Clay Aiken: Celebrating a Decade of Performance

TRIED & TRUE - Fans celebrate the many hats Clay Aiken wears -- singer, actor, humanitarian. Graphic by cindilu2 with photos by Diana Levine.

Round-the-Clock YouTube Rewind

Fans Document Clay Train Ride

The next best thing to Clay Aiken "live" is clack from past concerts; so while the Carolina singer is not on tour, performances from the past decade are in round-the-clock replay in a smorgasbord of clack at YouTube.

For the novice, the term "clack," a play on the words Clay and another highly addictive substance, has been a part of the CA fandom since its inception in 2003. Clack quickly became the byword for video, audio, photos, etc., from the singer's concerts and other appearances.

Featured in this blog are montages by Hope (Wowzers4Clay) and SueRue that celebrate Clay past, present, and future. Some even incorporate pre-American Idol performances with the more familiar events of the past eight years.

At the Wowzers4Clay YouTube Channel, fans can view 15 montages separately or in a non-stop loop by clicking on the current playlist.

Clay Aiken Still the One 1999 - 2010
View montage by Hope at YouTube.

'Clay Aiken Still the One 1999 - 2010' spotlights the singer's performances at the JCC Country Music Show (1999), the Solo/NAT Tour Raleigh Concert (2004), and the Timeless Tour show in Lancaster, PA (2010).

The montage incorporates video/audio clips by Shellyfish, Scarlett, Solo, SecretlyLovesClay, Deemer and Canfly172 and photos by MBLovesClay, Tasapio, Suzieq977, VO5Clay, and PatriciaLuvsClay.

Decade of Unchained Melody - Clay Aiken
View montage by Hope full screen at YouTube.

Personally, I think 10 years of Clay Aiken singing "Unchained Melody" is pretty hard to beat.

In the UM montage, Hope highlights the decade with clips from the singer's Redefined demo, American Idol (2003), the Jukebox Tour (ImAllEars, 2005), Starch Search with David Foster (Scarlett, 2006), and the 2010 performance on the The View promoting the Tried & True CD.

The Real Me - Clay Aiken
New montage by Hope can be viewed at YouTube.

"The Real Me," a fan favorite from the singer's On My Way Here album, received a one-time only performance on March 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the 2011 Tried & True Tour.

Hope's montage features clips and screen caps by videographers LauraQ, ClayIzzaQT, Goldarngirl, Lissical, and Scarlett. The audio is from ClayIzzaQT's video.

Clay Aiken - A Simple Thank You (Finale)
View montage by SueReu full screen at YouTube.

The final video in SueReu's "Thank You" series, this montage, like its predecessors, rewinds many memorable vocals and humorous moments from Clay Aiken tours.

Be sure to also see Clay Aiken: A Simple Thank You and Clay Aiken - A Simple Thank You (Part Deux) on her YT channel.

To download videos and montages, visit Clack Unlimited where you can also donate to support the site. In addition to searching for Clay Aiken clips on YouTube, you can link to many at Unlimited Clack on Facebook.

Visual Artists Chronicle Clay

Also documenting the eight-year Clay Train ride are the talented visual artists who photograph and create graphic designs from an array of images.

The handsome graphics below are a sampling of the countless designs that have graced Clay Aiken message boards since 2003 and the Carolina blog since 2006.

To locate visuals by a particular photographer or graphic artist at this site, type the person's screen name in the top left search box beside the orange B just above the Carolina masthead.

Featured below are graphics by AmazingCA, 1, 2, 3; cindilu2, 4; ABeautifulMind, 5, 6; Sally, 7, 8; and Fountaindawg, 9, 10. Photographers represented include PermaSwooned, 2; Scrykym, 5; Tasapio, 8; and Jim R. Bounds, 9, 10.

Designs capsule CA concerts, interviews, the singer's activities as a UNICEF Ambassador, and his charity work with the National Inclusion Project. Some are double clickable, and some are not.

Join this celebration of clack by linking your favorite montage, video, photograph, or graphic design in the comments below. A special thank you to all artists who share their talent with the Clay Nation!

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Embrace New 'OMG Unchained' Video

OMG Unchained - A magical night with Clay Aiken.
View video full screen at YouTube.

Clay Aiken: Tried & True ~ LIVE!

'OMG Unchained' Captures Magic

More than a year after the Raleigh taping of Clay Aiken's Tried & True ~ LIVE! PBS Special in Raleigh, a new video of the singer's signature version of "Unchained Melody" is back in message board headlines around the Net.

Arranged for Clay by Ben Cohn, the special "Unchained Melody" was unveiled at the March 12, 2010, show, dubbed immediately by fans in attendance as the "OMG Concert."

Saturday morning a simple post by cindilu2 spurred the song back into the spotlight when the tweaked version was quickly replicated onto boards throughout Clay Cyberspace. An appropriate headline might be the opening text from the tweaked video:

What it was really like ... to be there on that magical night

One evening this week the "anonymous" audio of "Unchained Melody" from the OMG Concert came up on my player. Still one of the most incredible experiences of my fandom, it got me to thinking again how they just did not capture it on that DVD/special.

I don't know what they did in the engineering of the song; but the sound, the feeling, the experience of being in that room just isn't there. I decided that I needed to see Clay singing what I know I heard that night.

Here's what happened then: OMG Unchained

Just in case it isn't obvious, I replaced the audio with the "OMG" audio, complete with the solid minute of applause at the end.

Clickable Tried & True ~ LIVE graphic by Fountaindawg.

A download of the "OMG Unchained" video will be available at Clack Unlimited this week. Meanwhile, here is a Sendspace video file and a link to the OMG Concert Audio page at CU. Be sure to stop by the Clack Unlimited home page and make a much-needed donation.

Uploaded to YouTube just four days ago, the "new" concert version of the song has received an outpouring of comments. Representative are these four:

A few minutes in time I will never forget.

The whole show, punctuated by this performance, was magic.

An experience I will never forget. Bravo, Clay and Ben!

I got chills all over reliving that wonderful performance. I was there for the filming of this concert, and it was spectacular. Especially this song!

Clickable graphic by Fountaindawg, photos by Jim R. Bounds.

Trio Describes Special UM Moment

Following the taping, concert goers shared glorious accounts of the premiered songs from the then soon-to-be-released Tried & True CD. A reprint from the 5/16/10 Carolina blog included vivid descriptions of the new UM:

luckiest1: I call it the airplane moment ... when he goes low then goes up and up and up in UM. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like nothing he ever did before. I can't wait for everyone to hear it!

cindilu2: And I call it the Supernova Moment. He goes from zero to "holy-#%&#-what-was-that???" in about five seconds. Awesome!

lilyshine: I just call it orgasmic.

Congratulations to the Kentucky Wildcats from this Tar Heel fan! Have an awesome week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Tried & True Take 2: Clay Aiken Fans Rewind Mesa

CLAY AIKEN IN MESA -- Screen cap links to the complete Mesa Tried & True Concert recorded in high definition by Scarlett. The performance has been arranged in a play list on the Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube. Link to "Love Story, sit back, and enjoy the show!

Dancers Raise Dollars for Inclusion

Videos Replay Mesa in High Def

The intricacies of gathering, rendering, and uploading clack are beyond me; but, thankfully, they are mainstream for countless Clay Aiken fans who, because the singer generously allows videos and photographs during his shows, leave concert halls with memory sticks and tapes loaded to the brim and ready to share.

One of the most productive teams during the Clay's 21-city Tried & True Tour has been the duo of Scarlett videoing shows and Hope uploading completed files to the Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube.

During the February-March tour, they provided almost "instant" clack for fans back home. Ten days past the tour, their routine is as intense as ever but has switched to high definition videos, mp3 and mp4 files, all of which are linked at the Wowzers channel.

Tuesday night yielded a complete play list for the Mesa T&T Concert, the first of many to come. The opening Mesa screen cap links to "Theme from Love Story" and continues through the entire concert of high def videos.

Fans can download the files from the shared Tried & True Mesa HDV doc on Google, Clack Unlimited, or various message board vaults.

Below are two expandable screen caps from Scarlett's Mesa concert videos.

Fans Share Not.Just.Us Stories

During the tour, my Not.Just.Us file expanded almost nightly; but the concert recaps/clack more than filled blog entries. Fortunately, CA fans enjoy NJU stories anytime; so here is the next edition of the current three-part series. Claystruck created the accompanying clickable graphic.

peeko4clay: Before the Houston show started, I introduced myself to the ladies on each side of me. Neither one of them had been to a Clay concert before. However, they both came with friends that were CA fans.

The gal on my right was a joy to watch. First thing she said was "he's adorable." She kept on saying "I love this song" and clapped along to the more upbeat songs with a huge smile on her face. I could tell she was caught hook, line and sinker!

At one point she waved to Quiana, who waved back with a big a smile on her face. At the end of the concert, she told me that it was the best concert she had ever attended and she planned to go out and buy everything Clay has recorded! This statement was made with no prompting from me.

The other gal seemed to really enjoy herself as well, but was just not as vocal about it.

MagicalMusic: I want to share a NJU story that is no longer a NJU story because she's one of us now. Last weekend a college gal who's a new fan went to her first Clay concert.

This weekend she went to Westbury and Glenside with two friends and me. She had a PBS meet and greet and got a handshake by the bus. She told us she was afraid she was hooked and kept saying how great Clay was.

We played MOAM in the car several times during our travels, and she loudly sang along. Her boyfriend is also a big fan. He attended his first concert last night and remarked that he wished he had been to one sooner.

cablegirl: One of the first friends I ever made in the fandom joined me for the Minnesota concert. She had not seen Clay in 3-4 years. Not because of lack of interest but because of difficult family issues. She was thrilled to be going, and we were celebrating a sort of "reboot" of her life.

We had been to many concerts before and always had a wonderful time I glanced at her a few times during the show last night, and she just looked so happy.

When it was over she turned to me and said, "He's just as wonderful as I remembered him."

Raleigh Celebs Dance for Inclusion

In an annual benefit, the National Inclusion Project and Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Raleigh are co-hosting "Dancing Like the Stars" at the Southern Women's Show on Sunday, April 10, at 1 pm.

Local celebrity participants have been practicing with their professional dance partners to provide great entertainment for the show attendees. Complete bios of the celebrity participants and their dance partners, as well as each couple's practice video, are provided here.

DLTS participants include Joseph Callender (actor, model, comedian) and Erin Smith; Barbara Gibbs (ABC Eyewitness News) and Arthur Soroker; Donna Gregory (community relations manager, North Carolina Theater) and David Cox; Dan Schwenneker (meteorologist for ABC 11 Eyewitness News) and Stephanie Ferrell; Sharon Tazewell (anchor for NBC-17 Today) and Arthur Soroker.

After viewing the practice videos, use this link to vote for your favorite couple. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

Voting will end at 11:59 EDT Saturday, April 9, so make a donation to the National Inclusion Project. Every dollar donated counts as a vote towards the contestant of your choice (minimum online bid of $10).

DLTS concludes with an entertaining performance by the contestants at 1 pm Sunday, April 10, during the Southern Women's Show. The National Inclusion Project was co-founded by Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel in 2003.

Below is a clickable of Scarlett's opening screen cap:

Have an awesome week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Rocks Out in Orlando Tried & True Concert

Clay Aiken rocks out on 'Who's Sorry Now?'
Orlando video by Scarlett can be viewed full screen at YouTube.

A Consummate Entertainer

Clay & Co. Present Superb Show

At the Orlando Tried & True Tour show Friday night, Clay Aiken once again proved he is the consummate performer.

The Hard Rock concert showcased many qualities that make the Carolina crooner an extraordinary entertainer in live performances. In addition to the magnificent vocals from the most tender phrasing to the powerfully compelling, there's hilarious shtick, some planned, some off the cuff; the ever-present quick wit; and Clay's uncanny ability to interact with audience members in any circumstance.

In addition to the rockin' "Who's Sorry Now?" and the "Solitaire" concert closer below, Scarlett has uploaded Bad Romance from the Orlando show to her YouTube channel.

Miami and Orlando audio and video files are available for download at Clack Unlimited. Note that CU requests donations from those who frequent the site.

Clay displays his incredible pipes in 'Solitaire.'
View Orlando concert video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Selected fan recaps help tell the Orlando story, but Corabeth summed up the evening with a statement that is bound to become a message board thread title throughout Clay Cyberspace: Tonight I saw Clay Aiken ... the best that ever was. You can read her full account at The ConCLAYve.

Here are portions of recaps posted by four fans:

Corabeth: [Clay] talked to the audience a bit more and then came over by us and sat down on the stage. He sang WKOFAI and Misty right there. An older couple in the second row about 6 seats down from me were filming and he asked the man about it. The man said Misty was their song. It was so nice that it worked out that way.

Quiana did her second solo and then he came out to do Crying. He looked at her with such tenderness and at the end, he said how great she was and he didn’t know what he would do without her. They remind me of a doubles tennis team, always knowing where and what the other one is doing or going to do.

Vocally, he surpassed himself. It’s funny, but no matter how much clack you watch in between tours, it simply doesn’t compare to seeing him perform live and even then, it’s still almost shocking at how well he can sing. He hit some low notes tonight that vibrated within me.

caperkeeper: Of course rocker Clay brought down the house just as the softness and nuance of In My Life and the power and emotion of Solitaire did as well. This is part of what makes a Clay show so entertaining and bringing me back for more.

In Orlando, if you had been at the Miami show, you could tell the difference. It was tighter and flowed better. He tweaked the auto-tune business by using a real song to talk and with the added kick of Clay not knowing what song from show to show, it will be fun. Better than reading from the newspaper.

Loved Clay doing The Way and Invisible as big band. So funny and entertaining, and Clay performed them beautifully. Changing up the set list is fun as well. When he started "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," I visibly sucked in a gulp of air and I am not sure when I released it.

roxylovesclay: He cracked me up when people were suggesting musical styles. Someone yelled "Reggae," and he was so quick and witty: "Oh, we did that last night. You shoulda been there!" Bwah! Just the expression on his face alone was priceless!

Mee4clay: As for the other person taping from the beginning, I talked to her and she is not on the boards. She is "new to all this", that's what she told me. I got her email address and will contact her soon.

The slide show below features Orlando photos by dc4clay, gerwhisp, irishbookgal, and claytonsmyccf. To view photos full screen, click on "View All Images" tab.

Tried & True Set List – Orlando

Overture
Theme from Love Story
There’s a Kind of Hush
Moon River
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Something about Us

Medley
The Way
Don’t Stop Believin’
Vogue (Quiana)
I Want It That Way (Clay and Quiana)
The Right Stuff
The Glory of Love
Love the Way You Lie (Quiana)
Baby One More Time (Clay and Quiana)
Footloose (Quiana)
Invisible

Cry Me a River (Quiana)
Bad Romance
Suspicious Minds
Buttercup
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
What Kind of Fool Am I
Misty

Who’s Sorry Now? (Clay and Quiana)
Mack the Knife
It’s Only Make Believe
A Foggy Day in London Town (Quiana)
Crying (Clay and Quiana)
Unchained Melody
In My Life
Solitaire

The final Florida concert takes place at Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall at 8 pm tonight. The bus then heads to Houston, TX; Atlanta, GA; Knoxville, TN; and points north. The complete Tried and True Tour schedule is printed in the 2/10 Carolina entry and in Scarlett's sidebar calendar.

Below is a clickable of dc4clay's opening photo in the slide show:

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation! See you after Sarasota!



Signature by Linda/ABM

Clay Aiken Concert Dazzles with Fab Vocals, Loads of Fun

Clay Aiken opens Tried & True Tour with varied styles, song list.
Photo by gerwhisp is double clickable.

Clay Entertaining as Always

Tried & True Opener Sets Pace

Clay Aiken and Quiana Parler opened the 22-city Winter Tour in Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center with a show that is sure to please audiences up and down the Tried & True trail.

The vocals by Clay and his longtime friend/backup singer were fabulous, the band rocking, and the repartee with concert goers entertaining as ever. The phenomenal arranging by keyboardist Ben Cohn shines throughout the concert, running the gamut of musical styles from jazz, pop, and big band to Reggae, country, and a touch of scat.

Video clack is still in upload mode; but Deborah760's audio, available for download at Clack Unlimited, is amazing. Below is a tentative set list compiled from the audio file.

Will it be the same in Orlando tonight? Who knows, but it's bound to be another evening that's off the charts!

Tried & True Tour Set List - Miami

Overture
Theme from Love Story
There's a Kind of Hush

Banter

Can't Take My Eyes Off You
It's Impossible
Something About Us

Banter

Medley
The Way
Don't Stop Believin'
Vogue
I Want It That Way (Clay and Quiana)
The Right Stuff
The Glory of Love
Love the Way You Lie (Quiana)
Baby One More Time (Clay and Quiana)
Footloose (Quiana)
Invisible

Cry Me a River - Quiana

Banter
Suspicious Minds
It's Only Make Believe
Moon River
What Kind of Fool Am I
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

Who's Sorry Now in 3 styles (Clay and Quiana)

Band Intro

Mack the Knife
A Foggy Day in London Town (Quiana)
Crying (Clay and Quiana)

Banter
Build Me Up Buttercup

Banter
Unchained Melody

Banter
In My Life
Solitaire

From the opening overture in near darkness, the concert segues
to Clay singing 'Theme from Love Story' at 1:24 (visible at 2:01).
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Recaps Paint Opening Night Canvas

Message board recaps describe a concert not to be missed. Below are some of the accolades and tidbits that help tell the story of opening night:

Starting the concert with "Love Story," Clay seemed to be singing to each member of the audience.

