#29: EEEEEEEEEEEE!!! It's really happening!

[Couch Tomato]

Beautiful day here...Carrie's team won and she did a good job at the plate and at defense, but her pitching wasn't up to its usual standards. There are other people on the team, though, so....

My nephew's team won too. I thought about you today Muskifest cuz he played on a cold windy field in your city and I passed by the one park where I watched Carrie pitch.

I'm getting caught up here as my dialup got all stuck on the new counter up there under the banner and I couldn't get anything else to load!!! Thanks to Luckiest1 and Couchie- I'm back here. Thank you!!

Welcome back Heinz.... but lord knows I didn't do anything but say...uh can somebody help Heinz?

[luckiest1]

Recap from today's matinee from ClaysFayevorite at CV:

Intermission Report

Just had a call from Tiggy. She is all excited! She is sitting in D101 and there is no one sitting in C101. Someone tried to move into the seat and the usher asked her to return to her seat. Just hope they go to D101 if no one shows up for C101. She doesn't know for sure if it is sold out but she can see that the Orh. and the Mez. are full She said Clay is really on...his dancing is wonderful...very bouncy and "bendy". During the French taunter sceen he "wiped" his face after "I bust my pimple at you" and said "it stinks" while fanning his nose after "I fart in your general direction". When the cow landed on Patsy he went up to it and said "poor cow"" and kept pressing on it's side like he was trying to give it CPR! He had to keep tapping the King's shoulder to get his attention to tell him the taunters were making rude gestures. The King is Anthony Holds again today. He did a very dramatic and funny "Who da King?" (I love that!).

He did the sing song line about the swallow not being able to bring the coconut back. He did the "come to Daddy" line when the girls were dancing and bent waaay down to look up the dancer's skirt. Tiggy heard him say "shit" and thinks it may have been when the girls jump out of the prams (caught her off guard... just knows she heard it!) A big "Oh WOW!!! to the wooden rabbit. he said " that's stupid" to the crash of the cymbal. Tom Deckman is not there, she said his part is being played by Michael O'Donnel . I think he is usually Patsy's understudy. She said she will call after the show...I'll be back if I hear from her. Keeping my fingers crossed for a stage door and for them to choose D101!!!!

[duckyvee]

I wish I had an air card. Those a bit too pricey for me. Glad I could help!!

Too pricey for me, too. The organization I work for really doesn't have an office that works for staff, so we do a lot of work through email, on the road, and through teleconference. There are only a few of us and we have air cards paid for by the organization. I think they got the idea after one night I was sitting outside someone's home in a tiny town poaching a wireless signal so I could check for an important document someone was sending to me by email (got the tip from the local librarian).

I rarely use that laptop for personal stuff, but it's not a problem if I do, and I think Monday qualifies as an emergency!

[Gibby]

Since my three shows are next Friday and Saturday, is it petty and small of me to EEEE! a little at this bit of news? I'd really, really like to have my playbill signed, even though I've been trying to tell myself not to be disappointed if I don't. Clay has to be under some tremendous pressure between being all Spamy eight times a week and doing all the album promo and whatnot besides. If he needs to conserve his energy and guard his health, I'll certainly understand.

It's not petty and small at all. It's perfectly understandable! I really hope you get that signature.

See new avie---obviously, Clay can not only dance now, he really seems to ENJOY it...

Heeee - nice avie!

Just got back from the dress shopping, and I'm resting my poor, tired feet. It's a miracle - my daughters each found really nice dresses and shoes, and even a few shirts they like. And it didn't kill my bank account! It's all a matter of shopping smarter, not harder. Heh.

[Lotus]

bottlecap Thanks for the link to the young Clay photos at CB. I found a number that I hadn't seen before.

bfs just called and wanted me to post that from this performance onward, there will be a special area for ticket holders to go to so that they can see Clay by the stage door...this is due to the amount of people who are by the stage door after the show so I guess they are doing it so people who have actually gone to the show get a chance to see him.

It will be interesting to hear how this works...how many people does the theatre hold?

As for him not coming out to the SD, I thought it had been already reported that Clay now sleeps after the Saturday and Sunday matinées and doesn't come out for that reason.

QUOTE

Part of loveOMC's recap at CB from 3/25:

QUOTE

Oh, I forgot to add one other thing: At the Sunday night show, my friend and I sat next to a friend of Hannah Waddington. She told us that Hannah considers Clay the nicest person she has ever worked with and has said that the entire cast loves him!!

I was feeling a little gloomy today but that puts a smile on my face.

