Showing posts with label Ticketmaster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ticketmaster. Show all posts

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Aiken Fans Set CD Release Parties


TRIED & TRUE - The vintage 1950's green hues in this album cover graphic by AmazingCA help the Carolina blog celebrate Earth Week.

First Official Press Photo Revealed

Fans Plan T&T CD Celebrations

With countdown clocks steadily ticking toward the June 1 drop date for Tried & True, Clay Aiken's first album with Decca Records, fans have begun organizing parties to celebrate the new CD.

Pulling out all the stops is the Hollywood CD Release Party with a website coordinated and designed by Pam Bassett. The above link and double clickable image below will take you to "The Celebration Team 2010" page where you will be greeted by Clay singing "Mack the Knife."

Fans planning to attend the Hollywood CD Release Celebration should register as soon as possible. Payment is not due until May 12.


Double click on image to see Hollywood party website.

In the early planning stages, other CD release parties listed at Clayonline (Anything Clay >> Clay Soiree) include Raleigh and Southeastern Michigan (May 31) and Toronto, Ontario (June 5). More will be listed as plans are posted.

To set up a celebration website Hollywood style, click on this link and get started. You can choose from 2,000+ templates; customize the site with your own logo, graphics, text, domain name; and publish to the web with a click of a button.

Easy-to-use tools include point-click-drag images and text with no HTML required. Following a 30-day free trial, the fee is only $4.99/month.


Are You Ready for Clay Aiken 2010?
Montage by gerwhisp

In Are You Ready for Clay Aiken 2010, her latest montage, gerwhisp combined an earlier CA favorite, "Here You Come Again," with excerpts from the singer's March interview in Raleigh and promotional images from the PBS concert taping and upcoming Timeless Tour.

PHOTO INTERLUDE: Featured are double clickable T&T and Timeless TourAmazingCA (1, 3) and Fountaindawg (2).





Tour Ticket Sales Dates Revised

Despite conflicting reports, Timeless Tour tickets for the MGM Grand Foxwoods (Marshantucket, CT) venue are on sale through Ticketmaster now. For more information, check with the venue (866-646-0050) if you want to attend the Aug. 7 concert. This is the promo for Clay and Ruben from the MGM site:

Since coming to national attention on the second season of American Idol in 2003, where he was the unexpected runner up, only to become the biggest selling male artist the show has ever featured, Clay Aiken has evolved into a versatile and beloved popular entertainer.

He has also toured nine times, written a New York Times bestselling memoir, sold more than six million albums, produced and hosted television programs, starred on Broadway, and devoted considerable energy and resources to improving the lives of children all over the world.

After Idol, Ruben Studdard released his first single, "Flying Without Wings" and it debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Advance orders for his debut album, Soulful, topped the 1 million mark before it was released and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Studdard received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance and in March 2004, Ruben won the NAACP Outstanding New Artist Award.

Other public ticket sales for the Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard 17-city summer tour slated for Friday, April 30, include the following venues:

The Hammerstein - New York City, NY (Aug. 11 concert): Phone 212-279-7740. American Express Pre-sale Thursday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; live nation pre-sale Tuesday, April 27, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; general public, Friday, April 30, 10 a.m. EDT.

**Horseshoe Casino - Hammond, IN (Aug. 13 concert): Phone 866-711-7463. (Originally set for April 30, tickets will be on sale through Ticketmaster and at the box office on Friday, May 21.)

Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL (July 26 concert): Phone 727-791-7400, 800-875-8682. Ticketmaster and box office April 30. (Check back for time).

The coast to coast tour, which has been added to Clay's Decca site (under "Events"), begins July 23 in Asheville, NC, and ends in Biloxi, MS.


Clay Aiken Official T&T Press Photo/Vincent Soyez

A few minutes before I started teaching Friday, Clayonline added the final piece of the T&T photo shoot puzzle. Below are clickables of full-length and cropped versions of Clay on the train at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC.


Clickables of official T&T press photo.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Aiken-Studdard Tickets on Sale


Clay and Ruben Together Again
Montage by LovesClaysVoice

Link to YouTube for full page view.
Download video with this Sendspace file.

Summer 2010 Timeless Tour

Ticketmaster Tango on the Move

The Ticketmaster Tango for the summer's Timeless Tour by Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard officially got underway in the wee hours Tuesday as fans unexpectedly discovered a "live" purchase button for the Chautauqua Institution venue.

Word quickly spread throughout the fan club network, and the stressful ticket-buying dance began ...

I can't get the purchase page to give me a link for Asheville tickets! Is anyone else having this problem? ... Now the page has crashed! HELP!!! ... Tickets for Chautauqua went on sale at midnight with no warning or announcement!!!

If anyone in the US can help, the Chautauqua site seems to be throwing errors for Canadians. I can paypal the money immediately! . . . This is insane. I can't even get through without the site crashing.

This is a freaking nightmare. Biltmore crashes, and the phone line is constantly busy ... I got tickets!!!



Got reserved and did it online. I was on hold when the web page started working again ... I can't believe we got second row center seats! That never happens for me!!!

What a ticket mess -- couldn't get through on the phone and by the time I finally got online, the premium tickets were gone. Oh, well, we're in the door!

It's a good frakkin' thing I love this guy!

Tickets on Sale at Five Venues

Kicking off July 23 in Asheville, NC, Clay and Ruben will take their Timeless Tour to 17 cities across North America. This is the first time the two artists will tour together.

Tickets for the 17-city summer tour are on sale this week at the following sites:

Biltmore Estate: Ashesville, NC, July 23, 8 p.m. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Friday, July 23, 8 p.m. EDT. Tickets became available through the estate at 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 6. Use the above link or call the box office: 800.411.3812 or 828.225.1333.

Silver Legacy Casino: Reno, NV, July 31, 8 p.m. PDT. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Saturday, July 31, 8 p.m. PDT. Tickets availabe through Ticketmaster, or call the site: 800.687.8733.

Chautauqua Institution: Chautauqua, NY, Aug. 6, 8:15 p.m. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Friday, Aug. 6, 8:15 p.m. (Eastern). Unannounced, Chautauqua tickets went on sale around 11 p.m. Monday night. Use the aboe link, or call the box office: 716.357.6250.

The Florida Theatre: Jacksonville, FL, July 24. Tickets on sale Friday, April 9.

Concert is Saturday, July 24, 8 p.m. in Jacksonville's Florida Theatre. Tickets will be available Friday, April 9, at 10 a.m. EDT online through Ticketmaster or by calling the box office (904.355.2787).

Turning Stone Resort and Casino Showroom: Verona, NY, Aug. 12. Tickets on sale Friday, Aug. 9.

Concert is Thursday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m., at Turning Stone. Tickets will be available at Friday, April 9, at 10 a.m. EDT through Ticketmaster. Site phone numbers (800.771.7711, 315.361.7711)


Clay performs in Raleigh Concert. AP photo/Jim R. Bounds

Decca To Unleash Incredible Voice

So what's all the excitement about? PermaSwooned described it best in a message board post about Clay's March 12 PBS Special taping, a prelude to to the June 1 release of "Tried & True, his first album with Decca Records. The special airs this summer.

The thing I tried to tell everyone who would hold still for it was that Clay was able to do things that no one else on today's music scene could do. He got both praise and pans for his unique phrasing, but I loved it.

Clay could bring out the meaning of the lyrics because he could tie two phrases together without a break. He could do that because he had amazing breath control.

Most other singers couldn't do that if they wanted to because they couldn't sustain a phrase that long. It made him unique. He could dramatize a song because he could change keys and head for the stratosphere because he had no serious breaks between his lower, middle and higher registers.

Me, I always had to at least take a breath between B natural and C because I had a break between registers the size of the Grand Canyon.


Gif by ezz

He could change key for drama also because he had a HUGE range. Two octaves in a song?? Child's play. Just wait until you hear the four key changes in "Build Me Up, Buttercup" from the taping. Left me breathless, as well as Clay!

So when the PBS taping started and he grabbed ahold of that microphone and bit into "Mack The Knife" with everything he had and more, I was just ecstatic.

And when he finished it with that endless last note, I leaped to my feet with tears pouring down my face because finally, FINALLY a label was going to unleash him and let him just let it rip!

And he did! And it was incredible!!! And NO ONE was going to mistake him for anyone else. That was CLAY AIKEN, truly one of a kind!

Below are clickables of graphics by Fountaindawg relating to the Summer 2010 Timeless Tour of Clay and Ruben:





Summer 2010 Tour: Concert List

Jul-23 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estates (Tickes on sale NOW)
Jul-24 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater (Tickets on sale April 9)
Jul-25 - Melbourne, FL - King Center For Arts (Ticket sale: TBA)
Jul-26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (Tickets: TBA)
Jul-29 - Snoqualmie WA - Casino- Mountain View Plaza (Tickets: May 8)
Jul-31 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-01 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia (Tickets: May 7)
Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesar’s (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theater (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - HB Casino (Tickets: April 14)
Aug-11 - New York, NY - Hammerstein (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino (Tickets: April 9)
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage (Tickets: TBA)


For up-to-date information/links, see Clayonline News, Ticketmaster, and (via Google) the concert sites.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Friday, March 19, 2010

March Madness Bumps Clay Aiken


Georgia Tech wins with free throws.
AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Cluben Tour Adds Dates

NCAA, NIT Clear Clay Calendar

Despite the fact that my team, the Carolina Tar Heels, defending national collegiate basketball champions, didn't make the 2010 NCAA Tournament, March Madness has once again taken over my life and temporarily bumped Clay Aiken from my computer.

The Heels will meet Mississippi State in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament at noon Saturday; and you can bet I'll be in front of my TV waving Carolina blue and white pom-poms as soon as my oboe and I arrive home from a cantata rehearsal. [UPDATE: Heels won!]


Clay Aiken previewed "Tried and True" CD tracks at 3/12 concert.
Click to enlarge graphic by LovesClaysVoice/AP photo by Jim R. Bounds

I usually keep up with the latest Clay news, but this week March Madness has consumed my TV and computer time. Friday morning I swung by several message boards to check the status of the Cluben Tour Ticketmaster Tango for Reno, NV.

Although some fans scored good seating through Ticketmaster, many seemed to get better results by phoning the Silver Legacy Hotel directly (1-800-687-8733). Here's the promo appearing on the Silver Legacy -- and other Cluben Tour -- sites:

American Idol stars Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard join together for a night of POP and R&B hits at Silver Legacy.

Since appearing together on the second season of American Idol Aiken has gone on to release five albums, his debut album went multi platinum and perform on Broadway. Studdard has received a Grammy award nomination and released four albums.

Confirmed Cluben Tour dates, also tagged the "Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard Summer Not a Tour," include:
  • July 23, 8 p.m. EDT: Biltmore Estates, Asheville, NC. Tickets go on sale April 6 at 8 a.m. EST.

Wall-to-Wall Basketball Prevails

Except for teaching violin lessons, I was front and center for all of Thursday's first round NCAA games right up until New Mexico, the third seed, squeaked out a win over #14 Montana in the wee hours. In fact, most of the night I watched two games at once, one on TV and one on my laptop.

Now that was really a sight to see, especially during the Wake Forest-Texas and Tennessee-San Diego State games. A former Texan and Tennessean, I generally cheer for the teams from my previous "home" states. Thursday, however, I supported Wake Forest and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Coincidentally, both Texas and Tennessee have the same school colors, orange and white. As the higher rated team in their games, the Longhorns and the Volunteers wore their lighter, predominantly white, uniforms.

TV Updates Tease Psyche

Wake, my TV team, was in the darker jersey while, on my computer, Tennessee was in white. As the night wore on, keeping up with the team colors became complicated and even comical.

The games were very close; and during the final minutes, CBS continually switched back and forth between the two, usually with no warning. I was already mentally shuffling opposite team colors from TV to laptop, only to find myself temporarily viewing the same game in both places.

All host basketball courts have been prepared to look the same with the center NCAA insignia and blue borders, so that didn't help either.

The Vols won, 62-59; and Wake prevailed in overtime, 81-80, with a buzzer-beating final shot that had "replay" written all over it -- the same type of shot that took out Vanderbilt from my old Nashville stomping grounds. Video highlights of these and other stunners are available on the ESPN web site.

Now it's Friday night, and I have cheered Georgia Tech, an ACC team, to victory while watching on my laptop. During the final seven minutes, I provided my friend Terri a play-by-play report before wrapping up this blog.

1957 Triple Overtime Spurs Tactic

A classical violinist and lifelong Tar Heel fan, Terri and I share a love for college basketball. When Carolina is playing, she dons the sweatshirt she wore when the team won the NCAA crown in 2005.

My own secret weapon dates back to my childhood when it took three overtimes for the Tar Heels to defeat Kansas in 1957. Between each extra period, I slipped into my bedroom and prayed for victory while holding my Bible. Eventually, Carolina prevailed.

Years later I told Terri about the Carolina-Kansas strategy. When the Carolina team gets into hot water, she often calls and urges me to "go get the Bible."

Since the Heels are not in the NCAA this year, we are transferring our winning tactics to other teams. During Friday's first game, we joined Mountaineer fans in cheering West Virginia on to the next round.

I taught piano and violin students all afternoon while Terri waved poms for both of us. To the teams we "adopt," we are prepared to bring out our secret weapons -- the Carolina sweatshirt and special Bible.

As sports analysts bestow their audiences with hours of statistics and predictions, little do they know that two retired orchestra teachers really hold the possible keys to a game's outcome.

Have a wonderfully "mad" weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Monday, February 22, 2010

Clay Aiken's TNT Stirs Excitement


TRIED AND TRUE EXCITEMENT - The banner by LovesClaysVoice trumpets the anticipation for Clay Aiken's March 12 PBS special taping and world premiere of songs from the TNT album. Press CTRL and click on photo to enlarge the banner in another tab.

PBS Special Benefits Inclusion Project

PBS Taping To Premiere 'TNT'

The fact that tracks from "Clay Aiken: Tried and True" will receive world premiere status in a live performance to be taped March 12 in Raleigh, NC, is naturally the lead topic on the singer's fan boards.

The much-anticipated PBS Special of the singer's upcoming album with Decca Records, nicknamed "TNT" by fans, is also a hot topic all over the Internet.

For example, Skope Mag ran this article last week:

CLAY AIKEN COMES HOME TO RALEIGH, NC

Clay Aiken will hit the stage for a special one night only concert at the Memorial Auditorium in his hometown, Raleigh, NC on Friday, March 12. The singer is promising fans an exciting 2010 with this special one night performance being just the beginning.

The performer extraordinaire is gearing up for the release of his new album, "Clay Aiken: Tried and True." The special concert, which will be taped for television, is the world premiere live performance of his forthcoming album being released on Decca this Spring.

Among the many sites advertising the PBS Special taping are Go Go Raleigh, Wake County Local News, International Media on Facebook, countless blogs, even the National Inclusion Project.

Five VIP packages are being auctioned on eBay with 100% of the proceeds furthering the mission of the National Inclusion Project. In return, winning bidders will experience the taping's dress rehearsal, take a guided tour of the backstage area, have an exclusive Q&A with Clay, and receive two tickets to the live performance.

UPDATE: Bidding for the five VIP packages ended Tuesday and will yield $36,500 for the National Inclusion Project. The package finals were as follows:

1. $9,100.00
2. $6,700.00
3. $6,600.00
4. $6,700.00
5. $7,200.00

TOTAL: $36,500

General admission tickets for the March 12 taping of Clay's PBS special are on sale at Ticketmaster.

Although the Clay Aiken pages at Decca are still in the works, fans can stream videos from previous albums at the Media link.

TWWMAD Disperses Concert Tickets
It's important that I make a difference in some way. It's not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do. - Clay Aiken

Inspired by the singer they follow, fans at The Way We Make a Difference have served as a conduit for dispersing donated tickets since 2004, enabling countless individuals and groups attend Clay Aiken events.

The organization's history and purpose are stated on TWWMAD website:

The Way We Make a Difference began with a simple idea - that of fostering the cause of inclusion with a donated concert ticket.

Thanks to your support, people with and without disabilities have been able to experience the joy of attending a concert together.

Among the organizations aided by TWWMAD include Best Buddies, Special Olympics, YMCA, The Arc of the United States, and Ronald McDonald houses.

Fans support the organization by donating extra tickets or funds to purchase tickets. To help make a difference, contact TWWMAD here.



I Was Here - Montage by LovesClaysVoice

Interwoven into the fabric of the man Clay Aiken and his entertainment career are his charitable endeavors for the children of the world.

LovesClaysVoice combined scenes from the singer's projects with the National Inclusion Project, which he co-founded in 2003, and UNICEF, for which he serves a celebrity ambassador. Performed by Lady Antebellum, the I Was Here montage can be viewed at YouTube and downloaded with this Sendspace link.

Golfing for Inclusion Tops $150,000

The Inclusion Project has announced funds raised at the 3rd annual Golfing for Inclusion on Feb. 1 topped $150,000. The complete story can be read at foundation link:

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Supporters of the National Inclusion Project helped to raise over $150,000 at the 3rd annual Golfing for Inclusion.

The event sponsored by Allianz Life and American Portfolios was held at The Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on February 1, 2010.

The funds raised will be used to provide children with disabilities the opportunity to play, learn and grow side-by-side with their typical peers.

Special recognition is also extended to Osiris Fund for a generous contribution supporting inclusion.

The countdown is on. Have an awesome week, Clay Nation!

Caro

TWWMAD is also featured in the current entry at the Clay Aiken News Network blog.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Aiken Fans Tackle Ticketmaster

Clay Aiken PBS Special

Fans Tango with 'Ticketmonster'

Armed with a host of helpful hints, lucky charms, and good wishes from Internet friends, Clay Aiken fans prepared to tackle the unflappable idiosyncrasies of "Ticketmonster," one of the more printable nicknames for Ticketmaster.

The goal: two prime time seats in Memorial Hall of Raleigh's Progress Energy Center for the March 12 PBS taping of "Classic Memories," during which the singer will unveil material from the upcoming "Clay Aiken: Tried & True," his first album with Decca Records.

The one-night-only special event will be a full production filmed for national television. Seating is exclusive and limited.


Clickables of Raleigh's Memorial Hall.

Ticketmaster Downbeat at Noon

Beginning at noon Tuesday, Official Fan Club members were to login into the Clayonline Appearances section to secure the pre-sale ticket code. From there, they began the "Ticketmaster Tango" with multiple degrees of angst, torture, and success.

Early morning message board posts provided a snapshot of pre-sale stress, suggestions, and some very enthusiastic cheerleading encompassing Clay Cyberspace:

I am so nervous that I was almost thinking of buying a ticket to something cheap to see if my account works.

Have Ticketmaster open in another tab. Then when you click on Appearances, you should be already signed in.

I plan to have my desktop computer turned on and ready to go just in case this one crashes. It doesn't happen often, but I was a Girl Scout and do believe in being prepared.

TICKET DAY: Had a dream before I woke up, nightmare of course. Time came to buy, the instructions were confusing, and it was hard to find the code. When I went to Ticketmaster, there were SIX places to enter a code; and it wasn't clear where it should go. Of course, before I woke up, I never did get it figured out or get tickets. I will be glad when this is done!

HEADS UP FROM ME: I plan to log out of everything except the OFC and TM when the time gets close. I don't want anyone here to think either my computer or I died. I'll be back as soon as I have tickets, either to moan about the so-so seats or crow about the great seats!

As soon as y'all get your tickets, get back here and tell us what happened and what you got. I will expect that at 12.01 EST. Okay, maybe 12.02 EST. But no later!

May the ticket gods smile on us today!

Clayonline fan club members have been given the first opportunity to purchase tickets in the pre-sale from 12 noon EST Tuesday (Feb. 16) through 10 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 18). Tickets will be open to the general pubic at 12 noon Friday (Feb. 19).

Pictorial Essay Cheers on Fans

To cheer on fans trying for tickets, Bottlecap prepared a pictorial essay with clickable Clay Aiken concert photos by Kareneh, fivegoldens, and Invisible926.

Fingers crossed



that your ticket search will go well,



that you can successfully bend TM to your will,



and that you emerge triumphant!



Play-By-Play Reveals Trials, Triumphs

Representing three message boards, these posts between noon and 2 p.m. describe a range of "tango" experiences from trauma to jubilation. They also exemplify perseverance, heady excitement, and special friendships as American fans assisted Canadians unexpectedly blocked by a system glitch.

In a nutshell, the Ticketmaster experience is never boring -- but then neither is being a Clay fan ...

12:06 p.m. -- I got my tickets!!!

OMG, this is soooooooooooooo STRESSFUL! I got the WHITE PAGE of NEAR-DEATH at TM for a couple of seconds!!!

My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest.

Me, too, and now my cat wants attention!

Twice I got offered tickets in the balcony, but it won't even let me buy them!

First I put in the max ticket price -- none found.
Second (any price) - got back balcony
Third (any price) - got mezzanine.
I'm in da house!!!

12:46 p.m. There are 802 signed into the OFC right now.

Do you think Ticketmaster wasn't ready for us?

I'm excited, and I'm not even going. Next concert in Raleigh -- I will be there!

EEEEEEEEE -- I'm in da house!!! I got NOTHING AVAILABLE forever, but reentered my code, and it went through!

12:16 p.m. The best laid plans and all that -- eBAY already has a set of tickets in the front for $599.

12:19 p.m. YEAH! I got Orchestra section. I told the guys here at work that I'm taking lunch at noon and not to bother me 'cause I was on a mission.

12:21 Clay says in his latest answer that there's not a bad seat in the house. It's funny he's answering questions while we're all stressing out buying tickets!

If you get "none available," reenter your code.

I was just able to pick up a single ticket in Section B! I phished for half an hour and was offered progressively worse seats. I then went back after a break, phished some more, and a ticket in the Dress Circle came up! I didn't even really plan on going, and now I may have to reconsider!

I agree with Clay. I live in Raleigh and I've been at Progress Energy Center many times. He is right that there isn't a bad seat in the house. I've sat in dress circle, orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony. I've been happy in all those seats. We'll all have a great time, and we are getting to see Clay again!

Ticketmonster more than earned its unprintable nicknames when Canadians could not process a purchase. Passwords were PM'd, and US friends stepped forward and secured seating for many international fans. [TM and the OFC are working on a solution to the glitch for the remaining sale dates.]

BWAHHH! One of my security words to type in was "assesses." I immediately laughed and said to myself that yes, TM is/are asses. At least, that's what it looked like at first glance. How apropos!

We got seats 30 minutes after the frenzy. I am exhausted.

Clay just posted on the OFC and Facebook that the Canadian problem is solved.

In the door and pleased ...

Have a great week, Clay Nation. May the ticket gods smile on Clay Aiken fans throughout the TM adventure!

Caro