Clay Aiken & Co. Make Memories in Minneapolis

Clay Aiken opens concert with 'Love Story' theme.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Memorable Show in Minneapolis

Clack, Recaps Replay T&T Show

While I was cheering the Carolina Tar Heels to victory over arch rival Duke, Clay Aiken and the Tried & True musicians were presenting a memorable concert 1,199 miles away in the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN.

Normally, I listen to the tour concerts via a message board cellcert; but there was no way to combine the two this weekend. I had faith there would be clack to tell Clay's concert story, so I waved Carolina blue pom-poms from my den and "helped" the Tar Heels win their final regular season game.

Fortunately, there is wonderful clack rewinding Saturday's show in the Midwest. Hope, who nightly uploads Scarlett's videos to YouTube, posted an excellent account of the performance.

Playlist Presents Complete Show

She has also arranged the Minneapolis videos in a playlist at her YouTube Channel. To view the entire concert start to finish, link to the Minneapolis set here.

The concert opener, "Theme from Love Story," combined with selected videos at the end provide a cliff-note version of the concert. Hope's recap will include an intermission of clickable Minneapolis photos by farouche and toni7babe.

As I expected, Clay knocked me back in my seat with his powerful vocals, touched my heart with his beautiful interpretive skills as a vocalist and artist, and made me laugh harder than I have in a long time.

I had viewed enough Clack to know that as soon as Clay hit the word “hello” in the song “Where Do I Begin,” that the spotlight would appear to highlight the solitary figure on the stage and signal the start of a wonderful evening with Clay Aiken. Still, knowing it and experiencing it are two completely different things.

From darkness to light, from quiet murmurings to thunderous applause, the moment was Clay’s and the moment was ours. It was a thing of sheer beauty.

And lest people think that I am just being "fangirly" in my poetic waxing, my husband, who is a big, burly, "macho" truck driver, had the exact same reaction.

Clay owned the stage and the audience. He was captivating, he was funny, he was beautiful, he was snarky. A highlight for me personally, was to see the concert from the vantage point of a 7th row seat.

It’s the closest I’ve physically gotten to "meeting" Clay, and it very much felt like I was at home in my living room spending a wonderful evening with an outrageously talented and comedic friend.

And as Clay himself once mentioned during a Q&A, Quiana Parler is/was his best kept secret. Like Clay, Quiana has terrific comedic timing. Quiana’s vocals on “A Foggy Day In London Town,” and “Cry Me A River” were saucy, sultry, and smooth.

All too soon the concert ended. After his drop-dead gorgeous performance of “Unchained Melody,” Clay talked for a bit about his career post-Idol; and about how much he appreciates his fans’ dedication.

He then performed a beautiful rendition of "In My Life," ended the song, flashed us one of his best Clay Aiken smiles, bowed and quietly left the stage, leaving those in the audience a lifetime memory.

The selected clips below highlight the Minneapolis Concert. View all of Scarlett's videos at the Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube and/or downloaded them from the Minneapolis doc.

Clay & Co. perform 'Suspicious Minds' in Minneapolis.

'Who's Sorry Now' in the yodeling/Alpine style.

Clay and Quiana blend on 'Crying' duet.

Clay's signature version of 'Unchained Melody.'

Singer closes with fan dedication, 'In My Life.'

Hope's Minneapolis story continues in the State Theatre parking lot and on the drive home. Many thnx to her for sharing her concert experience with Carolina readers.

I finally met Scarlett! We managed to get lost in the parking lot of all places, so we didn't get back home until close to 1 a.m. It was a quiet ride home.

When I asked my husband if he wanted to listen to the radio, he said, "You've got your iPod with 20-something performances of Clay's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' on it, don't you?"

"Yes," I replied.

"What do you say you plug it into the cassette do-higgy there and we listen to all 20 of them? I'd really like that."

"Sure," I said. And so we did.

The photo below links to Clay Aiken at State Theatre, a 15-picture City Pages slide show by Sandy Schwartz.

Sandy Schwartz photo links to Minneapolis Slide Show.