[Cotton]

I have a copy of Quiana's performance in dreamgirls on 4shared, after others deleted it and youtube took it down and what ever. I still have plenty of space, so I leave old stuff out there. I noticed that people were starting to filll out comments for some of the links, this is unusual most people jsut download, maybe thank me on-line and move on. It is not like anyone but me can see these comments, it is not like youtube. Wel... since there has been a surge in dream girl downloads, I thought I would see if there were any comments - and there are! From what looks like friends of Quiana! Where the heck is this link still alive? It did start out a few comments from Clay fans, but who is still downloading it this month? I guess I will store this in links-get-around-on-the internet file. I wonder if Quiana knows and if she would like to see the comments or if she will be angry it is there?

I'd love to see it.

And if I had to hazard a guess, Quiana would love to have the link and watch/share her performance.

I don't know for sure, but I can email it to her if you like.

Of you can. I think her email addy is public at her old site and maybe at her myspace.

As you can see I'm miles behind!

I do have a question.

Someone posted the pic of Clay in front of a brick wall, saying it's the "pic with the story now."

Which story?

TIA!

[JennaZ]

First of all, I want to thank all you for your birthday wishes, and apologize for not responding sooner. I was offline for much of last week, and haven't had much time to catch up and post this week. However, I do appreciate the kind thoughts!

As for the topic du jour:

Honestly, much of what the M&G poster said feels credible to me, not only in that the radioplay info came from Clay, but in the rationale given. I do think that at some time, some radio stations were so annoyed by what they felt to be excessive spamming, that they decided not to play his songs.

At the same time, I suspect that if programmers really believed in the material and the artist, such enthusiasm would not have been counted against him. I do think that for some, Clay was never quite "cool" enough for them, and so instead of believing that the response was representative of widespread, mainstream popularity, they saw it as the result of a small but obsessive minority.

Personally, I can't completely blame fans for calling and e-mailing radio stations in the past. It was thought that listener feedback was something that was respected. Many stations had request lines and online mechanisms for engaging with their audience. Perhaps fan zeal was excessive, but we were a new fandom then, bursting with excitement and the desire to see Clay succeed. Except for those who made death threats (and I fully believe there were some), most did it innocently and earnestly, without intent to harass or annoy.

But FWIW, I really doubt that spamming fans bear the primary blame for Clay's lack of radioplay. I also disagree that it's all about payola. I think Clay has been a challenge for RCA's marketing team because he is different, his musical tastes are not always closely aligned with what's currently popular in radio, and because he is perceived as appealing primarily to a larger demographic. And while Clay certainly does have younger fans, it's hard to deny that the majority of those who are visible in concerts and television appearances are over forty. I can see how Clay might be harder sell to radio, particularly in the Top 40 format.

That said, I believe that the right song at the right time can overcome a lot of obstacles. Will his latest single be that song? I don't know. I think Lylekira had it right when she said, "The art of a hit record is something that can never full understood or everyone would be doing it." We will have to see. But who knows? Perhaps, by now, AC formats who have played his Christmas songs will be more open to his new material. Maybe some programmers will think that after five years, fans will no longer barrage them as intensely as they did before. And, hey, it's entirely possible that Clay may actually have a truly great song that does well in research and demonstrates genuine, popular appeal.

You never know.

[muskifest]

OOOH! Grey undies!

[roseviolet]

Okay, I'm thinking of going ahead with programming a show on Rose Radio from the Amazon psuedo Clay song picks, but there are only ten songs and I need several more songs to fill out the hour. I need some help picking songs that Clay may have indicated in the past that he likes. Sort of working our own list of Clay song recommendation. So far I'm thinking of using "The Prayer" by Josh Groban & Charlotte Church, "Homeward Bound" by William Joseph and maybe "Cry" by Faith Hill. Any ideas?

[liney23]

The ring is gorgeous..white gold; one very large square cut diamond and diamonds around the band...makes mine look puny in comparison, LOL!

So no date yet, but probably mid-October; she said they will try and get the date firmed up by next week so the planning can begin...and...Lord, help me...she figures that if they get married in October, January is a good time to start thinking about getting pregnant! I am so not ready for this!

Kim

aikim... being a gramma is the bestest in the world. Once you get over the stigma of being old enough to be one, that is! LOL

I don't think I need to post if HeidiHo would post more often.

anonymizer software hides your personal information from sites that you visit. Your cookies can be stored on their server. There is free and not so free software to do that. This may hide country of origin. If you want to try it, you should test it before the date.

Such a beautiful day, why do I want to wander into NYC? Nope, I picked up the litter and branches, etc. Time to get up the stubborn acorns and dead grass. good bye cruel world, I have work to do. (fot the needle work people, that would be good bye crewel world)

Play...

Seee....this is what makes me so very sure that I don't need to worry about Clay and his future. Really. His talent and his character will take him wherever HE wants to go. (Er...and in some cases, in SPITE of some who support him. heh. )

Part of loveOMC's recap at CB from 3/25:

Oh, I forgot to add one other thing: At the Sunday night show, my friend and I sat next to a friend of Hannah Waddington. She told us that Hannah considers Clay the nicest person she has ever worked with and has said that the entire cast loves him!!

Hannah... if you like him so much... jump the man before he's gone, woman! Geesh!

I love that the cast loves him. I'm pretty sure it is reciprocated! What an awesome experience for Clay. Such acceptance. It makes me schmoopie for him.

OOOH! Grey undies!

muski... I'm worried about you... if that's all you see in that picture? I see soft, full, run.your.fingers.thru.it hair. I see shoulders to die for and triceps very nicely defined. I see a waist that does not pooch over his jeans. I see a superiorly toned butt. S.W.O.O.N!

[Claygasm]

First of all, I want to thank all you for your birthday wishes, and apologize for not responding sooner. I was offline for much of last week, and haven't had much time to catch up and post this week. However, I do appreciate the kind thoughts!

As for the topic du jour:

Honestly, much of what the M&G poster said feels credible to me, not only in that the radioplay info came from Clay, but in the rationale given. I do think that at some time, some radio stations were so annoyed by what they felt to be excessive spamming, that they decided not to play his songs.

At the same time, I suspect that if programmers really believed in the material and the artist, such enthusiasm would not have been counted against him. I do think that for some, Clay was never quite "cool" enough for them, and so instead of believing that the response was representative of widespread, mainstream popularity, they saw it as the result of a small but obsessive minority.

Personally, I can't completely blame fans for calling and e-mailing radio stations in the past. It was thought that listener feedback was something that was respected. Many stations had request lines and online mechanisms for engaging with their audience. Perhaps fan zeal was excessive, but we were a new fandom then, bursting with excitement and the desire to see Clay succeed. Except for those who made death threats (and I fully believe there were some), most did it innocently and earnestly, without intent to harass or annoy.

But FWIW, I really doubt that spamming fans bear the primary blame for Clay's lack of radioplay. I also disagree that it's all about payola. I think Clay has been a challenge for RCA's marketing team because he is different, his musical tastes are not always closely aligned with what's currently popular in radio, and because he is perceived as appealing primarily to a larger demographic. And while Clay certainly does have younger fans, it's hard to deny that the majority of those who are visible in concerts and television appearances are over forty. I can see how Clay might be harder sell to radio, particularly in the Top 40 format.

That said, I believe that the right song at the right time can overcome a lot of obstacles. Will his latest single be that song? I don't know. I think Lylekira had it right when she said, "The art of a hit record is something that can never full understood or everyone would be doing it." We will have to see. But who knows? Perhaps, by now, AC formats who have played his Christmas songs will be more open to his new material. Maybe some programmers will think that after five years, fans will no longer barrage them as intensely as they did before. And, hey, it's entirely possible that Clay may actually have a truly great song that does well in research and demonstrates genuine, popular appeal.

You never know.

I want to staple JennaZ to the board!!! I've missed you, my friend! And WORD to your post. Especially to this part:

I think Clay has been a challenge for RCA's marketing team because he is different, his musical tastes are not always closely aligned with what's currently popular in radio, and because he is perceived as appealing primarily to a larger demographic. And while Clay certainly does have younger fans, it's hard to deny that the majority of those who are visible in concerts and television appearances are over forty. I can see how Clay might be harder sell to radio, particularly in the Top 40 format.

I always think back to what Gladys Knight said - about not being sure where he fits in the contemporary music world. He doesn't really fit into any set box - and that's one reason I love him so much - but it must make it hard when it comes to getting him radio play or even marketing him. I don't know what this album holds as far as sales or radio, but I am still very excited about it. Clay seems excited about. He seems proud of it. He seems to think it is him. That makes me very excited to hear it. It would be nice if he got radio play, but if not, that's ok too. Clay may never be the next pop super star, but I don't think he even wants to be. If he can make the music he wants to, have projects he is proud of, then he will be around a long time. And that would make me verra verra happy!

And muski, that picture you posted... Only you would go straight for the underwear! I immediately notice the way his hair curled around his collar and those sumptuously broad shoulders!

ETA: I love me some smiling Clay!!

ETAA: Saw this at CV!

One thing I wanted to mention: When I entered the theatre, the Spam store had a mock up of the album cover advertising the May 6 drop date.

[Couch Tomato]

Loved your post Jenna... Everyone involved will have to think outside the box when it comes to Clay - the same old just might not work.

Do ya'll remember that Billboard interview from way back and when Clay said his favorite song it was some obscure b side ballad. That's my Clay. heee.

ahhh look at that face... I love that smile.

[muskifest]

Okay, I'm thinking of going ahead with programming a show on Rose Radio from the Amazon psuedo Clay song picks, but there are only ten songs and I need several more songs to fill out the hour. I need some help picking songs that Clay may have indicated in the past that he likes. Sort of working our own list of Clay song recommendation. So far I'm thinking of using "The Prayer" by Josh Groban & Charlotte Church, "Homeward Bound" by William Joseph and maybe "Cry" by Faith Hill. Any ideas?

roseviolet...you MUST include a Martina McBride song! He's said that he's always wanted to sing a song with her...

