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

[muskifest]

Hey guys! Are you guys here or in the concert thread?

[ldyjocelyn]

I agree YSRN. I take nothing the man says personally but would hate to get into a razz battle up close and personal. He'd kick my ass. I know that. But when he teases us, the fans, unmercifully? I absolutely love it.Give me more of that. In my dreams. In my nightmares. Hell yeah. I can believe it is partial truth. But I have a thick skin heee.

Oh yeah, ITA. I'd be in tears (NOT from laughter) after about 30 seconds if I was on the true receiving end of his snark. But, taken as a group as fans, I can see the humor in it. And I can see the truth in it as well.

Going to Fifth Grader!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Details, we're gonna want details!!!!!!!

[FearofH2O]

Thats great couchie that you are going to the Fifth grader thing. You do get a few advantages living in CA. Hope you have a great time. I also hope Clay is as smart as I think he is and gets most of the questions, if not all correct. Unfortunately I won't be watching it as FOX is banned from our tvs by me. Hope there is a cellcert.

NC is so out of the loop in the coming year, I had to buy tickets to the Christmas shows in NJ. I guess my kids don't really need an inheritence from me.

Playbiller tried to show me how to import emoticons, but I failed so I'll continue using yours.

[jmh123]

Going to Fifth Grader!

You are? eeeeeeeeeee Neato. That's a show I'd like to be there for.

Hey guys! Are you guys here or in the concert thread?

I think we're here. (And there a little.) I heard you smutting on the cellcert, muski. (ie repeating Clay's exact words). KAndre, you were in fine form tonight. Your description of his hair (kind of round), accounts of all the jokes, responses to all the questions--thank you. I was entertained. I never heard so much laughing on the cellstream as I heard tonight. Lots of change-ups on the banter. Good stuff.

When he was trying to find someone for whom this was the first concert, I thought I heard him say to some fan, it's not your first concert, you were in XXX and XXX and I know your name is XXX, and you're from XXX, and so on. Did anyone else hear that?

Edited August 18, 2007 by jmh123

[Couch Tomato]

Yes Muski told me about that when she called me. Said he started calling out fans by name. Bwah. He can add Solo and Scarlett to his list hee.

the rest of Muski's take is in the concert thread -- love our ghetto-rigged cellcert BWAH. She said he was naughty tonight and really changed everything up. No slooooooooooooooooow banter. No Cooooooooooooool banter. But she said she never laughed so hard so it's all good.

I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for Vegas. I'll be back Wednesday but should be able to check in at least once per day. I've got to get me a laptop. I think it will be my Xmas present to myself.

[jmh123]

wandacleo's recap for tonight (from CV):

We just got back from the Tampa Bay show (skipped the busline to get back early), and I’m crouched down in our motel room in case a stray bullet goes through the window. My friend CarolJean decided to help out and made reservations “only 5 miles from the venue” in the LOW rent district. The tub is leaking, the air conditioner is leaking, and there’s some major party going on with cars coming in and out constantly. I think they rent by the hour here. The Internet only works in the lobby, so I’m going to have to type this out and then run like hell around the building. This is true dedication to the Clay Nation, my friends.

I met a lot of people from CB, CV, and OFC at the preparty after we finally found it! We had a good time eating and visiting.

The TBPACenter is really lovely with balconies up to the sky and a large orchestra seating with seats that stretch about 48 or so across with no middle aisle. I asked the usher working our area how the crowd was, and she said that the whole place fills up for Broadway-type shows, but that this was a very good turnout for this type of show. There were, of course, lots of women, but also quite a lot of couples and all ages. OK, preliminaries out of the way. (Carol just tried to wipe a bug off the door and discovered it’s a hole—probably from a gunshot. If someone else doesn’t kill us tonight, I’m killing Carol tomorrow.) I talked to a couple before the show, and the woman said that they have been coming to all the shows for years, and they have NEVER seen so many people arriving early for the show. She was amazed.

On to the show—as per my usual disclaimer, I will try to be as accurate as possible, but I’m paraphrasing.

"Here You Come Again" started with Clay coming out to our left and sounding and looking mightly fine in a dark linen-looking jacket, dk. Blue shirt, and jeans. After the song, while we were standing and cheering liked crazed lunatics, he whispered something to Q who ran backstage for awhile. The orchestra seemed quite loud for the first song and seemed to tone down, but I don’t really know why she ran back.

During "Everything I Have", Clay kept wiggling his fingers on both hands. I think that’s some kind of signal about the sound as I recall—although he could have just been having spasms of some kindf.

During "I Want to Know What Love Is", Clay did his back and forth looking, trying to guess who was going to sing, and Q sang. They TORE IT UP!!! Clay did his falsetto and Q beckoned to him like BRING IT! He played around with the ending.

Clay looked up at the balcony and said, “What’s that torch in the balcony?” and they yelled that they were holding “hearts,” and Clay said they just looked like “big balls of light.” He commented on the smiling faces (little lit-up ones) and said “I appreciate that and Radio Shack appreciates it too.”

I just want to say that the camera police were out in force, but at the beginning, one of the ushers actually had the nerve to take a picture with her camera phone, right before she started yellilng at people to “Put that camera away.” I’m sure this is some kind of injustice.

Clay looked at the audience and said, “I would not want to be you people in the middle if someone yells FIRE!”

Clay talked a little about the types of songs he had sung “rock turned into yodeling.”

Then, he went into a spiel about how it was a special day and he couldn’t remember why, and then said it was Sean’s birthday (getting screams from a group of girls, whom Clay referred to as Sean’s groupies). Clay said he had to keep Sean “hermetically sealed” in plastic to protect him from the groupies. Then, he asked for a show of hands and people immediately started raising their hands before he asked the questions, and he said, “They don’t even wait!! What if I asked who has bad breath??” When he asked who had been and hadn’t been at the concerts, I think it was about half and half—lots of new blood. Then Clay said, “Some of you are lying!!” He talked about family of A, Q, and Sean in the audience, and talked about the audience, “I know your names,” and started naming off people he knew: Bob and Linda, Toni, ?Hill, He said Toni was from NY, but she corrected him and he said, “Well, you stalked us most in NY!”

He asked for a couple of people (Antonia and Gene) to stand up to guess how old Sean was and had Sean come out and stand in front. One guessed 18 but the guy guessed 30, and Clay said “THIRTY, How old do you think I am—45???” Sean was 31. (He honest-to-God looks about 14!! I should be so well-preserved!) Clay said they got Sean a cake that said “Happy 16th). He said the guy who guessed 30 won $100 and pulled it out of his pocket. Some lunatic, drunk, obnoxious woman who drove us nuts all evening yelled out “I LOVE YOUR HAIR!” while he was talking and he said, “It’s the same hair I’ve always had.”

After West Wing played, Clay suggested that Q put that on her phone as his ring, like the President, so she would know he was calling, but she said that she has "I Want to Know What Love Is" as his tone because she’s singing on it. He said something about her getting 1/2 cent of royalty for it. Then he said, “We get carried away and forget you are here!”

When he did the intro to the TV, Q mentioned Maury Povich show as one of her favorites and Clay said, “Who you baby’s daddy?” He divided the audience up and we all sang along while Clay pantomimed during the Brady bunch, rubbing his two index fingers together [censored] and then showing his fingers for all the kids. (It was VERY funny!) He talked about being a couch potato and watching too much TV and said people were saying, “I want my money back!”

When Angie did her pole dance, Clay took out the $100 and stuck it in her belt and yelled at the guy who “won” it, “that was your money! You can come and get it later!”

After the singing was over and he was chatting a bit more about TV and Maury Povich he did the “Who you baby’s daddy?” line again and Angie pretended she was a guest on the MP show, “It could be one of two. I think it’s him. I don’t know, look at the nose!” (I actually went to a MP taping once—he was interviewing people who were victims of Satanism. I about fell out of my chair laughing at Clay and Angela.)

