

[Couch Tomato]

PS to Couchie: I was thrilled with the SYTYCD results, too! The winner was completely deserving, a graceful, versatile dancer with so much innate talent. I'll admit, I was surprised--but absolutely delighted.

squeeeeeeeeeeeeee.... although apparantly I should be looking for the deprogramming people to hunt me down any moment cuz I've been brainwashed by Nigel. Heeeee. LOVED Sabra. Loved her from week one and am thrilled she won. I actually liked all the top 10, except Lacy and I admit I was pissed that they played up her sibling relationship to a very popular previous winner.

And yep Clay was apparantly on FIRE tonight night and last night too...here's a write up from Atlanta....

Playful Aiken Sizzles for Fans

Clay Aiken is well aware of his image: the dorky balladeer, a new-generation Barry Manilow with hordes of obsessive Claymate fans still buzzing around him four years after he came in second on "American Idol."

And he worked hard to both play up and mock that image Wednesday night at a half-full Chastain Park Amphitheatre. Here are a few of the odder moments:

1. This is not Mozart. Feeding Clay's admitted obsession with TV, he and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ran through a medley of theme songs from sitcoms ranging from "WKRP in Cincinnati" to "What's Happening!!' "

2. Almost as good as the real thing. A woman wearing a shirt emblazoned with "Georgia Claymate" was seen kissing a life-size cardboard cutout of Clay, which got its own seat.

3. Gonna make Clay sweat. He made jokes about the sticky-warm Georgia weather. When a fan handed him a freeze pop, he stuck it to his forehead, then looked at the wrapper. "Sugar free?" he noted in the middle of the song "When I See You Smile." "You think I'm getting fat?"

4. Closet? What closet? Alluding to rumors of his sexual orientation, he made a mock announcement: "I want to talk to you for just a minute about something serious. I know you've read this in the papers, probably seen stories in the tabloids or whatnot. Some radio shock jocks talk about it. Some of you have even thought this about me. ... Atlanta, I am ... not cool."

5. Yeah? Yeah! To supposedly amp up his "cool" quotient, he sang a medley of un-Claylike songs including Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," Usher's "Yeah" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" with gobs of campy goodness.

6. Who needs a car? Clay noticed a teen who held up a sign that read, "I gave up a car to see Clay Aiken for my birthday." She said her mom gave her a choice: a car or Clay. Clay laughed and said, "Your mom gypped you! Gypped you!"

Ah I remember emailing with Rodney Ho years ago, He alwys thought Clay would do well.

[jmh123]

Banter-PreWISYS_Clay Takes Clack_ huskerfalcon

BWAH!!! Funniest shit evah! Almost as good as "Yeah, I know your words". That was priceless in it's own way. This??... is another level altogether.

Oh, and it's an interesting peek up Clay's shirt in the beginning :eusa_whistle: part...

Um, yeah.

Sorry to be so hard on Sabra, but she was pushed too hard by Nigel for me to like her. I never could get what they were saying about her. I liked Neil the best, on the basis of personality, and I thought they all had strengths, and clearly also some of the eliminated dancers were equally excellent, judging from their performances tonight. The final show was really good, except I could've done with a couple more dance numbers instead of the guest performers. I enjoyed the group numbers, and some of the appearances like the clogger and the kid who danced to Xtina.

Edited August 17, 2007 by jmh123

[YSRN]

Hee...and the WISYS clack is pretty damn cute and funny too, esp. the ending.

Thanks huskerfalcon.

C'mon... somebody watch it and laugh with meeeee!!!

Edited August 17, 2007 by YSRN

[Couch Tomato]

oh god that was the funniest shit ever. BRAVO to Clay and the eHP. He should take THEM on the road as well..wait..aren't I some sort of honorary member of the eHP - the California branch? What the hell do we get for our minionship.

heeee I feel all giggly and shit crap.

[jmh123]

Hee...and the WISYS clack is pretty damn cute and funny too, esp. the ending.

Thanks huskerfalcon.

C'mon... somebody watch it and laugh with meeeee!!!