[neverlipsync]

Okay, I'm thinking of going ahead with programming a show on Rose Radio from the Amazon psuedo Clay song picks, but there are only ten songs and I need several more songs to fill out the hour. I need some help picking songs that Clay may have indicated in the past that he likes. Sort of working our own list of Clay song recommendation. So far I'm thinking of using "The Prayer" by Josh Groban & Charlotte Church, "Homeward Bound" by William Joseph and maybe "Cry" by Faith Hill. Any ideas?

Oooh...How about a David Foster song Clay's mentioned long time ago? "Through the Fire" also one of my personal favorites.

And for a more upbeat song, any Maroon 5 song. I've always been curious about the song he may have passed up that might have gone to them.

[keepingfaith]

I remember reading that sometime during or soon after American Idol, Clay said his favorite album was James Taylor's Hourglass. I don't know what songs Clay liked in particular -- but they're all primo James Taylor.

Regarding RCA/SAM -- Renshaw did say that he works closely with the record labels on album promotion. They formulate the plan together. So spake he. I'll trust those closest to Clay, and Clay himself, to do their jobs, and I'll just pull out the cash. That's my job.

jmh! I'm so glad you're enjoying Alvin Lee (with a little help from George) -- and I too buy albums that have been out for years, sometimes decades, and play them obsessively as if they were hot new releases. If it's new to me, it's new. All in good time.

Well, Mom is still in the hospital. Maybe Monday will be the day.

[muskifest]

keepingfaith Good thoughts for your mom... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

JennaZ...HEY! Where the Hades have you been? Loved your post (of course) and don't be a stranger, dang it!

[Claygasm]

Just so I can be ready for Monday - does anyone have the link for AOL First Listen?

Do you think it will be posted at midnight eastern time on Monday?

Do you think it will be posted before I have to leave for work on Monday??

Me? Anxious? Nah! Not me!

Keepingfaith, hope you mom is home soon. How's your dad?

[00lsee]

I am beyond excited for those of you who will be listening to AOL tomorrow. This is my first time ever not to spoil myself silly, so I will be enjoying the EEEs by proxy. Sweet dreams!

I guess I meant Monday. heh

[Couch Tomato]

I am beyond excited for those of you who will be listening to AOL tomorrow. This is my first time ever not to spoil myself silly, so I will be enjoying the EEEs by proxy. Sweet dreams!

Is it really more special to wait? hee I probably won't hear it until I get home from work but am looking forward to hearing this entire song.

ETA: I've been meaning to welcome the new people to the board..>Ashleygram and njrp4clay...

did you get your toasters from the welcome mod? hee

[Gibby]

Toaster? TOASTER????? I never got no frickin' toaster!!

[Thankful4Clay]

Toaster? TOASTER????? I never got no frickin' toaster!!

I'm sorry. I got mine. It was also engraved with my screen name.

[KAndre]

KAndre sits on a huge pile of engraved toasters and chortles to herself...

Hell, I just spent from 7 this morning to 11 tonight cleaning my mother's apartment with my sister - I feel like I'm gonna die!

[roseviolet]

roseviolet...you MUST include a Martina McBride song! He's said that he's always wanted to sing a song with her...

Oooh...How about a David Foster song Clay's mentioned long time ago? "Through the Fire" also one of my personal favorites.

And for a more upbeat song, any Maroon 5 song. I've always been curious about the song he may have passed up that might have gone to them.

I remember reading that sometime during or soon after American Idol, Clay said his favorite album was James Taylor's Hourglass. I don't know what songs Clay liked in particular -- but they're all primo James Taylor.

Thank you! This helps me out a lot!

[muskifest]

OOOH! Grey undies!

muski... I'm worried about you... if that's all you see in that picture? I see soft, full, run.your.fingers.thru.it hair. I see shoulders to die for and triceps very nicely defined. I see a waist that does not pooch over his jeans. I see a superiorly toned butt. S.W.O.O.N!

liney, I love ya...but there are no well-defined triceps on that man....the picture is lovely but ain't no triceps to be seen...now I WILL agree that the bum looks rather yummy---and God knows I've never thought the guy even had much of one!---and the shoulders are always quite nice...

But triceps?

nope...nary a one...

I'd still do him, though.

ETA: Actually, the more I look at that picture, the more I NEED to nibble on that little patch of bare skin peaking out there....

[laughn]

OOOH! Grey undies!

look at the poor guys all at the back of the crowd. lol. Disasters at sea and Clay Aiken, the two times it's always 'women and children first.'

toaster?!? now you tell me! :glare: