CDD JNT2005

Joyful Noise 2005 Comes To An End

2006-01-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

The 2nd annual Joyful Noise Tour (2005) came to an end last week in Clearwater, FL to a sold out, 5500 strong, audience at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. To celebrate the New Year, Clay performed What Are You Doing New Year's Eve off last year's Christmas album, Merry Christmas With Love.

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JNT2005 Archives
This JNT2005 blog is now being archived and will continue to be available 24/7 for reference. You can browse our extensive tour coverage archives using the archive pull down menu on the left sidebar.

Recaps
We also have recaps from each of the 40 concerts.You can browse the recaps using this pull down menu which you can also access on the left sidebar.

Photo Albums
Click here to see JNT2005 photo albums (PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE BOLDED ONES -- THEY'RE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Storyline Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of the JNT storyline/skit/theatrical elements

Some JNT tour info

Opening act: Pianist William Joseph
40 shows long, started in Vancouver, Canada Nov. 2
Clay hired 11 year old Gregory Ellis and his former music teacher Allison Lawrence for the concert's storyline.
Clay's back-up singer Jacob Luttrell left the tour mid-way citing personal reasons. Clay took over Luttrell's solo, Emmanuel.
Clay was backed up by back up vocalists Angel Fisher, Quiana Parler and his band, led by musical director Andy Abad. Most of the band had been with Clay for the 2004 tours as well as this summer's Jukebox Tour.

Timeline/Highlights
Some highlights sorted in a timeline format of this tour.

Aug. 25 - Clay announces at a Jukebox Tour concert in Toronto that the Christmas concert will begin Nov. 2 in Vancouver, Canada.
Aug. 27 - Hours after first show (Clearwater, Dec. 30) goes on sale, the concert becomes the first unofficial sellout. Venue adds second show for Dec. 29.
Sept. 3 - Back-up vocalists/band announce that they will return.
Sept. 8 - Official Fanclub releases statement regarding tour.
Sept./Oct. - Concert venues/dates announced by fanclub and venues.
Sept. 24 - Hurricane Rita creates cahos for ad agency promoting tour.
Sept. 24 - First newspaper print ad appears in Vancouver newspaper.
Sept. 29 - Pianist William Joseph confirms via his message board that he will be Clay's opening act.
Oct. 2- Belkin Productions announces that concerts will feature 'theatrical element'
Oct. 7- First major batch of tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster.
Oct. 8- Revised advertisement appears in newspapers across the country.
Oct. 12- Clay band member Andy Abad announced as musical director, succeeds S'Von Ringo.
Oct. 19- RCA Records press release issued, says tour will have a storyline. Concert dates/venues are finalized.
Oct. 27- Vancouver newspaper pre-concert article takes quotes off the Clayboard.
Oct. 28- Fanclub announces that each concert will have 100 specially designed Clay Aiken ornaments on sale.
Oct. 31- The Insider goes backstage at JNT.
Nov. 2- Clay opens JNT at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Venue was 80-90% sold out.
Nov. 2- Setlist posted.
Nov. 2- Tourbook scans posted.
Nov. 3- ABC Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher takes in JNT rehearsals in LA.
Nov. 4- Canadian TV show Star! Daily interviews Clay.
Nov. 19- Back up vocalist Jacob Luttrell quits citing personal reasons.
Nov. 20- Clay re-organizes tour due to Luttrell's exit. Clay sings Luttrell's solo, Emmanuel.
Nov. 30- Clay does a 'special' version of Don't Save It All For Christmas Day... "Clay sang the line 'OH BABY, THAT'S A FACT' in what had to be THE most sensual way I have EVER heard him. There was a very loud gasp across the audience - I think it was a collective thud."
Nov. 30- Clay makes hasty exit at the end of 'Good News' at Reading concert... says fans used flash excessively.
Dec. 5- Clay takes time off in New York City to tape performances for CBS' Early Show and ABC's Good Morning America.
Dec. 17- Clay adds powerful ending to The First Noel.
Dec. 18- Raleigh News & Observer welcomes Clay home with looooong, positive article.
Dec. 22- Clay comes home to Raleigh... RBC Center packed...most of Clay's family and friends present... about 8500 out of the 10,000 available tickets were snapped up. Clay performs bluegrass song Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem for his Grandpa Aiken. RBC Center changes arena marquee to say "We Celebrate You Home, Clay Aiken. Merry Christmas With Love from your fans" (See Raleigh video in CDD's Video-On-Demand Player)
Dec. 22- Clay is interviewed by Raleigh TV Station WRAL (See Raleigh video in CDD's Video-On-Demand Player)
Dec. 23- Entertainment Tonight airs 2 minute piece about JNT.
Dec. 27, 28, 29, 30- Clay ends JNT with 4 consecutive days of performances in the sunshine state.
Dec. 30- Clay visits Bausch Gardens Adventure Park in Tampa Bay, FL.
Dec. 30- Clay ends the Joyful Noise Tour 2005 in grand style by singing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (he came in from the back of the theatre!) and introducing and thanking each and every cast member individually during his banter. Clay also kissed his former teacher/cast member Allison Lawrence during My Grown Up Christmas List. After the show, Clay was whisked off by a SUV.

Here is a complete listing of all the concerts Clay played during this tour.

November 2, 2005
Vancouver, BC, Canada, Queen Elizabeth Theatre

November 3, 2005
Portland, OR, Theater of the Clouds at Rose Garden Arena

November 5, 2005
Eugene, OR, Hult Center

November 6, 2005
Seattle, WA, McCaw Hall

November 8, 2005
Oakland, CA, Paramount Theatre

November 9, 2005
Los Angeles, CA, Kodak Theatre

November 10, 2005
Los Angeles, CA, Kodak Theatre

November 11, 2005
San Diego, CA, Civic Theatre

November 13, 2005
Phoenix, AZ, Dodge Theatre

November 15, 2005
Salt Lake City, UT, NuSkin Theatre @ The Delta Center

November 16, 2005
Denver, CO, Convention Center Theatre

November 18, 2005
Council Bluffs, IA, Mid America Center

November 19, 2005
Kansas City, MO, Midland Theatre

November 21, 2005
Minneapolis, MN, Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnisota

November 22, 2005
Chicago, IL, Chicago Theatre

November 25, 2005
Louisville, KY, Louisville Palace Theater

November 26, 2005
Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Music Hall

November 27, 2005
Youngstown, OH, Chevrolet Center (formerly the Youngstown Convocation Center)

November 29, 2005
Pittsburgh, PA, Heinz Hall

November 30, 2005
Reading, PA, Sovereign Center

December 2, 2005
New York, NY, Beacon Theatre

December 3, 2005
New York, NY, Beacon Theatre

December 4, 2005
New York, NY, Beacon Theatre

December 6, 2005
Boston, MA, Orpheum Theatre

December 8, 2005
Albany, NY, Palace Theater

December 9, 2005
Providence, RI, Providence Performing Arts Center

December 10, 2005
Wallingford, CT, Chevrolet Theatre

December 11, 2005
Camden, NJ, Tweeter Center

December 13, 2005
Washington, DC, DAR Constitution Hall

December 14, 2005
Baltimore, MD, Lyric Opera House

December 16, 2005
Nashville, TN, Gaylord Entertainment Center

December 17, 2005
Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Civic Center

December 18, 2005
Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Civic Center

December 20, 2005
Columbia, SC, Township Auditorium

December 21, 2005
Charlotte, NC, Charlotte Bobcats Arena (New Charlotte Arena)

December 22, 2005
Raleigh, NC, RBC Center

December 27, 2005
Hollywood, FL, Seminole Arena

December 28, 2005
Melbourne, FL, King Center for the Performing Arts

December 29, 2005
Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall

December 30, 2005
Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall

CLEARWATER 2: Clay Plays Prank on William Joseph

2006-01-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

Cute story about Clay playing pranks on his cast and his opening act/pianist William Joseph.

From the CV's stripedshirts:

I also have a sweet William Joseph story to share.

He was out in the lobby for the final time last Fri. to meet the patrons & pose for pics. I was one of the last to get to him after the crowd thinned out. It being the last show, I had held together pretty well - didn't break down as I thought I would during Clay's sets, as I was a weepy mess the night before.

However, when I got to William to praise & thank him, I started to tremble & said, "I think I'm going to cry" & covered my face. Imagine my surprise when both William & his assistant Maka both came forward & enveloped me in an embrace. whoa, they're BIG guys "awww, don't cry" Maka said, so I pulled myself together & told William how impressed I was w/ his "Amadeus" no. (where he lain on his back & played his piano, chin facing upwards).

We also kidded about how he was goofed on. "You're the rookie" I laughed. This is what he shared w/ me (shared as best as I can remember):

Right into his earpiece while he performed Kashmir, was Clay, who piped, "Hey, this is Clay. I just wanted to see how good you are keeping time" then "Invisible" was cranked up into William's ear to throw him off. Clay apparently had been in the control booth upstairs, watching William through the glass window before starting on the few goof-ups for fun William managed to keep on key, but boy, did he struggle! So that was a moment of mischief Clay pulled on William, the sneaky trickster.

Additional pranks pulled, was that all wigs & the phone were greased up w/ Vaseline & the snow machine was put on full blast, releasing chunks instead of flakes. I remember Brianne kept her wig on during "Celebrate Me Home", which she hadn't done before.....probably because her hair was all gooey from vaseline :lol During the church scenes, the sound crew was having a little fun w/ William again w/ putting different music into his ears while he tried to work w/ music of the scenes. But of course, nothing was done to Clay since after all, he is master director of the show & entirely excusable

William & I had a good chuckle there at the lobby as we cleared out of the concession area. I wished him the Best of Luck as he & his assistant Maka headed towards their SUV's. Sweet guy I do hope he comes back next tour w/ Clay, as he certainly won many hearts.

PENSACOLA: Don't Miss These Fantastic Shots

2006-01-02T20:44:00.000-05:00

The Clay nation's best photographer, Tasapio has posted her FANTASTIC photos from last month's Pensacola concert. Click here to go to her gallery.

CLEARWATER 2: Clay Suprises Allison With Kiss

2006-01-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

Clay suprised Allison Lawrence Saturday at the final Clearwater, FL show by planting a kiss on her cheeks during My Grown Up Christmas List. Allison was Clay's former music teacher in high school.

Video is now up in our Video-On-Demand player.

Clearwater Day 2 Recaps

2005-12-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Clay ends the Joyful Noise Tour 2005 in grand style last night by singing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (he came in from the back of the theatre!) and introducing and thanking each and every cast member individually during his banter. Clay also kissed his former teacher/cast member Allison Lawrence during My Grown Up Christmas List. After the show, Clay was whisked off by a SUV.

From the CB's zippy888:

I'm so glad to be part of the last concert. It was bittersweet, just as Clay said. I wanted to see the last concert and experience it but I didn't want it to end. :bluesniff :jump

From start to finish, the concert kept us guessing. Starting with William Joseph's opening act, it was hilarious to see William's piano being taken down while he was playing. It was indeed amazing to see William play the piano upside down. Poor William - he was quite befuddled.

Then when Clay came on - the thought that went through in my mind - it's the last show - no more Clay for a while. :bluesniff But he looked so good! :thud Pink chunks of cotton wool came down from above with the snow. It was quite funny!

Clay was really on last night - his voice soared above - new flourishes to all songs in the 2nd half of the concert. I was stunned to hear the beauty of that voice ring crystal clear through the whole Ruth Eckerd Hall.

DSIAFCD - Clay's banter - I've never heard him speak so much. The warmth and friendship in Clay's entourage was radiating last night. There were hugs and smiles, tears of laughter and joy. Wonderful!

WAYDNYE - Watched him come down from the top and managed to catch him towards the end on the main floor. Those lucky ladies got to dance with Clay! :thud

I can't believe that Joyful Noise 2005 is now over but it will remain in my mind for a long time

From CDD's renee4clay:

I am not good with words, and reading the past reviews, I hate to even try to write anything , it will pale in comparison. I'll just mention a few tidbits. I was on the far right hand. When Clays show started , the snow was coming down fast and furious and big chunks. Jerome was standing right inside the doorway next to me giggling away. He would pop in now and then and watch from there.

Clay was PERFECT. the voice was top notch, he changed some songs a little, put a little more emotion in some of them and brought us to our feet several times.

One of the coolest parts was after he sang The First Noel. He poured his heart and soul into it. He got a rousing standing ovation. The cheering wouldn't stop. Finally it stopped and they were about to go on when it swelled up AGAIN. It was the first SPONTANEOUS DOUBLE OVATION I've ever seen. the crowd had died down and the excitement made it just build right back into a full blown ovation again. . it was awesome.

The final banter was so emotional. Brianne was bawling, poor thing, She kept wiping her eyes, and the tears just kept coming. Same with Patricia. Patricia kept trying to turn around so no one would see her wiping her eyes but I was right there on her side and I could see her.

During the last scene with Beverly where she put the ornament in Tommy's backpack, that was the best I've ever seen that scene. It was great. She had tears streaking down her face and she almost sobbed. It was so heartfelt and real.

The crowd was unbelievable when Clay sang Baby that's a Fact. He looked so funny after he did it and heard our response. He seemed pleased with himself at his power to bring us to our knees. and when he came out at the top of the stairs for WAYDNYE, the crowd could not be contained. It was so exciting. I could barely see him. If he had come down my side I would have been right there on the isle, but that's ok, It was still so exciting, just hearing how crazy everyone was for him , that made me feel so good. He was phenomenal.

I have pictures. I will post soon.

WALLINGFORD: Local Actors Share JNT Experience

2005-12-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

A group of actors from the Southington Community Theatre posted this photo taken with Clay earlier this month. Clay hired the group to be part of his JNT concert in Wallingford, CT Dec. 10. Read a news article about this here.

Clearwater Day 1 Recaps

2005-12-30T11:54:00.000-05:00

From the CB's andee1960:

Am I the first one back with a report? Wow! I've never written a recap before, but here goes.

I can now die a happy woman. I got to hear Good News live. That song is just incredible and Clay is beautiful singing it. :lubdub

I must first thank claysauntmarlowe! I had never met her before tonight. I only found out I would be able to attend this show just a few days ago and had a ticket way back in the B section. I was sitting in the back by my lonesome when she came up and asked if I would like a ticket closer to the stage! (She had upgraded her tickets, I believe) I was a bit stunned at first, but it did not take me long to accept her offer. So, claysauntmarlowe, let me thank you again for your wonderful gift. :hug2 I've never seen Clay this close before. What a kind and generous thing to do for someone you have never met before! Clay fans are wonderful.

First of all, the venue was awesome. It is a very classy place and the staff was extremely helpful. Flash patrol was diligent. Overall about a dozen flashes that occurred throughout the entire show. The staff was pretty vigilant about it. While we were waiting for the doors to open at 7 p.m., someone from security came out and made a brief announcement: "He's pretty particular about the flashes. He will walk off the stage if it's bad..." Oooh. That was enough for me to hear. I worried throughout the show about excessive flashing. I did not even take my camera since I had thought I was going to be in the back section.

Ok...the show. Clay's hair looked wonderful tonight. Not too spiky. He seemed happy and in very good spirits. It was fun watching him as the vignettes took place--such cute expressions on his face. Socks appeared to be multi-striped--very colorful.

Outstanding moments: Merry Christmas With Love, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (so tender and elegantly sung) and Celebrate Me Home (did a mini growl here). Loved the Jingle Bells leg shake thing he does!

Second half: Blew me away. I just am in awe of this voice and this man. He got standing O's on The First Noel, HTHAS, and MDYK as well as Emmanuel. These songs were beautifully sung. MDYK was just perfection. So was Emmanuel.

Quiana got a standing ovation as well.

Banter was cute! Angela did the hip thing again. Clay got tongue tied and made those cute clucking noises to get himself straightened out. He mentioned several times that there was another show tomorrow night, but we would have to buy a ticket to get in! LOL

He told us to kiss the person next to us instead of hugging them, and then made a face and said: Ewww. So cute!

During Good News, there was not a single flash. This one will probably be a good download. :thumbup

Overall a great appreciate audience. Tampa Bay showed Clay the love tonight. The venue was very full. Only a few rows in the very back were empty. This was a great venue for Clay.

I simply loved this show. My Christmas is now complete. I got the ornament. It's Clay with the Christmas tree. It says Tampa Bay on it and has both nights listed.

Can I just say again how simply beautiful this man is? He is a work of art. He looks so good up on that stage.

Thank you Clay for writing this show and working so hard to make this an incredible experience for your fans.

Now must get to bed as I have to drive back to Georgia tomorrow. Sure wish I could see the last one.

Just remembered: During Sleigh Ride and Christmas Serenade, he interacted with the audience somewhat by pointing to several folks in the first few rows.

During DSIAFCD, when he sang "Oh Baby, that's a fact" he did the lower register (kind of like Elvis) and the crowd simply loved it.

During the glory note, he bent way down and then did the little "hop" thing at the end.

I'm sure I will remember more later. Just trying to capture it while fresh in my mind.

ETA: Just quickly skimmed the cellcert. To to let you know: there was some calling out by a few audience members...happened about three times. One lady yelled "Have my baby Clay" right before Quiana sang MGUCL. That was annoying. But overall not a big thing. I don't even think Clay heard it.

From the CB's angelcat4jc:

Wow!! Just wow!!

I loved it!!

I got row 8 seats and some people didn't show up in my row, so I got to spread out.

Ethel was there two rows behind me. During intermission, she came and sat in the empty seats next to me. She's a hoot!! She stood up and waved and pointed after the songs.

Lots of standing ovations tonight.

This was my second JNT2005 show. I went to the San Diego concert too.

I brought my mom and my sister. This was my sister's first Clay concert. She loved it, especially the second half. She brought her awesome camera and took pix without her flash. She'll see how those come out tomorrow.

Clay was really on tonight. He looked so happy. I was worried about his voice during the first song. He sounded like he was straining his voice and maybe a tiny bit off pitch or he was struggling to hit some notes. But the rest of the songs were great. I think he toned down some high notes and didn't hold out a note on one of the songs. He didn't do too much of a growl on CMH.

I had my binoculars and watched him a little through those. On Season for Romance towards the end, he looks out and points at the audience-I swear he looked straight at me!!

Loved Angela's song-it got me teary-eyed.

The First Noel was the best I had ever heard it. He got a standing ovation for that as well as many other standing ovations, especially during the second half.

This was the first time I got to see and hear Clay sing Emmanuel in person. He was just awesome!! Very emotional.

DSIAFCD was again spectacular. I loved how he bent down while holding out that note and then doing the little jump afterwards.

At the end of Good News, he walked back behind the curtain right before the last Good..............News. He sang that behind the curtain.

I sure wish I could go to the last show, but I have to head back to Texas. I start school back on Tuesday.

Had a wonderful time tonight.

Oh, my mom got a kick out of the "second-place" references during the vignettes. She was laughing out loud. I was worried that she wasn't going to enjoy herself, but she really ]was impressed and liked how he made the songs into a play. It made it more enjoyable to her. I had given her an mp3 recording of the songs from the show and she wasn't impressed. Then I got to thinking, well, she hasn't seen the show yet, so she couldn't visualize the songs. She loves them now.

Can't wait til the next tour next year!!

Now back to waiting and waiting and waiting......the drought is starting soon

From the CB's annie2053:

Well, I'm back. I read the cellcert (red reports only thread...thank you Starrgirl01 for doing that this evening! You did an awesome job!)

These are my rambling thoughts. I'm just writing as I remember.

First thing's first. Clay sang Good News! I'm so happy about that!
The socks colors that I saw were red, green, brown, and white horizontal stripes.

Clay looked so handsome. Sometimes he looked very young and sometimes he looked more mature. He's such a chameleon.

Everything that happened seems to have been reported correctly in the cellcert. And Andee1966 and angelcat4jc, your reviews are right on. You covered just about everything, and you remembered the details, which I attempted to do. But, as soon as the concert was over, I couldn't remember a lot! But your reviews are excellent reminders for me!

This is my one and only JNT2 concert and I loved it! It was a wonderful show, and I love the story. I think Clay made a good move in writing a storyline for this concert..

I have only downloaded the very first venue's vignettes, and all of the songs, but I've kept up with the banter and DSIAFCD downloads for most venues. I've also seen many of the special, exceptional songs or happenings from various venues. And, of course, I've read every cellcert and member review, so I'm not a virgin, but I haven't heard much of the other songs as the tour progressed.

The vignettes have improved sooooo much. The flow is smooth and tight, and nothing distracts from the message getting told. Believe it or not, I was so wrapped up in the story, that I had to keep reminding myself to look at Clay's reactions to what was going on on stage.
Clay is in total, 'in the zone', character throughout the show while he is the guardian angel. You can tell that he just absolutely loves doing this type of thing.

Some cracks in his voice were reported, and yes, I do agree, there were several, especially throughout act one. I could tell that he is fighting something. I don't know if it's all the talking he has to do during his usual daily routine of teaching, rehearsing, meet and greets, or what.
Or maybe a cold? However, considering all that he puts his voice through during the day, I think he sounded fabulous! Also, when you consider that many vocalists do not speak at all the day of a performance, I am just amazed at how well Clay's voice has sustained for this tour.

The good news is that it is evident that he has learned to recognize when he's fighting vocal strain or sludge or, whatever the case may be, and he works around it for a wonderful result.

In the bulk of this show, Clay's voice is naked. It is fully exposed for the audience to hear every single sound that comes from his throat. The instruments do not hide or cover up anything. I'd say it takes a very confident performer to do this night after night.

The accoustics were awesome in this venue. Last year, the sound was not quite right and any high, louder notes blasted our ears. Tonight was perfect. I've read many comments about the sound in the first act not sounding as good while the vocalists use the ear micrphones. Boy, do I agree with that! It was very noticeable. There was a slight buzzing sound on Clays ear/mic that you could hear when he was not singing. And even my husband said right away, that the ear/mics are making everyone sound pitchy.

As soon as ACT TWO started, he and I both noticed how much better everyone's voices sounded!

The second act was wonderful. This is where Clay's voice shines. He still was working around whatever was going on with his voice, but it was beautiful. I thought he did especially well on EMANUEL, MDYK, and DSIAFCD,

You should have seen the electrical tape assistance in the concert house! Ethel was there tonight, and she and others were yelling toward the back of the house asking if anyone needed electrical tape. My husband thought that was funny 'cause he had no idea about that, so I had to fill him in on it. There was a woman in the bathroom who had a disposable camera and I informed her about the 'no flash' restriction. She had no idea about it! So, I think it's the clueless that do a lot of the flashing.

I think the first flash happened during Jingle Bells. Then there were some sporadically throughout the the first half, but really not many. Then there were 2 or 3 during the banter and 3 or 4 during DSIAFCD. I thought, uh oh! But we did get Good News! No flashes during good news that I could tell.

It's really neat the way Clay exits right before the last line of "Good" "News". The way they did the lighting for that exit was very effective. The white light is off of Clay, but now on Angela and Quianna, while they are singing. Then, when Clay's last "Good News" happens the light goes back on to center stage where he WAS, but this time it is not a white light, but a pinkish/red light, and all that you see is the curtains coming back together and you hear Clay sing "Good....... News". I just thought that was very, very effective. I loved it.

I'm sorry, that this is very disconnected and that I'm skipping around, but this is how I'm remembering things.

The first intermission was long. About 30 to 35 mins. After 20 minutes people started showing their restlessness and started clapping.

I did hear the "Clay, have my baby!" after MDYK. At least that's what I thought I heard. It came from the center back of the house. The audience immediately groaned their dissaproval and disgust to that outburst!