I'm laughing. I'm cackling. I'm hooting and hollering. That's some funny, funny stuff there. Ho's "review" was really just a list of the jokes he liked the best.

[YSRN]

I think I just watched it 47 times. Solo's laughing alone has me

Hee.

[Couch Tomato]

I think I just watched it 47 times. Solo's laughing alone has me

Hee.

yay..somebody to share the love with..it's fantastic..can't wait to see all the versions from every camera in the place heee especially Scarletts..don't think my boyfriend knew what he was doing with that camera.

Dang I'm going to hate that I'm not around for the last two concerts!

[Couch Tomato]

OMG Quiana said..she had a curtain over it 12 shows ago..LOL..I think that's what she said. Scarlett..they know you too well.

[YSRN]

Did you watch the WISYS vid yet?

[Couch Tomato]

Did you watch the WISYS vid yet?

yep that was great too...

dang I hope there is lots of clack up by the time I get home from work tomorrow so I can burn it to a dvd and take with me on my vacation LOL...whoo hooo.

[bottlecap]

Sorry to be so hard on Sabra, but she was pushed too hard by Nigel for me to like her. I never could get what they were saying about her. I liked Neil the best, on the basis of personality, and I thought they all had strengths, and clearly also some of the eliminated dancers were equally excellent, judging from their performances tonight. The final show was really good, except I could've done with a couple more dance numbers instead of the guest performers. I enjoyed the group numbers, and some of the appearances like the clogger and the kid who danced to Xtina.

Loved seeing Clogger Boy again, who got some coverage during the tryouts and then disappeared without explaination. I was rooting for Danny, who was just so elegant, strong and athletic, but I thought any of the final four was worthy. I do think fatigue and stress might have been evident in the performances of many of the dancers in this week's shows - that was a ton of choreography they had to learn, and I think some numbers might have suffered for it. Overall, I enjoyed this season of SYTYCD much more than AI6.

I watched the pre-WISYS banter clip this morning. I think the dude had knocked back a couple of guaranas before he went on stage. I wouldn't be surprised to see the hijinks and banter get ramped up as the week-end shows progress. Will Scarlett go into the Clackers' Protection Program and assume a new identity?

[bottlecap]

A Fort Myers recap from wandacleo at CV:

It IS possible to become revirginated! I felt tonight as though I were seeing the concert for the first time. It was just so wonderful. The venue was great! The bottom part was pretty full and I looked and could see people all the way up in the balcony. It was COOL (major important factor) as in temperature. Right up front, I want to say that the voice and the accoustics were perfection and I loved every minute. I'll try to give a clear report, but keep in mind that when I say what Clay or someone said, I'm paraphrasing as closely as I can to what I remember.

Clay started by coming out on the right side (as we faced him) singing "Here You Come Again" and of course he got a screaming standing ovation, a good clue that this was an audience full of love. There were a lot of couples--many looked as though they might be in the retirement set. There was also a fair scattering of young people. I watched the men around me, and they seemed to be having a really good time.

With "I Want to Know What Love Is", Clay kept looking from Q to A to see who was going to sing, and Angie finally started after Quiana faked him out a couple of times. Clay was wearing a light blue shirt, jeans, white?? linen slightly rumpled jacket, and the longest @#%$ shoes I've ever seen in my life.

Clay talked about how nice it was to be in FL in an airconditioned venue after singing in Atlanta at 175 degrees.

Clay chatted with A &Q and Angie said she ate too much and Clay went on about how she had gas, and she said she didn't say she had gas. He told Q that she looked nice and she said he didn't mean it because she knew him. Then, he asked if she had a new blouse and she said "No," but he kept asking what she had done in Atlanta and called her a shopaholic, and she said she had shopped, and so finally Q told this little story about how she went into Macy's and saw a blouse that she really liked, but it looked familiar, like she had seen it before, but she bought it and then was looking at a fan board and saw a picture of herself wearing the same blouse! She bought a second one.

