Clay Aiken Winter Tour To Debut in Chicago

CHICAGO CONCERT 22 days and counting! - Graphic by AmazingCA.

Oct. 14 Tried & True Concert

Widget Counts Down to Chicago

"Clay Aiken in Concert," an exclusive one-night only performance in Chicago's intimate Park West Theatre, is just 22 days away!

Sponsored by WTTW, the Oct. 14 concert will feature the singer's chart-topping hits, as well as songs from his new album, Tried & True. Single tickets can still be purchased here.

Count down the days/minutes/hours/seconds until this concert by keeping tabs on the sidebar widget created by Scarlett with Cotton's photo from the Foxwoods Timeless Tour Concert. Below is a double clickable of the widget art:

Photo by Cotton

Wednesday afternoon Pink Armchair posted information for Chicago concert goers on several message boards:

Park West is "first come-first served" general admission. And that’s still true for the seats in front on the level closest to the stage. That level, which has tables and chairs, is a flat dance floor about 30 feet deep.

Further back from the area down front, there are rows of booths on progressively elevated tiers, some seating 2-3, others seating 4-6. In the last row of booths, you are no more than 60 feet from the stage. Besides a great view of the stage, the acoustics are incredible, too.

By special arrangement with Park West for this show, ticket holders can call and reserve a booth, for as long as they last. If you aren’t particular about being right down front and don't feel like standing in line, give the venue a call (773-929-1322) between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT.

For those who choose to stand in line, there will be no stampeding for seats. It's not allowed. Ushers will seat concert goers an individual or group at a time.

Official Fan Club pre-sales, currently underway for 19 or the 22 Tried & True Winter Tour concerts, will end at 10 a.m. PT Thursday. OFC members should see Appearances at the fan club site.

Tried & True Winter Tour

Oct 14 Chicago, IL - Park West
Feb 10 Miami, FL - Arsht Center
Feb 11 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Feb 12 Sarasota, FL - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Feb 14 Houston, TX Jones Hall*
Feb 16 Atlanta, GA - Cobb Center for the Arts*
Feb 17 Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
Feb 19 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square
Feb 20 Waterbury, CT - Palace Theater
Feb 22 Baltimore, MD - Kraushaar Aud at Goucher College
Feb 23 Charlotte, NC - Blumenthal Center for the Arts
Feb 24 Greenville, SC - Peace Center for the Arts
Feb 26 Westbury, NY - Theater at Westbury
Feb 27 Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater
Mar 01 Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater
Mar 02 Fort Wayne, IN - Embassy Centre
Mar 04 Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theater
Mar 05 Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
Mar 07 Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
Mar 08 Grand Prarie, TX - Verizon GP
Mar 10 Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center*
Mar 12 San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom

It's Only Make Believe- Tribute to DWTS Winners
Montage by SueReu with vocals by Clay Aiken
View full screen at YouTube.

DWTS + Clay = Delightful Montages

This week marked the beginning of a new season of ABC's popular Dancing With the Stars, and it's just a matter of time before new montages pairing the song stylings of Clay Aiken with favorite clips from the show emerge.

In the above montage, SueReu seamlessly merged 10 seasons of DWTS winners with "It's Only Make Believe" from the Tried & True CD, Clay's June release by Decca Records.

Winners of the 10 seasons include Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo, 1; Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke, 2; Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke, 3; Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough, 4; Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough, 5; Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas, 6; Brooke Burke and Derek Hough, 7; Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas; 8; Sonny Osmond and Kym Johnson, 9; Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough, 10.

Sacrificial Love - DWTS 9 contestants dance Viennese waltz.
Montage by LovesClaysVoice with vocals by Clay Aiken
View full screen at YouTube.

Montages Span Recording Career

DWTS montages with CA accompaniments span the singer's recording career from the 2003 Measure of a Man album to A Thousand Different Ways (2006), On My Way Here (2008), the 2008 single "Just You," and Tried & True (2010).

This list represents a sampling of the countless DWTS montages at YouTube. You are welcome to suggest others in the comments:

Everything I Have - Season 10 contestants dancing the Viennese Waltz, Clay Aiken vocals featuring William Joseph, piano, montage by LCV. (ATDW)

Something About Us - Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough: The Reunion by sallyboo8892 (OMWH)

Touch - Apolo and Julianne from DWTS by Aspiegirl (MOAM)

Sacrificial Love - DWTS Season 6 Viennese Waltz by musicg57 (OMWH)

Just You - DWTS Season 8, Final 5, montage by LCV (single)

Everything I Don't Need - DWTS Season 8, Final 3, montage by LCV (OMWH)

When You Say You Loved Me - DWTS Season 9, montage by LCV (MOAM)

X2: Thousand Different Ways / Measure of a Man
will be released by Amazon and CD Universe on Sept. 28.

'Invisible' Song of the Day

"Invisible," lead single of Clay's first CD, Measure of a Man, was the Legacy Song of the Day for Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Clay Aiken first rose to prominence in the second season of American Idol and has since appeared on Broadway, co-authored a book, produced his own Christmas Special, and released a number of albums that have captivated millions.

How time has flown by. It seemed just like yesterday that Clay was wow-ing Simon and crew over at A.I., now he is a household name who tours the globe promoting his pop hits.

Enjoy Invisible at the Legacy site, one of nine 14 tracks from The Very Best of Clay Aiken on the player. Others include "The Way," "On My Way Here," "This Is the Night," "Here You Come Again," "Measure of a Man," "The Real Me," "Something About Us," and "Mary, Did You Know."

NIP Needs More Votes NOW!

The National Inclusion Project seems to be stuck on #20 in September's Pepsi Refresh Challenge and needs to make a move to the top 10 to secure the $50,000 grant.

Send prospective new supporters to Clay Aiken Fans Campaign for $50k Inclusion Grant for information and handy voting links.

To order a 2011 calendar by the Nov. 22 deadline, see 2011 Clay Aiken Calendars Slated for Gala. This is also an Inclusion Project fundraiser.

Below are clickables of AmazingCA's latest graphics, the opening Tried & True concert art and one with Timeless Tour photos by kareneh:

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Thank you for your comments and props for contributing artists in the Carolina blog. 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

Chicago Premieres 'Clay Aiken Live!'

BACK IN TOWN -- Clay Aiken returned to his hometown of Raleigh, NC, to tape a PBS Special in March. Tonight the concert premieres on Chicago's WTTW-11, largest PBS station in America. Graphic by Fountaindawg, photos by Jim R. Bounds/AP.

Clay Aiken: Tried & True - LIVE!

WTTW-11 To Debut PBS Special

Whether you live in the Chicago area or not, you can participate in Saturday's debut telecast of the concert special Clay Aiken: Tried & True - Live! through a live chat on PBS station WTTW-11's website.

Fans fortunate enough to reside within PBS station's viewing area can watch the special concert from 7-9 p.m. CDT. WTTW-11 reaches 1.5 million weekly households over a four-state area (all of Chicago and parts of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan), making it the most-watched public television station in America.

Others can share the experience by participating in a live web chat, hosted in the studio by WTTW Manager of Media Relations Julia Maishin, known to CA fans by her PinkArmchair screen name. In addition to a play-by-play of the two-hour program, the chat will be a place people can ask questions and talk about what they are seeing.

Clay To Take Calls on Breaks

Saturday's special premiere of Clay Aiken: Tried & True - Live! will consist of the Raleigh concert taped in March with scheduled live breaks during which fans and patrons can ask questions and make donations to the public television station. Here are the specifics:

LIVE BREAKS (Revised)

Break #1: 7:16-7:24 pm CDT
Break #2: 7:43-7:53 pm CDT
Break #3: 8:13-8:25 pm CDT

PHONE NUMBER: 1 (773) 588-1111

According to Pink, during these times, Clay may circulate and pick up calls from people who pledge. Viewers and those following along can begin calling the station a couple of minutes before 7:16, throughout the broadcast, and afterwards. Calls during these breaks will be especially welcome.