CMH did have nice shortened growl. I love that song! I enjoyed hearing Clay singing the softer songs in the first half. Christmas Serenade was lovely. He connects to the audience on this song.

"Baby that's a fact" was done to the audience. And it was a very Elvisy one (in my opinion)!
Ooo-la-la! It's the best I've heard! It seemed like the whole house swooned after he did it, then immediately I heard laughter...people laughing at the swooning! Ha ha!

During MGUCL, Quiana sang "heal all hearts" lower just like Clay did on GMA. It sounded wonderful! She has a beautiful voice.

This concert was my husband's first time seeing Clay live. He would be one of the people that Clay would have brought up on stage for the JBT. But he respects my love of Clay's voice. He's only heard him sing on the finale of AI2 and his appearances on AI3. So he only got to hear him sing and talk from AI3. He is clueless to Clay's progression as a performer and knows nothing of his banter personality appeal. That is, until tonight.

Here are his thoughts that he shared with me:

* The first half mics made the songs sound pitchy in some places.

* The second half was great while they used the regular mics.

* Quiana has a good voice.

* Clay has confidence.

* Clay has confidence in his voice.

* I love this story. It's so touching, and creative that he did this!

* Wow, he really does have a powerful voice!

* AFTER THE BANTER:

* He's a ham!

* You can tell he loves doing this.

* He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

* This show should be on as a Christmas Special on TV. It would be perfect!

* I can see now why you like him so much. I think it's not only his voice, but his personality on stage that you like.

BINGO! He gets it!

Okay, so he's not a Clay Dawg, but my point is, it only took this one performance and a small amount of banter to enlighten my husband!

And this is the comment that surprised me:
I appreciate that he has a good voice and everything, but I think I'd prefer to hear him sing more contemporary songs.

It's been a year since I've heard Clay live, and he did not disappoint. He gets better and better. I loved experiencing Clay making a Joyful Noise for me! Thank you Clay!

CLEARWATER 1: St. Petersburg Times Review

2005-12-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

A review of last night's concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL.

'Claymates' cheer Aiken show
By MARTY CLEAR
Published December 30, 2005

CLEARWATER - It was late in the year for a Christmas concert. But for the Claymates - the oddly fanatical followers of engaging young singer Clay Aiken - the timing and the topic couldn't have mattered less. They would probably have hooted, hollered and swooned just as enthusiastically if their idol had sung a list of area codes.
All but the back few rows of Ruth Eckerd Hall were filled Thursday night for Clay Aiken: Joyful Noise 2005, a bizarre combination of a concert and a play.

The crowd was about 95 percent female, but it was chronologically diverse. Preteens, baby boomers and retirees were about equally represented.

Before Aiken took to the stage, many looked lovingly through the souvenir programs they had bought in the lobby. Others Continue reading -- 'Claymates' cheer Aiken show

BOSTON: Friends Gets Opportunity Of A Lifetime

2005-12-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

Best friends perform with Clay Aiken from 'American Idol'
Friday, December 30, 2005

Michael Hammond and Paula Markowicz have been best friends since the age of five, and their 34 year friendship has led them to share many experiences

They first performed together in the musical "Gypsy" at Holbrook Junior/Senior High School, and after graduating in 1984, they continued performing.

"Our favorite show that we played opposite each other in was 'Ragtime' at the Company Theatre. We love to perform, but it is extra special when we get to perform together," Michael said.

The biggest opportunity came when they were both asked to perform on Dec. 6 at the Orpheum Theatre with Clay Aiken from the hit "American Idol" TV show.

"We watched 'American Idol' on television, and then I was on stage with one," Michael said

"It was a bit surreal to be in Boston on the Orpheum stage in the 'falling snow' singing Christmas songs, surrounded with the familiar voices of your friends, who are each remarkably talented individually. Then let's add the audience of 2,700 looking on, and as you look across the stage, you see that you are sharing it with someone you looked forward to watching and rooted for week after week on 'American Idol.' What a kick!" Paula said.

Walking into the Orpheum Theatre was amazing just knowing that my brother, who has performed all of his life, was given such a great opportunity.

The anticipation was overwhelming. As I handed the ticket to the usher and she found our seats, I saw my brother in the doorway waving. I couldn't stop smiling. I was so proud of him.

Her face described it all when Paula's daughter Deliah came running down the aisle, waving to us with a big smile. She was so excited to see her mom perform with Clay.

As I sat in the audience holding my son's hand, talking to my brother Neil, and looking at my ecstatic parents, I tried to sit still in my seat waiting for the show to start.

A young woman in front of me asked, "Are you related to someone in the show?" I answered proudly, "Yes, my brother. Michael Hammond."

Right away, the young woman started saying, "Michael is going to be directing 'Peter Pan,' my daughter is trying out on Friday, and he is also a great video photographer."

You want to talk about a proud moment: listening to someone talk so highly of your brother.

What a nice woman, but when she started to talk about her daughter, I could see something in her eye.

The woman said, "My daughter Sara is in the show also. She is 10, and she called me on the phone when she first met Clay. She said, 'I just shook Clay Aiken's hand, and I'm never washing my hand again.'"

I could see Sara's mother's eyes fill up, and I saw how proud she was of her daughter. It was such a beautiful moment.

The lights went down, and there dressed in white was Clay Aiken. The crowd cheered, but all I saw was my brother Michael smiling.

The show was amazing. Clay lit up the room with his outstanding voice, but it only got better at the end when Clay came out to talk to the audience and introduce all the people in the show.

He even joked about buying Clay Aiken merchandise in the lobby. His show has such a personal touch.

Clay let Andrew and Sara say hello, announced what their ages were, and told the audience what a great job they did.

Clay, dressed in black with a red tie, began to walk back and forth across the stage, saying how wonderful it was to work with such a great bunch of people when a woman from the audience decided to interrupt him.

"Excuse me," Clay said. "What is so important that you have to interrupt my show?"

The audience laughed, and Clay walked over to the woman and said, "Stand up. What is it you wanted to say?"

The woman stood up and couldn't say anything. I think she was in shock.

She sat down, and Clay said, "Are you sure you have nothing to say?"

She was still stunned and just said, "Ahh."

Clay asked her to stand up again, but this time he gave her a big hug.

The audience cheered and yelled "Clay."

Clay commented, "Some of the most talented people that we have in this country started out in community theatre."

After the show I was still overwhelmed with excitement, and so was my Uncle Robert and my Auntie Arlene.

In fact, my auntie couldn't wait to purchase the Clay Aiken Christmas ornament that they were selling in the lobby. She even took the time to joke with the sales clerk.

"It's just Clay's picture on this," she said. "Where is my nephew's picture? He should be on the side. Don't worry. I'm going to put a picture on myself when I get home."

We waited for my brother and Paula to come out from backstage, and when I first saw them they had an indescribable glow in their faces.

I was able to ask Michael and Paula about what were some of their favorite parts of the show and best moments.

"The best moment about singing with Clay Aiken for me was that my four-year-old nephew Jacob thought that he saw me waving to him. I couldn't see him in the crowd of 2,700 people, but I tried to wave in his direction. He didn't seem to care about seeing Clay Aiken, but truly believed that I was waving just to him," Michael smiled.

"When Clay met us and shook hands individually, he started with the kids first and when he got to the end, Clay said that he didn't remember everyone's name, but he remembered Andrew (seven years) because he complimented him. He said he liked his song ("Don't Save It All") when Clay shook his hand," Paula said.

Clay, who brought his elementary music teacher, Allison Lawrence, on tour with him to perform in his show, took great care of the cast backstage.

"Allison was reading an excerpt from Clay's book that was about her as a teacher and how Clay would fool around and got kicked out of class. Ask John about the page (101) in the book for exact verbiage," Paula said.

To end the night, we all took the train home, and the train was full of people. Everyone was reading their books and not talking until one woman noticed my Auntie Arlene's Clay Aiken ornament.

The woman said, "We just saw Clay Aiken tonight."

Now, of course, my beaming Auntie Arlene said, "My nephew was in the show. He's right there."

She pointed across the train.

One by one, you saw people closing their books, smiling, and listening about the night we had watching Michael and Paula perform with Clay Aiken.

Paula and Michael are currently preparing for upcoming roles, but were asked to perform again for Clay in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Michael is directing "Peter Pan" at Bay Colony Productions and performing in a show in Boston with Animus Ensemble called "Promises, Promises." He will be performing in "Ragtime" at the New Rep Theatre in April.

WALLINGFORD: QU Chronicle Review

2005-12-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry, a bit late. We just found this today.

Clay Aiken makes "Joyful Noise" in Wallingford
By: Allison Corneau
Arts&Entertainment

Christmas cheer came to the area early with Clay Aiken's "Joyful Noise" tour, appearing at Wallingford's Chevrolet Theatre for the second year in a row. Last Saturday's performance, attended by approximately 3,500 fans, was part of Aiken's 36-city holiday tour that kicked off in early November and will continue through the end of this month.

Wallingford's first taste of the holiday show came by way of Michael W. Smith's "Christmastime," which featured Aiken crooning, clad in pristine white suit, backed by twelve members of the Southington Community Theatre. As the show progressed, fans witnessed Aiken's interpretation of a Christmas miracle-through a series of vignettes he penned interlaced with selections from his 2004 "Merry Christmas With Love" album.

The story is rather simple: a middle-aged widow who lost the feeling of Christmas with her husband gone and son grown turns to a neighborhood youngster to lift her spirits and offer camaraderie during the winter season. It is certainly not difficult to guess how this story ends, but the true enjoyment in the performance comes from appreciating how Aiken and company succeed in making a traditional premise unique. Although he conceptualized the production, the singer often remains out of the spotlight, assuming a 'guardian angel' role, allowing the widow Beverly (Greenwich native Alison Lawrence, Aiken's high school choir teacher) and precocious young Tommy (North Carolinian Gregory Ellis) to share their Christmas tale.

The theatrics are laid on rather thick during "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," when Australian brother-sister duo Adam and Patricia Kent waltz to a backing of Aiken's vocals, but the requisite schmaltz gives way mid-song to the real reason fans were in attendance that evening: Aiken's powerfully serene and quite impressive range. Yes, that kid's got some pipes, even though he appeared to be slightly hesitant and vocally reserved, as if perhaps nursing a cold. Even so, fans consistently hung on his every note.

Act one's standout was undoubtedly the closing vignette, when Beverly reunites with her family in a scene that culminates with Aiken wowing the crowd with his version of the Kenny Loggins tune "Celebrate Me Home." Again backed by the Southington group, Aiken is joined by the rest of his company - including a too-thin Santa Claus who must have adhered to the Zone diet in his off-time - amid a festive falling snow, for the ballad stressing the importance of family.

The performance's second half was far more religious, set during a church service, and offered Aiken's take on holiday classics including a melody of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The act relied heavily on narration by young Ellis, who often delivered his key lines too quickly, only to be lost on the audience, even just a few rows away. The blasé "O Come O Come Emmanuel" was followed by "Mary Did You Know," which proved to be the set's saving grace, with Aiken tightening up his vocals to perfectly showcase every note of the tune's haunting melody.

Aiken's two back-up vocalists performed their own solo holiday tunes during the second half, with Quiana Parler's rendition of "My Grown Up Christmas List" being a clear audience favorite. Indeed, the spotlight was clearly on Aiken, but this South Carolina native deserves a record deal in her own right-and fast.

Following a quick costume change into a dapper black suit and festive red tie, Aiken bounced back onto the stage offering a cheery "Merry Christmas, Connecticut!" before launching into a rousing performance of the Celine Dion original "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day." All was forgiven for Aiken's somewhat subdued performance at that moment, however, when his humorous banter with the audience and intermittent laughter proved he was ready and willing to give Connecticut what they came to see. He seemed to pleasantly surprise even himself during the tune, which showcased his stellar range with an ending glory note that brought the house to its feet. Aiken closed his two-hour performance with an encore of "Good News."

Twenty-five-year-old piano phenom William Joseph opened the show with selections from his debut Warner release "Within." The handsome and charismatic performer treated the crowd to a cover of Led Zepplin's "Kashmir" and an original tune, "Homeward Bound," among others. Joseph's version of elevator music with an edge received a series of hearty standing ovations from the crowd, many of whom strolled in midway through his twenty minute set.

Clay Aiken's "Joyful Noise 2005" tour, with William Joseph and featuring members of the Southington Community Theatre, Dec. 10, 2005. Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford.

CLEARWATER: St. Petersberg Times Mention

2005-12-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

Weekend trivia
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 29, 2005

THIS WEEK: Clay Aiken, who was the runner-up on American Idol in its second season, performs in Clearwater tonight and Friday. Other runners-up have not been as successful as Aiken. To enter the random drawing for a Weekend beach bag, tell us the name of the runner-up in American Idol's third season.

Fax entries to Weekend Trivia, 727 892-2327, e-mail weekendtrivia@sptimes.com or mail to: Weekend Trivia, c/o Weekend, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Friday (the day after we ask the question). Faxes and e-mail must arrive by noon Monday. Include your full name, address and phone number.

Melbourne Recaps

2005-12-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

From the CB's Redhairisbeautiful:

I just got home from Clay's show. What a truly remarkable young man he is. What a fanastic show it was. I've watched many videos of JNT2005 and they have been wonderful to watch over and over again. But nothing can compare to actually being there to watch him. Also to hear his voice projecting out into the auditorium is just priceless. I had goosebumps on my arms so many times tonight. The power, the range, and the purity of his voice is indescribable. This was my first show of this tour and I'm so thankful I am blessed to be able to go to his last two also. I can't get enough of his powerful, beautiful voice. Not to mention his great looks too. It has been an evening that I will never forget.

From the CB's Neveda Clayfan:

Naturally, I loved the show. My husband attended with me and he enjoyed the show as well. He just can't understand why all of us are so obsessive about Clay. It was a very appreciative crowd and a full house which we are all very happy to see. I was also impressed with the number of men attending the show. I know there are some who don't care for the vignettes but my husband and I were in agreement that the vignettes worked very well with the music. I attended JN last year and I think this performance was probably even better than last year. Other than a time or two when his voice cracked ever so slightly, he was in very good voice and I did not hear one flat note all night. I had been particularly waiting for Emmanuel which was absolutely fabulous and Don't Save it All for Christmas Day. He sure did give it his all for that glory note!

One note about the flashes. I only saw maybe three flashes the entire night. Perhaps there were many more that I did not see but event security was very rigorous in forcing people to leave or cover their flashes. So, I'm not quite sure why Clay would decide not to do Good News because of flashes. Perhaps he is not doing Good News because when he does this particular song, that is when he gets the worst of the flashes, I don't know. Unfortunately, I don't know that flashes will ever be stopped entirely. Is Clay going to start lopping songs off his program because of this? How will this ever get fixed????

Hollywood Recaps

2005-12-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

From the CB's zippy888:

My family and I went to see Clay last night and it was truly amazing. We had gone to see Clay in the first 4 at the start of the tour and now we are here to see the last 4! :woohoo

First I got to tell you what happened before the concert began. At about 3 p.m., CLAYGAL, clayheaven(my sis) and I ventured to the ticket box office. We met Gregory Ellis and Raleigh outside a store. We said our Hi! and hoped that Gregory was feeling better. We even got our pictures taken with Gregory and Raleigh. We also got to say Hi to Gregory's mom. That was so neat and a thrill for my sister as she's never seen Raleigh up close! :clap

Managed to clayvert a few people in the audience. :7up

No William Joseph! Started right into the show. William Joseph was at the concert. No idea why William didn't open last night. Could be the timing factor.

Met lots of clack gatherers here - no worries there will be clack! Hi to canfly, SLC, Scarlett, Spooky and StaciaLynn! :wave :bow

Clay looked as handsome as ever! What a hunk! He is so devastatingly handsome it's sometimes hard to breathe! Took lots of pictures. :thud

His speaking voice is a little hoarse but his singing is fine. I got to hear Emmanuel live for the first time. It was just stunning! I also got to watch CMH - a much different version from the first leg of the tour. He growled in a few spots. :thud

The crowd was a little raucous - don't know if it's because of the casino crowd or liquour or something. Many of them were non-internet fans with flash and disposable cameras. My sis and I went around and stopped several people from taking flash photography. The ushers were useless and they didn't do their job. So many security guys and ushers but none did anything drastic to haul people away. I saw Clay flinch a few times during Good News. I really felt for him. It took him about 5 mins before he came out to sing Good News. It was almost as if he didn't want to come out. But everyone was coaxing and cheering him to come out. People were starting to leave. :(

The buses was really weird. About 10 of us were waiting for Clay at the buses. Security came and shut the gate and started to chase us away. Kept insisting that security was breached as we were behind the casino. Security said that he was going to call the cops if we weren't going to leave. That was upseting that we couldn't say goodbye to Clay. It seemed like Security was hurrying up Clay's entourage to leave. The red trucks all left within an hour of the show! That is unusual. :huh

Now, it's off to Melbourne.

From the CB's jjung:

My daughter called me after the concert and mentioned that during the pre-party some glow sticks were passed out. She didn't think there were many but she was surprised when she looked back from her seat and saw a sea of glowing lights. The fans swinging them to the music. She said it was amazing. She did video this - hopefully we'll figure out how to post it.

She had gone to the LA concerts but said this one was so much better. She also mentioned that there were a lot of guys in the audience - about one third (probably came to gamble). But they seem like genuine fans yelling, applauding and whistling a lot. I heard that whistling on the cell cert - I was wondering how females could whistle like that. Two men sitting close to her were even waving their glow sticks.

She said Clay looked happier than ever - his voice was stong and that he seemed to interact and look at the fans much more than her previous concert.

Good News was cut short - no fading into the curtain - just walked off quickly - but the fans seem to think that there was some time constraints going on. It didn't seem like he was going to do it all - but the fans kept shouting and screaming "WE WANT CLAY" - I think he was moved by it and returned to give them a least a little of it.

Hollywood showed the love! I could hear the screams and excitement on the cell cert. Thank you!

My daughter also mentioned that she along with about 10 other fans who were waiting for the buses were chased away by some mean security guard. They did see Clay run to the bus and pull down the shade. Gee, again it seemed like they were in a big rush to get out of there. When she called me it was around 12AM their time and Clay was already on the bus. That seemed kinda of early to me.

From the CB's Joy2talktoU:

After a near crisis with transportation to the venue, I made it to my seat at 7:55. Willie Joe did not open. There was some kind of problem with curfew issues, so Clay started at about 8:10.

First the bad news....he has either a cold or another sinus infection, fellow clayfans. Alison also sounded very raspy. He pushed through all the songs but could not hold the notes out as he usually does. In MY OPINION....he had NO plans to sing Good News because of his voice, and some scattered flashes, but the crowd started to scream and they practically had a riot on their hands. Finally, after a good 5 - 6 minutes, they stopped the canned carols and started Good News. Angela and Quiana had to stand out there at the sides of the stage for what seemed forever...waiting for the crowd to settle down. Funny thing....the lights didn't come up for quite a while, then they did come up, but only very briefly, then went down again. Clay did not hit the high notes at the end at all. It was all done in the lower register. Very very cry-inducing. Very interesting to hear it that way.

He got me started with OHN, the tears started to fall, then wiped up the floor with me during Emanuel, then killed me off with MDYK. Even sick, the vox is still golden.

He did hit THE NOTE in DSIAFCD and managed to hold it out. I am so loving this man. The crowd was good, but not excellent. Very few standing O's, very few standing during the O's. At the end, they stood and cheered so it was a different sort of crowd than we are used to. I think that if he had not come out for Good News, they would have rushed the stage. I am serious here. Everyone was standing and cheering, and saying "Clay, Clay, Clay"...and when that didn't work, they were screaming "We Want Clay!!!!" No One was going anywhere without hearing GN. It was wild.

We had some flashers, but not too many. From my vantage point up on the side, the ushers were seriously playing Gestapo Agent. Several people way back on the floor were dragged out of there kicking and screaming. Not nice to watch. Part of the problem was that liquor was flowing like water. After all, this was a casino and they were selling all sorts of mixed drinks as well as beer and wine. Of course during the process, the "ejectees" had to mouth off loudly.

The box office said 5100 seats sold out of 5500. They may have been sold/comped, but the entire 3rd level was empty except for about 100 people.

All in all, it was a terrific concert. Clay was wonderful and totally spoonable. Only three left.......:bluesniff

HOLLYWOOD: Raleigh Gets A Big Hug

2005-12-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

Gregory Ellis, an actor on the tour gave a big hug to Raleigh at last night's concert in Hollywood, FL.

MELBOURNE: Fans Flock To See Clay

2005-12-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

Article from FloridaToday.com about tonight's concert in Melbourne, FL.

Clay Aiken spreads 'Joy' in Brevard
Claymates flock to King Center tonight to catch holiday concert
BY BREUSE HICKMAN
FLORIDA TODAY

Christmas with Clay. North Carolina native and "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken returns to the King Center for the Performing Arts for a Christmas concert tonight. "He may not be super good-looking, but his singing makes him beautiful," fan Mary Miracle of Palm Bay said.

Clay Aiken
Birthday: Nov. 30, 1978 Hometown: Raleigh, N.C. Where it started: He was runner-up to 2003 "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard Education: Special education major at University of North Carolina in Charlotte Height: 6 feet, 1 inches Weight: 145 pounds CDs: "Measure of a Man" and "Merry Christmas With Love" Book: "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music In Your Life"
In concert
What: "The Joyful Noise Tour" When: 8 tonight Where: King Center in Melbourne Tickets: $55 to $62.50 Info: 242-3789

It doesn't matter how often he's asked, Clay Aiken said he still can't figure out why so many women of all ages are so crazy about him.

"I go on to some of the fan sites and I still don't have any idea why they choose me," Aiken recently said by phone. "The only thing I know how to do is to be myself and sing and play the stuff I enjoy doing."

After Ruben Studdard barely beat Aiken on "American Idol" in 2003, some critics mused Aiken could count on a short-lived boy-band stint at best.

Instead, he built an audience of fans, many of whom weren't likely to cover their bedroom walls with Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears posters.

Palm Bay nurse Mary Miracle, 52, said his appeal has a lot to do with how he sells the songs in concert.

Two years ago, she and a couple of girlfriends headed to Miami to see his first tour, where self-described Claymates ranging from "teenagers to grandmas were screaming just as loud as I was," she said.

Then she saw his Christmas show last year at the King Center in Melbourne.

"He may not be super good-looking, but his singing makes him beautiful," Miracle said. "He puts on such a fantastic show."

His broad appeal is perhaps because of his song selections.

A summer concert found the 27-year-old crooning songs from the '50s through the '90s.

Aiken said this year's Christmas show is not a repeat of last year's -- though most of the songs are from his "Merry Christmas With Love" CD released in November 2004.

This year, he's added a story line -- one he penned himself.

"This year I wanted to think of a way to connect the songs together, you know, to make it new and fresh," he said. "I got bored one day and sat down to do an outline and just went crazy. It turned out pretty good. I was quite surprised."

Aiken hired two actors -- including his high school music teacher Alison Lawrence -- to play a grumpy old woman and spirited little boy. He said during his "Idol" days he was careful not to get caught up in the drama, and that included not taking snarky "Idol" judge Simon Cowell too seriously.

"I barely heard what he was saying," Aiken said. "I was usually thinking of something else."

After the holidays, Aiken will return to the studio to finish a new CD. Getting it played on radio is not a priority.

"It's not short sighted to say we don't have a plan yet," he said. "But I certainly don't want to get stuck in trying to predict how the industry works.

"I don't really like to play to trends, and I don't know how long I will be doing this. So I want to enjoy what I do."

Contact Hickman at 242-3789 or bhickman@flatoday.net

GENERAL: Pensacola Middle Schooler 'Saves' Clay's Show

2005-12-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

We have some more information about the middle-schooler who replaced 11 year-old Gregory Ellis on the tour when he became sick earlier this month before the Atlanta concert. Ellis plays 'Tommy' a key role in the tour.

Local middle-schooler shares Civic Center stage with Clay Aiken
He learned his lines in six hours, overcame stage fright and saved Clay Aiken's Dec. 18 concert at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Connor Bond, a 12-year-old (his birthday is today) Brown Barge Middle School student, took on one of the leading roles in Aiken's Joyful Noise concert when a traveling cast member got sick. Aiken thanked Connor on stage, prompting a standing ovation from the audience, and gave him a T-shirt signed: "Connor, thanks for saving the show -- Clay Aiken."

"I know one thing for sure -- I'm not going to have stage fright for a long time," Connor said of the experience of performing in front of several thousand people. "Clay really helped me a lot."

Connor, whose only past experience was a role in the recent Pensacola Little Theatre production of "The King and I," plans to try out for PLT's upcoming "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

-- Kris Thoma @PensacolaNewsJournal.com

GENERAL: William Joseph Will Stay 'With' Clay

2005-12-27T09:48:00.000-05:00

Pianist William Joseph, who has been opening for Clay on this current Joyful Noise 2005 tour will remain with Clay according to reports from the Clayboard.

We will be seeing more of him as he told fans he would be with Clay for the promotion of Clay's album.

HOLLYWOOD: Pre-Concert Article/Interview

2005-12-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

The Florida Sun-Seminole re-published this article/interview with Clay first published in Dec. 8's Hartford Courant as a pre-concert article for the Wallingford, CT concert. Here it is again, if you missed it.

Since American Idol, life has been joyful for Clay Aiken
By Amy Ellis
The Hartford Courant
Posted December 27 2005

Your holiday wishes have come true. Clay Aiken, runner-up to Ruben Studdard in American Idol 2, is back on stage.

Aiken brings his "Joyful Noise 2005" tour to the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood tonight.

"Joyful Noise 2005" is the sequel to Aiken's first holiday tour and features songs from his Merry Christmas with Love CD. The concert includes several songs he recorded for the album that didn't appear on the CD, as well as new arrangements for some traditional favorites.

We talked to Aiken by phone from Boston:

Q. You're doing something a little different this year on tour: a series of vignettes with a running story line, which you wrote?

A. Last year ... we had a show that was just music with an orchestra. The second half with the religious songs, we tried to connect them together with ... school children reading passages from the Christmas story. As I watched that part I thought, you know, it would be great if we could figure out a way to link together the non-religious songs, too, with the story, and try to make them have some purpose, some meaning, some story to them. ... I was going to do an outline and hand it off to somebody else and let them write out a script, and it turned out that if you want something done right you do it yourself.

Q. Are you happy with the way it's come out?

A. It's a lot of work but we've pulled it off. We had a really great director come in and really made it work really well; we've got some dancers who kind of provide flashbacks for us and really pulled it all together into a very, professionally done, produced show.

Q. I'm sure you've been asked this question a million times, but what's your favorite holiday song to sing?

A. I get it asked all the time, my favorite kind of changes. My favorite Christmas song of all has always been O Come, O Come, Emanuel and I didn't get to put that on the Christmas album; this year for the tour we decided to do it. And so I think that's probably my favorite. ... Since I didn't put it on the album I haven't worn it out for myself yet.

Q. You're working on a new album. Are you planning on doing any collaborations with anyone? Any duets?

A. We started before the tour, we stopped before the tour and we get back in the studio some time around January. ... I'd love to sing with somebody else. I'd love to put a duet on the album. We've just got to find the right person to do it with.

Q. Any artists come to mind?

A. Well, there's definitely people who I think are talented and I would love to sing with. ... I think there are people like Faith Hill and Martina McBride who are extremely talented.

Q. Well, you didn't win American Idol but you've had a lot of success since the show. What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been so far?

A. It's hard to say. I could say a few things like, you know, 'We had an album,' `We had a Christmas tour' and so on and so forth. Honestly for me, I think probably the biggest accomplishment has been being able to go and do things working with the [Bubel/Aiken] foundation that I've set up.

HOLLYWOOD: Sun-Sentinel Pre-Concert Article

2005-12-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel published this pre-concert article for Clay's concert in Hollywood, FL tomorrow. Click to enlarge.

CLEARWATER: St. Petersburg Times Pre-Concert Article

2005-12-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

The St. Petersburg Times posted this pre-concert article/interview for Clay's concerts in Clearwater, FL later this week. A mention of clack site AllThingsClayAiken.com's webmistress, Tiffany Allhouse.

It's not easy being Clay
Ask Clay Aiken a question and, chances are, he gives you a silly laugh. But behind the cackle, is there a nice guy suffering from post-Idol angst?

By SEAN DALY
Published December 27, 2005

PREVIEW: Clay Aiken performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. Tickets $55-$62.50. Call (727) 791-7400 or (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

Before discussing the titillating appeal of Clay Aiken's singing voice - that varsity-sweater croon that drives millions of "Claymates" bonkers - we must first examine the pop star's tremendous laugh. For that, as you will soon see, is the key to Clay.

Photo: Clay Aiken speaks to students and teachers at the Learning Project Elementary school in Boston dec 6 this month. The singer thanked them for their tsunami relief fundraising for UNICEF.

It's a cackle really, an exhalation that starts low, brays HIGH, part Keebler Elf, part mad scientist. It's warmly flavored with his native North Carolina, but it's slightly unhinged, too, as if the former American Idol star were contemplating whether to give you a cookie or hook electrodes to your earlobes.

Calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C., and subsequently hyping his upcoming Christmas show at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Thursday and Friday, the 27-year-old spiky-haired redhead spends a great deal of time unleashing that laugh and doing what he does best: playing the strait-laced singer with aw-shucks sex appeal.

If you want to hear the laugh, just set him up to do his shtick:

Hey, Clay, what do you have on your iPod?

"The only thing I have on my iPod right now is Monk."

Thelonious Monk?

"No, the TV show," he says, adding: "Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!!!"

Hey, Clay, do you like any hard rock? Motley Crue maybe? Perhaps some Judas Priest?

"Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!" he says. "I have Collective Soul's Shine on my iTunes. That's probably as hard as it gets. But the only reason I have that is because Dolly Parton covered it on her bluegrass album and I wanted to compare the two. Bwoo-hee!"

Aiken loves being able to name more Neil Sedaka songs than Nirvana hits. That's his thing: look-both-ways Middle America. He's a fine singer with an able gift for phrasing a hook, but he's about as far from edgy as Pat Boone. Aiken knows it, too. During our casual conversation, refreshingly free of vanity or guff, even he calls his nice-boy act "vanilla."

Vanilla, Clay?

Photo: "There are plenty of times when I wish I could just go out to dinner and not be stared at and pointed at and talked about," Clay Aiken says.

"Ha-HEE!"
- - -

In 2003, Aiken placed second to Ruben "Velvet Teddy Bear" Studdard on the sophomore season of reality TV hit American Idol. But there's no doubt as to the real winner. Along with pop starlet Kelly Clarkson - "Her last album was just killer," Aiken says of Clarkson's multiplatinum Breakaway - Aiken is the only other AI contestant who has transcended the tag of reality TV star.

Aiken's first hit, the antiseptically romantic This Is the Night, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling more than 392,000 copies during its first week. When his first full-length album, Measure of a Man, hit stores later that year, it debuted at No. 1 with some 613,000 first-week sales. His 2004 Christmas album, Merry Christmas With Love, also set records for holiday-album sales.

That sort of success makes Aiken laugh really hard. He has to laugh at it. His groupies, the Claymates, rival only Barry Manilow's "Fanilows" in berzerko idolatry for a man with ambiguous sexuality and G-rated skills. Of course, that doesn't mean the Claymates don't have naughty motives: A fan once sent him a very curious kitchen utensil. But more on that later.

Every so often, however, the laugh disappears, and that's when you should pay attention. It's a jarring silence, to be honest, like that moment in musical chairs when someone kills the music.

"There are plenty of times when I wish I could just go out to dinner and not be stared at and pointed at and talked about," he says, suddenly serious. "I enjoy doing what I'm doing. Being able to sing every night. Being able to make a living off of that. But I do get jealous of friends of mine who are teachers nowadays and they have stories of kids that they work with. That makes me jealous 'cause I want that myself."

Then his voice loses all lightness, almost as if he were scolding himself: "You know, everybody makes a choice. You make a choice to do what you're doing . . . and you're gonna have to deal with all the good and all the bad, right?"

If Aiken does decide to leave show biz someday, it would no doubt be to follow his other dream. Before going to Hollywood, he studied special education and worked at a program devoted to autistic kids.

"I was supposed to sub for six months, but I wound up staying for two years," he says. "I literally fell in love with the kids. Each child was different, and it was a puzzle, and you really saw the benefits."

He pauses for a bit, that laugh now a million miles away. "I don't really see the benefits to anybody of what I'm doing right now," he adds. "Yeah, people like to listen but . . . I ain't changing anybody's life."

Soon enough, though, that laugh comes back. It's not so much a defense, but a signpost, letting listeners - and maybe even Aiken himself - know what's real and what's make-believe.
- - -

Hey, Clay, how scary are the Claymates?

"Oh, let's be honest: Sometimes they can be a little bit frightening. It's usually the ones that I haven't met that scare me the most. I look out into the audience, and they look like they're going to eat me alive. Bwa-hoo-HA!"

Hey, Clay, do you ever get scary fan mail?

"Not so much anymore. For a while there it was freaky. I got a turkey baster one time, and I just stopped opening the mail. Hoo-hoo-ha-hoo-hoo! I really don't even want to think about it."

It's only fair that we offer a quick defense of Aiken's core fan base. Meet Tiffany Allshouse, a 31-year-old systems engineer from Kansas City, Mo. Allshouse is the Web master behind hot Internet site All Things Clay Aiken, a smart, interactive dot-com that offers a smorgasbord of Aiken. Tiffany says her husband is very understanding about her hobby.

"So many of Clay's fans are women above 25," says Allshouse, who has met Aiken a couple of times and says he was charming. "They want to protect him. A lot of women are also very attracted to him. He's very self-effacing, and that's an attractive quality."

Hey, Clay, any chance of a new album in 2006?

"I don't know how long I'll be doing this whole thing," he says, suddenly going serious again. "I'm not trying to say I'm planning on quitting, but you know how the business works. I just want to make sure I do everything now that I've always wanted to do."

There will be a new album in the first half of 2006, but Aiken isn't sure what will be on the disc. "I don't want to fall into a formula," he says. "A lot of things are so formulaic right now."

He sighs, conflict was once again creeping into his voice: "We're still trying to figure things out."

Hey, maybe you should do the loungey-Sinatra, I offer, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I don't know if I'm that cool, he says. "Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!!!"
Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or 727 893-8467. His blog is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/popmusic

CHARLOTTE: New Video From WCNC

2005-12-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

WCNC posted this video of Wednesday's Charlotte concert today. Click here (scroll down to the 'Did You See' section) to stream the video.

RALEIGH: A Hug for Clay

2005-12-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

From Rainlover:

In MOAF99's video of DSIAFCD from Raliegh, when Clay tells everyone to hug someone next to them, [11 year old JNT actor] Gregory Ellis runs out and hugs Clay! In all the videos that I've seen the people on stage hug each other, that's the first time I've seen anyone hug Clay.

GENERAL: ET Shows Tour Footage

2005-12-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Entertainment Tonight aired a 2 minute piece about the Joyful Noise Tour last night. The footage was taken from the footage shot by ET's sister show, The Insider, on November 22 at the Chicago Theatre.

"Attention ET Shoppers: 2 more days before Christmas", Clay told ET viewers last night. He also talked about his striped socks which change daily to complement the 'boring' angel-white suit he wears during parts of the concert. Raleigh snooped around the camera a bit and Clay said that he really likes showcasing the different local actors, choirs on the tour. ET also showed some backstage footage of Clay having dinner with the cast. ET's anchor, Jane Carl noted that the album, Merry Christmas With Love, has gone platinum and is now available - sure to boost sales today.

CDD's TV Reporter Romy wrote this recap:

For those of you familiar with ET and Insider, you'll recognize the
pattern of the rapid previews of upcoming interviews and quick news
items. On December 23, 2005, most of the news on Entertainment Tonight
was about what celebrities are buying, where they were going, and what
they wanted for Christmas. After being teased several times about the
private back stage look at Clay Aiken's Christmas concert. it finally
arrived at the end of the show and lasted only a few minutes.
The show must have been filmed over several days because the
segment was interspersed with glimpses of Clay during his Joyful Noise
Tour, during rehearsals, and scenes of him backstage wearing different
clothes. Clay said, "There is an electric energy when you're on the
road during the holidays." Clay's high school choir teacher, who has
a major part in the show, spoke of having had to keep him in line in
high school and now he is directing her. Clay mentioned having local
actors and singers in each city. He said this allowed the cast to have
a little fun with new people around.
A cute scene was Clay rehearsing "Celebrate Me Home" with Angela and
they were both playfully kicking each other in the back of their legs.
Clay also revealed the only change of clothing he has on stage since he
is dressed as an angel all in white. "Angels have to have a little
style" he said, as he showed his colorful striped socks. The socks are
different every night.
Raleigh, the border terrier, was introduced as the only family member
traveling with Clay. He tried to get Raleigh to lick the camera, "you
know you want to."
When asked what Santa could bring him, Clay said, "I really don't need
anything. I'm pretty happy with what I have now." The segment ended
with the announcement that Clay's platinum selling CD, Merry Christmas
With Love, is now in the stores.

Video is now available at the Clayboard thread and will be up soon at the usual clack sites.

GENERAL: ET Tonight

2005-12-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

Don't forget Clay will be appearing on Entertainment Tonight tonight. The show is syndicated, so the station varies by region. Check local listings. ETonline.com posted this, with a video. ET announced yesterday that they had a suprise from Clay on tonight's show.

Tonight on ET (includes video preview)
December 23, 2005

Clay Aiken gets in the holiday spirit!
Pop star CLAY AIKEN is getting into the holiday spirit as he wows New York with his "Joyful Noise 2005 Tour." We go backstage for his big holiday concert!

Christmas With Clay!
December 23, 2005

CLAY AIKEN is caroling for Christmas and wowing his fans on his second consecutive holiday tour, "Joyful Noise 2005." And with just two days left until the big day, the pop star gets into the holiday spirit as he dazzles New York City!

"This is a lot more difficult, a lot more complex than anything we've done before," he says of the tour. "We try to get each tour to be bigger and better than the last one and we have outdone ourselves this time."

The former "American Idol" contestant headed to the Big Apple for a three day stop on his megapopular show, which began in Vancouver on November 2. He is criss-crossing the country, hitting a total of 36 cities for 40 concerts.

For the first time this year, the show features a series of vignettes with a running storyline that Clay wrote himself. "It's not something that I had ever tried to do before," he says. "But I sat down and wanted to make sure the show flowed together, the songs in the first half had some type of meaning and purpose."

The supporting roles are cast by locals from each city and one of the two main characters is actually one of Clay's former high school teachers! "It is risky," he says of hiring actors from community theaters. "We've been extremely lucky. We thought that this year if we tried to do something and involve the community and allow each show to have a local flavor, it makes it new for us every day, it makes it fresh."

The show features songs from his platinum-selling album Merry Christmas with Love CD as well as songs that don't appear on the CD and new arrangements for some of the singer's list of favorite songs.

So what does Clay have planned for the holiday? "As a family we all get together on Christmas day and our immediate household family gets together on Christmas Eve," he says. "And we go to my grandparents on Christmas day and that's our tradition. It's nothing out of the ordinary but it's a special time of the year because it's often times the only time of the year where the entire family gets together."

For more Christmas with Clay, watch tonight's ET!

RALEIGH: News & Observer Post-Concert Article

2005-12-23T12:21:00.000-05:00

The Raleigh News & Observer published this post-concert article today. Clay performed at Raleigh's RBC Center last night. The News & Observer also published an extensive pre-concert article earlier this week. Warning: This article has a slight negative slant.

Locals bask in Clay Aiken's limelight
Raleigh native and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken performs "Sleigh Ride" before 9,000 fans at the RBC Center on Thursday evening, Dec. 22, during his Joyful Noise Tour 2005.
Orla Swift, Staff Writer

Clay Aiken's fans didn't need much prompting to believe his stage persona Thursday as a good spirit casting magical spells upon a host of fictional characters.

The Raleigh-raised pop star already had cast countless spells on audience members gathered at RBC Center for his "Joyful Noise Tour 2005."

Many boasted of having attended Aiken's concerts five times, 10 times, or, in middle school teacher Danielle Parker's case, 22 times.

And most are quick to point out that they've never been so, well, Parker doesn't like to call it "obsessive," but, OK, obsessive about a celebrity before.

"He's just so energetic," says Parker, 25, of Raleigh, who sat spitting distance from the stage for the RBC show and also drove to Charlotte to see him Wednesday.

"He engages the crowd," she says. "You feel like you're part of the show."

Aiken engaged Raleigh in more ways than one with this tour. He hired local actress Alison Lawrence, his former voice teacher, to star in the show and to coordinate community theater actors who would join them at each stop -- including several Thursday from Raleigh Little Theatre. Lawrence plays a lonely widow who has lost her passion for Christmas.

And Gregory Ellis, a sixth-grader from Magellan Charter School, played Lawrence's sidekick, a boisterous neighborhood kid who stops by to pester her and ends up lifting her spirits.

The Raleigh audience cheered wildly for the local actors, yelling out "Gregory!" and laughing hard at their kooky punch lines.

Larry Paisley, 66, of Columbus, Ohio, also got struck by Aiken's magic wand. The retiree drives around the country catching his shows -- seven so far for this tour, 12 on his "Jukebox" tour, a few more last Christmas.

"He has a great voice, and he has the highest morals of anybody I've ever thought about," says Paisley, who wore a T-shirt Thursday with a photo of him and Clay on it from a meeting in Michigan, and a cap with Clay pins.

"He does so many good things, helping children out in every way. He's just a great -- well, I think of him as a kid."

Aiken returned to his theatrical roots for this holiday show, writing a story that incorporated traditional Christmas songs and tunes from his Christmas CD. He spent little time in the spotlight, instead letting the actors and dancers perform scenes as he sang.

Parker liked the sentimental tale, though she admitted "it's kind of cheesy. But it's good cheesy, not roll-your-eyes cheesy."

Paisley Cookson didn't care for the cheese. The Raleigh 12-year-old and her mother, Shirley Register, left at intermission, bored with Aiken's show.

"When I go to a concert, I like when the singer takes time to talk to you, like, 'Hey, it's good to be back in Raleigh,' " said Cookson, who loved Aiken's past concert tours.

"It turned from a good, personal, heart-to-heart audience-to-Clay Aiken show to a boring opera play."

RALEIGH: Clay Sings 'Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem'

2005-12-23T11:45:00.000-05:00

At last night's concert in Raleigh, Clay sang for the first time Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem. Read the recaps for more info. Here are the lyrics.

Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Shining afar through shadows dim
Giving the light for those who long have gone
Guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on.

Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (Star of Bethlehem)
Shine upon us until the glory dawns.
Give us a light to guide the way
Unto the land of perfect day
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, shine on (shine on)

Oh Beautiful Star the hope of light
Guiding the pilgrims through the night
Over the mountains till the break of dawn
Into the light of perfect day
It will give out a lovely ray
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)

Oh Beautiful Star the hope of rest
For the redeemed the good and blessed
Yonder in glory when the crown is won
Jesus is now the star divine
Brighter and brighter he will shine
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)

Raleigh Recaps

2005-12-23T11:29:00.000-05:00

From the CB's sashntash:

Fantastic. Amazing. Glorious. Wonderful.

The Voice was magnificent. The cute guy was gorgeous.

Lots of fun. Faye and Brett were there with a large group of assorted friends and relatives.

Before DSIAFCD, Clay said his Poppa (Grandpa Aiken) had been bugging him for years to sing a bluegrass song so this was his Christmas present to Poppa. He and Q and A sang a bluegrass Christmas song. It was great !!

All around the RBC Center, during the banter, there was moving type (like you see in Times Square) that said:

"Clay, Merry Christmas with Love from your fans. We celebrate you home." I think Clay really got a kick out of it.

The place was almost full. Just some rows in the 300 sections were empty - and those are the real nosebleed seats way up in the rafters.

I saw Lynda Loveland in the lobby before the show and talked with her briefly. Her interview with Clay will be on the morning WRAL news tomorrow morning. I asked her if Clay is glad to be moving home and she chuckled and said "Probably more than we will ever know."

He sure did look happy tonight. Lots of love from the hometown crowd for Gregory and Alison also.

What a great night !!!

Sash added this earlier today:
Pack - I took Clay's reference to "we almost didn't do this" re: the bluegrass song to the fact that Grandpa Aiken decided to go to the restroom just before he was going to do the song and they didn't think he was going to come back in time.

The wave at intermission was funny. It was a long long intermission and one side started the wave and it went all the way around the back and over to the other side and then the whole floor section stood up and hollered and then immediately the right side started it all over again. It went on for about 5 minutes and everyone was hooting and hollering. I too watched to see if Faye would do the wave but she didn't. :grin

After the banter and intros, when the crew brought the microphones out on the stage for C and Q and A, I was confuzzled. I just said, "What the heck?" Couldn't for the life of me figure out why the 3 of them needing standing mics for DSIAFCD..... You know how we are all programmed for the flow of the show.....

Well, then Clay started talking about Grandpa and I melted. What a special moment to see and hear Clay sing this Christmas gift to his beloved Grandpa Aiken..... sigh... Have I said lately how much I love Clay???? Well, I do :lubdub

I too heard through the grapevine that his house isn't finished yet. That was sad to hear. I had so hoped he'd be able to spend Christmas in his new home....

I didn't make it to the pre-party (RL interfered) but I heard that JFL was there with Faye. Faye always attends the Raleigh pre-parties so that makes it fun. I hope someone reports in.....

As always, TFN was my personal favorite and he didn't disappoint. Sang the roof off the RBC Center with that one :grin

And the best part????? Clay looked really really happy. Doesn't get any better than that !!!

From the CB's Raleigh Writer:

Sash made it home before me and I think I live closer to the RBC Center! But for a while I was waiting for William Joseph to sign a CD, and I finally gave up.

Having been at all but two of Clay's Raleigh concerts (I think) I think he tops himself every time. I was wondering how he would personalize it for the local audience and I was thrilled that he did so much talking at the end to acknowledge all the different groups in the audience who came to see other members of his cast. It was so gracious and charming AND REAL.

I think it may be a year since I heard Clay in person (I was out of town in August) and I think he has a much stronger voice than ever.

I largely kept myself pure about this concert, not reading much in advance so I didnt know about William Joseph (I think his music reminds me of the power of Manheim Steamroller without the electronic sound--what would they call his style? Power Piano?) I loved it, especially the Led Zeppelin song.

I didnt know the song set so I was surprised that he didnt sing I'll be Home for Christmas like last year (or did he? I was in a state of bliss by the middle of the show).

The song for his grandpa (I think this is the grandpa with Alzheimer's probably) had me in tears, and you could see how much it meant to Clay to do this for him. Didnt he say something in LTS about what his grandparents said about his choice of music?

I am still overwhelmed at the magnificence of his voice tonight and the warmth of the local segment, so I cant think of anything else to say.