Minneapolis, MN, Set List

Where Do I Begin - Love Story Theme
Mack The Knife
There’s a Kind of Hush
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
What Kind of Fool Am I

Jazzy Medley - The Way, This is the Night, Measure of a Man, On My Way Here, A Thousand Days, Invisible

Something About Us

Foggy Day In London Town (Quiana)

Auto Tune: Only Girl
Suspicious Minds
Build Me Up Buttercup
Moon River
It's Impossible

Who's Sorry Now (Genres: Bollywood, yodeling/Alpine, Christian rap, Hawaiian)
It's Only Make Believe
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Cry Me A River (Quiana)
Crying (Clay and Quiana)

Unchained Melody
In My Life

The Tried & True Tour heads west for three final concerts in Texas, Arizona, and California:

3.08.11 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie, 7:30 pm
3.10.11 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center, 8 pm
3.12.11 San Francisco, CA The Warfield, 8 pm

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken, Tried & True Troupe Rock Out in Westbury

Clay Aiken in concert at Westbury, NY. Photo by Asolo.

To Delight of Fans, NJU Crowd

Clay Aiken & Co. Put on a Show

Word is getting out -- that Clay Aiken sure does put on a show! And he can sing, too!

Saturday night Clay Aiken & the Tried & True Tour troupe entertained a theater equally filled with fans and the Not.Just.Us crowd (casual/new fans) in the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. It wasn't long before a stream of fan recaps, photos, and videos began rewinding the show online.

CrazyAboutClay: Wonderful concert last night! I was surrounded by NJU, and this is what they had to say: "He's so funny!" ... "He's so adorable!"

"You know, anybody can have a great voice and go up on stage and sing, but it takes a real talent to be that personable on stage."

In response to Clay stating that people are following along and listening in at home ..."Really??? Wow, that's incredible! That's great!"

I was sitting next to a couple who had never seen Clay before in concert. I thought the man was going to bust a gut laughing. There was also a group of teenage girls in front of me that were having the time of their lives.

It was a great experience to see so many NJU having such a great time.

libra1014: During "Both Sides Now" and "In My Life," you could have heard a pin drop. The band played softly, and the entire room was riveted to Clay's voice. I can't say enough about how beautiful he sounded. I'm sure there were a lot of fans there, but I think just as many NJU.

A NJU across the aisle guy (AAG) looked to be about 50-60 yrs old and was very funny talking with a bunch of guys in the row in front of him. Before the show started, I was wondering if Clay would be able to reach these guys

So when AAG started to leap out of his chair and clap and holler, I was thrilled. "Where Do I Begin, Love Story Theme" smacked all of them in the face right at the start with that voice.

I know it smacked me! I think the song sounds good on the video, but it is unreal live.

The photo interlude below features expandable Westbury concert pictures by mustbeeme, 1, 2, 5; and Asolo, 3, 4.

Asolo: I luckily snagged a second row seat as soon as the Westbury box office opened Saturday. Next to me was a couple who had never seen Clay perform before.

They were Westbury VIP Members who were able to buy the tickets in advance of the regular ticket buyers. They explained that we were sitting in the VIP section, and that would be why those seats were never sold to the public. My seat became available last minute.

The couple only knew Clay from AI and had no idea what to expect. They loved him! The man never stopped laughing at the banter, and they both looked entranced by Clay.

Afterwards, the woman told me she was so surprised that he was so entertaining, he had a wonderful voice, and they were so glad to have come.

Overheard by a CA fan's husband was a an older NJU talking on his phone: "That guy can really sing. He did some songs from the 50s and 60s, and he sang 'Unchained Melody' great!"

Expandable photo by cameocat from Westbury, NY, show.

Videos Provide Concert Glimpses

Below are five videos from the Waterbury show. Taped by Scarlett, these and other clips can be viewed at the Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube. You can download them here.

Also, check Shanapup Channel for videos by adrienne1954. Latest YouTube uploads will appear at the top of the right column of the respective channels.

Jazzy/Big Band Medley of Clay's earlier hits.
Link to YouTube to view video by Scarlett full screen.

Even a sound glitch doesn't stop Suspicious Minds.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Clay sings the beautiful 'Both Sides Now.'
For full screen view, link to YouTube.

Clay receives tutorial on fan cellcerts.
To view full screen, link to Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube.

Singer dedicates 'In My Life' to fans everywhere.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube here.

The Tried & True Tour heads to Glenside, PA, for a Sunday evening performance in the Keswick Theatre. Below are the remaining nine concerts of the 22-city tour supporting the Decca Tried & True release:

2.27.11 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre, 7:30 pm
3.01.11 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre, 7:30 pm
3.02.11 Fort Wayne, IN Embassy Theatre, 7:30 pm
3.04.11 Waukegan, IN Genesse Theatre, 8 pm
3.05.11 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre, 8 pm
3.07.11 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall, 8 pm
3.08.11 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie, 7:30 pm
3.10.11 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center, 8 pm
3.12.11 San Francisco, CA The Warfield, 8 pm

Have an awesome week, Clay Nation! Catch you at the Keswick!