Clay Aiken's Tried & True CD
Double clickable cover photo by Vincent Soyez

Pledge Gifts Feature CD, DVD, Concert

Thank you gifts associated with the pledge drive program include:

Tried & True CD - $55. Clay Aiken's brand new CD features 11 tracks including "Moon River," "Suspicious Minds, and "Can't take My Eyes Off of You." A PBS-exclusive audio track for "Build Me Up Buttercup," physical or digital download, is part of this package.

Tried & True DVD - $75. The special and DVD feature Clay performing 16 songs live including "Build Me Up Buttercup," "Who's Sorry Now," and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," with special guest Ruben Studdard. This DVD also has a behind the scenes documentary on the making of the special.

Tried & True Combo - $125. CD (physical or digital) and DVD.

Special Chicago Premium - $250. On Oct. 14th, Clay will present a special, one-night only, intimate benefit concert in Chicago at a 650-seat (accessible) venue. Seating is general admission. Phone pledges only so the station can track the numbers.

Supporters may group pledges into one call. Pledges for the CD and DVD can also be made online at WTTW-Clay. The station ships to Canada.

Clay Aiken: Tried & True Live! DVD
Double clickable

Local PBS Pledges Important

Other PBS stations will program Clay Aiken: Tried & True - Live! during August fund-raising drives. Fans are encouraged to make donations to their local station. However, to insure that the special makes a good showing in its debut airing, token pledges ($20, $30, etc.) are suggested for those outside the Chicago viewing area.

According to Pink, WTTW pledges, membership or token, will show other stations in the PBS system currently scheduling August pledge drives that there is much of interest in the program. "Nothing communicates that better than a lot of buzz and phones ringing when the hosts and guest are live on camera," she added.

Clay Aiken: Tried & True - Live! was produced by International Media with executive producers David Novik, Senior VP of A&R of Decca/UMG, and Gustavo Sagastume of Intl Media. Musical arrangements are by Chris Walden, Jesse Vargas and Ben Cohn.

PHOTO INTERLUDE: Below are clickable graphics featuring photos from the concert taping. Artists include Fountaindawg, 1, 2, 3, 4, and AmazingCA, 5.

Clay Steps Out on 'PARADE'

Clay Aiken will appears in the celebrity question section of Sunday's PARADE. Ironically, the singer is the third personality down just below Monty Python's Eric Idle, who has been anything but idle since Spamalot.

An Idaho resident asks what's new with Clay and will he be touring soon in the western states. The Tried & True CD, as well as the Timeless Tour, are in the reply. Parade used a photo by David Foster & Friends that is featured in AmazingCA's graphic below.

If you missed Clay on Access Hollywood, you can view the video at the AH website.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JUNE 12: WTTW-Chicago PBS, 7 PM CDT
* Preview of Clay Aiken Tried & True Live! at Chicago PBS station ONLY.

SUNDAY, June 13: Chelsea Lately on E! 11:30 PM (rerun)
* Clay Aiken is here, seriously, with his new CD Tried and True. Comedians Ben Gleib, Loni Love, and Gary Valentine also guest.

Monday, June 14: Siriusly Sinatra 6 PM ET
* Clay Aiken stops by to play some of his new recordings along with performances by our stars that he loves. Sirius XM Radio.

OTHER Chelsea Lately Reruns: Monday, June 14, 3 AM; Tuesday, June 22, 12 AM and 3 AM.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21: Bringing Broadway Home, 8 PM
* One Night Only, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium Ticket Info

July 27: Release of Clay Aiken: Tried & True Live! DVD
* Pre-order at Amazon now.

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro