Montage Spotlights Clay Aiken's Signature Song

Clay Aiken - Unchained Melody 2011
View montage by SueReu full screen at YouTube.
Download the video with this Sendspace.

NIP Swings from #8 to #11

Video Frames 'Unchained Melody'

This blog was supposed to be about the signature version of my favorite Clay Aiken song, "Unchained Melody," which SueRue this week fashioned into a beautiful new montage.

Since she uploaded the video a couple of days ago, links for the montage zipped through Clay Cyberspace and social networking sites faster than the speed of light. Video credits include ClayIzzaQT, MBlovesClay, dlh7777, Scarlett, canfly172, and goldarngirl.

If you are part of the minority who have not yet seen this montage, enjoy. If you have already played and downloaded it a zillion times, enjoy again. Included are five clickable screen caps SueReu created from the video.

NIP Supporters Set $50k Goal

With Monday evening's drop to #11, supporters of the National Inclusion Project scrrambled for new avenues to add to the foundation's total votes in the August drive for a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant.

For days the NIP has held onto the 10th position, the lowest a charity can be to win a grant in the $50k division. Renewed efforts paid off, and the foundation moved up to slots 8 and 9, slightly safer waters, before slipping back to #11.

What's your latest creative move to round up additional votes? Several of my music students and their parents are texting daily. Some have promised to bring power codes from yellow Pepsi/Diet Pepsi bottle caps.

Remember the wedding queenmama247 attended this past weekend? Here is her report:

The wedding went off without a hitch. There were 210 guests. The DJ was so sweet when he asked everyone to take out their cellphones. He kept saying, "It's for kids."

We counted approximately 180 votes texted. Some people were having a hard time getting through, but it was a thrill to hear all the phones going off when the thank you messages started coming back!

Power Voting Can Be a Blast

Sunday afternoon Scarlett and I enjoyed a Power Voting Party via Facebook Chat with codes from several 20-ounce Pepsi bottles she had purchased at a 99-cent store. Our grand total was 445 extra votes for the NIP and was it ever fun!!!

My friend doesn't drink Pepsi, but she used the liquid remains as a type of Draino in her sinks. This morning she said her tub was a mite bit sticky. I have located at least three "Pepsi suppliers," so I hope to contribute additional codes soon.

One of the NIP's new voting partners, Nerdy Science, seeks to foster an early love for the science through multi-week, hands on programs.

Check out Exploding Soda in the Nerdy Baby blog. The Pepsi geysers provide an excellent science experiment for young children and provide an alternative way to utilize power code bottles for those who don't drink soda.

This week CVS has 2-liter Pepsi bottles on sale for 88 cents. Just be sure the caps are of the yellow power code variety!

See the previous entry, Clay Aiken Fans Pull Out Stops for Inclusion, for detailed voting instructions. Partner links and text numbers are in the NIP Voting Widget now situated in the Carolina sidebar.

Please share your successes for enlisting more voters and gathering power codes in the comments.

Dr. Phil and Clay AikenTake on Bullying.
View 2005 video full screen at YouTube.

Bullying Headlines Google Search

Somewhere there's a workshop ... or teachers are making lesson plans ... or students already have a school assignment related to preventing or stopping bulling.

During an eight-hour period Monday, Feedjit, the tracking tool associated with the Carolina blog, registered visitors who arrived by googling the phrase Clay Aiken End Bullying. The hits came from all corners of the US, as well as Aruba in the Caribbean and the Republic of Mauritius, an island nation off the southeast coast of Africa.

It's heartening to think that individuals from 27 cities wound up at the October 2010 entry: Clay Aiken Shares Insight on Bullying. Even then, the blog was pointing out the relevancy of remarks the singer had made five years earlier on the Dr. Phil Show.

Recent suicides by young people who reached the breaking point from constant bullying, hatred, and harassment have spurred nationwide efforts to bring an end to this epidemic.

On Oct. 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, giving the Department of Justice the authority to prosecute hate crimes, including attacks based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability.