Caro

Clay Aiken Tour Scores New Highs in Cleveland

Where do I begin? ... Theme from Love Story.
View Cleveland video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Tried & True Troupe Thrills

Cleveland Concert Raises the Bar

Tried & True audiences thought Clay Aiken & Co. reached the pinnacle with the Pittsburgh performance, but Cleveland reports from Saturday's show prove this concert tour just keeps getting better each night.

From the famous "Invisible" shirt tug dating back to the American Idol 2 Tour to exquisite vocals by Clay and his singing partner, Quiana Parler, to the varied "stump the band" stylings for "Who's Sorry Now" (Bhangra, Latin, and opera in Cleveland), the talented musicians are presenting an entertaining show at every stop.

Instrumentalists include Ben Cohn, conductor/arranger/keyboards; Adam Fallen, guitar; Del Atkins, bass; and Felix Pollard, drums.

Concert Recaps Fill in Blanks

Like countless fans connected to the concert via Cyberspace, I was on the receiving end of a cellcert Saturday night. Separated by expandable photos by cindilu2, these recaps from fans in the Palace Theatre house help replay the Cleveland concert.

cindilu2: Fantastic concert. By far the best of my three. "Unchained" was beyond amazing. Best I've heard him sing it since Raleigh. "Both Sides Now" was a special treat, and "In My Life" was simply sublime.

Hobbes: My favorites were "Unchained Melody," "Build Me Up Buttercup", "Mack The Knife", and "Love Story"; but the opera was my favorite moment of the evening. It was amazing. The Indian (Bhangra) version was great, too, with Quiana taking on most of it. Clay was laughing too hard at her dancing to add much.

When Clay was talking about the band members he said that Felix and his wife had an anniversary coming up on Feb. 28. Felix had told him that he and his wife had danced their first dance to "Something About Us," so he is going to have them dance to the song on stage that night.

When he did his bit jokingly complaining about cellcerters, he asked a woman who she was talking to and where she was. The certer was from Peru and the person receiving the cert (Mindy) was in Kansas. He asked if she could fly in all the way from Peru, why couldn’t Mindy show up from Kansas. Very cute!

Beagle3: The concert was awesome. There were a lot of men, the most I've ever seen at a Clay Aiken concert; and it was nice to see. This was the first of my five concerts, and I can't wait to see it again in Cincinnati.

Eight of us are in our suite reliving the concert. Unfortunately, there's a huge fraternity convention in the hotel this weekend, which does not bode well for sleeping. I think we'll be up most of the night.

all4luv: I loved the colors of the lighting they used as a backdrop for the stage. The blues were especially beautiful.

I have not seen "Solitaire" in this concert series yet as my two shows so far have been last night and tonight. I can say that "Both Sides Now" is a masterpiece, and I would not give up him performing that song for any other!

Cyn: In our Meet & Greet, Clay was asked about his choice of opening songs, "Love Story." He said the song was supposed to be on the TNT CD, but it didn’t make the final cut. He really loves the song and decided the lyrics ("Where do I begin ...?") would be a great way to start the concert.

Featured videos by Scarlett include "Who's Sorry Now," Quiana's solo ("Cry Me a River"), "Suspcious Minds," "Unchained Melody," and "Both Sides Now." To save video/audio files, see Cleveland Clack.

'Who's Sorry Now' in three genres.
See Cleveland video full screen at YouTube.

Quiana sings 'Cry Me a River.'
Link to YouTube to view Cleveland video full screen.

Clay & Co. sing 'Suspicious Minds' in Cleveland.
View video full screen at YouTube.

Clay's signature 'Unchained Melody' closes concert.
View Cleveland video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Cleveland encore features 'Both Sides Now.'
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Postscripts to Scarlett's videos are her one-sentence summary of the Cleveland concert and a clickable screen cap from the show:

It's always been wonderful, but last night was way beyond that.

Click to expand Cleveland screen cap by Scarlett.

Have an awesome week, Clay Nation! Catch you after Connecticut ...

Caro

Clay Aiken's 'Unchained Melody' Showcases DWTS 11

Clay Aiken/DWTS Season 11 - 'Unchained Melody'
View montage by LovesClaysVoice full screen at YouTube.

Final Surge for Pepsi Grant

Montage Pairs Aiken, DWTS 11

The 11th season of Dancing with the Stars is barely a week old; but, thanks to a new montage by LovesClaysVoice, three couples are already dancing the Viennese Waltz to Clay Aiken's signature rendition of "Unchained Melody" on YouTube.

Featured in the magical video are dancers Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough, Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke, and Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

"Unchained Melody," a track on the singer's new Tried & True CD, can be downloaded via iTunes and Amazon at YouTube.

Clay Aiken - Suspicious Minds 2005 - 2010
Montage by Wowzers4Clay. View full screen at YouTube.

Montage Traces 5 Years of SM

In her latest montage, Wowzers4Clay intertwines Clay Aiken performances of "Suspicious Minds" from the past five years. Represented are the 2005 GMA Summer Concert Series; the 2005 Jukebox Tour concert in Clio, MI; and this summer's Timeless Tour show at Chautauqua.

Contributing videographers include Scarlett, MnM, Mrs Loki, and Roy Ferrer.

PEPSI REFRESH -- Inclusion Project needs huge final four days!

At camp, my son does not have Down Syndrome, wear hearing aids, or have difficulty with his speech. He is simply a camper. - A mother

NIP Supporters Plot 4-Day Push

A groundswell of additional daily votes is imperative to move the National Inclusion Project from #18 into the top 10 during the final four days of September's Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

The pay-off, a $50,000 grant, would help fund Let's ALL Play Camps in which children with disabilities can experience life with their peers.

In a special edition of The Voice newsletter this weekend, Inclusion Project supporters were encouraged to enlist additional daily voters and provided tools with which to help the charity place in the all-important top 10:

We need your help to spread the word so we can bring Let's ALL Play training to more programs across the nation and open doors for ALL children to participate in all that life has to offer!

Here are ways to recruit potential voters:

1. Home Page Splash: Check out all the ways you can vote by visiting the National Inclusion Project home page!

2. Daily Reminders: Sign up to receive a daily email reminder and become eligible to win a free iPad if we finish in the top 10 and win $50,000! Sign up here: Inclusion Project/Pepsi Challenge.

3. Facebook/Twitter Updates: Join us on Facebook and Twitter!

4. Forward the NIP email, and share the information on message boards, Facebook, Twitter, in blogs.

5. Schedule a group text! Have the attendees turn their cell phone sounds on and walk them through sending a text together. When Pepsi texts back, the feedback will be amazing!

The National Inclusion Project was founded in 2003 by singer Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel, mother of a son with autism.

Originally the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, the charity, which is based in Raleigh, NC, changed its name in 2009 to better describe the organization's mission and programs.

Foundation Forms Voting Alliances

The National Inclusion Project has established voting alliances with other participants in the Pepsi Challenge. Besides offering opportunities to garner more votes, this also helps build awareness of the foundation's mission.

In reality, each person has 30 votes to use daily via text, Facebook, and through the Pepsi site. Below is the current NIP voting alliance list:

National Inclusion Project - Text 102308 to 73774 (Pepsi)
RETT Syndrome - Text 100842 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Safe Places To Play (Cal Ripken) - Text 102661 to 73774 (Pepsi)
BRIDGES - Text 101364 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Blind Cat Rescue - Text 102422 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Children's Rare Disease Network - Text 102614 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Congenital CMV Foundation (childhood disability) - Text 101692 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Courageous Disabled Kids - Text 100058 to 73774 (Pepsi)
1p36 Deletion Syndrome - Text 101439 to 73774 (Pepsi)
Lake Reba Playground (handicapped) - Text 102102 to 73774 (Pepsi)

Be sure to copy/paste a message similar to the one below so the organizations will know the Inclusion Project is supporting their cause:

A vote from the National Inclusion Project! Help us help kids with disabilities experience life with their peers. We're going for $50K. http://www.refresheverything.com/nationalinclusionproject. Text 102308. Thank you for your support!

A $50,000 Pepsi Refresh win by the National Inclusion Project would fund the following programs: train staff across the country on best practice inclusion techniques; provide training supplies; give scholarships to children unable to afford programs.

Four days remain to make this happen. Something as simple as recruiting a teen-aged granddaughter with unlimited texting (who has friends with unlimited texting) could make a difference.

I plan to send an email again to my circle of friends, relatives, students/parents, etc., who might want to win an iPad. Just think what would happen if the NIP got a huge influx of four-day voting from new blocks of people.

Just four days to pull out all the stops! Have a productive week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Thank you for for visits and comments in the Carolina blogs. To leave a remark, scroll to the bottom, click on the "Post a Comment" link, and write in the box provided. Many thnx for stopping by today! - Caro