Clay said, “Where’s Brendan” and an 8-year old boy stood up, and Clay introduced him and asked us to say “hey,” which we all dutifully did. The kid was the son of a disk jockey on one of the radio stations and had come to the M&G and asked Clay who his favorite singers were, and of course, people started yelling out the answer, and Clay said, “Trying to steal attention from a little child!!” scolding the audience.

Clay started clapping while Q was singing.

I talked to our usher during the break and she LOVED the show. She sat down in the empty seat beside me at the end of the row and was really watching (and completely ignoring the cameras!) One guy came by to chat and I asked him if he was enjoying the show, and he said, “My wife says I am,” but he was grinning.

Clay screwed up the words of 2 "A Thousand Days" and then "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (only noticeable to those who know every word) and said something like “Clap when I get the words right, not when I mess up 2 songs in a row!” When he was singing “sorry” he rubbed a circle on his chest to apologize. So cute. During MOAM as he started singing he sang, “Broken down, he’s forgotten the words.”

Q told him he’d been hyper. OH YES, when he was talking about the others having family and friends there, he said, “I don’t have anybody here, but you can be my family.”

Then he talked about how they had sat on the stools so much the padding was gone and said, “We should sign them and auction them off at the last concert for BAF and Unicef.” He said 2 for BAF and 1 for Unicef and said, “ Bring a checkbook because they aint gonna be cheap!” Someone called out “We love you” and Clay said “Thank you” but they said they were yelling for Jesse, so Clay said, “You don’t get to bid on my stool” then someone called out something (scatological, I’m sure) to which he replied, “Now that’s disgusting” followed by (I swear!) “Some of you are so nuts someone probably WOUILD bid on my stool!” (You can imagine the hilarity of THAT! The man was on a roll tonight! The end is in sight.)

[Oh, for the love of Pete, CarolJean just took her shower and put her clothes back on because she won’t let me go to the office to use the internet by myself. She apparently thinks there’s an advantage in BOTH of us being killed for Clay.]

Anyhow, to continue my stool story, Clay sang "Without You", and when he got to the line, “I can’t forget this evening” he shook his head vigorously for “YES!” He was trying very hard not to laugh and couldn’t look at A & Q who were in a state over his stool remarks, so he had to cover his eyes a couple of times.

Bob of Bob and Linda was apparently doing some barking (I’m not kidding) and Clay started talking about the fans and how Bob and Linda live in Santa Monica and “stalk” him and pointed out “Debbie” who stalked him. (I’m probably getting some of this out of order or becoming repetitive since I’m getting close to the time I have to put my life on the line to run my computer to the lobby.”

Clay talked about getting the same 4000 people to follow him from show to show.

He asked Q about her Spanx (spelling??) Angie said she took hers off but wouldn’t say why.

Clay asked some members of the orchestra to play solos—starting with the French horn, and yelled at him to “Be proud of your instrument!” You can, I’m sure, imagine the audience reaction to THAT! (Q was shaking her had and telling him to “stop it!” So Clay, all innocent, said, “I said something very benign and they took it a different way” and added something about “our minds are not in the gutter.” Honestly, it was flat out hilarious. The Oboe played and Clay yelled out, “Put your reed in,” which caused another wave of hysterical laughter. Clay talked about trying to learn the oboe for “about 10 minutes.” The viola played.

Clay did the introductions and kept calling Jesse, “Jesse Vargas” and said that some names just had to have two parts like “Jesse Vargas” and someone called out “Clay Aiken” and Clay added, “Jesus Christ” and then said, he wasn’t comparing them, but the names always go together.

Clay left out the “cool routine” altogether tonight and said he felt excited and needed more fast songs and kept yelling at Jesse to “Make it work.” (He was SO FUNNY!) He squatted WAY down for the beginning of 1999. He said he felt quite cool when he was done and said “I don’t want to hear that ballad crap or Clay Aiken crap, and if it don’t say ‘sexy back.’ I don’t want to hear it!”

He didn’t do the usual introduction for "Lover All Alone", but said, “You want to feel really bad?? Listen to the words of this song.” He sang beautifully and there was not a sound—even the [censored] screaming behind me shut up.

