#59: Forget life -- It's CLAY time!

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Some banter with Casey (I think she admitted to having Spanxx on, which I find hard to believe she would ever need) and they are dueting on Crying.

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Clay messed up the beginning of Suspicious Minds, so he had the band start over again. Sounds great - with Casey singing back-up (the Quiana part).

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Right into Build Me Up Buttercup. "I'll be beside the phone waiting for yewh!"

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Clay's talking to the audience - asking who's a teacher. Crediting his teachers with making him who he is. In My Life.

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Right into It's Only Make Believe with no banter break. This is one of my favorites from TnT, and the band is really swinging it.

There's a Kind of a Hush. I'm loving this version of the band - I hope they're touring with him in the winter.

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Moon River. I love the little bit of Clair de Lune that Ben plays as an intro.

ETA: AS kf pointed out below, it's actually Moonlight Sonata. I'm a musical dumbass.

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Thanking WTTW for hosting the concert and encouraging pledging to PBS.

The winter tour will be an extended version of this show.

"Give it up for the band." Loud applause. :clap:

Fimilar talk about how he's sung Unchained Melody for years, and now he has his own version. Will be seeing us this winter.

Unchained Melody. Starting slow and tender and gradually ramping up the intensity.

[keepingfaith]

Moon River. I love the little bit of Clair de Lune that Ben plays as an intro.

I missed that one. He didn't intro with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, same as the CD?

I'm jonesing for the full-blown tour in February!!!!!!! It's gonna be a long, cold, lonely winter.

[bottlecap]

Moon River. I love the little bit of Clair de Lune that Ben plays as an intro.

I missed that one. He didn't intro with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, same as the CD?

I'm sure you're right. I've got my moonlight music mixed up.

[shortyjill]

This is essentially the Raleigh show so far, I think, only a little looser and with some more audience interaction. Lots of laughing and some great singing. It's really clipping along.

I noticed that too as I read along. Thanks for the reports! Hopefully I'll actually get to start listening in by February.

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The cellcerter reported in very briefly at the end and said some of the video-takers got shut down. Hopefully, they didn't get everybody so we can get Clack of the whole show.

===================================================

If anyone is reading this all at once and is getting annoyed by all those views of my avi because of the consecutive posts - Sorry! Nobody else was jumping in with updates in real time. :clay:

Looking forward to the recaps tomorrow, unless all the concert-goers are piling onto a plane with Clay to make the trip back to Raleigh for the gala. Safe travels, y'all!!

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Some post-show texts from ldyj:

In response to my post-concert text asking if she enjoyed it. (Duh!) She replied:

Omg yes. Worth it to hear UM live!

In My Life as well. So pretty! I wuv him. He's funny too!

The bit w/ the woman who hadn't seen him needs to be seen - lots of funny faces from Clay!

[FearofH2O]

Thanks for the updates bottle. I also miss a lot of what Clay says. Sounds like a good time was had by all.

[wandacleo]

Fantastic show! I just got back to the hotel. Clay came out with Mack the Knife wearing his sharkskin suit--and it seemed a little baggy. Sure enough, he said that when he filmed the PBS special the suit had fit him and then opened it and wrapped one side over the other to show how skinny he was, saying "That anorexia's not bad" (paraphrasing of course as my brain is addled). I was front center right behind Scarlett as I was # 30 in line and made a beeline for the center as soon as I got through the door. Clay was in fine form. I'm sure the videos will be up soon. Let's see. Total Rooster Hair. He said he had done his own hair. This I believe. (LOL). Lavendar tie. White shirt. Striped socks. He took a phone from someone and talked to the woman (Deb) on the phone and found out she lived in Ohio and ragged on her for not coming to the show--snapped the phone shut and then started singing "Who's sorry now?" OMG, the look on his face was priceless (although he sort of whispered to the woman holding the phone later, asking if she'd gotten Deb back--she had.) Let's see, oh yes, he asked (probably not in order here) if anyone had NOT been to one of his shows and this older lady (using the term somewhat loosely) said she was at her first show, but I think she said she listened/watched?? him 4 hours a day on her computer. This should have given him a clue to run. Anyhow, he asked her to come up to the stage, and he came down (LOVELY VIEW) to meet her, and she looked like this sweet little old lady, but OMG, she started grabbing at him and hugging him (she may have even kissed him) and was rubbing her hand up and down his back. Holy crap! THE LOOK ON CLAY'S FACE!!!! I almost had a convulsion from laughing--if you hear a hyena laugh on Scarlett's video--that's probably me. Once he got away from her, he said he'd never been molested on stage before and told the woman she needed to stay off the computer. Then, he said, "Where was Jerome? We're going to have a staff meeting later." Jerome was standing over on the side laughing like the rest of us. I mean, was he going to haul a little old lady off Clay!!!?? Clay said the reason he'd asked about first-timers was because he needed new people to join "the cult." He made a few references to some (maybe all) of us being crazy. LOL. He couldn't remember the order of the songs and borrowed the program outline from one of the band. He said he had some of the lyrics written on the floor and he screwed up one song and sang about how he didn't know the lyrics. He was really funny, have I mentioned that? I noticed some of the band was pretty sober in the beginning, but they were cracking up later, especially the woman. There was a mini-orchestra (violin, viola, cello, horns) as well as two guitarists and Ben and Sean.

Quiana wasn't there--only Casey--so maybe something came up and there was a switch or Quiana didn't go. Oh, yes, Clay was joking at one point and said he wasn't getting paid for the show. He invited one of the younger gals up in front to dance to Eso Beso while he sang. That was pretty funny too. LOTS of fun stuff going on. UM ended the show and if that were the only song he'd sung, it would have been worth the $250.