One of the funniest things was when Clay spiotted Scarlett (YAY FOR CLACK GODDESSES!) crouched down in the front row taking pictrure and lay back on his stool demonstrating how she was manuevering to take pictures, and Q said something about how Scarlett had had a black curtainhiding the video camera "about 12 shows ago." Then Clay said, "Give me that!" and took Scarlett's camera and started introducing the others and filming them, but he totally cracked up when he saw that she had taken out a second camera and was videotaping him taping the others. Q asked Scarlett if they could get a copy. Anyhow, Clay asked Scarlett her name and she gave her real first name (protecting the goddess within) and then he asked the name of the person with her, and I guess Scarlett started to tell the person's board name, so the woman hit her, and Clay started yelling about how "Han" knocked her in the head. He said, "This is a family show and there is abuse going on in here." He gave a demonstration of how Han had whacked Scarlett. It was very funny. Then, when he was singing "When I See You Smile" and got to the part about the "touch of your hand" he did this slapping motion and "quit the fight" he shook his finger at Han.

Clay read a sign that some teenagers had written about how they loved Q more than fish McNuiggets. Q said that the girls had been in McD's and said the chicken McNuggets were really half fish, and Clay said they "FOLLOWED" us but Q said they were there first. These same girls (I think) were yelling out that they loved Sean and Jesse, so Clay did a whole routine about how he and Angie weren't loved and he might as well go back to his dressing room. Then, he said that Jesse and Sean were jealous because the fans give A & Q little gifts, but they only got one lollipop between them and that they wanted gifts too. He started listing the items that Sean wanted (Sephora, Bath and Body Wash, Ralph Lauren), and poor Sean was grinning and shaking his head. Then, Clay said that Jesse had posted a list of the gifts he'd like on his Myspace page.

The TV songs were a total riot because they did the whole thing as a contest with Q leading one side, A the other, and Clay the middle section in a singalong. He was up there swinginbg his arms, urging the people on, jumping around, and just crazy as all hell. Q lead our side in a rousing "Woo Woo" and so we won!!! Oh yes, he was trying to sing the song from Bosom Buddies and didn't remember the words, so he was just sort of "Nuh, nuh, nuh"ing the words and then singing out the parts he remembered. It was really quite funny but hard to explain. (O

Clay called out the sax player and told him how good he was.

At one point, Quiana couldn't raise her microphone and Clay went to help and she said, "I need a man to bring it up for me!" (naughty naughtly) and Clay grabbed the whole top part off the microphone.

When it was time for Q to sing her solo, the spotlight kept following Clay and he would walk it back to Q and yell for the llight to stay with her, and Angie was yelling too, but it just kept following him back, so Clay finally went over and crouched behind Q, so we could barely see him, but when she first started singing, he must have been tickling her because she reached back and grabbed his hand and brought it around by her leg and then you could see this hand rub up her leg. It was very funny, but he stopped right away and took his hand back (probably so he didn't mess up her song.) One of my friends in the front said that Clay was singing along with her but I couldn't see that). I did see Q grin at one point, so I know he was doing something. When she got to the rousing part, Clay's arm shot out waving for us to bring it on, which we did, and when Q stood up for the end of the song, then Clay went back over and sat with A.

Clay said something about "I know you people can't vote in FL" but I don't recall the context.

During the break, a teenage girl who was in front of me was on her cell phone gushing about how "hilarious" Clay was (and he WAS!)

After the break, he came out in a brown shirt and said that he had gone to the restroom on his break for those who wanted to write every detail in their journals (did he see me taking notes???) but that wasn't the reason he had changed his shirt.

He got the years messed up when doing his little spiel about what he's been doing, and the audience kept yelling out the correct years for him.

When he did his SLOWWW routine, he did it differently--talking really slow

and

taking

breaks between

words.

He said he was like Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, and Barry Manilow.

He asked the orchestra about fast songs and someone said Rossini, and Clay started listing others: Mozarella, Condaleeza, and said that he considered doing a Coindaleeza medley but it was too slow. Clay said he wanted us to get up off our fannies. Some girls kept yelling out, and one time when he said SLOW he looked over pointedly at them.

Clay was flat out having the time of his life during the Classics. He did the whole "This is a serious matter," and (holding Angela's hand for emotional support) said that this was a special concert and he felt the need to be honest about the rumors that we had heard on DS, the internet, and blogs--he hesitated and gathered his strength, eyes downcast as he admitted that he wasn't cool: " I feel like it's time. I'm going to confirm the rumors--I'm not cool. At all."

The whole audience was standing (at least downstairs) and singing along to the classics. It was so fun.

Listen was great.

Songwriter routine. "Lover All Alone" was so beautfiul.

Then he said that sometimes he sits in the dressing room before a concert and thinks he just can't go out and sing the same songs and do the same thing over and over again and THEN someone yelled out and Clay said, "LET ME FINISH, I'm like Simon Cowell, so misunderstood!" and then he went on to say that even though he feels like that sometimes, as soon as he comes out on stage that we always lift his spirits and put him in a good mood and then he talked about how much he loves to perform and sing for us and started "Because You Loved Me" while we madly waved our glowsticks of love.

I asked the ushers I passed (male and famale) if they enjoyed the show and they were all grinning and said how great it was!

Busline wound around the buildings but Clay came out and did the touch.

It was a lovely evening and I'm sorry that I can't adequately convey how really special it was.

[bottlecap]

SmartyPantsSuz from the CV adds some more details:

As usual, awesome recap Wanda!! I'll just recap anything additional that I can recall.

First off – Clay's voice was impeccable tonight! He looked beautiful. At the beginning of the show, he was wearing the yellow, blue, white stripped shirt from Cary(?). He had cuff links on so I was bummed we wouldn't get the sleeves rolled up, but he took care of that after intermission. Couldn't tell if the jeans were the rivet jeans at first, because the shirt was too long, but eventually it made its appearance. The shoes weren't boots, but kinda looked like them. They were gray with a flat toe.

After Angela said she had eaten too much. Clay said, "If you smell something later, you'll know who it is." Right after that someone yelled from the side of the auditorium, "I LOVE YOU CLAY!!" to which he responded, "Talking about gas made you think of that???"

It was funny leading into "I Want to Know What Love Is". Clay didn't commit to either side. The mic stand was directly in front of him. He kept looking from side to side trying to figure out who was going to be singing. Finally when it was time, Quiana took her mic out of the mic stand as if she was going to start singing so he turned to her and then Angela started! hee. Of course they knocked it out of the park again.

Taking Scarlett's camera was the funniest thing ever! Seeing him up on stage gathering Clack had us ! When he started singing "When I See You Smile" he slowly inched the stool toward the back of the stage as if he was scared of Solo. After incorporating some of the slap in actions during the song, it looked like he sang the last couple lines of the song right at Scarlett.

When Clay started "These Open Arms", he sang the first line to the "Jesse, Quiana and Sean" fans.

"What if everything you ever took for granted, was gone?" he made a look as if "what if I just disappeared?"

"And everything you ever thought was right, was wrong? " he motioned back to Jesse.

Then when he started the second verse, he made a face at them when he sang, "Did you really love the ones you said you loved, think twice." He's so funny when he incorporates banter stuff into the songs.

After Clay grabbed the top of Quiana's microphone stand off, he said something like, "Even I didn't think I was THAT manly!"

The spotlight thing was a riot. Clay went back 3 times or so, trying to get the spotlight on Quiana. He would yell, and motion to the person running it to "STAY HERE!" Then he would walk back and the light would follow him. I talked to a lady who works there (more about that later) and she said that was really happening – the person running the spotlight was messing it up. I explained to her that was one thing that made it worthwhile to go to so many concerts, because Clay could take a technical glitch and turn it into something VERY funny! Clay finally went over and sat on Quiana's stool so the light would stay there, but he sat behind her so the focus would be on her. She sat down on his lap and started singing. Wanda covered the rest of the hand shenanigans quite well so I'll skip them.

I think the voting comment was in the context of the spotlight staying on Clay. On the way back over to Q after the spotlight following him a couple of times, he said something about the fact that he knew they couldn't vote in Florida, but he thought they could work spotlights.

After the break, when he came out in the brown shirt the sleeves rolled up. The shirt was still too long to provide ample rivet appreciation moments, but it did make an appearance or two.

He called Barry, Barry Manislow.

He really milked the I'm Not Cool schtick. I loved the added reference to Diane Sawyer! He is really getting into that intro these days. The medley was fantastic! I don't think anyone sat down. At least he didn't yell at anyone.

Lover All Alone was as beautiful as it ever is. "Because You Loved Me" made me schmoopy as it always does.

So – back to the lady (one of the ushers) in the lobby. I came out during intermission to have a little quiet around me while talking to the OFC cellcert (y'all didn't need me cuz you had so many great volunteers for the night). She was there with a couple of gentlemen ushers. I don't remember if I asked her what she thought, or if she just came up to me, but she was raving about him. She said he was so funny and warm and had a great voice. The two guys were agreeing with her. I mentioned that he would be in Tampa tomorrow and that she should go see him. She asked if I was going and I told her I was going to all four and that I was from San Diego. She was surprised that I had traveled so far, but I explained that just like the video taping bit and the spotlight bit that no show was ever the same.

I told her I wanted to talk to her after the show, so when it was over I went out to the lobby and she was there. She continued gushing over him and blurted out, "He just got a new fan!" hee. I explained, just like the videographer in the front row that we get video of most of his shows and offered to send her some DVDs. She gladly gave up her address to me and as she handed it to me, she said, "You won't forget me, right?" She's a gonner! At one point, she said, "He's not gay, is he?" I assured her he wasn't and that he had answered that years ago in RS. I also told her the "rumors" is what he was spoofing in the "I'm not cool" bit. She said, "I didn't think so!" She asked if he signed autographs after the show and I told her about the line. She was amazed at that. She was going to check it out, but I didn't see her later so find out if she stayed around for a touch or not.

I got 4 touches tonight - 2 per hand. He seemed really relaxed as he went through the line, and said, "thank you guys for coming." He had on dark shorts and a white t-shirt, I think.

[luckiest1]

OMG Quiana said..she had a curtain over it 12 shows ago..LOL..I think that's what she said. Scarlett..they know you too well.

Hee, and I'm pretty sure she was referring to Syracuse. *g* Yep, I would hazard a guess that Clay is pretty knowledgeable about the more prolific clack gatherers, and probably downloads certain things after the shows and knows who took what. I watched the two Huskerfalcon videos this morning, and they were hilarious. I can't wait for more to be uploaded that show things from different angles, etc, and of course the ultimate clack taken by Clay himself!

Last night's show sounds like it was a riot! Thanks to everyone who brings reviews and recaps over. He is ramping things up and I can't even imagine where he'll be at by Sunday night. Unfortunately RL has grabbed me big time since I've been home....busy, busy, busy at work, my Mom is out visiting, and my oldest son has a ball tournament starting this evening that runs until Sunday. But at least I'll have lots to catch up on next week, when it's all over and things are quiet.

[KAndre]

just posting to say my long travel nightmare (of which y'all will hear later) WAS SO FUCKING WORTH IT! The eHP RULEZ! cLACK IS COMING!

[ldyjocelyn]

just posting to say my long travel nightmare (of which y'all will hear later) WAS SO FUCKING WORTH IT! The eHP RULEZ! cLACK IS COMING!

EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

:me0:

Watched the available clack already -- and that is so hysterical! His reaction of "horror" at Solo hitting Scarlett is priceless. Also, seeing him with a camera in his hand, taking video, is a bit surreal.

Gotta run. Work beckons. I'll be missing tonight's cellcert -- I had to make a deal with hubby, and this was the night I sacrificed to get to listen to the final two concerts. Of course, Clay will probably be all cute and...but I suppose that's nothing new!

ETA: Candid shots via butterflyshine, post-M&G, pre-show, for Asheville (clickable):

And a clearer scan of the M&G pass:

[ldyjocelyn]

SCARLETT'S CLACK IS UP!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, it's HYSTERICAL!!!!!!

I'll comment more later when I can actually....breathe....

EEEEEEEEE! for kimiye, who got a M&G last night!!!!!

Here's an interesting excerpt:

The next person, who was so quiet I couldn't hear her, asked something about a quote he made about production, and he claimed not to remember it-- "Maybe I was drunk?" He went on to answer that maybe he was talking about "Touch" which had a lot of electronic effects, and that he meant stuff that was less produced. He mentioned Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and Lover All Alone, calling them not over-produced, with just a few instruments. Then he said his tastes change all the time and he really didn't know what he meant when he said it. Sorry, I know I suck, but I couldn't hear the two people at the end of the table.

I'm personally liking the "tastes change" comment -- realizing, of course, that my filters apply.

[bottlecap]

Geez, trying to keep the squealing about the new Clack down to a dull roar. Some of us can't watch until we get home from work in another 7 hours or so. Sniff.

Seriously, though, I can't wait to see what else this week-end's concert hold in store.

The eHP RULEZ indeed! Love you guys!

[luckiest1]

I don't open images at work. I don't download at work. I certainly don't watch clack at work.

Until today. COULD.NOT.RESIST.SCARLETT&CLAY.

That is the funniest sh...stuff ever.

[Ansamcw]

eHP Rulezzz y'all!!!!

OMG!!!! I love it when scarlette kept saying...oh please no...please no!!!!

BWAH!!!!

And that clay is a pretty good clack gatherer...good and steady....good shots of Jesse...

BWAH!!! I love it...

[Couch Tomato]

I wonder if clack is pu BWAH.

[Clayzorback]

Gee I can hardly wait to go listen to the clack from last night. OMG it sounds like Clay is onto the eHP and the infamous clack gatherer, Scarlett. Apparently they have been onto her for several weeks. Black scarf covering her camera......... That has to be too freaking funny.

He was asked if he had seen any of the Climmel skits from the Clackhouse. He was confused about what they were, thinking they were video skits. After getting him straightened out about the Climmel, he said he couldn't get into the CH but he had Quiana's password to view the videos which he did sometimes but he couldn't read the board. Who knows what he was talking about. Someone told him he could read the CH without a password but not sure that it sunk in.

I found this conversation to be interesting. :eusa_whistle:

Clayzor, the other lady pm'ed me yesterday to say her poster had arrived, so I would think yours won't be far behind! I have no idea why they are taking so long....stoopid international mail.

I'm not worried. I know it will get here soon. I was just curious as to how long things take from Canada. I'll let you know when it gets here and thanks again. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Now I have to go download clack, real quick, and get back to work.................sssh!!! Don't tell anyone I was here, mmmk?

[laughn]

:F_05BL17blowkiss: God Bless You each and every Clack Goddess/God out there!

I've been laughing all morning!

ldyjocelyn...thanks for the heads up on kimiye's M&G recap. I thought this part was pretty interesting. Too bad he didn't care for the song too much. I would have loved to have heard it...and yeah, I'd hate to be the fan that had it only with an agreement not to share. Agh!

Then he went off on a tangent about CD's that won't work in a computer, and how they should auction off Back for More-- "Because we did record it"-- and get an agreement that it wouldn't be shared. I suspect this auction won't happen (god help the poor fan who won it), but ain't it great to know BFM is recorded?

[Couch Tomato]

BEST CLACK EVER..... somebody has to join Scarlett and Husker's vidoes to get cmplete persepctive. I watched one after the other. QUIANA WANTS A COPY> TOO FUNNY.

Solo doesn't want her screen name out there but he surely knows ya'll. heee. And Scarlett is just so busted..hell I thought I even heard Quiana say her name. BWAH. Just funny stuff..

Clayzor..I don't think Clay is intuned to every aspect of the fandom or that he sits there every day reading us. Boy has stuff to do.

I want a recorded copy of TRD. I might commit a crime to get that opportunity if it were ever available. LOL.

[YSRN]

HILARIOUS!!!