Clay said that at some point Q asked him if he had taken his medicine today and said A THREW down her phone and wanted to know where they were and how many he needed—“two or three?”

The audience was a blooming garden of lights waving. I heard one of the ushers say, “This must be a tradition” as she looked around. Another usher came and sat with me during the second half.

As we were leaving, the two ushers were on either side of the door and just beaming!!

Aw, it was a lovely night, my friends. There is some loud bass booming in a car radio outside, and if I get killed trying to get this to you, I just want you to know that I love the Clay Nation and I died for a good cause.

[jamar1700]

Hee. Good ol' wanda, cute recap.

I stayed in a hotel like that for Clay once. The Super8 in Indy. It was naaaasty. When Creole would go outside to smoke...she would get "approached" by skeevy men. Yes ... we think it was "that" sort of place.

Ah. Good times.

She hasn't let me make a hotel reservation since. Go figure.

---

Eeeeee! couchies going to fifth grader. I can't wait to hear all about it. I sure hope Clay does well. I want him to win lots of money but selfishly also want lots of screen time.

<---has the good grace to *blush*

Edited August 18, 2007 by jamar1700

[bottlecap]

I've been perusing the pics from last night

Looks like the Sterling Heights jacket and shirt, sans belt.

Beltless and untucked means only one thing: SKIN!

Is Clay auditioning for the next Harry Potter movie here? He could be one of the older Weasley brothers.

"97, 98, 99, 100. Ready or not, here I come!"

Tag, you're "IT"...

[luckiest1]

Please let there be full audio of that show. It will be a crime if there isn't.

ETA: After seeing those pictures, I will revise that to full video. Holy shit.

Congrats on 5th Grader, couchie! EEEEEEEEEEE!

Edited August 18, 2007 by lickiest1

[bottlecap]

ETA: After seeing those pictures, I will revise that to full video. Holy shit.

spotlightlover posted that she got the whole show.

[laughn]

Yeah! for Couch Tomato going to the taping!! I would have really loved to be at that one.

How is it that those jeans just don't fall down around the man's ankles? How? Oh, ok, can't get past the speed bumps and stuff...

He likes/liked the Smurfs? Really? LOL. Maybe that's why he looks so good in that Papa Smurf shirt he's wearing.

Edited August 18, 2007 by laughn

[Clayzorback]

Horray for couchie going to 5th Grader. Blow Clay a kiss for me. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I watched some clack this morning. My very favorite things, at this time, are when he says that there probably are some fans that would actually bid on or buy his stool. That cracked my stool up, that's for sure. I also loved the "Be proud of your instrument" remark. He so knows what he is doing. Brilliant play on meanings. Did he say "Insert your reed" too?

I also love it that he started saying "Good Night, I'm Clay Aiken!"

Bottlecap I love that third picture down. One of these days those pants are going to fall down. There better be Clack of that, when it happens.

[bottlecap]

Can you say "Dichotomy"? Talk about the Sinner and the Saint Within...

You can almost see the Horns in this picture - Good job with the concealing haircut, Jamie!

Looking all sweet and wholesome...

[jmh123]

Bottlecap, you have really nailed the devil and the angel with those photos.

I hope all our travelers are there safely by now.

Here's another cute recap from CV's beenthinking:

Am I a concert virgin or a technical virgin? Why am I asking this question? It has been 2 years since I have seen Clay in concert (due to circumstances) but I have downloaded clack and watched it. That is why I am questioning my virginity...LOL

People have done a wonderful job of posting about the concert itself, so I won't go over that, except to say the beautiful boy has turned into a mighty fine looking man, who commands the stage and hold the audiance in the palm of his hand.

On to some of my personal experiences last night in Tampa. My hubby and I decided to have dinner at the TBPA center. It was a lovely buffet dinner, white linen table clothes and great food. Sitting at the table right next to us was Sean, his parents, and other family members and friends. They were celebrating his birthday. Because Sean was spending a private moment with his family I glanced over once. To be honest I would have liked to look more but I didn't...LOL

Up close Sean is a nice looking man, but very, very young looking. On stage Clay had some fun with Sean bringing him up to the front of the stage and then had a spotlight put on him. Clay then asked concert virgins to try and guess Sean's age. The lady Clay chose guessed 18 and a gentleman who was Clay's other choice said 30. Sean's actual age is 31. Clay paid the winner $100.

The next interesting thing that happened to me was where I sat, or rather who was sitting right next to me. It was a young man who seemed to be in his 30's and had his little boy with him. We started talking and I was told they had never seen Clay in concert before. The man then told me his little boy had a meet and greet with Clay. My mind went sort of blank, huh?

He proceeded to tell me that he was a DJ on magic 94.9 which is a local radio station in Tampa. He gave his business card to hope4clay who was sitting next to me. His name is Chadd Thomas. Here is a couple of things that I found interesting that took place in our conversation. Hope4clay asked if his station played Clay and he said unfortunately no. He continued on and said, that he would like to play Clay. My question to him was, is it up to the person who does the musical slections what is played at your station? This is what he replied, it is not that easy, a mixture of tests are applied to an artist and his music before the radio station will decide to play them. He started to explain what types of tests, but the concert started.

Enough of my conversation with the dad, and on to the little guy who had the meet and greet with Clay. During the concert, the part where, who is my favorite singer, Clay stopped the show, had the spotlight turned on the little guy, who by then was standing up on his chair. Clay pointed at him and asked, who is my favorite singer? I was watching the little man's face, he was so cute, he pointed his little finger at Angela and Quiana and said, THEM. He sat down with a big grin on his face and was, oh, so proud of himself. That little scenario must have been coached in the meet and greet...LOL I am assuming that dad must have interviewed Clay for the radio station. Dad and the little boy seemed to enjoy the concert, they stood and clapped and took part in all of the concert antics.

Now, on to the Sean posse that sat directly behind me. Some of you may not know about them. They are a group of 3 teen girls who love Sean. They have been to 7 concerts. They warned us that they were screamers and they didn't lie....LOL I must say this, to me they were not that distrubing because the screaming seemed to be done in apporiate places of the concert. How other people felt, I don't know. They had birthday hats, signs and those blow out whistles. They woofed and sang during the TV and Classics. Clay mentioned a couple of times about hearing barking coming from the audiance, well, it was them.

While chatting Clay mentioned that maybe at the very last concert they might auction off the stools they 3 of them sat on, and that the proceeds could go to TBAF and I believe he might have said UNICEF. The young ladies sitting behind me decided to have some fun with Clay by saying the wanted Quiana's stool, which brought a very funny reaction from Clay.

This is the last part of my recap. Something that touched my heart. The woman that was next to me in the bus line must have been in her 80's. She was there with her daughter and SIL. It was hard for her to stand, so she had a little camping folding chair that she was sitting on. She was so cute, her hair was just so, had a pretty blue dress on. In other words she was all dolled up for Clay and her concert.

I mentioned to her how Clay would just come by and briefly touch every one's had and to make sure she had her hand out. She said to me, I won't have time to introduce myself to him? I told her no not this time. She looked at her daughter and said, well then, I want you to help me stand up so I will get to shake his hand. Indeed she did. With the help of her daughter and SIL she was standing when Clay came by.

It doesn't matter what your age is, 8 like the little boy or 80, both of these people were made happy by attending a Clay concert.

[ldyjocelyn]

Thanks for bringing over the pretty pictures bottlecap. I dearly love that blue shirt/dark blue jacket combo on him. And good-ness yes, "dichotomy" is the best word ever to describe that man. He's "innocent," and yet he's not. Love taht.

Thank you also jmh for bringing over the recaps. That last one is very sweet with the young boy. I think Clay made his night.

If you don't know, there IS a bit of clack from the Atlanta show at this point. luvbenmeg got a good classics medley from that show, and it is hysterical. He really plays us the "I am not cool" thing, totally as a confession, and for me, it works. He's spoofing so much there -- it's very multi-layered, IMO. What a smart man.

Meanwhile, I'll be catching up all day on the clack from last night. I wonder why he changed the intro to the classics medley?

couchie -- have fun in Vegas!!!

[YSRN]

HEE!! wandacleo's recap interspersed with watching clack of whatever she was talking about and then reading more and laughing my ass of was an entirely enjoyable way to catch up after missing the 'cert last night.

Too funny!!

The ending from the Brady Bunch singing might have to become my new avvy, if I can ever let go of that hot picture I have now.

God. He cracks me up.

Have any of you watched the Country Music Show clack recently? Try watching the Happy Birthday one and tell me Clay hasn't come full circle. Or maybe it's just he hasn't changed a bit...

Have fun in Vegas, Couchie!!

Hee... that Atlanta Classics clack is a riot...though I think I mighta jumped out of my seat when he yelled at that man to not sit down. lordy. The little guy in the orchestra at the end was like... wtf?

Edited August 18, 2007 by YSRN

[Ansamcw]

what amazes me is what instincts he has a performer.

The nights before last was pretty funny and memorable amd I was thinking how was he goign to top that.

Well...what does he do but changes his schtick..brings new conversations into the mix and just gives us more reason to enjoy the WHOLE tour!!! not just individual shows.

I have another suggestion for a board project for the upcoming days....we usually put in a section of Clay say's in the FCA concert pages. I;m wondering if we can ask for volunteers to go through the concert clack and write down memorable quotes, jokes or dialog. We can post in on the individual concert threads. I plan to go through the pages and put copies of the recaps and pictures on the appropriate concert threads too so that we can have easy access to them...if people would like to volunteer to help it would be most appreciated.

Couchie is off to Vegas to lose money have fun with her family...good luck in sin city!!!!

[ldyjocelyn]

Is this man GORGEOUS, or what?

[Gibby]

I was just going to come post that gorgeous pic, ldyj! I lurve his eyes.

Here a cute peek a boo animation:

[muskifest]

CG here1 Just arrived in WPB. Muski just went uo get her ticket. We tried to upgrade but apparently we have yet to acquire Scarlett's magic touch. Oh well. It must at least mean the house will be pretty full!!!

LOVE that last picture/gif!! I would love to make an avie of it but have no idea how and besides - when I get home it will be gone I am sure.

Last night was a hysterically funny show! I loved it!! I wonder what tonight will hold......

Later gators!

[playbiller]

What are you upgrading from? There are 2 center section C Aisle seats that keep appearing and disappearing from the site. Must be available at the venue.

[Ansamcw]

From CV I think its part of M&G:

Wichita is definitely the first Christmas Concert and Merrillville the last

For sure singing Solitaire at the Neil Sedaka event

Submitted the CD to the skaters for the Christmas show and they are decided right now what songs they will skate to

Asked to replace Kimmell when he had appendix out but then they decided to go with repeats.

Become good friends with Tyra and they do talk.

[playbiller]

I brought over some quotes from the concert from the OFC to the show thread. I figure it is OK because it is not proprietary quotes.

[Gibby]

Hmmm, looks like the rumors are starting to fly about the next album possibly coming in early 2008. This was apparently announced at tonight's meet & greet. I look at album release dates like construction deadlines - they're gonna get pushed back. Construction projects are never done on time - has anyone here ever built or remodeled a house? You can count on it happening much later than they tell you. So, I'll be happy to get the next album sometime in 2008, or even 2009. I'm not gonna count my chickens 'till they're hatched!

And I may stop reading at a couple of boards, where every other post will be about 'why isn't the album done?' and 'why is he giving Christmas concerts, when he could be giving his all to the album?' I'm sure there will be talk of what kind of music will be on the album, why it absolutely has to be a certain style or his career is over, and how we as fans can try to get more people to buy more and get it on the radio. Don't get me wrong - I'm all kinds of excited about a new album. I just don't want board negativity to ruin my joy about Clay's music.

[playbiller]

Well, stay here where we will probably be doing something, instead of just talking. Ansa and Couchie always have plans to use us to do some work for them, heeh. Keeps us out of trouble.

ETA - turned back to an older version of netscape and - whoa, the spell checker is gone, but I have my banner back. I need to fix the new software options.

Edited August 19, 2007 by playbiller