#31: The Very Handsome Sir Clay of Aiken

[muskifest]

Hey Muskifest..I would love to come over for a beer...give me about 5 days ok?

Oh, aren't we just the snarky one? BWAH! So, y'all...as I was walking to the bus stop after work, I called Couchie and said, "Did you see my post?" "No, what post?" "I asked if you wanted to have a beer and that I had some in my fridge so why don't you come over to my house."

"Muski, I'm in NEW YORK!"

Oh. Right.

heh.

[annabear]

Bwah!

[Claygasm]

Hey Muskifest..I would love to come over for a beer...give me about 5 days ok?

Oh, aren't we just the snarky one? BWAH! So, y'all...as I was walking to the bus stop after work, I called Couchie and said, "Did you see my post?" "No, what post?" "I asked if you wanted to have a beer and that I had some in my fridge so why don't you come over to my house."

"Muski, I'm in NEW YORK!"

Oh. Right.

heh.

You could have a beer with her on SATURDAY!

Hey, I could too!

I'm sad Spamalot is coming to an end. I bet he is too. For the first time in his professional life it seems he was accepted without question, innuendo, or gossip. He was just accepted because he is who he is: mad talented and a great guy.

[YSRN]

Did they get any more magnets? Does anyone know?

Don't know, Twin, but I'll ask this weekend and if they do I'll get you one!

Yay, thanks!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

And thanks for the confirmation, play!

[Ansamcw]

Hey Muskifest..I would love to come over for a beer...give me about 5 days ok?

Oh, aren't we just the snarky one? BWAH! So, y'all...as I was walking to the bus stop after work, I called Couchie and said, "Did you see my post?" "No, what post?" "I asked if you wanted to have a beer and that I had some in my fridge so why don't you come over to my house."

"Muski, I'm in NEW YORK!"

Oh. Right.

heh.

You could have a beer with her on SATURDAY!

Hey, I could too!

I'm sad Spamalot is coming to an end. I bet he is too. For the first time in his professional life it seems he was accepted without question, innuendo, or gossip. He was just accepted because he is who he is: mad talented and a great guy.

WORD...and I also think it was a thrill to work with such talented people that is not too full of ego and into the celebrity life. I bet he learned so much. I think thats why his voice was so beautiful on this version of The Prayer...he probably got some good tips that improved his technique.

[muskifest]

For the first time in his professional life it seems he was accepted without question, innuendo, or gossip. He was just accepted because he is who he is: mad talented and a great guy.

AMEN, CG...AMEN.

Now, I swear I'll buy that damned DVD of the Broadway Bonnet thing just to see and hear that duet...Unreal. And I'm going to jump on the bandwagon---PLEASE have them record this and put it on a Christmas CD or a Broadway Duet CD or something that I can spend more money on!

Oh, YESSSSSS!!!!

[cindilu2]

Oh wow! Gosh! *dies*

<<< new avi

Bless whoever captured this for us. Magnificent! This is the stuff that dreams are made of. *le sigh* So very happy we got it, and even happier that his peers got to hear the true measure of his talent. I *heart* the Clannah.

Please let their version be on whatever DVD they sell of it. Prettyprettypleasewithsugarontop.

[Claygasm]

Did they get any more magnets? Does anyone know?

Don't know, Twin, but I'll ask this weekend and if they do I'll get you one!

Yay, thanks!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

And thanks for the confirmation, play!

You got it!!

Now muski, remind me, ok???

[Iseeme]

Good evening. Was walking home from the neighbor's and there was a fox sitting in my driveway! Hmmm. Last year there was a fox family under my hot tub deck - George, Gracie and 5 kits! At least they keep the mice population down. If you've never seen one, the kits are adorable. They look like puppies with fat little tummys and long tails and pointy ears.

Anyhoo - on to more important stuff. Clay's lower register in that duet was just bone-chilling! I got goose bumps. Haven't downloaded the HQ version yet. Sure wish the vid wasn't so snowy. I love how Clay's voice seemed to be showcased in the duet though.....and the comment "too bad those two can't sing!" Hah! What a wonderful validation for Clay's talent....

I haven't peaked to see who got kicked off Idol - waiting for the show. Why do I care.

[HeidiHo]

There was a time when I took it personally - but now, I'm numb. There's nothing I can do to change it. But I swear, if he does another North Eastern centric tour again - I'm going to be pissed!!!! That is NOT the way to gain new fans. It's just the same ol' same ol' going to eleventeen concerts!