Paralleling the new legislation, more and more citizens have begun recognizing the epidemic of hate and are choosing to go proactive, becoming informed and getting involved. Too many, however, remain silent.

The information trail continued into the evening. For whatever reason, surfers in these cities were on the Net exploring the topic of bullying: Birmingham, AL; Bessemer, AL; Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Denver, CO; Seymour, CT; Millsboro, DE; Miami, FL; Orlando, FL; Hephzibah, GA; Round Lake, IL; Wichita, KS;

Also Arnold, MD; Baltimore, MD; Genesco, NY; Cleveland, OH; Lebanon, OR; Malvern, PA; Addison, TX; Chatfield, TX; Woodway, TX; Bothell, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Oranjestad, Aruba, and Curepipe, Plaines Wilheme, Mauritus.

And they were still coming when I uploaded this blog. Hopefully, we are witnessing a nationwide -- maybe worldwide -- movement to end bullying forever!

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

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

Clay Aiken Frisco Finale 'Fan-Flippin-Tastic'!

Final Tried & True show begins with a twist!

Magical Vocals, Lots of Laughs

San Francisco Finale a Treasure

Closing concerts are generally sprinkled with playful antics, but Saturday's Tried & True finale in San Francisco's Warfield Theatre will also be treasured for the magical vocals, quick-witted banter, and intimate dialogue.

SueReu's "Fan-Flippin-Tastic" description is not only perfect but headline worthy.

The concert opened with Clay singing "Theme from Love Story" offstage, but the spotlight that normally propels him into view surprisingly revealed burly Jerome Bell lip-syncing the song.

A few minutes into the personable bodyguard's pantomime, Clay strolled onto the stage, dismissed Jerome, and completed another powerful performance of "Theme from Love Story."

Glow Sticks Applaud Clay & Co.

Backed by five talented musicians -- Ben Cohn, Adam Fallen, Del Atkins, Felix Pollard, and Quiana Parler -- the singer presented a memorable final concert that audience members are still praising.

In a special "thank you" gesture, Internet fans organized a glow stick salute for Clay & Co. during "In My Life," final selection of the Tried & True Tour.

SueReu: That was FAN FLIPPIN TASTIC!!! I think Clay was genuinely touched when the glow sticks were lit.

As I was leaving, I looked at the security guard and had to do a double take. Sure enough, the woman had tears streaming down her face - our man had moved her to tears. She said he was fantastic.

Copingincali: It was like the closing night of "Spamalot." Clay was shown the love tonight with lots of Standing O's and hoots and hollers ALL NIGHT LONG!

I sat next to a lovely 20-something gal on one side who was having a great time and the other 20-something gal on the other side was from Japan. She literally left the day the tsunami hit. She knows all his songs, but this was her first concert.

We had a great time being 12 together!

In one of the most entertaining segments of the show, "Who's Sorry Now" was performed in five genres: psychedelic, bollywood, Sesame Street, hip hop, and Disney.

Video of the Disney style is below. View all of Scarlett's videos at the Wowzers4Clay YouTube Channel. You can download them from the San Francisco doc.

Clay & Co. perform'Who's Sorry Now' in Disney style.

susandavis: The show was wonderful, and Clay was in great voice. "Unchained Melody" was flawless, and Clay wore the mic stand out.

He was so cute talking to Blaine, who was four and had a front row seat. He complimented Blaine on his behavior and was so funny about how four must be a good age.

Jerome standing behind the mic lip syncing was unbelievably funny. He is a good sport.

Clay sings signature version of 'Unchained Melody.'

IML banter: 'It's like a Radio Shack [here] tonight.'

Singer dedicates 'In My Life' to his fans everywhere.

artquest: When Clay began to sing "In My Life," the glow sticks appeared. Looking back from the front row, I was really impressed.

Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful lights, moving in the darkness, saying, in their own way, "We love you." He kept looking around at them. You could tell he liked it very much.

I'm still blown away by "Unchained Melody." I can't even figure out how he finds his note to begin with. Hits it every time, though.

What a great night. Thanks to my friends and, most of all, to Clay, I had the time of my life.

Below are four expandable photos by nickiwiki accompanying an image of the Warfield Theatre. View more photos on at Niki's Facebook wall.

Fond memories from the 21-city Tried & True Tour are plentiful and show little sign of fading in the near future.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Thrills Crowd at Mesa Tried & True Concert

Clay & Co. open Tried & True show with 'Theme from Love Story.'

Powerful Vocals, Humor, Charm

There Is Nothing Like Clay 'Live'

In Thursday night's Tried & True Concert in Mesa, AZ, Clay Aiken proved once again he is a consummate performer, charming the audience with his powerful vocals and quick wit.

In the next to the last show of a two-month tour that has freely allowed video sharing of concerts on YouTube and other outlets, there were very few surprises for die-hard CA fans.

Recaps, however, read as if they are describing the tour opener. An underlying theme is that clack serves its purpose, but there is nothing like experiencing Clay Aiken in a "live" performance.

Copingincali: Clay Aiken was born to be on the stage! Clack is helpful to get a feel for a show and certainly to capture the tours he does. However, he has to be seen live. He is so much more than an album, a YouTube video or an interview.

Clay was really upset about the review that said he was pitchy. Call this man anything you want, but pitchy he is not. His voice was top notch and filled the venue.

It's hard to describe what it is like to see him sing live. The voice broke in a couple of songs, but the power with a capital "P" of his voice makes you forget that.

I got the whole package tonight, and I am spent. Waow!

Singer calls out Dallas reviewer over pitchy label.

'Pitchy' Review Becomes Shtick

A Dallas review labeling Clay's Tuesday Grand Prairie performance "pitchy" was discussed by the singer during Mesa concert banter and later on fan boards. For a replay, be sure to watch the above video by Scarlett.

skybar22: This was a great show! Clay, the consummate performer, gives his all. He has a gift I have seldom been privileged to see. His humor, charm, and wit were all on display.

His voice was beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the nuances of his facial expressions. The sensuality of this man's performance coupled with the glorious vocals took me somewhere I have never been before.

UM was divine. He carries the audience with him, and we all soared together.

The pitchy shtick was great. Never tell Mr. Aiken he is pitchy when it is so far from reality. Pitchy he is not. He may crack on a note once in a while, but he is so good and covers it up well. His minor imperfections are nothing compared to most performers.

Quiana is a classy gal. I thoroughly enjoyed her too. She is pure joy on that stage, a friend and a gift to Clay. They are so comfortable with one another.

The Klezmer shtick was hilarious with Clay doing the Yiddish accent and Quiana "oying" and "mazel toving." This Jewish gal loved it!

Clay is so gracious to all of the performers on stage with him. He gave each their props. I really loved watching Felix do his thing. They are all a talented bunch and Clay appreciates each one of them. It shows.

Throughout the Tried & True Tour, Clay & Co. have performed "Who's Sorry Now" in a wide array of audience-suggested genres. At the Mesa concert, the musicians performed the song in boogie woogie, Klezmer, Gregorian Chant, mariachi, lullaby, and beat box styles. The first two are shown in Scarlett's videos below.

'Who's Sorry Now' a la Klezmer genre.

Who's Sorry Now' in boogie woogie style.

NJU Fans Reconnect with Clay

According to Internet message board reports, a large contingent of Not.Just.Us fans was reunited with Clay at the Mesa Arts Center.

clayalwaysandforever: I talked to several NJU tonight and, though they have loved Clay since Idol, they have not seen him much since.

Needless to say, they were blown away tonight. Two of the older couples had seen PBS special and then and ad in the paper so they were very excited about seeing him again.

Two of the ushers a man and a woman were anxious to hear him as they had never heard him sing. One lady said she had a whole new respect for him.

I saw people asking the ushers if there was anything for sale after the concert, and they were disappointed there was not a merch table. I have a feeling a few CD's will be selling on Amazon.

"Unchained Melody" was unworldly. WOW! WOW! WOW!

Clay sings signature version of 'Unchained Melody.'

Kool Radio Applauds Clay & Co.

Kool Radio posted an excellent review and photo slide show -- Clay Aiken in Concert -- on the station's website. Below is the opening paragraph of a story fans won't want to miss:

Tonight’s show was just more than a concert; it was a performance like no other!

Combining soulful music and personal story telling, Clay Aiken displayed his matured voice and why he’s been successful so many years since he made his national debut on American Idol.

View concert videos by Scarlett at the Wowzers4Clay YouTube Channel, and download them at her Mesa link. In addition to these expandable photos by SmartyPantsSuz, you can view the complete set in her Mesa gallery.

Thoughts and prayers are with Japan and all who have loved ones affected by today's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Final concert of the Tried & True Tour is slated for 8 pm PT Saturday at The Warfield in San Francisco, CA. Saturday's show will mark the one-year anniversary of the OMG Concert in Raleigh recorded for the singer's PBS Special, Clay Aiken: Tried & True ~ LIVE!

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation! Catch you after San Francisco!

Caro

Carolina Combacks: I was on target to have this blog up at 11:30 a.m. in time to watch the Carolina Tar Heels in their noon ACC Tournament game. During a final edit, the entry disappeared into thin air, and I spent the afternoon "listening" to the game, recreating the blog, and teaching lessons.

Carolina was behind the whole way until the buzzer-beater winning basket. Thankfully, I taped the game and plan to watch the comeback. Let's go, Heels -- maybe with a little less stress!!! *g*

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 Wow Waukegan

Expandable photo by toni7babe from the Waukegan T&T Concert.

Audience Scores Creativity Points

Clay & Co. Wow Waukegan Crowd

Clay Aiken & Co. wowed the Waukegan audience at the Genesse Theatre Friday night, and the audience returned the favor with its creativity during the "Who's Sorry Now" genre suggestions.

From early reports, there were many highlights, one of which was drummer Felix Pollard and his wife dancing on stage while Clay serenaded them with their wedding song, "Something About Us."

By necessity, this has been a progressive blog because I had a date with Best Buy the minute the store opened. In this part of the country, tonight marks the ultimate in Tobacco Road basketball rivalries, and my TV heaved its final breath in the middle of a movie Friday night.

TV Death Ushers in Techno 2000's

Apparently, the picture tube of my dinosaur-aged set gave up the fight and, in a last gasp, the screen shrank to 1/3 its original size. In Carolina country, the Tar Heel-Blue Devil match-up is a must-see game, plus I was way overdue to enter the new century.

My good friend Chris, who accompanied me to Best Buy, remarked that with my new iPhone and now an LED TV, I have finally fallen off the fence onto the techno side and am no longer teetering on the 1900/2000 edge. LOL, bring on the Carolina-Duke game AND the Minneapolis Concert!

But back to the Waukegan story. Below are expandable photos from Friday's concert by toni7babe from the concert. The final two are a preview of the pole dancing in the burlesque version of "Who's Sorry Now."

Jazzy Medley Features Aiken Hits

Videos by Scarlett help rewind the Waukegan Concert. In the first, Clay & Co. perform a jazzy arrangement of some of his earlier hits: "The Way," "This Is the Night," "Measure of a Man," "Invisible" from the Measure Of A Man album; "On My Way Here" from On My Way Here; and "A Thousand Days" from the A Thousand Different Ways CD.

Jazzy medley is a hit with audience.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

One of the special moments of the Waukegan Concert was the singer's intro and performance of "Something About Us."

Drummer Felix Pollard and his wife celebrated their second anniversary on Feb. 28. Serenaded by Clay, they reenacted their wedding's first dance on stage Friday night.

Clay serenades Pollards with 'Something About Us.'

According to Clay, Waukegan concert goers were the most creative yet, suggesting four new styles for "Who's Sorry Now": burlesque, Disney, New Age, and Russian folk. Below is the burlesque version, complete with pole dancing by Clay and Quiana.