(Can travel)

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I asked ldyj what her husband thought of the band, since lrdj's also a musician.

He really liked the band -- excellent musicians. Noticed Ben playing his music off an iPad!

[ldyjocelyn]

I'm back at the hotel too! Between calling jmh and texting bottlecap, I've been busy.

I'll write more of a recap tomorrow, but I'll just say this...wow. Unchained Melody from 50 feet away is amazing. I can't even imagine what it was like for wanda being so close to the front. Another highlight was In My Life -- so sweet and gentle. Sigh.

My boyfriend is funny ya'll! When he snapped that phone shut, I almost fell off my chair laughing. And then, the irony of the next song being Who's Sorry Now? just added to the fun.

OK, I need some sustenance. As I said, more later.

[keepingfaith]

Fantastic show! I just got back to the hotel. Clay came out with Mack the Knife wearing his sharkskin suit--and it seemed a little baggy. Sure enough, he said that when he filmed the PBS special the suit had fit him and then opened it and wrapped one side over the other to show how skinny he was, saying "That anorexia's not bad" (paraphrasing of course as my brain is addled). I was front center right behind Scarlett as I was # 30 in line and made a beeline for the center as soon as I got through the door. Clay was in fine form. I'm sure the videos will be up soon. Let's see. Total Rooster Hair. He said he had done his own hair. This I believe. (LOL). Lavendar tie. White shirt. Striped socks. He took a phone from someone and talked to the woman (Deb) on the phone and found out she lived in Ohio and ragged on her for not coming to the show--snapped the phone shut and then started singing "Who's sorry now?" OMG, the look on his face was priceless (although he sort of whispered to the woman holding the phone later, asking if she'd gotten Deb back--she had.) Let's see, oh yes, he asked (probably not in order here) if anyone had NOT been to one of his shows and this older lady (using the term somewhat loosely) said she was at her first show, but I think she said she listened/watched?? him 4 hours a day on her computer. This should have given him a clue to run. Anyhow, he asked her to come up to the stage, and he came down (LOVELY VIEW) to meet her, and she looked like this sweet little old lady, but OMG, she started grabbing at him and hugging him (she may have even kissed him) and was rubbing her hand up and down his back. Holy crap! THE LOOK ON CLAY'S FACE!!!! I almost had a convulsion from laughing--if you hear a hyena laugh on Scarlett's video--that's probably me. Once he got away from her, he said he'd never been molested on stage before and told the woman she needed to stay off the computer. Then, he said, "Where was Jerome? We're going to have a staff meeting later." Jerome was standing over on the side laughing like the rest of us. I mean, was he going to haul a little old lady off Clay!!!?? Clay said the reason he'd asked about first-timers was because he needed new people to join "the cult." He made a few references to some (maybe all) of us being crazy. LOL. He couldn't remember the order of the songs and borrowed the program outline from one of the band. He said he had some of the lyrics written on the floor and he screwed up one song and sang about how he didn't know the lyrics. He was really funny, have I mentioned that? I noticed some of the band was pretty sober in the beginning, but they were cracking up later, especially the woman. There was a mini-orchestra (violin, viola, cello, horns) as well as two guitarists and Ben and Sean.

Quiana wasn't there--only Casey--so maybe something came up and there was a switch or Quiana didn't go. Oh, yes, Clay was joking at one point and said he wasn't getting paid for the show. He invited one of the younger gals up in front to dance to Eso Beso while he sang. That was pretty funny too. LOTS of fun stuff going on. UM ended the show and if that were the only song he'd sung, it would have been worth the $250.

(Can travel)

Absolutely marvelous review, wanda!

[Carolina Clay]

Awesome recap, Wandacleo! You captured what I think I heard on the cellcert, which was flat out amazing with the iPhone at CV. Thnx for filling in the blanks on the "unexpected"!

I just saw someone post this factoid on Twitter -- today is the seven year anniversary of MOAM's release. Can you believe that? Wonder if Clay will mention that tonight?

About 10 minutes before my first student, I posted a new Carolina On My Mind about the fact that the Chicago Concert fell on the seventh anniversary of MOAM. The reflections of Oct. 13-14, 2003, are from a 2007 blog; but there are some great stories from the original CD release parties, appearances, etc. I know the blog was retweeted a couple of times.

Happy MOAM Anniversary, and on to the Winter Tour with the Chicago preview concert!

Safe travels to those heading to Raleigh! The weather down here is fine.

Caro

[keepingfaith]

Anyone hanging around tonight waiting for clack, I URGE you to watch the following YouTube of Fort Worth City Councilman, Joel Burns. This is something every person in this country should watch and has moved me beyond words. I don't know Joel Burns, but I'm so proud of him.

[merrieeee]

All I can say is that is the first time someone actually got that close to Clay! Her hand went around his neck and started stroking him..........totally OTT

It was a great show. I will post more tomorrow. I am wiped out!

[cindilu2]

Raleigh redux = AWESOME!! My one and only great shot.

Absolutely priceless!

[luckiest1]

Ha ha, love it! Such a priceless moment!

You know that expression 'aural sex'? That's what Clays voice is. He was curling my toes tonight. So wonderful to see and hear him in such an intimate setting with such great acoustics. He was funny and loose and relaxed. I could see his facial expressions even though I was in one of the booths at the 'back'. Just wow.

Recap of today will have to wait, we need to get up in a few hours to get the airport. MBlovesClay has her clack playing on the TV so I'm not sure if we'll ever get to bed....not that I am complaining.

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Pepsi Refresh Project Link

http://www.refresheverything.com/nationalinclusionproject

From your mobile phone:

Text* 102308 to

Pepsi (73774)

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Chicago pics from various photographers via CV:

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