Do you go to concerts of people who you are not already a fan of in some way? I sure don’t, unless the cover charge at the bar is less than $20 – and that ain’t where Clay is at. What I’m trying to say is that the argument that people should tour in areas “to gain new fans” is a specious argument to a large degree, IMO. People put out CDs and then promote them in a variety of ways to try to expand their fanbase. Tours are to make MONEY, from what I can see. I just don’t see how a tour could be used to gain more than a few new fans. What, give away tickets on the street corner? Unless someone already likes something about the performer, I don’t think that 90% of the people out there are going to shell out upwards of $60 to $80 to $100 for a concert ticket. I think there has to be some existing “like” there.

There can be perfect sized venues anywhere, they still have to request Clay - they get to choose, not Clay.

Sohow do you get Clay where you want him (heh) and how do you then fill up the stadium, considering most people here do not believe Clay wants to be another Rolling stone.

I don’t think this is exactly true. For a Christmas tour, Clay did say that he went where they invited him. But there is nothing to prevent his management from approaching venues and/or promoters to set up a tour and negotiate terms. I think that many of his tours are a combination of people asking for him and them booking venues in areas where he does well. I doubt VERY much that Clay and his management have spent the time before every tour twiddling their thumbs waiting for phone calls. It’s very possible that they might use venue requests to plan their tours, using that as a metric of how popular he might be in a given area. But I don’t think it’s so cut and dried. I bet a shit load of work goes into it on his management’s side and I bet they’ve approached venues from time to time.

Waiting oh so patiently for downloads at this rather slow wireless hotel.

I love the eHp and my newest buddy, Keeping Faith. <g>

[Gibby]

*pant pant pant* *Gibby pushes 'reply' after reading like mad to try to get caught up*

Geez, you guys were wordy today! I was at work all day, and it took forever to get caught up this evening. And I didn't want to skim cuz there were so many interesting and intelligent posts. But I MUST take exception with the bolded statement below:

But this is one middle-aged, overweight and sometimes not-so-photogenic mother and wife ..... *snip*

Now, Muski, I have a pic of you and I in front of the Shubert, and you are lookin' quite good! Certainly better than me. So you'd better stop insulting yourself or I"ll post that pic right here on the board!

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

Wow, Hannah and Clay did themselves proud with The Prayer! I've heard it performed many times, usually with Italian words. I'm finally getting used to hearing it in English instead. I like this version immensely better than the one with Quiana. Now, I think Quiana has a lovely voice, but I really didn't care for that version of The Prayer, and I felt sort of out of sync with the fandom cuz so many people loved it. But this version - I love. Both Clay and Hannah sing it beautifully. I only wish that there wasn't so much noise in the auditorium. Ah, well, we are blessed to have this recording!

[Iseeme]

Do you go to concerts of people who you are not already a fan of in some way?

Actually there are alot of venues in California - and I'm sure other places - where there are summer series or concert series where you have a subscription and can choose the concerts you want to attend. Two of the venues in California - the Los Angeles Greek Theatre and the San Diego site - were this way and there were many attendees that only remembered Clay from American Idol. We chatted up some of them. I also know alot of people that see someone on TV or hear their music and choose to see them in concert! So not sure your premise is totally accurate.

I also don't believe that Clay's management sits by the phone and waits for it to ring with an invitation for all his appearances. I think it's planned and Clay is made "available" on certain dates in certain areas.....then there is negotiation. I'm guessing that some or many of the venues where he's done his Christmas show before might approach him. But who knows. I'm just guessing on all of this. Have nothing to base on fact.

Oh crap - and I was going to stay out of these conversations. But you shouldn't have to live in only one part of the country to see a "live" act of a performer.

Must d/l The Prayer now....I think I need it.

[muskifest]

Ok..I don't know if anyone here with the necessary tech and software skills :dj10: might do this for me, but I was just watching the QVC version of EIDN...and there's a bit in there I'd LOVE to have as a gif for an avie....

It's one of his "I understand what you doooo" parts...near the end. On this clip that I got from a vault it's right before the 6:00 mark. He does that smirky thing with his mouth----his lips lift up in a sneer as he says the words? Gah...It's the phrase--only a few seconds but I'm in serious lust with it...

Is anyone here willing to do that for me? I would be sooooo grateful to you.

[liney23]

I'm sad Spamalot is coming to an end. I bet he is too. For the first time in his professional life it seems he was accepted without question, innuendo, or gossip. He was just accepted because he is who he is: mad talented and a great guy.

CG... As I'm sitting here listening to The Prayer yet again, I have such a schmoopie feeling in my heart. You said something I have said many times. He has been totally accepted in Spamalot as he has been very few times in his life... with no pre-judging, just an acceptance of his massive... talent and his wonderful, sweet personality. They know what we know about him and that makes them very fortunate and smart folks.

I think this run in Spamalot has given him so much confidence and happiness, not just for what he has found he has in him to do, but to know he really does belong in such an incredible group of people. Now he really has a reason to ignore the bullies still in his life. He knows they don't matter even more than ever now.

God, I'm schmoopie tonight! This is just me, but I feel the fandom tried to get him to understand how lovable he is and how funny and mad-talented and he accepted that to a certain extent. To be loved and accepted as an equal by a group of people he considered mad-talented themselves, has, I think, made more firm what we have been trying to tell him for five years.

He has fought an uphill battle since his audition to be accepted for his talent and for who he is. Now he's found that in a Monty Python play on Broadway. Who'd of ever thunk it! I love that man and this journey we're on with him!

Told ya'.... schmoopie!

[keepingfaith]

2-3 thousand tickets sold is a far cry from the QWEST in Omaha or The Ford Center in Oklahoma City. I agree that Clay has fans that are not online but where are they when he tours? It's his hard core internet fans, I feel that are going from one show to the next that is the captive audience he has. I don't think it will always be that way, at least I hope not.

I don't know so much about the original tours, but were Omaha and OKC on one of the sponsored tours? AI and Independent? Since then Clay's been doing his own thing. And at least I've convinced myself that he's such a cautious man, and he takes nothing for granted, that his first goal was to secure a solid foundation financially. I think he wanted to tour for his dedicated fans and make some money that he didn't have to divvy up to the corporates. He did.

Here's how I missed those early tours:

AI -- I was not interested in seeing the AI Tour, although I planned to go when I believed Clay would win. When he didn't, I just wasn't interested in going to see The Ruben Show. Who knew? Yeah, I know, almost all of you! Here's to you smart people!

Independent Tour -- I think I would have heard about it if Houston had been on the tour list, but it wasn't. Kelly came alone to sing at The Rodeo.

NAT -- Never heard of it. Not a word, not a peep or a whistle. This had to be strictly internet fans only and word of mouth. It passed me by. I'm assuming Clay didn't have a sponsor, because if he did they didn't do their job here. If he didn't, then I think he did exactly what he planned to do.

The JNTs: Never came here.

JBT: Didn't come here either. Never heard of it until I got online in 2006 and watched some incredible clack!

DCAT: Six times -- The First Six for me. FINALLY. And even if I hadn't been an online fan by then, I probably would have heard about this one, because the fans jamming the phones at Jones Hall in Houston made the news -- with a full-body picture of Clay on the first page of Section B of The Chronicle. The story: Jones Hall had never experienced anything like the ticket demand for Clay Aiken. And what a concert that turned out to be. Man overheard leaving to show: "Why haven't I heard of him before." Wow, that was a great concert. Maybe he'll want to come back to Houston because we showed the love that night. And Clay got publicity he didn't have to pay for because of the incredible fans, because of The Houston Symphony, and then a feature article in the Weekend section on the day before the show. (Which we read online in the middle of the night in Dallas, howling at the "I've got the old ladies covered" comment!)

I really think he's ready to go now. It takes Live Nation et al. to secure the major venues and fill them. It takes the corporate investment. What I still question in my mind is whether he even wants that. Maybe he doesn't want the Big Corporate entanglement. He may be content to tour for the devotees, with a looser show for "The Family" -- and then again he may be forced into going for a broader appeal. I have no way of knowing, but I do know that people change constantly, and grow and experiment and learn. What Clay once wanted or didn't want and how things are now could be entirely different at any given time. That's the way it goes.

There can be perfect sized venues anywhere, they still have to request Clay - they get to choose, not Clay.

Sohow do you get Clay where you want him (heh) and how do you then fill up the stadium, considering most people here do not believe Clay wants to be another Rolling stone.

I hate stadium concerts. I've never seen one that was worth it because the sound suffers irreparably in those huge venues. It becomes unreal to me and the connection between artist and audience is seldom if ever present. Even the top of the line, most acclaimed performers of our time sound better at smaller or mid-size venues. "Arena" is as big as I go, and I've experienced some good and bad ones, depending on the investment in the sound system.

I could be up my own ass on this one, but I kind of think that Clay Aiken, Independent Concert Artist, has to be invited. But Live Nation Presents Clay Aiken owns the venues, or big chunks of them, and is now controlling ticketing, and can almost singlehandedly fill a hall and generate a big gate.

So, whatever happens big or small, Clay will continue to tour and be successful at it. Give me a chance to go, I'll be there.

OMG that high quality audio...its just sublime!!!! I have never heard his voice so strong ...so beautiful...so pure and oh yeah there were parts there that he totally was stronger than Hannah..She is fantastic but there were parts there that I pretty much forget she was singing...just can;t help but focus on his voice.

SNIFF...can we have this as a bonus track!!!! without the laughters of course..

Sometimes I think Clay Aiken is like Michigan J. Frog. We get to hear him like this, but the general public, aside from the Broadway crowd, will not. *sigh*

I hope more people will hear the magic we hear with this new CD.

OMG he's sublime. The lower registers kills me. I know there are those who didn't like Somewhere Out There on AI, but when he dipped deep down in that song I knew it was all over. The singing contest was over. Nobody could touch him. And nobody did, or has.

Hey guys, rose-colored glasses are BIG this year! Pick up a pair next time you're out!

[Claygasm]

Just putting this out there.

If anyone has a pretty decent ticket to the Saturday matinee to sell, my lurker friend is in need!

She's sweet and trustworthy and a very good little Clay fan and would take very good care of the seat.

Because of the late date it would have to be an e-ticket or else a meet-up situation.

So if anyone knows of one or hears of one, can you please let me know??

[rohdy]

Oh I am so late to this party.

But there were endless pretties to admire on my way here!

I have no facts, no statistics, no inside scoop.

I just know what my daughter does. She is the director of and books shows for, our local venue. For her theater....she chooses who comes. She usually has the entire next years season booked and planned out by the end of May at the latest.

During their season they occasionally are contacted by stray acts....even a traveling 'Cats' production last year..... about a possible opening on a night the act/show may have available. When that happens, the act pays for the rental of the theater and does all the advertising themselves. Her staff handles the selling of the tickets, opens the refresment bar, supplies ushers sometimes, but that is pretty much it.

The acts/plays that she does book she selects from 'stuff' mailed to her and from a huge booking convention she goes to every January in NYC.

I have been trying to get her to book Clay since Clio closed. She steadfastly refuses. I have told her they could probably sell out two consecutive shows easily! She bounces back and forth between, he is to expensive (and they do have a tight budget....she doesn't want to be another Clio, closed from over extending) to refusing to deal with his crazy fans. (She was friends with the box office manager at Clio and went out and helped them on their first day of ticket sales....she thought it was fun...but a nightmare)

Why she won't book him for at least a Christmas show....I don't know. But it makes me sad.

Anyhow...that is how things work at her theater. She is in charge of who gets booked, they may send her cd's/dvd's of their performances, or she hears about them at the convention or through word of mouth, then she contacts them/their booking agency. Negotiations begin. And if she's lucky, they agree on all the major points and we have a show!

This may be her last year at this job...she is planning on moving on. I say she owes me a Clay date before she leaves......

[liney23]

Speaking of tickets... if anyone knows of an extra for Kimmel, please let me know... I'm a looking, since my tickets were for the 15th! Somehow those won't work to see Clay anymore. Thanks!!!

[cagney1950]

CG, I read on CH that Corabeth is looking for a home for a Sunday matinee ticket, I believe.

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

3 Days until The Closing Night of Spamalot!

5 Days until On My Way Here is Here!

6 Days until Clay is on GMA!

7 Days until Clay is on The View!

10 Days until Clay is on Leno!

14 Days until The Climmel!

17 Days until Craig Ferguson!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[cindilu2]

Thanks for the info from your daughter's perspective, rhody. This is nothing personal against her, but a comment on the shortsightedness of a 'booker' who would ignore a proven track record of sales (especially with first hand knowledge of Clio - some of his most successful dates ever) because of 'dealing with crazy fans'. The 'too expensive' part is completely acceptable if so - they are there to make money. But crazy fans who fill venues are the bottom line, no? Did she see what those crazy fans did in Kalamazoo? Both filling the venue and the book-drive? I hope he always has those kind of crazy fans, and feel sorry for areas that won't get to see him based on that kind of reasoning.

[rohdy]

My thoughts exactly Cindilu. But what cha gonna do?

She has only been doing this particular job for 3 years and I'm proud to say, has done quite well with knowing what the local community wants. Though small, her track record is solid.

She does know the success of the Kalamazoo show...again, their director is a long time work friend.

I've decided that it must be a money issue. Hers is a non profit organization, so perhaps the funding just really isn't there for her to take a 'chance' with.

Speaking of which, I keep meaning to ask her what kind of fee Clay is commanding these days....just for grins

I guess I should have left my Clay wish list out of the previous post and just stuck with the facts of how our local shows are selected.....

Okay....it's another work day for me. Catch ya's all later.

.

[luckiest1]

Whew! I am finally caught up. I've been caught up in a whirlwind of activity this week, with the CPR training, getting my son set up with a math tutor, on top of all the usual go-to-work-come-home-cook-dinner-tidy-up-drive-kid-here-and-there stuff, and getting last minute things done so I can leave the house with a clear conscience on Saturday morning for NYC! Wheeeeeeeee! Less than 48 hours now! So far, I've packed my passport, my tickets, and my binoculars. I'm halfway there!

I watched all the videos this morning.....Tyra (that was hilarious and sooooo cute), BC The Prayer (too bad about the video quality, but if there is really a DVD? I'll be all over that! ). What a gorgeous vocal performance! I was lucky enough to have been in the room when Clay & Quiana did it in Raleigh, and while the clack of that doesn't do it justice either, it was v.v. pretty. But this one takes the cake! I also watched Clay accept the runner up award for Spamalot, and almost trip in the process. Yikes! But how cool for him to have been a part of that.

I also watched the youtube teaser. I'm quite surprised that we don't have whole song spoilers by this point....but I think even if we get them between now and the 6th, I'll be too busy to listen. Hee! I feel like I'm running a marathon, no time to stop. But the prize at the end is going to be worth it!

I put the QVC vids on while I was running around getting ready this morning, and ds says "what's this? This doesn't sound like Clay". Hee. I played them for a friend the other day (EIDN in particular) and she said "what kind of music is this?" BWAH. Her favourite was The Real Me. Man, I neeeeeeeed to hear the full version of that, but I will remain strong and not listen to other versions. I love that he is branching out, experimenting with new things. I love EIDN more each time I listen to it. I fell in lust with it the first time I heard it.

[KAndre]

Well, I'm gonna come down a teensy bit on the side of rohdy's daughter - sometimes money is NOT enough to make up for crazy. Or rude. Or completely and totally unreasonable. It costs money to deal with those people too (ah, the joys of working in a service industry). And from the last Houston concert, I've seen the crazy, the rude and the completely and totally unreasonable - and there was a LOT of stuff I wouldn't have put up with.

"The Prayer" simply doesn't do it for me - though he and Hannah sound really, really good. I like a little of deep-voice Clay, but too much of it always sounds less natural to me than that gorgeous lyric tenor he tends to fall into. Not that fond of the song either, though I've heard some gorgeous versions of it.

[Clayzorback]

Ansamcw, I can't wait to hear EIDN recorded. I think kipper wrote a great song. I image that there is going to be a lot of songs I will like on OMWH, once I hear the whole song. WooHoo...only 5 more days to go peeps. The last group of snippits I heard, LAA DID sound exactly like his already recorded version. I don't know why the one I heard sounded like it had been changed with different instrumentation and faster. I can't wait to hear ASHES, FALLEN, WIDTL, EIDN , in their entireity. I may change my mind on SAU and TRM and a couple of others after I hear them. It's hard to tell by the way he sang them on QVC and the short snippets we got.

keepingfaith, I went to Qwest in Omaha for the Independant tour and Ford Center for the AI2 tour. Ford Center is where I met my touring friend sheiladownunder. :F_05BL17blowkiss: Believe me, neither one of those was the Kelly or Ruben shows. He was so hot and most people were there for him, and him only. I don't know anything about Live Nation or how tours are booked and who pays what expenses. I just know that he has lost a considerable amount of following since those days. Due to being out of sight out of mind with no radio presence, no videos, I believe. I do know that Clay has a tendancy to be "thrifty", as evidenced by the same clothes he's had for 5 years or more, if you count those tan cargo shorts he wears. So maybe he purposely just wants to book small venues with orchestras to keep his cost down and to keep all the money himself, but I just have a feeling he would prefer playing to those same type of larger venues he was when he was hot. That picture of him standing on stage in his home town filling that huge arena, where he is trembling fighting back the tears, makes me believe that. I agree with you, that he is ready to go now. I think this CD has the potentail for airplay. I think his label is ready to back him, a LOT MORE now, than they have in the past. I think part of that is because he has come to understand some things and be willing to change his mind on things.. So I think what ever differences he has had with them has been satisfied to both parties.

I am hoping that all the beautiful updates to his page on Sony, and the RCA message board, his MySpace, his own YouTube site all the tons of attention he has got in articles etc etc, shows they mean business this time. The free advertisement he has obtained from Spamalot was awesome. Best thing he ever did for himself, I believe.

Heidi, I hear a great time was had between you and my friend keepingfaith. She is a keeper isn't she?

Need to get ready for work......