All uploaded videos by Scarlett can be viewed at the Wowzers4Clay YouTube Channel and downloaded at the Waukegan doc. Check both sites for new additions throughout the day.

'Who's Sorry Now' burlesque style.

Having sung "Unchained Melody" since his teen years, Clay is most pleased to have his signature version, arranged for the Tried & True album by his keyboardist Ben Cohn. The Waukegan performance was incredible.

Yaknelle's recap at the Clayversity message board covered several aspects of the Waukegan concert. With her permission, here are excerpts that touch on Clay's humor, his friendship and duet with Quiana, and the singer's amazing rendition of "Unchained Melody."

The man is funny and, of course, he knows it and controls it. He throws barbs out to the audience, but it's his facial antics that makes it funny. He rolls his eyes. He drops his head. He pauses and zing, bang boom he connects. The audience roars. Quiana is the perfect foil and she gives him the grief we wish we could. She is his accomplice.

Clay adores Quiana, and no place does it show as much as when they sing "Crying." The wailing of their voices mingle and the sound is other-worldly. This is their masterpiece together.

The sensuality of "Unchained Melody" overwhelms me. He sings it with his entire body. He forces the notes, the lyrics, and the emotions through his body and soul and out of his lips.

I don't think I listen to this song as much as my total being is en wrapped by it. I feel it like a waves hitting the shore. Over and over the sound hits me until I finally soar out of my body with that amazing note. A tour d' force or is it a force of nature?

The songs and antics fly by, and I find my self wanting to slow the man down. Talk a little longer, sing another song. ...and another. Please don't stop.

But he does...

"In my life I love you more."

...and then I breathe.

An amazing 'Unchained Melody' performance.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation! Don't forget the Minneapolis Concert -- 8 pm CT at the State Theatre. See you after that ...

Caro

Clay Aiken, Tried & True Co. Surprise Cincy Crowd

Clay Aiken takes Tried & True show to Cincinnati.
Expandable photo by ClayIzzaQT from Cincinnati Concert.

It's a Clay Aiken Show!

Unexpected Abounds in Cincinnati

No matter how you slice it, Clay Aiken's Tried & True concerts are an entertaining two-hour ride, and Cincinnati spectators were presented another exceptional show in the Taft Theatre Tuesday night.

The set list is anything but "set," and surprises abound, especially when the singer takes genre suggestions from the audience for "Who's Sorry Now." Tuesday Clay & Co. performed the classic in five different styles.

Singer Stuns with 'The Real Me'

Clay's unexpected performance of "The Real Me," a fan favorite from the singer's fourth studio album, On My Way Here, was accompanied by paramedics successfully treating a medical emergency in the pit.

Fan recaps, photos, and videos will rewind the show. In the first report, note that artz11 and her concert buddy encountered a few surprises even before the show.

artz11: My friend Nuts4anerd discovered that no matter how many times you cross the Ohio River you always end up in Kentucky. We came into town from Indianapolis and traveled through Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, then again through each before we finally parked right next to Clay's bus.

Not really -- we were six blocks away from Clay's real bus and the concert we were getting very close to missing.

We quietly took some seats in the back because our third row seats were already taken, and we didn't want to cause a stir. We did take an opportunity to move a bit closer while Quiana was singing her first song.

It only took one song to completely forget all the troubles we had getting there. Clay's charm cannot be denied. He is so utterly connected to his audience, so sweetly funny, and so darn cute that sometimes I forget that I'm also listening to an incredible voice.

Two men in front of me pumped air after Clay gave his grungy twist to 'Who's Sorry Now"and were the first to stand after UM. UM gave me goosebumps tonight and I heard it at the OMG concert. I think Clay is really enjoying his phone conversations, and he knows how much we love it.

Ft. Wayne tomorrow! I truly don't think we can get lost
there ...

No wonder the two men helped give "Unchained Melody" a standing ovation! Below is Scarlett's video of Clay performing his special version of the song in Cincinnati.

Clay sings signature version of 'Unchained Melody.'
View Cincinnati concert video full screen at YouTube.

ClaysTouch: My friend Shari and I hadn’t seen Clay live since 2007. Life and geography made it impossible for us. We decided living so close to Cincinnati, that this show was a MUST for us. I pulled up seats in the pit and when we got to the show, we saw we were actually in first row!

We had a hard time hiding our appreciation. We were in shock at how amazing he looked and sounded and how real and close he was. It didn’t take long for Clay to notice the effect he had on us, especially Shari.

I think after he looked her dead in the eyes and sang "There’s something 'bout the way your lips invite" and she literally fell over on me, he knew it was "on." He was going to drive us all crazy that night ... and he did.

He sat at the end of the stage for something like 12 minutes. He finally took Shari’s phone and filmed himself thanking her for coming and for boosting his ego seven points.

He was so tickled by her. He said, "Do you see the tape on the bottom of my shoes? I'm just normal." The banter was amazing!

Below are three photos/screen caps from the Cincinnati Tried & True Concert by photographers ClayIzzaQT, 1; LauraQ, 2; and ianaren, 3. All are expandable.

Cincy: Right before Clay sang "The Real Me," a woman in our row had some sort of medical emergency; and Clay did a little Q&A in hopes that the paramedics could help her. They were not able to fully assist the woman until midway through "In My Life," the final song. Clay moved to the other end of the stage, so audience attention was facing that way.

The concert was very upbeat, funny and comedic Clay at his very best. The fourth genre on "Who's Sorry Now" was grunge, and he really got into it!

Three people from my office, my son and my daughter-in-law are all Clayverted. They said they now see why I love him so much!

Clay sings 'The Real Me' from 'On My Way Here.'
View full screen version on the Wowzers4Clay Channel at YouTube.

Creativity of Musicians Spotlighted

The 'Tried & True' concerts spotlight the creativity and talent of Clay's backup musicians: Quiana Parler, vocals; Ben Cohn, keyboards/arranger; Adam Fallen, guitar; Del Atkins, bass; and Felix Pollard, drums.

Clay & Co. performed 'Who's Sorry Now' in five audience-suggested genres at the Cincinnati Concert -- do wop, Yiddish, Gregorian Chant, beach music, and the grunge. The last two are presented in these videos by Scarlett.

Clay & Co give 'Who's Sorry Now' beach music styling.
View video in a full screen version at YouTube.

Clay goes grunge with 'Who's Sorry Now' in Cincy.
View video full screen at YouTube.

For video/audio downloads, check message board vaults, Clack Unlimited, and Scarlett's Cincinnati doc.

The tour continues tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, IN. Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation. Catch you after the show!

Caro

Clay Aiken Vocals, Humor Shine in Greenville Show

Clay Aiken's vocals impressive in Greenville Tried & True Concert.
Click to expand photo by Brightstar.

One for the Books!

Greenville Concert Thrills Crowd

Clay Aiken's Tried & True tour concert at Greenville's Peace Center Thursday was another evening of unbelievable vocals and unhinged humor as the singer and his backup musicians put on a show that may just be one for the books.

The evening was adeptly summarized by always and forever in two brief sentences: Clay's voice has never been better, and his banter was priceless. He is simply and wonderfully THE BEST!

Like fans, Amy Clarke, reviewer from The Greenville News online, gave Clay & Co. props in her critique: Aiken Gives Classics Their Due.

There are few souls in this wide world who can pull off Joni Mitchell and the Righteous Brothers back-to-back. Clay Aiken proved he was one of them Thursday night at the Peace Center.

Thanks to Aiken’s respectful and yet personal treatment of long-cherished songs, including the finale featuring The Beatles’ "In My Life," no one left the show without humming a new favorite old song. [snip]

As a nod to the fans who have followed his pop career for years, he also offered a slightly odd medley of some of his better-known songs, including "Measure of a Man" and "Invisible," arranged to sound more like the jazzy classics of the rest of the show.