Quiana singing "Cry Me a River" -- what a talent!

"Invisible" done jazzy! The "clutch" is still part of the song!

Jazzy keyboards from Ben Cohn -- genius!

Jazz "Invisible" = Genius!

Love the rim shot from Felix when Clay was bragging about taking time to work on his hair!

Yes, the hair was atrocious and he was so proud of it! Said it took 6 cans of hairspray and would be flaking off on his sweater all evening

Clay was happy, sexy, silly, romantic, sentimental. He had us alternating from laughing and hooting to swooning and sighing.

That opening number rocked the rafters, and his Solitaire closed it the same way. In between, he gave us all the shades and nuances he's perfected over the last eight years onstage. He was charming, funny, personal, familiar, powerful, gracious.

It is a beautiful evening. Intimate, yes! A beautiful voice, omg yes! It is nothing like any other show, and I loved it. His voice was subtle and nuanced and then it just soared! He needs to be heard in person.

A few hours before the opening concert, Clay blogged to his fans: "So off we go ... into uncharted waters, but with aplomb!" From all I've read and heard, the show was this and more!

The remaining 2/3 of the Florida 3-fer take place at the Hard Rock in Orlando at 8 pm tonight and in Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall at 8 pm Saturday. For the complete Tried and True Tour schedule see the 2/10 Carolina blog entry and to the sidebar calendar.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!


Signature by Linda/ABM

Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard Finale Regales Crowd

Clay, Ruben, & Co. close Timeless Tour with 'Time of My Life.'
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

'Time of My Life'

Finale Sums Up Timeless Tour

Just as they did every night, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, & Company closed Saturday's final Timeless Tour concert in Biloxi, MS, with the "Time of My Life," summing up the two-hour experience for performers and concert goers alike.

Final shows are almost always an emotionally charged convergence of giddiness, sadness that the three-week summer run is over, plus a dash of relief that respite is just around the corner. While musicians no doubt headed to the nearest cave to catch up on much-needed sleep, fans are still reliving favorite moments from the 17 concerts through video/photo clack.

The gags and antics usually reserved for final performances were almost nonexistent in Biloxi, bowing to the bigger surprise in the early arrival of Eric Duboise's baby, putting the sub for the lead guitarist on a fast track to learn the 85-song show.

As a music teacher with several students taking fledgling steps in composition, I was most interested in the duo's search for a theme song. Clay first brought up the subject in Verona, NY, and the improv was added to the stool banter in the last three shows.

Duo Searches for Theme Song

At each show, Ruben accepted Clay's challenge and improvised three different theme songs in a variety of styles: "Yin & Yang" a la bluegrass in Verona, "It's About Damn Time" Reggae style in Hammond, and an operatic "Spaghetti and Meatball" rendition in Biloxi.

Below are videos by Scarlett and toni7babe that replay the improvisation segments. The first and third also include the stool banter.

Song search begins with 'Yin & Yang' at Verona, NY, show.
View Scarlett's video full screen at YouTube.

Reggae-style theme song improvised at Hammond, IN, show.
View video by toni7babe full screen at YouTube.

Search yields operatic 'Spaghetti & Meatball' in Biloxi, MS.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Clack Sites Rewind Tour Treasures

If you are a Clay Aiken or Ruben Studdard fan, you know the websites to visit for downloading and viewing Timeless Tour clack. If not, bookmark Clack Unlimited (where donations are encouraged) and YouTube.

Below are two YouTube Channels loaded with videos from the 17 Timeless Tour shows. Hopefully, there will be more before this blog cycle ends.

Toni7babe YouTube Channel
Wowzers4Clay (Videos by Scarlett)

The Timeless Tour set list provides a map for clack "treasure hunts." Have fun!

Timeless Tour Set List

Ruben and Clay: Flying Without Wings/This Is The Night mash-up

Clay: Suspicious Minds
Ruben: Bring It On Home To Me

60s Medley: In The Midnight Hour ... Up On The Roof ... Someday We'll Be Together ... Goin' Out Of My Head ... Can’t Hurry Love ... Happy Together ...Can’t Help Myself ... Cryin’ ... Soul Man ... Wouldn’t It Be Nice ... Shotgun ... Sugar, Sugar ... Just One Look ... Harper Valley PTA ... Ain’t To Proud To Beg ... Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Casey/Quiana: Natural Woman
Clay: Still the One
Ruben: Mercy Me

70s Medley: Night Fever ... Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now ... Oh, What a Night (1963) ... Oh Girl ... On The Radio ... Turn The Beat Around ... Sex Machine (Get on Up) ... Don’t Go Breaking My Heart ... More Than A Feeling ... September

Clay: Mandy
Ruben: Superstar
Quiana: I’m Every Woman
Ruben: Baby, Stay With Me Tonight?

Revival Skit

Clay: When I See You Smile

80s Medley: Eye Of The Tiger ... Rhythm Of The Night ... Glory Of Love ... Shout ... Africa ... Can’t Fight This Feeling ... Through The Fire ... All Night Long ... If This Is It ... Alone ... Caribbean Queen ... Nothing's Gonna Stop Us ... Footloose

Ruben: Everything I Do, I Do For You

90s Medley: This Is How We Do It ... Poison ... Achy Breaky Heart ... The Right Stuff ... Mmm...Bop ... End Of The Road ... I Swear ... I Want It That Way ... Remember The Time ... You Oughta Know ... Jump Around ... Baby Got Back ... Livin La Vida Loca ... One Sweet Day

Clay and Ruben: I’ve Had The Time Of My Life

These clickable photos from the Biloxi concert were shot by Invisble926:

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Thank you for your blog comments and props for the contributing artists. To leave a remark, scroll to the bottom of that section, click on the "Post a Comment" link, and write in the box provided. Many thnx for stopping by today! - Caro

Audiences Laud Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard Show

Clay deadpans a Ruben quip during Timeless show banter.
Graphic by AmazingCA, photo by ClayIzzaQT.

Tried & True Tour Takes Shape

Music, Laughs Fill Timeless Show

Seven concerts into the 17-city Timeless Tour, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, & Company this week take their music and antic-filled variety show east to venues in Wisconsin, Ontario, New York, and Connecticut.

Everywhere they have performed -- Asheville, NC; a trio of Florida venues; Snowqualmie, WA; Reno, NV; Los Angeles, CA -- audiences depart singing praises for the vocals and comedic stylings of two good friends who met seven years ago on American Idol, wound up the Season 2 winner/close runner up, and effortlessly display in show after show the seasoned entertainers they are today.

Below are clickable graphics of the early Timeless Tour shows by AmazingCA and Fountaindawg. Photographers represented are Tasapio, Invisible926, deemer, toni7babe, and ClayIzzaQT.

As concert clack and fan recaps reveal, Clay and Ruben adeptly perform their renditions of classic hits from the past five decades, blending their vocal and comedic talents for an unforgettable evening of entertainment. A rocking band and soulful singers Quiana Parler and Casey Thompson back the duo.

These graphs from lovethatguy's LA concert report summarize the show:

I have heard this tour described as the Jukebox Tour on speed. I actually would call it "JBT meets the JNTII" (Joyful Noise). Because the whole thing flows with themes and a storyline, it's more than just a concert.

The themes of friendship, playful competition, camaraderie, Clay's inability to dance, the difference in their musical tastes all wind beautifully throughout the concert; and the choices of songs and solos make so much sense when you realize this. It is really well thought out, well written, and so impressive.

It is incredibly appropriate that they finish with 'The Time of Your Life' because that is exactly how I felt at the end. I had the time of my life.

Clay, Ruben, & Company: 90s Medley in Reno
Watch full screen at YouTube.
Reno, NV, video by Scarlett

By this point in the show, Clay has been mostly "cured" of his perceived "lack of rhythm," and it becomes clear to audience members that the singer from North Carolina can move with the best of them. His new Hammer pants temporarily throw Ruben for a loop.

Songs in the 90s Medley include "This Is How We Do It," "Poison," "Achy Breaky Heart," "The Right Stuff," "MMBop," "End Of The Road," "I Swear," "I Want It That Way," "Remember The Time," "You Ought To Know," "Jump Around," "Baby Got Back," "Livin La Vida Loca," and "One Sweet Day."

View other Timeless Tour videos by Scarlett at Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube.

Listed below are the remaining Timeless Tour concert sites, some of which are sold out. Recaps almost inevitably include the phrase "don't miss this show!" -- so give the venue links a whirl and see if there is an opening available near you:

Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino
Aug-11 - New York, NY - The Hammestein
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe Casino
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage

Cartoon Clay sings 'I Believe We Can' on Phineas & Ferb.
Double click photo to enlarge.

Phineas & Ferb Debuts on Disney

The Phineas & Ferb "Summer Belongs to You" special featuring Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan airs Monday (8 - 8:30 pm ET/PT) on Disney XD and Friday, Aug 6 (8 - 8:30 pm) on the Disney Channel. Check you local listings for the episode:

It's the summer solstice and because it's the longest day of the year, stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb decide to travel around the world in one day.

But not everyone believes they can actually achieve wha...t they've set out to do, leading them to get some encouraging words in the form of a duet, "I Believe We Can," from Aiken and Khan.

Follow Mouse Clubhouse on Facebook.

TRIED & TRUE LIVE - Graphic by Fountaindawg, photos by Jim R. Bounds.

'Tried & True' Pledge Drive Winner

The Clay Aiken: Tried & True ~ LIVE! PBS Special, which kicked off in 30 markets coast to coast this past weekend, continues as a headliner for pledge drives throughout the country.

Dates and locations for PBS Special telecasts are available on message boards throughout Clay Cyberspace. Search the CANN PBS Database for an air date/location near you.

In most cases, the telecast coincides with the fall pledge drives of public television. Supporters are able to donate to their local station for a variety of thank-you gift packages: the Tried & True CD, Tried & True LIVE DVD, as well as premium Tried & True Tour tickets and M&G passes in areas where a February-March 2011 concert is scheduled.

Tentative 2011 T&T Tour Sites

Miami, FL - Feb 10, The Adrienne Arsht Center
Orlando, FL - Feb 11, The Hard Rock Cafe
Atlanta, GA - Feb 16, The Cobb Energy Centre
Knoxville, TN - Feb. 17, Tennessee Theater
Homestead, PA - Feb 18, Carnegie Library Music Hall at Homestead
Cleveland, OH - Feb 19, Palace Theatre
Towson, MD - Feb 22, Kraushaar Auditorium
Charlotte, NC - Feb 23, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Greenville, SC - Feb 24, The Peace Center
Long Island, NY - Feb 26, Capital One Bank Theater at Westbury
Glenside, PA - Feb 27, Keswick Theater
Cincinnati, OH - Mar 01, Taft Theatre
Minneapolis,MN - Mar 05, State Theater
Mesa, AZ - Mar 10, Mesa Arts Center
San Francisco - Mar 12 and/or 13

Other concert sites in play include Memphis, TN; Sarasota FL; Waukegan, IL; Ann Arbour, MI; St. Louis, MO; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and Dallas/Grand Prairie, TX. Check back for updates.

The unofficial 2011 Tried & True Tour information has been gathered by various means -- PBS stations, Ticketmaster, announcements by the singer during Timeless Meet & Greets with fans this week.

Check with your local PBS station to see if (a) a Feb-March concert is part of the pledge package and (b) if the tickets are on sale prior to the telecast. An official tour announcement will be made at clayaiken.com when all dates finalized.

Timeless Tour - 60s Medley
View full screen at YouTube.
Clearwater video by Scarlett

Clack Unlimited Needs Donations

The Clay Nation loves its "clack"; and for years, many have depended on Clack Unlimited as the main source for videos, audios, montages, etc., of the singer's performances and appearances.

Some videos, like Scarlett's Timeless Tour 60s Medley above, are uploaded to YouTube. However, much clack is only available through CU and a few message boards. Like everything else these days, it takes money to operate Clack Unlimited.

Below is a special message for CA fans who appreciate, frequent, and utilize the site:

This season there has been very heavy activity on the CU site with a lot of bandwidth being used. Obviously, there are still a great deal of fans out there who are enjoying the use of the site.

However, donations for Clack Unlimited have been very low this year. In order for us to continue providing this site, donations/subscriptions to support its costs have to be made.

Please visit Clack Unlimited for information on how you can help support the site.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Thank you for your blog comments and props for the contributing artists. To leave a remark, scroll to the bottom of that section, click on the "Post a Comment" link, and write in the box provided.

Visitors have arrived at this site from 153 countries. Many thnx for stopping by today! - Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Celebrate Clack

TRIED & TRUE - Graphic by cindilu2 incorporates a Flavia Weedn quote with visual from Clay Aiken's new 'Tried & True' Decca release. Photo by Vincent Soyez.

Mann, Aiken Fans Share BBH

Week Tenders Clack Overload

With new uploads of Bringing Broadway Home clack and Popeater's A Day in the Life of Clay Aiken multi-media feature, the past two days have provided a virtual visual feast for the Clay Nation.

Fans at mann_power, a LiveJournal blog dedicated to Terrence Mann, provided a link to Curtis Brown Photography where a slide show spotlights the five featured performers at Monday's NC Theatre benefit -- Clay, Terrence, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, and Quiana Parler.

Terry sings from Clay's lap at Bringing Broadway Home.

Interaction between the two fandoms has produced much sharing of "clack," even to the point that some Mann fans are contributing to Clack Unlimited.

There was much celebrating in the Mann blog when it was learned that Scarlett capped "Stars," one of their singer's songs. The fans are hoping she also captured "Where's the Girl," playfully sung by Mann from Clay's lap.

Popeater Follows Clay for a Day

The biggest news Thursday came when Clay Aiken - A Day in the Life, a feature story by Ashley lasimone, accompanied by video and and a 63-photo slide show by Diana Levine, hit Popeater's corner of the web.

It's the morning after Clay Aiken released his new album, 'Tried and True.' Backstage at 'The View,' the singer sits on a plush green sofa in his dressing room, surrounded by others but in his own world, eyes glues to his iPad as he waits for his call to set.

Aiken starts his day out in a solitary mode, but perks up when he and his crew mull over which cover he should choose for an upcoming DVD release.

A long day of 'Tried & True' promos begins for Clay.

In addition to the singer's appearance on The View, June 2 also included promo stops at ABC and CNN, concluding with an interview for Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf. For this episode, Clay traded in his coat and tie for a plaid shirt and suspenders.

The article provides insights into the long hours an artist puts into promotion, the down time on his iPad between interviews, and a lot of information about the T&T CD, as well as the July-August Timeless Tour with Ruben Studdard.

A Day in the Life video was edited by Tristan Waldrop. Double click on the photo below to view the video portion of the Popeater feature.

Clay chats with Cat Greenleaf on the Stoop.

Via Twitter, CA fans have passed along props for the incredible photos Diana Levine took of Singer Man. If she toured the countless message boards dedicated to Clay, she would be amazed at how many fans now have a Diana Levine avatar. You can check out her website here.

A Day in the Life is currently the third of nine stories on the AOL home page news slide.

Below are samples of the 63 photos. All are clickable, and some are larger than others. The first two are graphics by cindilu2 and the last two are wallpapers by Fountaindawg, all using Diana Levine photos. Enjoy!

Family Loses Special Lady

Thursday our family lost a very special lady. Josie Tomlinson, my mother's cousin, died from head injuries sustained in a car accident on Memorial Day. She is now at peace.

Josie, who taught Spanish in public schools and at Queen's College, began as children's librarian for Wilson County in 1962 and served as library director from 1971 until her retirement in 1985. She was an active volunteer in her church and the community.

Her mother, my Great Aunt Lill, was my mentor. She taught piano until age 96, and has been the subject of a couple of Carolina blogs: Aunt Lill's Potato Rolls and Musical Heritage Passed Down. Josie didn't inherit the family's musical strain, but she put her own gifts to good use. I was a school girl when she went to Bolivia to teach English.

She kept tabs on Clay's performance dates on TV. Many a morning I have received an email to be sure and watch him on The View or GMA. Josie always delighted in new photos of Kai, Lia, and her other "grand" cousins. She was 84, and, although sad about her loss, our family is glad she is at peace.

Ankle Takes Slight Turn

Knock on wood, but I believe my badly-sprained ankle, which the doc predicted would be "better in a week," maybe got the message on the 10th day. There is slightly less pain, but I am still sticking to the frozen corn-elevation routine.

In fact, the mother of Ora and Jeremy, violin and piano students taking makeup lessons today, brought the teacher some groceries and a new package of corn to replace the first batch, which has seen better days.

A note to all you Facebook users: watch out for grandson Kai. I understand our two-year-old (3 in September) loves playing "Bejeweled" and "Family Feud." So much so that one of his mother's friends commented on her wall that she must really love "the Feud"!

Below is a clickable of cindilu2's opening graphic:

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Thank you for your blog comments and props for the contributing artists. To leave a remark, scroll to the bottom of that section, click on the "Post a Comment" link, and write in the box provided.

Visitors have come to this site from 153 countries. Many thnx for stopping by today! - Caro