But it was those classics, like Andy Williams’ "Love Story," Johnny Mathis’ "Misty" and the aforementioned "Both Sides Now" and "Unchained Melody" that allowed Aiken to really shine, showing off his range and impressive vocal power, much to the audience’s delight and amazement.

Clay sings signature version of 'Unchained Melody.'
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

Fans Rewind Fun-Filled Concert

Fan reports make one want to rewind the clock and join them for a replay of the Peace Center concert. Interspersed between the recaps are videos and photos from the Greenville show.

Brightstar: This was the funniest concert I've attended this tour. Clay was so animated and funny and beautiful. Quiana absolutely outdid herself -- sang fabulously and was sooooo funny.

Someone mentioned tonight how quiet and almost shy she used to be, and now she is a wonderful comedic partner for Clay. At times, she even plays the main comedic role and Clay plays the "straight man."

No matter how many times I hear Clay, I still marvel at the beauty, richness, and power of his voice, and the ease with which he goes from power ballad to tender, gentle melodies, from belting to caressing a song with tender nuance. Such talent and skill is rare indeed.

The interaction with Scarlett was hilarious, and the fact that most of us knew her seemed to blow his mind. We are quite the fandom, aren't we?

Clay 'hires' Scarlett, chats with cellcert recipient.
View video full screen at YouTube.

Longtime members of "the cult" will remember the singer's August 2007 encounter with Scarlett's camera during the Soft Rock Hard Place Fort Myers Concert when the singer took his own clack.

Newcomers can review the special SRHP tour moment that has become part of CA fandom lore in a YouTube video and in this blog.

2old4Clay: If you haven't seen the clack of the audience "outing" Scarlett, it is one of those priceless moments in the fandom. Clay called her out, then said, "Maybe we should just hire her to take all the videos." We responded with a resounding "yes!"

Then he asked, "Do you know her?" Again a "yes!" And again after banter with her, he asked us, "What's her name?" We all answered, "Scarlett!" His response was again priceless, as you will see.

His voice was stellar; he looked as if he was enjoying everything he sang and the banter. He and Quiana nailed each one to the max. I am loving Quiana more and more; it's like watching Laurel and Hardy up there!

The expandable photos below are by Brightstar, 1, 3; KarenEh, 2, 4; and Claythleena, 5.

luckiest1: Seeing "Crying" and "Unchained Melody" from the 5th row was amazing. And then no curtain; he just grabbed the stool and started into "Both Sides Now" (which was gorgeous, beautiful change ups).

Then the phone and camera banter which was freaking hysterical! I hope Scarlett isn't too mad at everyone for outing her to him. LOL, it was quite the thing.

And poor Lisa on the phone didn't know she was being broadcast to the whole theatre.

Clay & Co. perform 'Whose Sorry Now' Celtic style.
View video by Scarlett full screen at YouTube.

"Who's Sorry Now" was performed in four audience-suggested genres -- blues, Sousa march, "funkadelic," and the Celtic shown above. The auto-tune segment featured Clay "singing" Justin Bieber's "Baby."

terter4aiken: What a great show in Greenville! Clay was a riot with his lucky charms and singing Justin Bieber's "Baby"!

There were quite a few people waiting at the bus and we were rewarded very handsomely for our good behavior and patience.

He came out in jeans and the white Rutgers hoodie with his hair all tousled. He gave us all a quick "thanks for coming out guys" and a nice warm handshake.

Sceen cap of Quiana Parler links to the 'Crying' duet with Clay.

There are many excellent videos from the Greenville T&T Concert at YouTube. You can view Scarlett's clips at the Wowzers4Clay Channel.

This weekend's Tried & True tour concerts are slated for Westbury, NY, 8 pm Saturday, NYCB Theatre at Westbury, and Glenside, PA, 7:30 pm Sunday, Keswick Theatre.

Have a wonderful weekend! See you after Westbury!

Caro