Y'all should have been there! I am so happy I was!

From the CB's ncsupack88:

Yeah, I might have to wait to upload Clack til tomorrow cuz I probably should not be out doing this at 1:30am!

I'll just review then! I heard that the cellcert reached over 60 pages and I was like, what the heck! The new song didn't happen til nearly the end so what did they talk about? :laugh I just had a sneaking suspicion that he would do something new but I thought, as others did, that he would sing IBHFC. Boy was I wrong. The runners brought out the mic stands and I'm like, he don't use Walla, err, I mean a stand for DSIAFCD and then it dawned on me. NEW CLACK!!! I guess y'all heard the banter in the cellcert. My most favoritist part of the show was when he entered and said Helloooooooooooooooo Raleigh and the lights went up and I looked up and saw the marquee scrolling around the RBC. To give those that might not visualize it, it's the thing that had 'CLAY AIKEN' on it when he sang at the Hurricanes game back in December 2003. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought it said "We Celebrate You Home, Clay Aiken. Merry Christmas With Love from your fans". It could've been the opposite and I just picked it up in mid stream. Anyway, the boy was speechless, I do believe. Time stood still for a moment as he soaked up the love. People did have lights but I don't think it was as many as Charlotte NAT but I could be wrong. I'm a bad judge of things like that. My boys, the NCSU Wolfpack play round ball in that arena so I was a little familiar with it. The setting used up over half the arena. The jumbotron was almost straight above us, probably 5 rows in front of us and the front 3 floor sections and the stage were behind where the jumbotron was so I knew there were probably 8000 folks there. It seats about 20K for basketball. Faye and various friends and relatives were to my left. Granny Aiken in front of Faye. An RBC staffer sat beside Faye on the aisle. A blond was next to Faye and Brett was on her left. Amaryllis set about 6 or 7 rows above Faye and I didn't recognize any other family. My friend saw Nick's mom. She was signing to somebody and I'm not sure if they had a setup for her to sign for hearing impaired or not. Once the curtains went up, I only had one focus! :laugh

Clay was in his element and you could tell totally happy to be home. I did detect some hoarseness in his voice but he pulled it off as only he could do. I took my mom, who went with me for JNT05 and another friend whose gone to several shows and my sister who has never seen Clay live. I think she's been Clayverted. I asked her afterwards if she understood what the fuss was all about? And she said your fuss or what? :laugh She might not still get my Claysession but she TOTALLY understands my admiration for him. She wants audio Clack so she can play in her car! :7up I gave her and my mom the tickets and they were thrilled. I played SSC's "Emmanuel" for my mom last night and told her she would get to hear a better version tonight and she totally agreed. I told my friend about Jacob leaving and after "Emmanuel" she said I'm glad he left cuz that was GREAT! You can hear part of that on the video if I ever get it up.

Gregory got a good round of applause when he entered the stage. Not too many standing but alot of applause. He REALLY got the SO at the end. He came out with a "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" red nose and he wore it during DSIAFCD. Allison got good love from the crowd too. I saw a true mutual admiration society between her and Clay tonight and I was 20-25 rows back. Tried to upgrade all night and earlier today but no such luck. No room at the Inn! :laugh

Clay shouldn't knock bluegrass anymore! He did great. He did mention something to the effect that it almost didn't happen but he didn't elaborate so maybe he and the girls were having trouble pulling it together. I wonder when he decided to do this. You know in the past he didn't want to treat the home venue any different than the others. But it was a sweet touch to do this for his "Papa". He did snark on his grandpa cuz apparently he got up to go to the bathroom and Clay called him on it! He said he thought they were gonna have to send somebody to go get him! :laugh So I'm glad he made it back in time! We went to the restroom during intermission and I was afraid we'd miss OHN and I was panicking cuz I wanted my mom to hear it but we got back with about 5 minutes to spare.

I even saw some former teachers from my highschool there! Saw Marhaven too! I couldn't believe it when we saw each other. Girl you must love to travel! Don't think I could've left this close to Christmas but more power to those that did. Clay definitely felt it tonight. Got a huge response to the "Coming in second part". There were a few times that the crowd laughed and my folks didn't know what for. One was during the growl in CMH! I just said you wouldn't understand.

Somebody sitting behind me heard it through the grapevine that Clay's house wouldn't be ready before April but who knows! It'll be ready when it's ready. Just like the album. I saw Nick during first intermission. I don't think he was wearing a suit either. Didn't he usually dress up? Guess he was off tonight. Saw Jerome when it was dark! Almost thought about ducking with my camera and then realized I'm not a flasher and Clay thinks that's cool so maybe I'm ok! :laugh

Oh, the natives got restless and started doing "the wave" during intermission. I was watching Faye to see if she participated but she never did.

I didn't even go look for an ornament! :smack Lady behind me had one and I forgot to go look cuz we got to the RBC late and missed WJ's first number. It was a long walk for my mom. I didn't realize it would affect her to walk that far and we had to go down alot of stairs. Didn't know we could use an elevator but we found one later and took full advantage.

Well, I probably left out 10,000 details and I KNOW how y'all love the details. I was too far to report on the socks. I know he wore some but that's about all I can tell you! When we arrived, a Hummer stretch limo and another regular stretch limo passed us and all I could think of was if Clay was in one of those. He probably was chillin' out in the bowels of the RBC.

I went to 4 JNT all together. The two LA and SD shows. Saw both from the second row. PALPATINCLAY has spoiled me so I don't wanna see him far away again! But my pocketbook can't cooperate. I'll be sad to see this tour end but his growth and maturity as an artist just makes me all the more excited to see what's on Clay's horizon. My sister said that he's going places and has a calling on his life. Now that from just one concert. She sings in church choir and performs some so she knows a little bit. I was just glad she got a little clue of what I've been trying to tell her all along.

Can't wait to see what 2006 holds for us and Clay. Can we stand it???

THANK YOU RALEIGH AND CLAYMATES FOR SHOWING CLAY THE LOVE TONIGHT. You REALLY did Celebrate Him Home!
WELCOME HOME CLAY AND GOD BLESS YOU! You won over my sister tonight! :7up

Charlotte Observer Published Concert Photo

2005-12-22T18:05:00.000-05:00

From the CB's hippoga:

Just got back from the Charlotte show and don't see this online yet. Please delete if a duplicate!

Today's Charlotte Observer does not have a "review" of the concert but there is a very, very nice color picture of Clay in the local section with the header "Arena full of Joyful Noise".

"American Idol runner-up and Raleigh native Clay Aiken dazzled fans Wednesday during his Joyful Noise" holiday show at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The show, written by UNC Charlotte graduate Aiken, tells the story of a woman rediscovering the meaning of Christmas through flashbacks and song."

Nice to see! North Carolinians may want to pick up a copy.

We're trying to find a scan for you.

Special Webcam Feed From Raleigh Concert Tonight

2005-12-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

Be sure to tune in for live webcam shots from the concert tonight! Raleigh's RBC Center is equipped with a live webcam which is updated every minute even during tonight during the concert. Older Claymates will remember this feature fondly from the summer 2003 American Idol 2 concert at the RBC Center. Click here to see the webcam.

Charlotte Recaps

2005-12-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

From the CB's tdallasw:

I lost my virginity tonight... this was my first time seeing Clay in concert. Bear with me... I'm not sure that I am putting coherent thoughts together yet.
My mom and I arrived at Bobcats Arena around 7:15 and noticed right away that there was a pretty big crowd coming in. I was so glad that Charlotte came out in good numbers to see Clay. It was my first time seeing the interior of this new arena and I must say, it is impressive. There are flat screens all over the place, but I don't believe they were in use for watching the concert. We were seated in F4 section and I must say, the floor seats - unless you're in the front few rows. are difficult seats. Too flat which makes it difficult to see over others' heads. The cold air from hockey floor was finding ways to creep up our legs most of the night. But, I'm not really complaining... I had my binoculars with me, so I was prepared.
William Joseph's set was very short but awesome. Watching his fingers flying across the piano just blew me away. How on earth does he do that? He was well received and given a standing O. Folks began to get a little antsy waiting for the "main event" to begin. Those 20 minutes stretched to about 35 or so.
When the music began, I was on pins and needles... anticipating seeing that radiant face and hearing that angelic voice. Once Clay steps onto the stage the magic begins... he truly holds the audience in the palm of his hand and the place just becomes still... awestruck... spellbound.
When Gregory came through the door tonight the place erupted! He was so good this evening... full of energy and just hamming it up. You could really tell how happy everyone was to have him back on stage and feeling like his old self.
Clay was slight bit hoarse tonight, but with each song his voice got stronger and stronger. You can really tell that he has learned techniques to be able to hit those glory notes and control his breathing and tone even when he's a little scratchy. It amazed me the way he was able to nail each and every song tonight. He never held back... he gave Charlotte everything he had and more! How does the man do it night after night? He is phenomenal!!
Both Angela and Quiana sang their rear ends off this evening. Charlotte showed them lots of love and respect for their wonderful talent. I know they both need to nurture their own careers, but I hope they will continue to work with Clay. You can tell how much they all love each other.
Once I got back home I came on the Board to read through the Cellcert thread. All of the comments were dead on... great crowd, lots of men and families in the audience, great response to the vignettes and each song. Charlotte should be proud. It was not the most animated crowd we've seen on this tour...no flowers or other gifts for the ladies, no teddy bears, glow sticks, etc. I think Charlotte folks just felt that honor should go to Raleigh tomorrow night. It will make Clay's homecoming pretty special. But people gave Clay the respect and response he so richly deserved... and with his Mama in the audience, he should have felt lots of love tonight. Thank you Charlotte... you made me proud to call you home!
and finally.... thank you Clay!!! ...for being so well worth the wait... My first time... :cloud9 definitely not my last.
:bigkiss

From the CB's mcguffey5:

A Male View

===================

My Concert(s) Recap for Columbia SC and Charlotte NC

Well where do I begin. I guess at the beginning.

The Drive to Columbia was actually pretty easy even though I left during traffic rush hour in Charlotte, I didn't hit any snags. I arrived at the Venue in Columbia around 5:30 PM so I had an hour wait before the doors opened, but the bad thing was I had to Peeeee!!!! But there was no place in the vicinity that had a bathroom I could use, they were all closed, and the venue wouldn't let me use their's until the doors opened at 6:30 PM so I had to sit/stand outside the venue for an hour waiting for them to open the doors to use the bathroom.... Of course my drive to the Charlotte Arena was easy as pie since I only live 10 miles from there, and since I use Yahoo or Google Maps now instead of Mapquest I don't get lost anymore...thanks CAP121for that piece of advice.

Once inside the venue after getting my upgraded ticket from baglady and her daughter I found my way to my seat which was Orchestra Row 4 Seat 3, which for all sense and purposes it was just about dead center of the stage 4 rows back, but that doesn't count the pit area where nobody was sitting except for a few security personnel. The sightline in Columbia for me was bad at all being that I'm pretty tall, I thought I'd have to crane my neck to look up most of the time but nope didn't have to at all, I had great seats for Columbia and got some good pics with my crappy camera...I am getting the Cannon Powershot S2 before the next tour so I don't have to worry about the tape and then I can get really good pics. // In Charlotte I was sitting in Floor 2 Row S Seat 5 for William Josephs Set, but during that intermission to lades in the row in front of me at Seats 1 and 2 were able to move up to better seats with some friends and I was able to move to an end seat one row up which for me and my long legs was a whole heck of a lot better than how cramped I was in Row S...LOL. Being on the end seat and up 1 row actually gave me a clear view of the stage in Charlotte and I was able to sit back and relax and watch the whole show without heads getting in my way.

William Joseph...

WOW!!! What a piano player, what a musician!!! Everything he played was brilliant during his set. I loved his performance of Cashmiere by Led Zeplan that was way to cool!! I also loved Clay's choice/favorite song from his album called Homeward Bound, very beautiful song/piece. But for me the highlight of his set had to be his last peice called Austoria (hopefully I spelled that right) which will be on his upcoming album. I didn't have to good of a view in Columbia to watch how fast his hands were moving but in Charlotte...I had a clear view of his hands from where I sat and man oh man was his hands moving across those keys..absolutely brilliant.

Clay's Time....

What can I really say except he's brilliant on stage this time around...of course I don't know what he was like last year since the venue in Baltimore wouldn't let me in because I arrived 10 minutes late from getting lost because of Mapquest directions. I will be breaking down the songs based on what I heard and saw mostly from Charlotte since I concentrated mostly on Picture taking in Columbia, but I do have a few things at points I remember from Columbia and will say so when I write them in.

Christmastime:

Great song to start the show with...I don't know how others view it but it didn't sound like a difficult song to sing at all and was a perfect choice to start out the show with, take it easy and then bring it once the show starts moving.

Merry Christmas With Love:

What can I say about this song...I love it on the CD, and now that I've heard him perform it live, I love it even more...he is so much better live than on CD although the MCWL CD was brilliant and heads above MOAM. This song beautifully lays the groundwork for a story to be told. Its a beautiful and sorrowful song but Clay delivers it with such passion and soul you can't help but be moved.

The Viginettes:

Where everyone is introduced to Tommy and Beverly...Tommy is one funny/cute kid. The little boy who played him in Columbia did a brilliant job with only getting the script at 1 PM that day and learning his parts/lines like that. At the end of the show when Clay introduced the little boy who played Tommy he got a Standing Ovation for doing a fabolous job on such short notice he was brilliant.

Last night in Charlotte...Gregory was back and boy I could tell right off the bat that they were doing a modified show when Gregory was sick!! The 3 subs did a brilliant job, but I think Gregory brought something special to the show and him being back last night in his home state for the first time was a great Idea. When Allison/Beverly opened the door when Gregory/Tommy knocks and everyone sees its Gregory a lot of people give him a standing ovation...I don't know if all do but quite a few do, welcoming him back to the show. With Gregory playing Tommy again, you get to see the full character of Tommy and what a character he is, He was cute/funny/brilliant all wrapped into one. During the rest of the viginettes you could tell that they were back to the full show if you'd seen one with a sub it was very evident to those of us that had seen a previous show.

Sleigh Ride:

Just a fun song moving the story Allison is telling Gregory along. I laughed everytime Clay did his little giddy up giddy up moves, it was to cute!! The audience laughed as well.

Jingle Bells:

You know I don't think I'll be able to listen to another version of Jingle Bells again since hearing the version Clay sings live. I love this version its so much more peppy and upbeat and fun in my opinion, and near the end when they added a little Jazzy part to the song and Clay and the girls were on the steps the crowd went crazy...LOL...yes ladies I was paying attention.

The Season for Romance or Christmas Serenade

This song has never been one of my favorites...maybe because of those who have sung it, but hearing Clay sing this live is a whole other story, its brilliant, moving and so tender. He knew just how much power to put into this type of song and still come across soft and supple. It still doesn't rate at the top of my list as a favorite of mine but Clay has made it a song I could listen to more often than before.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Another brilliant song...I don't know how he does it but I've heard this song sung by others and he's the only one in my opinion that does it any real justice. The tenderness in his voice the power at the right points its beautiful.

The Christmas Waltz

I know this song is a favorite of a lot of people, but I've always found this song strange at least in how it begins. Clay does a brilliant job singing it, but its not one of my Christmas favorites, just like The Season for romance though I can listen to it more often now that I've heard Clay sing it because he has a way with songs that nobody else his at this time in the business.

Silver Bells

Ok...I may be one of the few but I liked the duet he did of Silver Bells with Kim L. for the AI Christmas (I think thats right). I never had a complaint about it except maybe she tries to overpower Clay at times. Now this duet with Allison was brilliant and breathtaking. Their voices blend so well together much more so than any previous duet partner that he has had in my opinion, maybe its because Allison knows how to project her voice without overshaddowing the star of the show. She knew we were here to see him perform/sing and wanted to make sure we heard him as well as her.

The Christmas Song

As a kid I always found this song funny because of one simple line...(chesnuts roasting on an open fire)...I let your imaginations do the rest to figure out what we kids thought of that line a long time ago...heck they may even still think like that...LOL. But again Clay does a brilliant job pulling this song off with his powerful voice.

I Miss You Most At Christmas Time

Ok, hearing this over the Cellstream the couple of times I've been on the cellstream DOES NOT do it justice. It sounds screachy on the stream but when you hear this in person, and if the venue as a good/great sound system which Columbia had one ever for the oldness of the Venue and Charlotte Arena being new hand a great one as well. There is now screeching in this song, Angela pulls it off magnificently and its such a heartwrenching song. While listening to her sing and watching Allison/Beverly move about during it looking out the window, calling her son again trying to get a hold of him, it almost brings you to tears..very close but not there yet.

Celebrate Me Home

I have never heard of this song until I heard Clay sing it, and I have to say I love this song. I haven't heard anybody elses version of this song, and from what I've read on the boards, nobody's version can Compare to Clay's version...(isn't that usually the case). Its a brilliant song and a perfect way to bring the family back together and introduce us to Beverly's son, daughter-in-law and grandson. This song has become one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Ok, The second act is coming up and I know I said it on the Cellstream from Columbia, but this second part for me just has so much more meaning and soul to it. I know that story line in the first part was there for a reason but this second half just really brings it home and hits ya in the heart.

O' Holy Night

What can I say about this song that hasn't already been said...This song is Clay's now and forever...there is nobody in my opinion who could sing this song with such passion and poise and do it full justice as he does. I had chills up and down my spine during this performance.

The First Noel

I've heard this performed by Clay before so I was not suprised to hear him nail it again, although hearing it live in the same room is a whole heck of a lot different that hearing it on a CD or on a morning new show on TV. The power in which he delivers some of the notes in this song are breathtaking and brilliant...I would love to know his technique if he even has one...LOL.

Hark The Herald Angel Sing - O Come All Ye Faithful

These 2 songs, were always my favorite Christmas songs as a kid and still rank very high on my list, so I was quite happy when he put this on his CD, and now that I've heard them live...he does it again. Absolutely brilliant in the performance of these 2 combined songs.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

How can I describe this performance that Clay does of this song...Its hard to put into words...I know it was brilliant and from the heart, tender, soaring, almost like a prayer to god himself. I know this song (if I remember correctly) is his grandfathers favorite song well this song shot up the my favorites list really quickly the last 2 nights. I think every nerve ending on me was tingling because of the beauty of the performance and the soul stirring rendition of this song...For me this song was one of my top highlights from both nights...I think Charlotte's performance last night was how shall I say more powerful, more from the soul than Columbia's was even though Columbia's was brilliant I think singing Emmanuel last night for the first time in NC was something very special. I wish I could be there tonight in Raliegh to see him perform but alas that won't happen, but thats another story, nothing bad...LOL.

Mary Did You Know

What can I say about this song, it became my favorite song last year from the Album, its absolutely brilliant an breathtaking on the CD, now live there are no words, for me it ranks right up there with Emmanuel as one of the top performances of the shows.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Another brilliant performance!!! The cellstream doesn't do this song justice. I'm not sure why the stream distorts the ladies voices but Quiana does a brilliant job on this song, and the story line that goes along with it was brilliant (props to Clay for this). At the end when its just Beverly on stage getting ready to leave then her husband walks across the top platform and holds a glass up to her as if to say I still love you, don't let me being gone diminish your Christmas Spirit. Brilliant indeed.

Clay's recorded message

I know this is in the Program as well but to hear Clay speak it, it just really hits home and this was the only part in the whole program where I actually shed tears. I don't know why I didn't during the songs, but something about him speaking and relaying his message of the season, it just really hits home when he says it, and makes you think about what the celebration of the season is really all about. The presents are fun and all good but I think in the last few years the meaning of Christmas has almost been lost, and he's trying to make sure it stays found.

Don't Save It All for Christmas Day

What can I say about this song that others haven't already said. It was brilliant...In Columbia Quiana got the "a hug is warmer when your in it", and in Charlotte Angela got it. The ladies in the audience were defintialy looking for it and the awed when it happened...LOL. He nailed this song out of the park, I even think he gave a little extra umph in Charlotte to the "POWER NOTE" since he was home, he really wailed on it and hit it out of the solar system, he even gave a little hop at the end of the note to signify a "hell Yeah" type jesture...LOL.

Good News

Another performance I'm trying to figure out how to put into words. Its such a beautiful song, I really don't know how to describe it. The pulsing lights during the song are a key element in my opinion and really add to the song. An absolutely beautiful performance delivered with soul/heart and meaning for the holiday season.

====================

Other Things

Well you all know I talked on the cellstream for CV...LOL...I don't even want to know what my voice sounded like over that thing because I know my voice doesn't sound the same on recorded or telephone than it does in real life...LOL.

Clay's Voice

You could tell in Columbia that there was a slight strain in his voice, probably from all the talking and singing the guy does...LOL. I figure with the 4 day break coming up which he definitaly needs he will keep his singing to a minimum same with his talking to allow his voice to heal as much as possible before the final concerts of the season. I think last night in Charlotte I could tell even more since I'd been in Columbia, I could also see he held back a few parts, and his voice did crack a couple of times, but I expected it because of the amount of time he's been on the road singing for the past month and a half. He'll be fine once he gets some rest. This may sound bad but its not. I think the strain in the voice actually added to some of the songs like Emmanual and Good News (although during Good News, you couldn't tell there was any strain) I think he was saving his powerful voice for Good News last night and taking it easy on the other songs, which I don't mind at all, and you really couldn't tell if you weren't looking or didn't know what to look for.

Lets see who did I meet:

irishbookgal & her mom, Brightstar, marhaven, moonhead, baglady & daughter, a lurker here on the board can't remember her name, FromClaygary, don't know if I met xxx4Clay because there were so many people around I didn't get to meet everyone.

Venue Sales:

As for venue sales for each...I'd say Columbia was anywhere from 75-80 percent sold, it was only a 3,000 seat venue. As for Charlotte, I'd say from about 65-70 percent (this is conservative because of the veneu) it could have been more, a lot of the sides and floor were filled, but the back on the first level up from the floor was quite empty, then the second level up was pretty full, then the box level seemed pretty full as well, hopefully we will get numbers for both these venues and see what was sold.

That's all folks...

From the CB's scmusiclady:

Well, what can I say that hasn't been said already? I just wanted to be able join in a bit.

I also attended both Columbia and Charlotte. I live in Columbia and went to that show with 2 teacher friends of mine. One of them I had dragged to the JBT this summer (which she LOVED). The other had never heard Clay before (she's a Willie Nelson fan LOL - hmm, not much similarity there!) However, they both loved this show, thought the play was great, and I may convince them to hit the summer tour that I just KNOW we're going to have. I'm excited!

Both concerts were excellent - I didn't notice the voice cracking actually. I must have been too distracted by all the wonderful visuals;) However, I really was LISTENING and his singing was, of course, breathtaking. I think I was the most taken with The First Noel in Columbia and O Holy Night and O Come All Ye Faithful in Charlotte.

I went to the Charlotte concert with my husband and 13-yr. old daughter, and my 82-yr. old mother. Mom had never seen Clay in person and she really enjoyed it -not only his voice, but the beautiful sets and lighting. She hasn't been to a show like this for a very long time. My daughter is both a dancer and piano player, so I knew she would have a wonderful time, as well. She thought William Joseph was amazing (as did I!) so we had to get the CD.

I did feel the crowds were a little on the dead side - lots of applause, but I was hoping for some standing O's throughout. It didn't surprise me here in Columbia - he gets no airplay and there wasn't much promotion (as so many others have already pointed out) and many people here don't even know he's still performing. I think the ticket sales were pretty good considering, but it's not an area with a lot of die-hard fans. Hopefully that will change soon.:pray

One little side story is that we were waiting for the doors to open in Charlotte in the Burger King across the street from the venue. A woman there asked if I was going to his concert, and when I said yes, she explained that she works there (cleaning or something) and heard him singing all afternoon. She was amazed at how good he was and asked if I'd heard him before and what he normally sings, etc. I told her she should definitely attend his next concert and she assured me that she would. So, all he has to do is practice a little and warm-up and he gains fans. Not bad at all!:laugh

ATLANTA: JNT/Clay in People.com StarTracks

2005-12-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

Clay is featured in this week's People magazine online edition (People.com)'s StarTracks.

StarTracks
HOME BOY
Clay Aiken and a team of performers get into the spirit of the holiday season during his Joyful Noise 2005 concert at the Atlanta Civic Center recently. Following the final leg of the tour, the American Idol star will return to his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina.

CHARLOTTE: Charlotte Getting Ready for Clay

2005-12-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

It's been over a year since Clay's last concert in the Charlotte area... a few articles...

Clay Aiken will be in Charlotte Wednesday
06:57 AM EST on Wednesday, December 21, 2005
By 6NEWS Staff

Clay Aiken is bringing his Joyful Noise Concert to the Queen City.
Aiken will be singing in concert at the Bobcats arena Wednesday night.
Aiken grew up in Raleigh and went to UNC Charlotte before gaining his fame on American Idol.
As of Wednesday morning, there were still tickets available.

Clay's causing traffic problems!

Traffic | Oakdale Road closed tonight
CONCERT TRAFFIC TONIGHT

Watch for closed lanes and extra-heavy traffic today in uptown when Clay Aiken performs at 8 p.m. in the Charlotte Bobcats arena.

Columbia Recaps

2005-12-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

From the CB's jbeluvsclay:

Can't believe I am the first one to post a "review". Just got
back from Columbia a little while ago ( I live in Charlotte). I
lurk here all the time, but have rarely posted.
I decided I was not going to download anything from this
tour, so when I went, it would all be fresh. I looked at
pictures and read all of the reviews from other shows.
I am so glad it was all fresh for me. I knew the song list,
but was I surprised at the way he performed some of the
songs. My husband went with me, he really loved the show.
I won't go into all of the songs....you all know them by now.
You could see what he was saying by just watching his
expressive hands. Now I know in the south, we talk with our
hands, but he has it down to an art form. His face is so
expressive and the smile alot of the times...just priceless.
He is so born to perform on stage...he just keeps your eyes
glued to every move. I told my husband, he wears his faith
on his sleeve for all to see.
It was not a sellout, but 85% full with lots of couples and
kids. It was a wonderful place for this show. Not tiny, but the
right size for this type of production. The sound was wonder-
ful. My husband even made the comment that when we went
to JN1 in Atlanta last year, the sound there because of size and balconies, got lost. He could hear tonight so much better,
of course, we were a lot closer...row 14 which in this arena
was great!!!
Don't know about M&G for this show...never saw where anyone here had won for Columbia, Charlotte or Raleigh...just
know I didn't!!! Couldn't wait for the buses...had to head
home because hubby has to work on Wed.
Am going to the Charlotte show tomorrow with my daughters.
One is Clay's age and I hope it is a good show. Bobcats arena
is so much bigger...hope the sound is really good!!!
Hope this wasn't too boring...this is my first try..
Jeanne
PS The flashes were numerous when William Joseph started
playing, but during the show...just a couple now and then.
At the end, when Clay started singing, someone in the front
flashed and he pointed at them and told them all of the rest
around them would really pounce and let them know about it.
I didn't see another one. During "Good News", no flashes and
you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.

From the CB's savannah aiken:

WOW. That show was AMAZING. His voice sounded so great in that auditorium!!!!

You guys, when he did the encore "Good News"...wow. What an encore to do!! That, for me was the best song of the show. That one and O' Holy Night. All the others are a close 3rd! haha!

Wow, I am absolutely amazed.
ARGH! I have nothing to look forward to now that the show is gone. How sad!

I was out at the buses, you might have heard me saying "my toes are like rocks"...I couldn't feel them!
Anyways--he touched my hand!!! Wow times 30.

My friend and my twin sister got to go into the meet and greet (my plan for passes fell through, oh well!) and they got me a signed picture! OMG! Clay knows I exist on this planet.
And my sister showed him a picture my friend, my sister and I had taken that was set up like we were at a concert--and he looked at me, and my sister took it away--THEN HE LOOKED AGAIN. Sweet.

SIIGH. You guys better look out for some AMAZING concert CLACK!, my sister and I used to her panasonic cam, and so we got really good footage!

From the CB's dazedbyclay:

Think of every good adjective you know and that describes JN05. The Township Auditorium is a small venue, 3200 seats, and I'm guessing it was over 3/4 full. One of the girls in my group had never seen Clay live and was totally blown away. When we left the show she said if that didn't get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing would.
We walked right by the buses going into the concert (within 50 feet or so.) They were parked at the backside of the building in an enclosed area. I saw three buses and the one in the middle had Christmas lights in the window. The other buses were dark. Since I read somewhere in a cellcert that Clay's bus had the lights, I imagined that he was there getting ready, relaxing, etc. and I whispered "Hello, Clay" as we went on by. LOL.
I thought the crowd was very respectful, one or two shouts of "we love you, Clay" and some mild screaming but not at times that were disruptive. There were some flashes during the first half and also when Clay came out for his banter and intros. He strolled out on that stage in his black outfit with the red tie, very proud, very much in control, huge smile and shouted "Hello, South Carolina" and said "It is good to be back in the Carolinas." There were a couple of flashes and he told them they were going to get in trouble and something about making his job tonight easier. There were some "oh no" moans from the audience and he said "oh yeah" or something to that effect which we all took to mean no GN if it kept up. The venue security was out and about, as was Jerome. Later in the program, I saw him talk to or take a camera from someone on one of the front rows. Did not see anyone escorted out as had been mentioned happening at other concerts. Anyway, Clay did sing GN. And I think his socks were an argyle pattern. :)
Gregory still not there, and a boy named Louis from the Chapin Community Theatre took his place, got the script at 1 pm that afternoon according to Clay and I thought he was outstanding. I'm guessing he was 9 or 10 years old and his Dad was a part of the group also. Chapin is a Columbia suburb and Clay had done his homework talking about it being a community a little north of Columbia and asked the audience wasn't that right and then kind of bragged on himself for being right...forgot his exact words. He introduced Quianna last as this was her home state and she had folks in the audience and she called out a lot of their names. She looked especially pretty and Clay said she had a new hairdo.
I thought Clay was in great voice and not sure any one song stood out way above the others for me ....maybe OHN. He is so reverent during the sacred songs as others have said before, like he is having his own personal communication with God. Quianna got the "a hug is better with you in it" tonight and I didn't see Patricia or anybody else get any looks or extra attention. It was obvious the crowd really enjoyed and appreciated this show but of course their energy was totally different than that for the JBT. I am not sad that my Joyful Noise concert is over but instead enriched and filled with the Christmas spirit and love. Everytime I see Clay in concert, I am in complete awe as his talent continues to unfold before our eyes. It is so wonderful to have watched this beautiful man grow and mature and I continue to stand in amazement waiting for the next big thing.

COLUMBIA: Review from TheState.com

2005-12-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

Aiken brings crowd merry Christmas gift
By OTIS R. TAYLOR JR.
Staff Writer
REVIEW

The meaning of Christmas isn't lost on Clay Aiken.

The spirit of this joyous season often becomes wrapped in wish lists, parties and sales pageantry. But for the former "American Idol" star, Christmas is about friendship, family and love.

About 2,000 people shared in Aiken's Christmas joy at The Township on Tuesday night.

It's wasn't enough for Aiken to just sing Christmas songs -- actors and dancers, including members of the Chapin Community Theatre, portrayed a story line that wove through the performance.

The story of the friendship of young Tommy and Miss Beverly, written by Aiken, personified his meaning of Christmas: Sometimes it takes kids to remind us that we should be with the people we care about for the holidays.

Apparently it is possible to steal Aiken's shine, especially if you're a community theater performer like Louis DeFelice, who played Tommy.

With the regular Tommy ill, the young fellow was handed a script at 1 p.m. Tuesday. And he handled the role like a pro, dropping dialogue zingers like, "My mom says I have diarrhea of the mouth."

While many of Aiken's fans are used to screaming and clasping their hands to their chests, this wasn't an "oh gosh, he's so cute" type of show. (Although some fans did get to The Township at 8 a.m., said Sally Roach, the venue's director).

The crowd was rather sedate as Aiken gave a better-than-average performance.

His voice was steady and clean on songs such as "Mary Did You Know," "Sleigh Ride" and "The First Noel," which enjoyed festive treatment.

Christmas songs on the radio and especially at the mall are so taxed that it's enough to make drivers and shoppers gloomy. But Aiken, never at a loss for a smile, makes Christmas music almost exciting.

"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" had a silky bop, while "Jingle Bells" went through lounge, jazz and rock movements.

"Silver Bells" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" were dazzling, but Aiken never let loose (he came close on "O, Holy Night") like he did with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during the "Idol" competition.

Still, for those who were at the show, listening to Aiken sing was the best Christmas present of the season.

Reach Taylor at (803) 771-8362 or otaylor@thestate.com.

NEW YORK CITY: Review from MusicNewsMagazine.net

2005-12-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Clay Aiken makes Joyful Noise for 3 nights at The Beacon Theatre in New York on December 2,3, and 4 2005
staff writer:Mary Ann Everett
"Oh Holy Night, You could hear the angel's voices," No wait. That would be the voice of Clay Aiken resounding from the Beacon Theater in New York City. While old St. Nick got one brief mention in the most jazzed up version of Jingle Bells I have ever heard, the true reason for the season is beautifully conveyed during this heart-warming stage production scripted by Aiken himself. After the audience was wowed by the unparalleled skill of William Joseph, concert pianist, they were enchanted by the first half of the show which reiterates the value of friends and family using such seasonal favorites as Sleigh Ride, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and the Christmas Waltz to dramatize the story line which is drawn from the title track of Aiken's record breaking Christmas album, "Merry Christmas with Love". In addition to Aiken's exceptional vocals, the audience is entertained by vignettes staring Aiken's high school chorus director, Alison Lawrence and 11 year old Raleigh NC student, Gregory Ellis. Both have impressive resumes and make this show far more than a traditional Christmas concert, obviously Aiken's intent.

Even though the second half of the show is staged in church sanctuary, based on the number of standing ovations, you'd think it was Carnegie Hall. Some roared. Some cried. All applauded and rose to their feet when Aiken concluded his heart stopping renditions of Christian favorites such as Oh Holy Night, Emmanuel, The First Noel and Mary Did You Know. At the conclusion of the show Aiken reminds the audience to give a little love every day as he brings down the house with "Don't Save it All for Christmas Day." The reason for the season is summed up by his heartfelt encore of "Good News". With this, he leaves the audience to contemplate the Good News brought to earth through angels proclaiming the birth of his Saviour.

Even though Aiken did forget a few lyrics during the evening, the message was quite clear and well received by what Aiken refers to as his family of fans. From the response of the crowd, I'm certain they'd prefer roasting chestnuts with him instead of with their own family members. It's Christmas Time in the City and New York City should have been impressed by this ever-growing talent.

Attention All Raleigh Concertgoers

2005-12-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

From Clayreport.com:

IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE RALEIGH CONCERT

PROJECT PHONE HOME

The Raleigh Claymates wanted to do something special and unique for Clay at the concert that would include as many people as possible! Because we would only be able to purchase a limited supply of lights or glow sticks to distribute to pre-party guests and fans at the concert, we thought more people could participate if we used an item that many of them already have, their cell phone. We are encouraging everyone to turn on their cell and allow the LCD display to light up the arena during Don't Save It All For Christmas Day. If you have another kind of light or glow stick, feel free to bring that as well. It has been suggested that we do this during Celebrate Me Home. Although this song has great significance for Clay's hometown concert, we don't want to interrupt the flow of his production. Please help us spread the word to everyone attending the concert! Thank you!

CHARLOTTE: Pre-Concert Party Cancelled

2005-12-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

An alert to all fans going to the Charlotte concert. The fans' pre-concert party has been cancelled.
From MainesClayGirl:

I was asked to post this for a friend. She has asked people to get the word out before people start traveling for this event. If you belong to any other Clay groups please pass this information on to them. -MainesClayGirl

Due to an emergency illness that has required Meredith Stallings to be admitted to the hospital, the Charlotte Pre-Party has been CANCELED as of December 18, 2005. I spoke with Meredith by telephone from her hospital room tonight
and she has asked me to post that the party has been CANCELED. Meredith deeply regrets this unfortunate situation and sends her best wishes to everyone for a wonderful time to be had by all while in Charlotte for the JNT 05.

REFUND INFORMATION: If you paid by check, Meredith has NOT cashed your check. Therefore, she has requested that you add the amount of the check back into your checking account and she will tear the check up. She will mail the
check back to you if you would rather that she return the check to you. Any questions or concerns, Meredith has requested that you email me at boydbaby55@aol.com (mailto:boydbaby55@aol.com)

If you paid by Paypal, Meredith will refund your money by Paypal as soon is she is home from the hospital and her health allows her handle this.

Meredith has asked me to be her direct contact person, while she is in the hospital. Therefore, if you have any questions please email me at boydbaby55@aol.com (mailto:boydbaby55@aol.com) and I will contact Meredith and
respond as soon as possible with your answer.

Quote from Meredith: "Tell them that there will be a pre-party at Clay's next concert in Charlotte."

Thank you,
Candy

This is a dinner being sponsored by the Charlotte Bobcats Arena (New Charlotte Arena). You might like to use this as an alterative to the Charlotte Pre-Concert Party that has been canceled as of December 18, 2005.
Thank you,
Candy

CLAY AIKEN
++++++++++
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 * 8:00 PM

DINNER AND A SHOW

Make your concert experience more enjoyable by joining us for dinner prior
to the concert at the Backcourt located inside Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Prepared by the Chefs at Levy Restaurants, Dinner includes:

- Choice of Salad: Field Green Salad, Friscee Fennel and Endive Salad or
Classic Caesar

- Choice of Entree: Honey Thyme Chicken, Chicken Marsala or Grilled New York
Strip Steak

- Choice of Dessert: Signature Carrot Cake or New York Style Cheesecake

Dinner Packages are $29.95 (includes tax) per person.
Call 704-688-8250 to order.

SEATING BEGINS AT 6:30PM * MUST HAVE TICKET TO CONCERT

Pensacola Recaps

2005-12-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

Good News was omitted again, due to either time constraints or the number of flashes. In the know Claymate, GBB also said

GBB says that she thinks the reason is no GN is because of the people around her...they were drunk, yelling and belligerent. The people were singing through ALL the songs..very badly and loudly.

From CV's luvbenmeg:

Good morning all. I am so tired but it was well worth it. The concert was AWESOME. I froze my toes off. Should have worn shoes and not sandles.

They were suppose to open the doors at 6:30 but didn't open them till 7:00 That didn't bode well for the timing issue. But surprisly things went well on that end. The intermission seemed to run about par, 20 and 30 minutes.

Did I memtion it was cold in that place.

Not gonna cover all the songs. Just go at random here.

There was a few mic problems, most noticable in the begginning. Clay's voice was a little rough but then things smoothed out very well. There was a different little boy tonight and he did quite well. Clay got some standing O's. I have to say as one that isn't crazy about Angels song over the cellstream I was very impressed with it live. Overall the show was great and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

My only dissapointment was no GN. I was really looking forward to that song. I know it is not a given that he will sing it. For whatever reason, flashs, time or saving his voice, he didn't do it.

I seen mention of rowdy and loud people. They were there. And there were flashs. The venue was trying very hard to stop them but as many as there were, they really didn have much of a chance.

I don't wanna end this on a sour note so I will again say, it was well worth the trip. Clay gave 110%.

GENERAL: Clay Responds to Gregory's Illness

2005-12-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

As we reported yesterday, there was speculation that a member of the JNT cast, Gregory Ellis (11 year-old Clay hired to be the character Tommy) was sick. Clay responded to this last night via the fanclub. In a rare move, Clay has allowed this fanclub blog to be quoted on fansites, such as this site.

Clay's blog @ the Clay Aiken fanclub
12/18/05
09:09 PM: Big G.
(feel free to copy and paste verbatim to other sites)

Well.. you folks sure know how to speculate! It's been quite funny for all of us to read the different "knowledge" that so many have with regard to our little star, Gregory, and his "condition".

You should know by now that you can't believe what you read on the internet.

Allow me to assure you... Gregory is simply not feeling well. He's 11 years old and this is a grueling schedule that takes its toll on all of us. He is an AMAZINGLY professional young man, who shows all of us up on stage every night with his talent and energy. His "condition" is not a "condition" at all. It is nothing serious and we expect fully for him to be back on stage showing us all up again very soon.

Your prayers and words of encouragement for him and his family are still appreciated, as they are for us all.

c

PENSACOLA: Pensacola News Journal Review

2005-12-19T15:02:00.000-05:00

A wonderful review from the News Journal which has been covering the Pensacola concert extensively the last few months. The NJ also has a few concert photos at their site. Click the link below to go to their article with the photos.

Aiken brings the 'Joyful Noise'
Rebecca Ross@PensacolaNewsJournal.com
The Pensacola Civic Center was no place for a cynic last night.

It was home instead to singer Clay Aiken's 2005 Christmas show, "Joyful Noise" – an unabashedly sentimental production that should have sent any self-respecting Scrooge on his way with a "Bah, humbug!"

Pianist William Joseph opened the evening with a short set of instrumental tunes that peaked with his quirky and unexpected rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."

The small but enthusiastic audience gave Joseph his due, but the cries of "Clay! Clay!" echoing throughout the chilly arena gave no doubt to whom they were there to see.

When Aiken, clad in a white suit, finally made his appearance, it was to a roar of applause. But those fans who expected him to take center stage may have been a little disappointed by the multi-performer Christmas extravaganza that followed.

It wasn't your typical holiday concert, with the star performer singing to the audience from his spotlight on stage.

"Joyful Noise" had more of the aspect of a community Christmas pageant, with Aiken and his songs taking a back seat to a number of earnest, if slightly awkward vignettes that told the story of Miss Beverly, a cranky widow whose lagging Christmas spirit is renewed by Tommy, a plucky neighbor boy, and a surprise visit from her family.

These theatrical elements featured small, moveable sets and a number of singers, dancers and actors, including a few members of the Pensacola Little Theatre. Aiken's part seemed to be that of an observant spirit; content to remain mostly in the background and let his singing provide the sound track for the stories, although he would stop and start the action on stage periodically with a wave of his hand (and an accompanying "Zzzzing!").

The biggest laugh of the evening came after Miss Beverly comforted Tommy on coming in second at a talent show. "After all," she said. "Look at what happened to that Clay Aiken fellow!"

Those who followed Aiken's career since his second place loss on "American Idol" undoubtedly enjoyed the in-jokes and sweetly corny story line, but ultimately, it was Aiken's songs that were the highlight of the evening. They may have been obscured somewhat by the action on stage, and a murky sound system, but there was still plenty for his fans, and fans of Christmas music in general, to enjoy.

The songs were a mix of Aiken's own and some holiday favorites, including "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "O, Holy Night," "The Christmas Waltz" and "Jingle Bells."

Fans may have wished for a little less acting and a lot more Clay ("I wish he'd talk more," said one audience member with an audible sigh) but it's hard to imagine anyone leaving Sunday night's show without a serious case of the holiday spirit.

GENERAL: Interview With Youngest JNT Actor

2005-12-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

ClayAikenKids.com recently got a chance to talk to 6th-grader Gregory Ellis who was hired by Clay to be part of the JNT concerts' storyline.

Gregory Ellis
Gregory Ellis is a sixth grader from Raleigh, NC. Gregory answered a few questions for my children to help us get to know him better. We thank he and his mother for allowing us this opportunity.

1. What is your full name?
Gregory Ravary Ellis

2. Where do you live?
Raleigh, North Carolina

3. Where were you born?
Basel, Switzerland

4. What is your favorite color?
Orange

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Cookie Dough & Strawberry

6. What is your favorite Holiday memory?
Last year in Raleigh with my family and aunt and uncle and cousins,
and grandparents all together.

7. How big is your family?
My mom, dad, Brother Justin and sister Juliette.

8. What's your favorite kind of animal?
Polar Bear

9. What is your favorite Holiday song?
Christmastime and Songs for a winter night

10. Do you have a favorite holiday gift?
Ping pong table set

11. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I like acting and singing, but if I can't do what I am doing now,
maybe a professional tennis player.

12. Do you have any pets?
Not anymore. I used to have a bunny, but I gave it away when I left for
the tour because it wasn't fair to the animal.

13. Do you play any sports?
Tennis, and soccer

14. What is your favorite school subject?
Social Studies

15. Of all the places you have ever been, what is your favorite place?
Corsica and Switzerland

16. What is your favorite movie?
Chronicles of Narnia, Lord Of The Rings

17. Do you play any musical instruments?
Not any more, I do not have the time, but I used to play the trumpet,
clarinet, piano and guitar.

18. What is your favorite book?
Eragon series

19. What is your favorite T.V. show?
I do not watch T.V., but once in a while I like to watch The Simpsons

20. What is your favorite Holiday?
Christmas

21. What is your favorite food?
My mom's cuisine! All types!

22. How many plays have you starred in?
Camelot " Tom of Warwick", Annie "Drake" and School House Rock " Joe", among others.

23. How many times have you rehearsed Joyful Noise?
During the two weeks before the tour started.

24. Do you have any allergies?
Not that I know of.

25. How many times have you messed up your lines?
I have never missed a line, but I have stumbled on them once in awhile.

26. What is your favorite hobby?
Listening to music.

27. Who are your best friends?
Classmates from school, but also my Big Bro!

PENSACOLA: Short News Journal Article

2005-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Short article about Clay's concert tonight at the Pensacola Civic Center from the Pensacola News Journal.

Locals to share spotlight with Aiken
Rebecca Ross
Pensacola News Journal

There's nothing "little" about the stage some lucky Pensacola Little Theatre and local actors will be performing on Sunday night.

The performers were invited to participate in the local performance of singer Clay Aiken's Joyful Noise tour at the Pensacola Civic Center. The concert will feature songs from Aiken's "Merry Christmas with Love" album, other holiday fare, and vignettes written by Aiken himself.

The vignettes feature two main characters, and the supporting roles are filled by local actors, including Ray and Valerie Russenberger, Kathy and Doug Holsworth, Caroline Norman and Gavin Parmley.

Aiken will make a $500 donation to the Pensacola Little Theatre, for its support and participation in the tour.

Tickets to the concert are $39 to $49; available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Details: 434-7444, www.ticketmaster.com, www.pensacolalittletheatre.com.

RALEIGH: News & Observer Question and Answer

2005-12-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

The Raleigh N&O posted this version of Dec. 8's Albany Times Union Q&A with Clay. The N&O simply edited out a few questions, so this is not exactly new.

Clay's e-mail inbox: Claymates hit the send button
Albany Times Union

Before a show in upstate New York, the Albany Times Union solicited questions from fans and posed them to Clay Aiken.

Q: If you had to choose one from the following, which would it be? A. Unlimited peach ice cream. B. Perfect vision without contacts or glasses. C. Flip-flops for every occasion.

A: Oh, gosh. If I had one wish, it wouldn't be any of those three. ... If I had to pick one, I guess it would be the flip-flops.

Q: Was your mom able to be with you for your Nov. 30 birthday?
Story Tools

A: No, but we'll see each other at Christmas, and we talk often. I'm getting, hopefully, old enough where I can have a birthday without my mom having to be there.

Q: When you're singing at a concert, which do you prefer singing: a slow ballad or an upbeat song?

A: Oh, my goodness, it kind of depends [on] ... whether it says something and whether it's got a good melody. When it's live, sometimes ballads are more powerful, but when you're recording something, a faster song can be great.

Q: If you could sing anywhere in the United States, where would it be, and why?

A: I've done most every state, except I've never been to Louisiana or Mississippi, and I've never been to Montana and I think there's another one -- Wyoming. So I probably would go with those: Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana or Wyoming, for my fans there.

Q: Was chatting online with a couple of friends on The Clayboard, and we all had tickets for a rescheduled show you did in El Cajon, Calif., last Dec. 30, and I said to them on The Clayboard, "Remember, Christmas isn't over 'til the skinny kid sings." Imagine my surprise and delight when you said pretty much the same thing onstage at that show! Did you get that line from me?

A: I got it from my manager; he has a penchant for saying that.

Q: I'm disappointed to see the price of tickets. They are $47 to $127, and some online sites have them as high as $360! What do you say to fans who liked you because you seemed to be a real down-to-earth guy who is now commercialized?

A: It sounds like those tickets are being sold illegally. Ticket prices are a concern of mine, and I want to make sure that my shows are affordable for family, but I only have so much control.

Q: We Claymates have heard stories about you with girls in college, making out at parties and such. Tell us the truth: You're not as innocent as you want us to believe, are you?

A: Oh, my gosh! [He laughs.] ... Some things are best left to the imagination, Claymates.

GENERAL: In Case You Missed It... William Joseph's Journal

2005-12-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

In case you missed Clay's JNT opening act William Joseph's journal, here it is. Mr. Josephs updates it regularly.

November 1, 2005
I am finally back on tour. Yeah!!!! I will be touring across the country for the next two months performing, not only as part of Clay Aiken's band, but also as his featured opening act. This means that I am traveling in a luxury tour bus instead of driving in a 15 seat passenger van. This should be much safer, especially since I won't be behind the wheel! A lot of preparation has gone into this tour. More than ever before... Not only have I been preparing for my own show, but I had to learn 20 new songs for Clay's show. Thankfully this is a Christmas tour so I am famillar with some of the material. The biggest challenge has been learning how to play in a jazz style. Although I totally appreciate jazz, I am not famillar with the chords. I took a few private lessons in jazz last month and I felt like I was cramming for finals in a class I never attended. Now I have a new found respect for jazz musicians.

November 4, 2005
Portland, Oregon Last night I played my first show of the tour at the Rose Garden Arena. What a blast! I can only hope that the other cities are as warm and welcoming as they are here. After the show I had a "Meet and Greet" where I met and talked with a young boy who kept returning with different things for me to sign. Finally he ran out of items and had me sign his forearms. You gotta see this kid (check out the photos). Thanks little man! I hope to see him again. Today I got to explore this beautiful city. A city with gorgeous trees, wonderful architecture and friendly people. A place where unlike Phoenix I can actually wear my new coat and carry an umbrella. Boy did I feel "cool". OK... Off to play a game of pool...

November 22, 2005
Chicago Embarrassing Moment: Every performer has at least one embarrassing moment on stage.... in my life there are many... one came in Chicago. I was so excited to be in Chicago. I had been anticipating my visit and performance for months. While on stage I wanted to express my excitement. I opened my mouth and out came the words, "I love it here in New York." WHAT!!!!! I caught myself immediately and froze for a moment. "Ummm Uhhh Ummmm, I mean Chicago," I then told the audience "I'll be leaving now". Luckily they found humor in it. Phew. I love you New York!!!:)

December 1-5, 2005
New York New York was, of course, amazing! Ice Skating at the Rockefeller, the Broadway Musical-Wicked, shopping, you know the drill. What a wild city! Can't wait to return. I wonder how long I could last there before going broke. I miss the honking. I had the pleasure of performing on Good Morning America and the CBS morning show, with Clay. However it was difficult because the night before... Returning from the last show, I got out of my cab at the hotel. The bell man took my bags and then closed the trunk. I asked him to wait but he wouldn't listen. After paying the driver I quickly ran inside to retrieve my bags, only to find that the bell man had only 2 of my 3 bags. Of course the car was long gone and still holding my 1 bag. Unfortunately that bag was holding all of my music, including scripts and notes for the show. What a nightmare.!! My heart rate went to a 202. After a sleepless night and a lot of hours at Kinkos, the problem was solved.

ATLANTA: Gregory Ellis Is Sick

2005-12-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

Gregory, the 11 year old actor Clay hired for the tour was absent last night in Atlanta. CTLover1 reports:

Gregory, the boy that plays the main part in the vignettes in the concert, isn't in the show tonight due to illness. Rumors are flying but no matter what's going on with him, I'm sure he could use prayer. I don't think he would miss performing if he really didn't have to.

You can leave your thoughts for him by posting a comment (click on the 'comments' link right under this text)
ClayAikenTheIdealIdol.com reports:

Gregory Ellis- the
9 year-old actor who plays "Tommy" in the JNT vignettes, is ill and will be temporarily replaced by a child from Georgia. Young Garner (no last name available) was called upon to fill in for Gregory ony a few hoursbefore the Saturday night performance, and the script was modified to accomodate the changes. Audience members reported that the show "went surprisingly smoothly" with few glitches, even with the last minute changes. Garner and lead performer Allison Lawrence both received standing ovations when introduced by Clay at the end of the show.

ATLANTA: First Noel Changed Up

2005-12-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

Clay changed the ending of The First Noel last night in Atlanta. Video is now available at Allthingsclayaiken.com. The CB's Rainlover says Clay had to control himself from laughing since his opening act "William Joseph said [the band was] saying "Go, Clay, Go" into his earpieces while he was singing it."

Atlanta Recaps

2005-12-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

Click here to read a recap by the CH's calliek.

From the CB's fanofcas:

What a great crowd! We showed Clay the love. Someone at the end had to yell out I love you Clay and I want to marry you...but during the last notes of Good News! They just couldn't contain themselves! Ha! I was surprised at the number of teenage guys there. I think every age group was represented tonight. TFN was AWESOME! He just let loose on it. He was bending down to hit that note in DSIAFCD! Oh yeah! Angie was pointing up to kind of push him. I guess you know we got a new actor and script tonight! Ha! They made an announcement that Tommy was sick and would be for a few shows. We got a local from Marietta! Came in at 2PM to learn all that. WOW! His voice just sounded so smooth and he went deep and high. I know i'm all over the place here, but now I'm just wishing I had another show to go to. :bluesniff
I just remembered, during the coming in 2nd line, I don't think that the crowd stopped cheering for a whole minute. It was great!

I'm going back to read the cellcert, and someone said he was singing from his heart. That is so dead on true. I really could "feel" him singing tonight.

From the CB's ChocolateMalt:

The concert tonight was amazing! I haven't watched any clack since the tour started (I know....how did I do it?!) so the concert was a surprise for me. I really loved it! The first act was wonderful...even with the new actor (who we learned only had a few hours to learn the part). The boy who played Tommy did a fantastic job and got a standing ovation at the end. The second half was even more amazing. Clay got a standing O after pretty much every song. The whole show was great. I laughed...I cried...I cheered. The crowd was great as well. I think the auditorium was very close to being a full house. Well it's time for me to head on to bed. My mom and I have a 7 1/2 hour drive back home. And yes....it was so worth it!

From the CB's jazzlvrr:

This was the most perfect evening. I had just come back from Nashville just in time to change my clothes and head for the concert here in Atlanta. We had perfect seats in Nashville and up until the Atlanta show , I thought it couldn't get any better. My seats for Atlanta were not as good, but , if possible, I think Clay was even better!!! After a long wait--Clay didn't take the stage until about 9, the reason later apparent when Clay explained that Gregory was ill and a new boy from Marietta, Ga. took his place. Clay said that the boy had just started practicing his lines at 2:00 that day. Those of us who had seen the concert before realized that he had skipped some of his lines, but Alison covered up for him so well that, to those who did not know the dialog, you would have not thought anything was wrong. She manged to keep the storyline intact and did a wonderful job. Clay mentioned at the end during the DSIAFC intro's that she had rewritten the words as she went. What a great job, especially for someone who is not a professional actor. I'm not sure a professional would have done much better.
Now to Clay!!!! The first half was fun, as usual, but the 2nd half was absolutely breathtaking. I have never and I mean never heard Clay sound so good. The set of songs he sang, starting with OHN, was out of this world. The power, the emotion, the pure tones of this performance words cannot begin to convey. I still have not come down to earth. I'm glad and sad at the same time that this was my last JNT05 show. I see some videos are already starting to appear, by all means check them out.
Now to the crowd---it was a great mix of all age. There were a surprisingly large number of men present and they were standing and cheering and clapping along with everyone else. A man sitting beside me was singing along , grabbing the binoculars from his wife,and, after talking to him for a while, I think he may have been a bigger fan than this wife. How cool is that!!!
To me the venue was very full. The entire lower level and box type areas on the next level were full, I couldn't see in the nosebleed section, but it was a really great turnout . The crowd was very enthusiastic. During the 2nd set there were standing ovations after almost every song. Clay even had to motion for us to sit near the end of DSIAFC-- it was amazing. A few flashes, but not many. Hopefully not enough to irritate Clay. I did see Jerome head for one flasher near the end of the concert, but overall most respected Clay's wishes. They handed out a lot of black tape before the show began.
I was sitting beside a lady who had flown in from Dallas, TX , behind us a couple from Raleigh, in front a lady from Kansas, so there were a lot of travelers present.
It was , as you can tell by my post, an unbelievable evening. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season!!! Is it possible to love Clay more? Guess I'll have to wait for the next show to find out!! DiAnn

From the CB's HippoGA:

Good Morning! I had a wonderful "Clayday" in Atlanta yesterday! My friend from Dallas is still asleep in the guest room so here's a brief (but "enthusiastic") recap!

The pre-party was fun with great food, prizes and fellowship-one of the waitresses won the "Pin the tie on Clay" contest! The raffles for WFI and BAF were also a huge success-the girl who won the biggest "Clay basket" also won the radio front row seats-I think she should buy a lottery ticket this week!

I was seeing my fourth show after the three theater shows in NYC. The Atlanta Civic Center is twice as large and I was sitting very near the back of the downstairs which was full except for the last few rows. There were lots of empty seats in the balcony but it was a much larger crowd than I expected with the pitiful promotion here! Unfortunately from my vantage point, I could see all the flashes-not a lot but too many and every one was a stab to my heart.

I REALLY enjoyed just watching the show! From my vantage point I could see all the characters as they danced and interacted and could admire the colors and backdrops. (You know the stage is dressed in "layers" just like Clay with multiple curtains!) William Joseph is more and more impressive and was an inspired choice for opening act. There was a moment's worry when it was announced that a "modified" version of Tommy would be played by another child due to Gregory's illness! But then the music started and that "guardian angel" that I came to see was on the stage!

Clay really sang well! I could tell I was in a "not us" section because there was a little murmur of recognition when he sang songs off MCWL. I absolutely love "Jingle Bells" and he really wailed on that one! The little "replacement" Tommy was the cutest thing I've ever seen and he was a bit nervous. Beverly's character modified many of his "complicated" lines-for example she said all of the things that the kids said about her ("face needs ironing", etc) and she talked about the family pictures on the wall. Once or twice she had a death-grip on his shoulders when he was supposed to be "frozen". It was done very well and I don't think anyone who hadn't seen the show gave it a second thought. I caught my "concert virgin" friend wiping away a tear during "Celebrate Me Home"!

The second half was spectacular! Clay gave those church carols his all. I cannot wait to hear "The First Noel" again. The third verse was very like his Sunday NYC renditon-I think he realizes how much we enjoy it! There was complete silence during "Emmanuel" and again a little murmur around me when he sang MDYK. Clay seemed a bit breathless when he began his cast introduction and he really praised the little Tommy actor who got a well-deserved standing O. The dancers did the little "flourish bow" that Gregory usually does to honor him I think. Clay was sincerely grateful to everyone who pulled together at the last minute to make the show a success.

But much too soon for me (remember, you "can't get enough Clay Aiken"!), it was time for DSIAFCD and the absolutely best "Oh baby that's a fact" of all time! I get shivers remembering that lower register growl...and then grin at the grin on HIS face! Oh no, a second moment of panic! The house lights came on, people started to leave.....but then the girls came out on the sides of the stage, the lights flickered a bit, went down, and the music of "Good News" began. Just beautiful but here's my only complaint of the show-the lights going off and on as Clay sings are really annoying from the back of the theater! Just leave the spotlight on that face!

Aren't you glad this is a "brief" recap!? I really enjoyed the show, can you tell? Hope all the new and old friends I met had or will have safe trips home and that I see you and that "angel with a crooked halo" soon!

From the CB's MyHappyPlace:

OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!

My friends often tease me about how I say those 2 words in relation to Clay. Sort of a deep, gutteral sound from I-know-not-where.

I never uttered those words aloud during my Stub Hub Meet and Greet last night. I don't think I blinked. So intent was I to absorb all the small details and commit them to memory.

*WARNING* I won't write about the concert cause I know others will. Just my meet and greet experience. I don't post often and this will likely be my lengthiest post ever!

Backstage, we were first led to a closet-sized room, then Jerome saw Kim try to carry a large, bulky GA Claymate basket thru the doorway and decided we needed a bigger room -lol. Thank goodness.

He proceeded to set up a long table against the wall, only to have it fall down on his foot. Ouch. I bent down under the table to fix the other end and we got it stable to hold all our packages, cameras, and items to be signed. Jerome was wonderful to us.

By this time, Kim (xokarmaxo) and I had already bonded with the other 2 Stub Hubbers, Linda and Cheryl, 2 great ladies from Toronto. We laughed about how we all happened to wear black pants and black shoes, and red, white, and/or black tops. We asked Jerome if they would take a group photo of us, hopefully with Clay. He said, "I don't think that's ever been done before." We thought we might ask at the end of our visit.

The red, sparkly top I bought for this occasion had a mind of its own. The sparkly stuff started exploding it seemed (excitement?) and bits of glitter were all over my hands and pants and rubbed off on people I hugged. Joy.

Meanwhile, to calm ourselves, we started singing our own off-key version of Celebrate Me Home, quieting when we heard footsteps. Enter Clay.

Oh, what a beautiful man. The lighting in the room seemed to change. It had a sort of foggy, ethereal quality. I wondered if my contacts needed cleaning. No, it must have just been the Clay aura in the room. Eyelashes were the first thing I noticed about him. I told ya, I like details.

Turns out, the other 3 ladies had all met him before. When he stepped in front of me and extended his hand, he said, "We haven't met before, have we?" I reached for his hand, looked into THOSE eyes, and said, "No, we haven't." Not creative language on my part, but the truth. CLICK. That first image is forever etched in the rolodex of my mind.

Then, Kim tells him I'm her clack dealer. Clay tilts his head to one side and says, "Oh, really?" Again, staring at me intently with THOSE eyes. Have mercy. I should have said something like, "don't hold it against me", or "your site needs a T-shirt that says that", or "give me 50 lashes now". But no, I just melted under that direct gaze. Still not blinking. *gulp*

He was very focused when signing our items. He said, "Is it J-U-D-I? I corrected him and said, "No, it's J-U-D-Y. He said J-U-D-Y, that's what I said" I started to respond and he leaned toward me and said "I'm just kidding" in that soft, sweet, snarky style. *sigh*

I was standing close to him as he signed 4 items for me. The book, both cd's, and a picture of my daughter in her "I heart Clay" hoodie. I told him her name and said it was for her graduation next May. Not even sure if I told him she has CP and is in a wheelchair. He looked so intent on his task and I didn't want to jabber incessantly to him. (That's why I'm doing it here for y'all now -lol!) I did tell him that she loved his voice too. Left out the whole BAF speech I had prepared. That I admired his foundation and his fresh, new voice for Inclusion, etc... etc....

Instead, I drank in his form bending over the table, signing my items. The bottom of his jacket quietly brushed against the side of my body. I could draw you a diagram of the weave on that jacket, so intently did I study it. And the lovely way it flowed over the arc of his back. CLICK. Another photographic memory firmly etched on my brain. God help me.

There was another prepared speech that went by the wayside. I was going to tell him that I didn't care what kind of clothes he wore, or how he wore his hair. That I didn't even care what his favorite color was. That what I loved was right here (my hand on his heart). And that's what I feel through his voice. Then I was going to tell him not to change. Not for anybody. Just to be himself. There wasn't time for all that; no appropriate time presented itself.

We all had our brief individual moments, and also a kind of group dialog where he looked at everyone for quick questions, spreading his gaze over all of us. We talked about the flashes. He glared at several people. It clearly irked him and we assured him that we were upset by it also. He even asked us to say something to them. We were fearful of not hearing Good News.

We chatted about Gregory and how he would be back. Just didn't know for sure how soon. Clay said the local Marietta boy learned his lines in an hour. We were all amazed. I spoke up, "Was his name Garner?" He said, "Why, are you going to post it on the message board?" He said that to MEEEEEE, who seldom posts! I think I was stereotyped by the clack dealer reference! My mouth dropped open and I jokingly said, "Why would you say that?" I didn't think I was that transparent. But Clay, if you're lurking, here it is in print. The man doesn't miss a thing.

He asked how many shows we had been to. Several for the Toronto ladies, only one for Kim and me. But I told him I had seen video. He then gave Kim 2 tickets to the show in Columbia! She was shocked; didn't believe him. She'll have to tell you all about that. So glad for you Kim!

He addressed us personally when it was time for pictures. He opened up his arm and said, "come here, Judy." I love the sound of that. And I can move pretty quick for an almost 50 year old! Snuggled up against that gorgeously soft jacket, all was right with the world.

Goodbye hugs all around. Full frontal hug. I could feel his arms circle my waist and my arms wrap around his neck. And yes, the room was still hazy and ethereal. CLICK. Yet another mental image not soon forgotten. I was selfishly hoping that some of the magic dust, er, red glitter from my top would find its way onto that beautiful coat. So he could take part of me with him. Okay, that sounds corny to write that. But he's already owned my heart for 3 years;I feel a part of me is with him whether he realizes it or not.

When I got home, I looked in the mirror and noticed large blotches of red glitter across my face. I smiled and left it on. Everyone needs a little glitter in their life and Clay is that something magical for me.

I have angels to thank:

Kim - You are my Christmas Angel who, with unmatched generosity, allowed me an unforgettable experience. Good karma be yours. The Columbia tickets are proof of that. Muah!
Margie - my "Introductory" Angel! Couldn't have happened without you!
And all my Clay friends who have angel-like qualities. You know who you are and you are appreciated.

RALEIGH: News & Observer Delivers The Goods

2005-12-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

As promised, the Raleigh News & Observer published a very long article about Clay today in anticipation for his return to Raleigh (for good) next week. The article covers lots of topics, including how he spends his time while on tour, why he moved back to Raleigh, his decision to drop Simon Fuller and 19E as well as his dedication to working with kids. A fantastic read.

Th News & Observer also has 17 fantastic back stage photos from the New York concert earlier this month which is 'narrated' by Clay. The photo gallery is available here. We have a few photos from the slideshow posted below.

The December 22 edition of the N&O will contain a limited edition JNT poster. Ordering information for both today's and next week's paper is available here.

Clay Aiken: A new measure
Matt Ehlers, Staff Writer

A Nicolas Cage adventure flick plays on the pair of flat-screen televisions in the lounge of Clay Aiken's tour bus. No one watches. This Monday afternoon, on a stretch of highway between New York and Boston, four of the five people aboard count sheep instead of mileposts.

Aiken, his bodyguard and his tour manager are sacked out in the back. A reporter along for the ride naps up front with the singer's dog, a border terrier named Raleigh, snoozing in his lap. Only Sarge, the all-business man at the wheel, remains alert, talking endlessly on a cell phone as he steers the bus to its next stop.

Raleigh's most famous pop star is tired. Tired of living in Los Angeles, a city full of suck-ups. Tired of having other people make decisions for him. And, at the moment, tired from having stayed out all night at a nightclub.

After Boston come Rhode Island, Tennessee and Florida, then Raleigh for Thursday's show at the RBC Center. A few more dates on his "Joyful Noise" tour, a few more weeks waiting for his new house in the Triangle to be completed, then Aiken heads home for good.

He's taking charge of his life and career, and one of his major decisions is to return to North Carolina. It's where he belongs.

Aiken started his journey as an "American Idol" wannabe, equipped with a booming voice that belies his lanky frame. He lost in the show's final sing-off in 2003, but the zealous fans he won assured the kind of success that makes you think of a latter-day Tom Jones without the innuendo.

All of it -- the record contract, the money, the panty-tossing fans -- could have gone to his head. Instead, as two days on the road with him reveal, the Clay Aiken who left North Carolina three years ago as a purposeful young man on a mission has returned that same man, only with better hair and more mettle.

On the road

Backstage at New York's Beacon Theatre, backup singers Angela Fisher and Quiana Parler are bugging Aiken about going to an open-mike performance at a club after the show. In the last couple of years, he has only hit the town with them once, in Charleston, S.C., two summers ago.

He leans against the door jamb of their dressing room,

"Do you know what time we have to be at CBS? 5:30!" Aiken asks and answers before adjourning to his own dressing room for makeup and a pre-show drink of white milk.

Sometimes, Aiken has a hard time saying no. Tonight, he'll go out with the singers.

Far from home

After "American Idol," everything happened so fast that it was hard to keep up with the changes, much less control them.

Aiken moved to California, far from his home turf, and bought a a 7,800-square-foot mansion. That's what new celebrities do. Los Angeles is the be-seen capital of the universe, as anyone who reads People magazine knows. Stars need to be there to take meetings and walk the red carpets.

But since the first time he had the chance, Aiken has spoken on TV and in magazine interviews about his hometown, about singing in church and working at the YMCA. He has said enough good things about the area that people have moved to the Triangle because of his praise. Others come to his hometown concerts and make a pilgrimage to important life spots.

The decision to sell his California house and move back was easy.

"I want a home base," he says during a long backstage interview before the Boston show. "I'm tired of people asking me where I'm from and having to say 'L.A.' or saying 'North Carolina, but I don't live there anymore.'

"When people ask me where I'm from, I want to say 'I'm from Raleigh, and I live there.' And mean it."

Los Angeles, with its maps to celebrities' mansions, isn't home. And the entertainment business, with its egos and grandstanding, left Aiken with questions about life in California and his place in it.

He asks: "Who wants to be around me because they want something from me? Who wants to be around me because they feel obligated to? Who wants to be around me because they feel sorry for me? And who wants to be around me because they really want to?"

Then he answers: "Raleigh is the only place right now that I believe there are more people who want to be around me because they want to be around me than there are people who want to be around me because they want something."

The location of the house he's building remains a secret. His mother, Faye Parker, who is helping to guide the completion and decoration, will say only that it's in a gated community in the Raleigh area.

Eventually, people will find out where he lives. By then, she hopes, locals will be used to the Triangle's most famous resident hanging around and won't pay much mind.

In the green room

Just after 4 a.m., Aiken and crew arrive back at the hotel, stone-cold sober. This isn't a drinking crowd, which bodes well for them this morning.

Barely an hour later, he and his cohorts are camped out in "The Early Show" green room with juice and Danishes, waiting to rehearse "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Parler and Fisher scrunch up in their chairs and doze. Aiken, in a green-hooded UNC-Charlotte sweat shirt, laughs and jokes with the network staff and scans USA Today.

He's tired, he says. But he doesn't act like it. Unlike the others, Aiken didn't take a turn at singing after the concert. He let his friends take the spotlight instead.

"I had open mike all night," he says, smiling.

Management changes

Aiken is ready to call his own tunes.

As part of the deal with "American Idol," Aiken signed with the label owned by series mastermind Simon Fuller and with Fuller's management company. The label essentially chose the songs for his first album, "Measure of a Man."

Aiken uses Raleigh radio parlance to describe his disappointment with the marketing of the first album, which didn't get as much airplay as he thought it could have, but sold millions anyway. The songs appealed to people who like the adult-contemporary sound and listen to Sunny 93.9. The record company marketed it to the G105s of the world, stations that spin a Top 40 playlist filled with Usher and Justin Timberlake.

After hiring an attorney, Aiken freed himself from Fuller's management company. The move puts him more in line with industry norms, in which the records are put out by different people from those who do the managing. Now, he's managed by Simon Renshaw, who also handles the Dixie Chicks.

"I've got people falling into the right places, where at one time, everybody just wanted to have their hands everywhere," he says. "And since that's happening, I'm feeling a little more empowered to make decisions for myself."

He's still signed to Fuller's label. But he's determined to release an album different from the first. Aiken wants it to fall in the middle, something that would appeal to stations that sound like WRAL-FM. He's still going around with the record company about it, but he's firm.

"Nothing's going to happen on this album that I'm not happy with, and that's where I've gotten more businesslike," he says. "I think, after a while, if you get kicked enough, you learn not to kick back necessarily but at least wear shinguards."

Before the camera

After "The Early Show," Aiken and his entourage hop into an SUV and ride to ABC to tape performances of "Mary Did You Know?" and "My Grown Up Christmas List" for future episodes of "Good Morning America."

He greets Diane Sawyer in the hallway, and the pair duck into an empty room as Aiken's bodyguard shuts the door after them. When they emerge, Aiken pokes his head into the office of co-anchor Charles Gibson.

"I've always wanted your job," he says to the veteran journalist in a kind of non-joking-but-joking way.

Grace under pressure

What Aiken wants appears everywhere in the "Joyful Noise" show. It's more musical production, with actors and a plotline, than standard pop concert. Aiken came up with the idea and the story and wrote a script to tie the songs together. His core fans have responded to the show's blend of sweetness and sentiment.

He also makes the rules for the cast and crew. They're allowed to leave the tour on an off day, but they have to be back in town the night before the next show. He recently fired someone for failing to do so. He won't risk having someone stranded at an airport at the wrong time, letting down the rest of the company as well as the fans.

It was tough to let someone go, especially someone he cared about.

Alison Lawrence, who has a leading role in the show, saw the way Aiken responded to adversity when he was a boy.

As his ninth-grade choir teacher at Leesville Road High School, Lawrence watched other kids tease the student then known as Clayton Grissom about his geekified nature. Some kids would retreat in the face of adolescent cruelty. But Aiken, who had survived a rough childhood with an abusive father, was more resilient and resourceful. He learned to deflect the teasing with his own humor.

"All those things are now coming to fruition and are really paying off," Lawrence says.

Aiken embraces his sense of humor. "I keep it as light as I can all the time," he says, although he worries occasionally that people who work with him aren't sure when he's being serious.

"I do get upset about things. Things will piss me off, just like they will anybody else," he says, his voice turning to a whisper at the minor vulgarity. "And I'll let you know it, too. But I'll be done with it. Once I've told you, it's over."

He knows how to handle pressure.

Aiken hasn't had to face many professional failures, other than last year's NBC Christmas special, which was trounced in the ratings by an episode of "Lost." But the more he takes charge, the more the pressure builds -- much of it self-induced -- to make sure his career doesn't falter.

The new album, which he hopes will be released in April, is a prime example. He wants it to be a hit and says so with a mix of earnestness and self-deprecation.

"A lot of it has to do with not really wanting to face the reality -- my life changed so much in 16 weeks -- not really wanting to go back and have it change again," he says. "And then, of course, nobody wants to be a punchline."

Surrounded by kids

Aiken spends Tuesday morning at the Learning Project Elementary School in Boston. Sitting on the floor among 45 or so kids, he's clearly in his element, having worked with children at the YMCA in Raleigh and while working toward a degree in special education at UNC-Charlotte. He was living in Charlotte when he first tried out for "Idol" in 2002.

Songs may bring him fame, but Aiken loves working with kids. Teaching fits him.

He's appearing at Learning Project to thank the students for raising more than $6,000 for UNICEF. He recently traveled to Uganda and Indonesia on behalf of the relief organization in his position as a celebrity ambassador.

The group watches a short video highlighting his work with UNICEF, and Aiken talks about how the money the students raised could help immunize children in far-off countries or develop supplies of clean drinking water.

The kids, led by a teacher on an acoustic guitar, serenade him with "What a Wonderful World."

Making his own way

Hours later, Aiken will do the serenading at Boston's Orpheum Theater. Talking backstage before the show, he considers the question of whose respect -- if anyone's -- he'd like to earn. He quickly dismisses the critics' approval. He doesn't need it.

"I'd like to have the respect of the people I work with," he says, specifically management and record-label types. "I'm not saying I don't. But I don't know that I do."

He's getting there, though. He feels more confident.

When the executive producer of his next album, Jaymes Foster-Levy, asked him if he had any ideas for song titles for his new album, he gave her the phrase "Where I Belong." The writers can take that in any direction they please, he says.

"I think that would be a great title track for this next album because it will come out about the time I'm getting back to Raleigh, which is where I want to be," he says. "People in my life are falling into the place they need to be, and I don't know if my career is necessarily, but at least how I control my life is finally getting to the place where I'm comfortable with it."

"Where I Belong" fits.

"I kind of feel that's what the next Diane Sawyer interview would end up being -- that I'm finally figuring things out," he says. "After two and a half years, I'm finally getting my footing."
Staff writer Matt Ehlers can be reached at 829-4889 or mehlers@newsobserver.com.

RALEIGH: Special News & Observer Editions

2005-12-17T17:25:00.000-05:00

We have an update to the Raleigh News & Observer story we ran last Wednesday when the Raleigh News & Observer said they'd be printing 2 special editions of the paper to commemorate both Clay's move back to Raleigh and Clay's Dec. 22 concert at the RBC Center.

According to the paper, tomorrow's (Dec. 18's) edition will contain:

On the Road with Clay Aiken
After stays in Los Angeles, hotels and a tour bus, the Triangle sounds better than ever to Clay Aiken. Backstage in Boston, the Raleigh singer talks about the decision to come back to the place where he belongs - not just for his Dec. 22 concert but for good.
Arts & Entertainment

Dec. 22's paper will have a special full-coloured "Special Souvenir page celebrating Clay Aiken's 'Joyful Noise' concert in Raleigh." (appears above, click to enlarge)

The management has made the Dec. 18 issue available to fans not in the Raleigh area for $5 within the continental USA, $10 to Hawaii and Alaska and $20 to anywhere else in the world, including Canada. The Dec. 22 issue will also be available for $3 (US), $6 (Hawaii, Alaska) and $10 (Worldwide, Canada). All prices quoted include shipping fees and are in US Dollars. For more information, click here.

GENERAL: JNT Actor Shares His Clay Experience

2005-12-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

An actor hired for Clay's tour shared his backstage experience with the ClayDream Believers forum.

From one of the Community Theater Actors
Okay so we went there at 2pm and met Alison Lawrence...for more info
see page 101 of his book. She is the infamous "mean Ms. Lawrence",
his high school voice teacher.

Alison was lovely. She was the production manager/drama director and
all around Woman Friday. She asked me early on if I was the
president of the fan club...I guess Margaret ratted me out. I said
no, but that I was a HUGE fan. While giving us instructions she
would say things like "and this is when Clay enters and the crowd
starts to scream" and I said "and three ladies in the front row pass
out"... We had a laugh between us and the other people thought we
were kidding, until the show started.

When all the extras were assembled we went on stage to rehearse.
That was fun. His dancers walked us through the opening number and
the closing number of act 1. Fairly simple, but a lot of movement.
Quiana and Angela were there for much of this.

Once we had it down, took about an hour...Clay came out and met
everyone. He was very nice shook hands, asked our names and spent
about 10-15 mins talking to us very casually about the theater
company, were we were from...etc. And then we rehearsed with him
singing with us. I know he is a pale red head, but upclose his skin
is almost translucent. He also came out unshaven...you know I love
that look. He was wearing that grey sweater with the different color
trim..His hair is super light now and they put a blonde section in
the front. He was goofing off a little, but at the same time he
seemed very professional. Then we ran it through one more time with
out him.

We took a short break and came back to learn act II. Which we were
on the stage the entire time for. Once we had it down Clay came out
again and he and the girls rehearsed with us. He was being really
funny and decided that he didn't want to sing and so he handed his
mike to Quiana and sat RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I could have touched
him. He was talking to Alison about something and giggling that so
adorable giggle. AHHHH... He did sing a bit of O Holy Night. Even
half voice the sound was incredible.

We then were taken back to our dressing room. I got to go upstairs to
buy some stuff. It was so cool...I went to the lobby flashed my CLAY
AIKEN TOUR BADGE...and got let right in. It was like 6:30 and people
were already in the waiting area. When I came back out someone asked
me if I was in the show and I got to say YES. Now that was cool

We ate dinner, not with Clay. There was a decent menu. Roast beef,
Chicken, fish, pasta, veggies, red beans and rice, and for dessert
pecan pie (there were some other things too) We went back to the
dressing room got dressed and put our makeup on and headed for the
stage. Alison met us and took us upstairs...

AND THEN THE SHOW STARTED!!!!

We were not on stage for much of the first act, but as I mentioned we
were on stage for the second act. This was church setting and we were
sitting in pews Clay and the girls were on the stairs above us. When
he
sang the sound just floated down to us. It was amazing. I was maybe
15 ft from him. You know his voice is amazing, but it is crystal
clear from 15 ft. I can't even describe it to you. Clay played an
angel in this piece and I am sure that if an angel sang it would
sound like that.

It was really amazing. I was the only "Fan" there everyone else was
just there. They knew who he was but I know for them it was a little
different.

I got to take a group photo only. Well, one was taken for me...with
my camera so I was in the shot. I am hoping that someone on the Clay
Board comes through with video
for me. That would be absolutely amazing.

Nashville Recaps

2005-12-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

From the CB's Okie4Clay:

Just back to the hotel --- absolutely wonderful. My hubby came with me and said he was "pleasantly surprised" about the show. He likes Clay, but isn't particularly a fan of going to concerts, especially Christmas shows. However, he really enjoyed tonight's show.

Clay's voice was a tiny bit scratchy during the first few songs, but for the most part he was smooth as could be. It seemed to be a good crowd, we guessed there could have been around 4,000 there, but that is strictly a guess on our part.

There was some fun interaction between Gregory and Clay during DSIAFCD, but I blinked or something and missed it, but I think I got it on video. I took lots of pictures and my husband took some too. I feel so up right now after the show, I will probably be up long enough to post some. Hopefully, they are worth posting.

There were a couple of flashes during Good News and a crowd response to them. There may have been more but only noticed two.

Striped socks, of course ... the picture I took is still on the camera, but looks like brown and tan, not sure. Definitely horizontal stripes.

Wow ... absolutely had a great time. Clay just gets better and better. Gee, I think other people have mentioned that before. I'll try and get a few pictures up soon.

Edited to say I've posted a few pictures in the Nashville photo thread.

From the CB's redlikeclay:

I don't post often so please bear with me.

WOW!!! How does he continue to get better and better. I saw him in Chicago 7th row to the right. Tonight I was 6th row in the middle; wonderful seats. Nine of us attended with my being the only really passionate fan. All were simply awe struck by his voice and the show. Several said live was much better than the CD. I think they understand now why I love the concerts so much.

The sound was great from where I was, and Clay was just outstanding. He looked very handsome (duh) and gave what appears to be an effortless, yet thrilling performance on each and every song. I really didn't hear any voice problems.

From duet on SB to TFN, HTHAS/OCAYF--just awesome--and Immanuel had to be one of the best. MDYD was great also. He really wailed. Crowd clapped after each song, and I cannot remember which ones received the standing ovations. I am in a Clay daze. DSIAFD was unbelieveable. I like how the group on stage hugs when he is singing. Good News was wonderful tonight. I loved the Chicago concert, but this one was even better for me because I got to share it with friends and family.

One funny thing during the banter, he mentioned Louisville, and the response sounded like there were more people there from Louisville than Nashville. He commented on that and mentioned Louisville again later; another loud response. Also, funny when Tommy messed with Clay's hair during DSIAFCD (I think). Don't think Clay was expecting that.

Am more than ever blown away by his voice and this production. It is just amazing. I met a Clayboarder--digging clay--Hi! She had a meet and greet so maybe we'll hear from her. She is going to Atlanta tomorrow, lucky you! Sorry if I have used awesome, amazing, and outstanding too much but don't know any other way to describe.

Fan forever--Red

From the CB's BeverlynBama:

He was absolutely PERFECT..the voice power and so pure..

of course he mentioned that he loved being in the South..and talked about a place they all ate at..said that it was so good..Quiana and Angela had gone there muliple times that day....said like 4 0r 5 times..lol...he did have his snark on last night...

although it is a Christmas show..the audience couldn't help but THUD....his look was as perfect as his voice

during DSIAFC..Gregory mussed the back of his hair..it was really funny..Clay gave him that..I am gonna get ya kid look

still on cloud 9 here...and will be for a long time to come

he also brought attention to a lady in the audience that used a flash...he said..now the ClayMates are gonna come after you....HERE THEY COME!!!!!!!!...security quickly took care of the situation

the crowd was GREAT..I would agree there were at least 5,000 there if not more..and very very into it

there was couple behind us..in the low30's probably..the man was as into it as I was...it was a joy..there were a LOT of men there....lots and lots...

whewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww what a night

CHARLOTTE: Big Week Coming Up

2005-12-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

We say Week 15 is big. U2?
RON GREEN JR.

It's been a big week here already.
First, it was U2 and then it was those two ... uh, Dolly Parton.
Plus, "The Dukes of Hazzard" is finally out on DVD, so our friends in Pageland can do their Christmas shopping.
The Panthers, meanwhile, spilled some angst into the eggnog last Sunday when they played like Duke against Tampa Bay, throwing the whole postseason into question.
The dark fear is the only postseason game in Bank of America Stadium this season might be the Muffler Bowl featuring South Florida, which no one knew had a football team until its fan booked a room at the Marriott on New Year's Eve.
(Hint: He'll be the guy with the really good tan).
Now the Panthers are forced to Baton Rouge (which, by the way, is French for "Baton Rouge") where they face a must-win game against the New Orleans/San Antonio/Baton Rouge Saints.
They've already lost once this season to the Saints and, according to NFL rules, any team that loses twice in the same year to the Saints is required to bypass the playoffs and stand in the return line at Wal-Mart the day after Christmas.
So, as big as the past week has been, Week 15 is even bigger.
Clay Aiken's coming to town, you know.

NASHVILLE: JNT Is A Best Bet

2005-12-16T14:11:00.000-05:00

Tennessean.com declares that Clay's concert is a best bet.

Best Bet: Concert -- Clay Aiken
JOYFUL NOISE TOUR 2005 FRI., DEC. 16-- GAYLORD ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

Claymates, rejoice! Aiken, one of the most successful contestants ever to emerge from the dazzling spectacle that is American Idol, brings his well-received holiday tour to town, with William Joseph, a classically trained pop pianist, in tow. Clay has also called on members of Nashville's Circle Players theater troupe to round out his cast; Tickets are $27.50-$47.50 through Ticketmaster.

-- Jason Moon Wilkins

Tennessean.com's concert listing

CHARLOTTE: Charlotte Observer 'Q&A'

2005-12-16T10:55:00.000-05:00

Another pre-concert article/interview. This one's from the Charlotte Observer. Clay plays his 2nd hometown of Charlotte, next week at the New Charlotte Arena. Tickets are available from the venue's website. Many thanks to the CB's CharlotteClayFan for the scans.

Q&A with Clay
COURTNEY DEVORES
Special to the Observer

Clay Aiken may not have won the top spot on "American Idol's" second season, but over two years later the N.C. runner-up's career is still going strong.

He debuted at No. 1 with both his first single and album. He published a best-selling book and has a top-selling 2004 holiday album and tour. He's also hosted his own NBC Christmas special, guest-starred on the sitcom "Scrubs" and monitored the red carpet alongside Pat O'Brien at the 2005 Emmys.

To beat it all, Aiken's done it on his own terms -- maintaining a responsible image while appearing as one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men in America" and continuing his work as an advocate for people with disabilities through the Bubel/Aiken Foundation and as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

The UNC Charlotte graduate, whose "Joyful Noise" holiday show, now in its second year, makes it to Charlotte Bobcats Arena Wednesday, spoke with the Observer from a tour stop in Providence, R.I., recently. He talked about his return to the Carolinas, his work with UNICEF, and the story line for his latest holiday tour.

Q. So I hear you're moving back to Raleigh. What's makes this the right time? I always wanted to live at home. Whenever I saw the opportunity to get back I jumped at the first chance. We got into a position where we thought we would be able to sustain what we were doing from further away. So why not?

Q. Will you keep a home in Los Angeles as well? I'll probably have some place I can stay in L.A. or New York. I kind of just want a home base no matter what.

Q. Do you think being recognized will be more of a problem here? Coming off a reality show was a little different than people would expect. We have the recognize-ability and the neighborly approachability, which makes it complicated to live anywhere. I haven't lived in North Carolina since I've been doing this, but people are much more laid-back at home. I think it'll be something that I'm going to learn to deal with, because I love being there. My mom says eventually people will get used to the fact that you live here and they won't bother you anymore. At this point I don't care. I just want to come home.

Q. Tell me about this "Joyful Noise" tour. Weren't you more involved in the whole production this time around? I'm a control freak. I was involved in everything. We just wanted to change things up. We didn't make it (to Charlotte) last Christmas, but we did do a show with a regular orchestral production. We wanted to include the same songs, but connect them together. So, I sat down and tried to do an outline -- what could be said or done between songs to give it more warmth and meaning because in a Christmas show you want everything to have a meaning because Christmas is very emotional.

Q. You cast Carolinians in the leads? As I was doing that I started thinking about my high-school music teacher. I thought, "Wow, she'd be so funny in this part," and kind of wrote it around her. Then we called her up and asked her if she'd do it. So my old high-school music teacher is on the road with us now. She's playing the lead role.

We hired a little boy out of Raleigh because I was too cheap to hire a tutor. I'm still able to teach (in North Carolina), so I said, let me do it myself.

Q. What's the story line? We see this older woman who has lost the spirit of Christmas. This little boy comes in and he's kind of precocious and annoys her at first, but she eventually tells him the story of what Christmases were like for her when her husband was alive and her son was still living at home. Through flashbacks of these memories she regains the meaning of Christmas, the feeling of Christmas. It's got the classic Christmas story arc, but it does it with the help of some guardian angels. Myself and two ladies who sing with me on the show direct the action and provide for the flashbacks and provide the soundtrack as well.

Q. What about your involvement with UNICEF? I went to Indonesia as a practice trip. They wanted my first trip to be to Indonesia after the tsunami because I could see first-hand what UNICEF does. I remember getting off the plane in the hardest-hit area and seeing the devastation and thinking, "This is practice?"

I got an understanding of what UNICEF does, then I went to Uganda, and decided Indonesia probably was practice because in Indonesia there was a sense of hope. In Uganda this war's been going on for 18 years. Children have to leave their homes every night to walk to the cities to be safe. They can't stay in their homes because they're being kidnapped to become child soldiers or sex slaves or be killed. There is less hope. I understood at that point why Indonesia was practice. They've both been life-changing opportunities. I'd think, "I'm sitting here in Los Angeles complaining about traffic and I don't really have a right to." I certainly won't complain about traffic on I-77 anymore.

Q. When you started in the entertainment industry did you immediately see it as a way to do more charitable work? Absolutely. I remember the very first question I was asked in one of the interviews, was why do you want to do this? I couldn't help think of Oprah. I didn't use to watch Oprah, but everybody knows who she is. After 20 years, she can say the name of the book and people will read it. When she says she's not going to eat a hamburger, the beef industry sues her. That's how much power she has. That's an amazing amount of influence and she uses it for what she feels is important. I'd like to be in that position as well.

RALEIGH: Winston Salem Journal: "Clay can't sing"

2005-12-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

This appeared in today's edition of the Winston Salem Journal. Negative content alert.

HERE'S MUD IN YOUR EYE: He's not skinny, he's gawky. He's geeky. His voice really isn't that great. He didn't even win American Idol. Still, some people still love to love Clay Aiken--achin' for Aiken, if you please. He will add his own special touch to the holiday season by performing at 8 pm Wednesday at the Charlotte Arena and 8 pm Thursday at the RBC Center in Raleigh. He's calling this seasonal outing his Joyful Noise tour. Indeed Merry Christmas to all who deserve a gift such as Aiken's. And in this, the season of giving, you can give him $39.50 or $59.50 in return.

BALTIMORE: Our Foolish Clay In Baltimore

2005-12-15T15:34:00.000-05:00

EmotingNTx posted this recap about what happened last night in Baltimore. Hilarious.

He kept cracking himself up.
"Ah'm all flustered"

During the church scene, he looked over at Angela and she was making a face (rabbit face-scrinched nose)> he thought she was being obnoxious. But what happened when she hugged him, he got a bunch of brown makeup on his nose and she was trying to signal to him.

During DSIAFCD, he tried to rub on Quiana to get it back on his nose. Then he did it to Angela and got a huge streak on his nose and said "this gives a whole new meaning to brown nose".

He said "don't wait all year for resolutions and don't wait a whole year to wipe the brown stuff from your nose"

Baltimore Recaps

2005-12-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

From the CB's cafan31:

What a difference a night makes!!!!!!!

Last night, I posted about how disappointed I was about Clay not singing Good News and the behavior of some of the fans.

Tonight, was a totally different story. The crowd was wonderful. The venue was packed!!! Very, very few empty seats (and I'm sure those were seats previously bought and upgraded). The venue was absolutely beautiful. Did not have any problems with the sound.

Clay was, once again, in his glorious white suit!! No more hoodie!! (Oh what a story there must have been behind that one in DC).

The night started out a personal disaster for me. Hubby drove home from work at 4:30 pm for what should have been a 30 minute drive. It took him 1 1/2 hrs due to DC traffic. By then, I was hysterical as it was already 6 pm and we still had to make the trek to Baltimore.

We got to the Lyric by 7, but then we had an impossible time finding parking. So, hubby let me off at 7:25 and proceeded to find a place to park. He ended up parking 9 blocks away, losing his ticket on the street........ and having to retrace his steps until he found it. Since the concert started with William right at 7:30, he missed William's set and 2 of Clay's songs. I was a basket case! But he made it to the seat and all was, once again, well.

Clay was in top form and the crowd was extremely appreciative!!!! Clay got several standing ovations. The Baltimore Claymates passed out a note asking us to ring our jingle bells after Clay said, "Merry Christmas, Baltimore." We were then supposed to sing "We Wish YOu a Merry Christmas". The jingle belling went off without a hitch but we just could not pull off the song........ Still, it was a great night and I am sure Clay loved us!!! Very few flashes........ none at all in the first half, a very few toward the end (jerks!)

Clay's voice was superb. My husband gave him a standing ovation for MDYK and for TFN. HE was simply superb. By DSIALFCD, we were all standing and so pumped. A shame........ we could barely hear the glory note for all the clapping and cheering, but we were all pumped!!

Good News was superb as well. Not too crazy about the lighting on Clay....... but the song was absolutely superb.

My concerts are over for now, but I have these wonderful memories. I am so glad that Clay will have fond memories of our city and state, because we do love him!!! I hope he performs at the Lyric again. It was truly a great venue.

Thanks, Clay for two lovely performances!! HUrry back to this area for a summer tour (just as soon as that album is done!!)

From the CB's claynewbie123:

I wanted to add a review, but the previous reviewer said it all.

Clay joked about having whispered something in Quiana's ear, and as a result got a "brown nose" from perhaps having her makeup on him, which Angela was giggling at him about, and making funny faces which also made him laugh.

I was a semi-concert virgin before going. I had downloaded all clips of DSIAFCD, but that was it really. Clay's voice was in great form. Some gravely bits barely noticeable. He puts his whole soul in every song, it is intense, yet perfection.

I LOVE CLAY AIKEN MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. Oh, yesterday was 100%. Today, 200%. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

William Joseph sounds great. He sure enough had alot of ladies around him after the concert.

Clay sang purdy, the venue was perfect, the parking was perfect -- $8.00. The Clay fans around me were just in love. Only a few internet fans...many people just love him and watch for his concerts without participating on the internet. I think sometimes that is a very good thing. Oh well.

Audience made up of people of all races, and ages, and physical abilities.

It appears that the word "family" probably can be extended to mean the people you spend most of your time with. I guess you might as well find happiness where you are, whether it happens to be with blood family or not. So for some it means, you can be chose to be happy with the people you work with, or just happen to be with. The Beaver "family" has moved on. Now it could be...those who share your space, your time, and your interests.

I loved the way Clay says: Turn and hug the person sitting next to you....and then perfect strangers are hugging each other, and as a result...hugging Clay. Awesome!

I love Clay Aiken.

From the CB's shenandoah2:

I just got back to Delaware from Baltimore. I am in seventh Heaven. What a fantastic show this was!!!!!!!!!! There is not one single negative thing about it!! It is absolutely beautiful!!! Clay looked GREAT!!!!!!!!! Clay sounded GREAT!!! All of the performances were right on!!! The dancers were great, the back up group was great! Quiana and Angela were wonderful!

William Joseph did an excellent job. I wasn't familiar with him, but I am very impressed!! And he's so cute, too!
The Baltimore crowd was showin' the love tonight!!!! And I truly think Clay and the rest of the performers felt it. There were a few scattered flashes here and there, one that I saw during GN, but that was it.

The crowd gave Clay standing O's after every song in the second half!! I heard a few people after the show say that his voice was better in DC the night before, but I must say.....I can NOT imagine it being better. To me, it was perfect tonight!!! If it was ever any better than tonight......wow!!!

Anyone who has the opportunity to see this show, should do so!! Anyone who had the opportunity and missed it......you missed out on a very, very special gift!!! There were several places in the play that brought a tear or two to my eyes!

Gosh that man looks good in that long jacket............... And the part about "brown nosing" was so cute!! Then, during DSIAFCD, he snuggled his nose up to both Quiana and Angela trying to get more brown on his nose!!! It was so cute!!! And the note was held so looooonnng!!!! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!! We were all on our feet for that one!!!

Thank you, Clay, for a wonderful night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ETA: The little jingle bell/singing thing didn't work. No one started singing that I could hear and we were in Row H. Great idea though.........

From the CB's clayfanatic

I just wanted to quickly add that Clay was simply AMAZING!!!! I keep thinking it can't get any better and it does all the time. He had me in tears and was just simply beautiful and amazing beond any words I could type.

At the last hour we struck gold and got 4 center front row seat. I didn't tell my mom and dad and simply walked down there without them knowing. They said where are you going. I directed them to there seats which were dead center. They were like, why are you here? All I could say was Merry Christmas!!!! The looks on there faces were simply priceless. That was the first great thing of the night.

Next for me was something amazing. I have been a REAL scrooge this holiday season. Things are VERY hectic around here. My husband started law school and I have become a married "single" mother running two businesses. Not an easy thing. I was bummed because I was only able to go to one concert this tour because of these things. Well between being stressed out and not having a single extra second in my life I lost the holiday spirit. I hated the shopping and have just been grumping about everything!! I have just wanted the holidays to go away.

Last night changed all that for me. The show was amazing beyond anything I dreamed. I haven't been able to see much clack due to being busy so it was all new to me. Clay brought so much joy to me last night. The meaning behind the show gave me the "true" meaning of Christmas back and I will hold on tight to that and not let go!! Thank you Clay for that!!

The only other thing I would like to add is my thoughts on seeing Clay up there with just Quiana and Angela. I in no way mean this a a Jacob bash at all. I thought Clay looked so great up there with just the girls. They sounded amazing together. I actually enjoyed it much more wihtout Jacob. I hope Clay never replaces him with another male. It was just so right with him and the girls. I need to now go download all the mp3's since Jacob left becasue I like it better without him. So, if anyone out there has a recommendations, please feel free to make them.

Thanks for reading my long winded post!!

Happy Holidays to all!!
Thanks Clay!!! I got the meaning and I won't let it go!!

Edited to add:

How could I forget!!! Because Claycrazed and I and my parents upgraded our seats, we had four center Orch Row H tickets available. Since selling them did not pan out at this late time I gave two to a friend and took her two row k. Claycrazed and I them went up to the balcony and went to the LAST row!!!!! We gave the two row h tickets to a couple of women. They were so shocked and so excited. The one woman had tears in her eyes!! We then gave the row k to a couple that was also in the back of the balcony. The expressions on there faces was priceless. So, I hope four people thoroughly enjoyed Clay from up close last night!!

From the CB's yourmomsage's friend Kim:

I was not there, but my friend Kim was lucky enough to be one of the backup singers!!!! Here is her story, posted with her permission:

Okay so we went there at 2pm and met Alison Lawrence...for more info see page 101 of his book. She is the infamous "mean Ms. Lawrence", his high school voice teacher.

Alison was lovely. She was the production manager/drama director and all around Woman Friday. She asked me early on if I was the president of the fan club...I guess Margaret ratted me out. I said no, but that I was a HUGE fan. While giving us instructions she would say things like "and this is when Clay enters and the crowd starts to scream" and I said "and three ladies in the front row pass out"... We had a laugh between us and the other people thought we were kidding, until the show started.

When all the extras were assembled we went on stage to rehearse. That was fun. His dancers walked us through the opening number and the closing number of act 1. Fairly simple, but a lot of movement. Quiana and Angela were there for much of this.

Once we had it down, took about an hour...Clay came out and met everyone. He was very nice shook hands, asked our names and spent about 10-15 mins talking to us very casually about the theater company, were we were from...etc. And then we rehearsed with him singing with us. I know he is a pale red head, but upclose his skin is almost translucent. He also came out unshaven...you know I love that look. He was wearing that grey sweater with the different color trim..His hair is super light now and they put a blonde section in the front. He was goofing off a little, but at the same time he seemed very professional. Then we ran it through one more time with out him.

We took a short break and came back to learn act II. Which we were on the stage the entire time for. Once we had it down Clay came out again and he and the girls rehearsed with us. He was being really funny and decided that he didn't want to sing and so he handed his mike to Quiana and sat RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I could have touched him. He was talking to Alison about something and giggling that so adorable giggle. AHHHH... He did sing a bit of O Holy Night. Even half voice the sound was incredible.

We then were taken back to our dressing room. I got to go upstairs to
buy some stuff. It was so cool...I went to the lobby flashed my CLAY AIKEN TOUR BADGE...and got let right in. It was like 6:30 and people were already in the waiting area. When I came back out someone asked me if I was in the show and I got to say YES. Now that was cool

We ate dinner, not with Clay. There was a decent menu. Roast beef,
Chicken, fish, pasta, veggies, red beans and rice, and for dessert pecan pie (there were some other things too) We went back to the dressing room got dressed and put our makeup on and headed for the stage. Alison met us and took us upstairs...

AND THEN THE SHOW STARTED!!!!

We were not on stage for much of the first act, but as I mentioned we
were on stage for the second act. This was church setting and we were
sitting in pews Clay and the girls were on the stairs above us. When he
sang the sound just floated down to us. It was amazing. I was maybe 15 ft from him. You know his voice is amazing, but it is crystal clear from 15 ft. I can't even describe it to you. Clay played an angel in this piece and I am sure that if an angel sang it would sound like that.

It was really amazing. I was the only "Fan" there everyone else was just there. They knew who he was but I know for them it was a little different.

I got to take a group photo only. Well, one was taken for me...with my camera so I was in the shot. I am hoping that someone on the Clay Board comes through with video
for me. That would be absolutely amazing.

From the CB's heavens2:

Last night was a true delight, both for the audience who wrapped Clay in love, and for Clay himself, who reflected it 100% back to us.

When I saw him running offstage as the curtain fell on DSIAFCD, I knew we were to be treated to the GN encore. Once Angie and Quianna appeared at opposite corners of the stage nearly immediately, I knew it was a done deal.

Hubby was with me again, but we were sitting with him in front of me by one row and several seats to my left. I glanced over at him several times during the show and noticed that he was giving Clay a standing ovation for every song during the 2nd half! Have I said lately how proud I am to be married to him?

Oh, and as he loves to tease me about my "obsession", he coined a new term for Clay last night -- well, new to me as it may have already been created here or on another board for all I know -- Angelmuffin!

Do we have a board icon for that???

I spoke with a high-ranking tour member last night and asked point-blank if Clay's decision not to sing GN in DC was the result of flashing cameras. The source -- who for reasons of confidentiality asked to remain anonymous -- said yes. Well, actually, I received a nod rather than a verbal "yes" so as not to jeopardize this individual's position on the tour. Additionally, I was told that details will be revealed on the OFC after the tour is over. That tells me that the camera policy will probably be rethought for the next tour.

Jerome was using a laser pointer light last night, shining it in the face of anyone whose camera flashed during the concert. The approach seemed to work, as the incidents were fewer and more infrequent than in DC. I know if he'd done that to me and I'd seen that massive man behind the pointer, it would wither me into submission of not using my camera again!

Clay was more giggly and chatty during the band intro than I've seen him during this entire tour. His voice was much better than the night before, and he seemed far more relaxed. And the brown-nose incident was absolutely adorable! Although I was sitting in the 5th row center, I never saw anything on his nose until I borrowed the lady's binoculars who was sitting next to me. Even then I thought it was a shadow or a pimple.

Hubby and I are heading home this afternoon on the train. The weather here is bitterly cold and grey, with ice and sleet in the forecast. Even so, I'm misty-eyed at the thought of leaving, as I gaze out over the Inner Harbor here at our hotel in Baltimore with warm memories of last night.

WALLINGFORD: Review from Fairfield University Mirror

2005-12-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

The Fairfield University Mirror posted this mixed review of Clay's concert in Wallingford, CT earlier this week.

Online Exclusive: Clay Aiken creates "Joyful Noise" in Wallingford
By: Anna Papachristos
Issue date: 12/15/05 Section: Entertainment

Everyone, at some time or another, has wished they could go back in time. To relive the greatest moments in life would be a dream come true, so when I found out Clay Aiken was returning to Connecticut on The Joyful Noise tour 2005, same date and place, I had to pinch myself.

Exactly one year after his first appearance on December 10, 2004, Aiken returned to the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, now the Chevrolet Theatre, on Saturday.

Up and coming pianist, William Joseph, opened the night with his 20-minute solo set. While giving an enjoyable and energetic performance, Joseph's immense talent was overshadowed by the anticipation of Aiken's appearance. However, Joseph managed to captivate the audience as well as could be expected, and shined as he played piano for the duration of the show.

After a nearly 30 minute intermission, the curtains finally rose and Aiken appeared. An angel in white, Aiken took to the stage, along with a cast of extras who acted out a winter scene.

With a general focus on theatrics, the order of the songs helped depict the story of an old woman, which was acted out on stage throughout the concert.

Based on the title track to Aiken's Christmas album, "Merry Christmas With Love," the old woman had lost her Christmas spirit because of loneliness. Befriended by a young, neighborhood boy, the woman reminisced, telling stories about the past that led into the different songs of the night.

Focusing mainly on the storyline, Aiken got lost in the excessive emphasis on acting and dancing. While it was sweet that Aiken gave his former ninth grade music teacher plenty of time to shine in the limelight as the old woman in the story, her character and the young boy claimed the stage, making Aiken the extra.

The concert more closely resembled Aiken's Christmas special, which centered around the performances of all his guest stars and very little on him. He hovered on the periphery of the stage, only making an appearance for a rare song or two.

Last year, Aiken took to the stage right away: no opening act and no extras. He put forth great energy and interacted directly with the audience, contributing to the personal, home-like atmosphere intended during The Joyful Noise performances.

This year, the audience was left waiting nearly an hour to see the man they had so patiently been waiting to see since tickets went on sale in October. People were not even fulfilled, as many left halfway through the show.

Aiken hardly interacted with the audience. Only at the end did he emerge from backstage to talk to his Connecticut fan base. The humor that had captured my attention last year was nowhere to be found, leaving me yearning for more Aiken as the night ended.

Returning to his roots, Aiken ended the night like last year, kicking the concert up a notch with "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" and "Good News." However, the overpowering voices of his backup singers, where there had been a choir last year, led to unfulfilling performances that, once again, did not highlight Aiken's true talent.

I guess all one can do is find the meaning behind this creative effort. While the premise was slightly overdone, it was not devoid of meaning. So, to Fairfield University students and staff, "May the joy of the season surround you. Merry Christmas with love."

NASHVILLE: Pre-Concert Article

2005-12-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

Note: Tennasean.com posted this article, but since this article has been popping up everywhere, under different titles, we're not going to repost it. It was originally done by the Kansas City Star in November.

Clay Aiken promises an 'adventurous' holiday extravaganza

WASHINGTON: Clipout From Washington Post

2005-12-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

A tad late, but... better late that never. This appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section on Tuesday (12/13).
Click to enlarge

ALBANY/WALLINGFORD/PROVIDENCE: Sashntash and Mamarose's Clay Adventure

2005-12-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

The CB and CDD's Sashntash and Mamarose10 recently went on a 'Clay adventure' through the Northeast, covering the Albany, Providence and Wallingford shows. Here's what they have to say about their 'journey'.

From Sashntash:

6 days before the Albany show, with some arm twisting by Mamarose and Newmie :grin , I decided to fly up to NE and go to the Albany, Prov and Wallingford shows with them. Boy am I glad I did :grin

Flew from Raleigh to Albany Thursday and met up with Claydorkable and SecretGarden :wave at a restaurant across the street from the venue, and then had the joy of meeting Mamarose and Newmie for the first time. We had a wonderful dinner with about 16 mostly CB'ers. Thanks to everyone for letting me crash your party and making me feel like part of the group :hug2

The Albany venue was perfect for this kind of show. A wonderful small old theater - nicely restored. You can really "feel" the whole show in a theater like this. Usually I can't keep my eyes off Clay :grin , but because I had stayed away from most Clack, I found myself watching the vignettes and the dancers and soaking the whole thing in. Clay's voice was fantastic, as always, and I was really impressed with the great job that Gregory and Alison did in the vignettes. Watching Clay stay in character every minute that he was on stage was fascinating and I really felt the hand of Clay in the storyline. Pulled at my heartstrings. I was lucky enough to find a 3rd row center ticket for sale on our own ticket thread (thanks Mari Ann) - I've never sat that close - so I was verklempt and mesmerized throughout the show.. Gah..... The Albany crowd was very appreciative and showed Clay the love but they were a bit subdued. I left the show feeling all warm and fuzzy from the heartfelt efforts of Clay in creating this show for us, in the camraderie of the cast and the Clay love in the audience. Very special.

After the show, Mama and Newmie and I headed to the Mr. and Mrs. Newmie Hotel in Hartford to recuperate.

Friday it was snowing....:yow Since Claymates never let little things like a foot of snow stop them, we headed off to Providence mid-afternoon. After a long ride we finally arrived at the venue at about 6:30. We were looking forward to meeting CS and Mr. CS in Providence, and lo and behold, who pulled into the parking garage right after us but them. We hugged and laughed and marveled at the perfect timing and then went over to the venue and crashed the pre-party (thanks Rhustress for taking us in :hug2 )

It was my lucky night. At the pre-party, Jojoct found me and sold me a front row seat next to her that wasn't going to be used. Thanks jojo :bow :bow We were front row right center - up close and personal. You know I'll be d/ling jojo's complete set from Providence :laugh

The stage was medium high so when Clay came out and came over to our side for the first time, I had my head tilted way back to look up at him and there was this towering 6' + gorgeous man standing right in front of me singing his heart out. 'Xscue me... I need a moment... :thud :thud

I don't think I breathed for the rest of the night .....

Anway.... Providence was another beautiful restored old theater. Another perfect venue. The theater was almost completely full which was amazing considering the weather... we had been afraid that a lot of people would decide the driving was too hazardous to make the attempt. Foolish us.... The people kept pouring into the theater with stories of their driving adventures to get there. The man is like a magnet - resistance is futile :grin

Clay's voice in Providence was the best I've ever heard. Strong and clear and full of passion. Gah..... Sorry - still in a Claydaze.... I loved loved loved Jingle Bells... He was up there jiving with his legs and feet and hips and just looking Thudilicious..... I digress...

The 2nd half of the show just blew me away. After watching the whole panorama in Albany - and having the good fortune to be sitting in the 1st row in Providence, I kept my eyes glued on Clay the whole night. It's a wonder I'm still alive :grin

My personal favorite was The First Noel. It just did something to me. He gave it all he's got and received one of many standing ovations for his effort.

The crowd in Providence was amazing. There was a strong outpouring of Clay love, giggles in the right spots, awwws in the right spots, thunderous applause for Clay's every song and lots of standing ovations.

When Q came out during the intros she got a standing O and when Angela came out I stood and gave her a standing O also. She came out from the right side of the stage and was looking straight at me as she walked on stage. She was smiling. After Clay moved on in the intros, Angela kept looking in my direction and smiling and I thought she was smiling at the 5-year-old girl who was sitting 2 rows behind me. I turned around to look at the little girl to see what she was doing to make Angela smile, but when I turned back to look at Angela again she was frowning and looking straight at me and mouthed "thank you". Awww... so I mouthed "your welcome" back to her.

At the end of DSIAFCD, Clay told us all to drive safely going home.

So back to Hotel Mr. and Mrs. Newmie we went.

Saturday we headed to Wallingford. I had never been there. It's an interesting venue. A lot larger than Albany and Providence and very spread out from side to side. Very modern and they had 2 Jumbotrons - one on each side - which was much needed for the people in the far right and far left sections because they could only see part of the stage.

I was back in the far left section of the left center in Row W. Mama and Newmie were down in the 2nd row. After William Joseph's set, Rhustress came back to find me and said that there were 2 empty seats in the 1st row in front of Mama and Newmie and Petsitter. So we ran down there and plopped ourselves in the 1st row. We anxiously looked at people coming down the aisle - afraid that someone would show up to claim their seats. The lights dimmed, the music started for Clay to appear and we breathed a sigh of relief that we would be able to stay.

It was not to be.... about 3 minutes after Clay had appeared on stage, 2 women came down the aisle with an usher and headed for the first row. Rhustress and I grabbed our coats and scooted up the other aisle. Sigh..... Busted :innocent One of the ladies coming down the aisle had lighted reindeer antlers on her head :yow .

So... off we went in search of other "available" seats and found two in the 14th row right center. Great seats. So all was well. :grin The theater seemed to be about 2/3rds full and there were scattered empty seats all over the theater so there was a lot of moving around by people to improve their view :grin

There was lots of Clay love shown in Connecticut Saturday night. Clay did seem to struggle on just a couple of notes but his voice, as always, was fantastic. He did cough between songs in the 2nd set, so I'm glad to read from the Camden member reviews that his voice was in top form last night.

Mama, Newmie and I headed back to Newmie's house - exhausted but happy from our 3 day NE Clay marathon.

Sunday morning, Newmie and Mr. Newmie drove us back to Albany where Mama's husband picked her up and I hopped on my plane back to Raleigh.

I met dozens and dozens and dozens of Clayboarders during the trip. I won't mention them because I know I'll forget some names and I don't want to do that. I'll just say that I loved meeting each and everyone one of the CBers I met this past weekend. The joy of sharing our mutual appreciation, love and admiration of this wonderful man makes going to a Clay concert an "experience" to remember for a lifetime.

And big thanks to Newmie for her hospitality and driving for hours on end crisscrossing NE for our great adventure :hug2 And Mama - what can I say - we finally got to meet in person after all these years :hug2

From mamarose10:

Sash...I don't need anything for Christmas this year. This weekend was a better gift than anything that could ever come wrapped beneath a tree.

What an adventure!!!

I have had coffee with Sash and CS on this board pretty much every morning for going on three years now. That has always been very special to me. But no words can really express what it was like to have coffee with Sash IN THE SAME ROOM!!! No need to wrap that and put a bow on it...it was the perfect gift!!

I very much feel like our shows progressed in perfection level!!! I loved Albany, adored Rhode Island and Connecticut...well...turn me over, I am done on this side (more on that in a minute). Excuse me while I try to compose myself. :thud

Okay...moving on!! I need to thank Newmie...who brings us all together and makes my Clay adventures possible. They would NOT happen without her. And let me just say publically, her husband is the sweetest man alive!!

I also need to thank Newmie for the wonderful sleigh ride. I now know what black ice looks like. :grin But it is okay...I know now that not even a blizzard will keep Clay fans from their appointed rounds!! Although the totally snow covered road signs sure don't help their progress any!

And my thanks also to Rhustress for letting us party crash in snowy Rhode Island. And to CS (and hubby) for having perfect timing! To have CS, Sash and I in the same room was pretty special to me!!!

As always with Clay, it is the coming together of friends we hold dear that makes these concerts so extra special. It was great to be together again.

Claydorkable, Secret Garden, Snarky, Tink, Sonnets, Gengen, Fly, Jojo, Claire, Kat, Jeannette, Hotclay, Bailey, NY4Clay, Rosebud, Jean, Geri, Lurker Sharon, Gerwhisp...I know I could go on and on and I am missing folks and I am sorry...it was so wonderful to see everyone and meet some folks for the first time too!!

I have to admit I particularly loved Wallingford, Conn. Our seats were to one side in the second row!!! :yow By the time I was seeing the show for the third time I was totally in love with it. And then well...there is Clay. Clay...big sigh. I am so proud of him.

I was sitting next to a lovely young girl who told me she was a Clayboarder and posted, though not too much, under the name petsitterforclay. We were meeting for the first time. She was very sweet.

No secret probably to anyone that being on the side that I was...second row, for the cookie baking scene...and watching Clay reach into his jacket and bring forth that star cookie cutter at that up close and personal distance...well...again...big sigh.

Too soon we were nearing the end. It was time for DSIAFCD. Clay started to sing, and as the time approached, that pivitol time for him to sing "A hug is warmer when you're in it. Oh Baby that's a fact!" I realized he was moving to my side of the stage. He got there, and I again am thinking...OMG...here he is...right in front of me...and that part of the song is coming. My mind is racing and I am thinking...he is going to move back to the center...surely he is not going to stay right there...surely he is not going to say "Oh Baby that's a fact" right in front of me! No...that can't happen. What if I have a weak heart and I don't know it?? What if it is too much for me?? Is there a doctor in the house??? About that time I realized that this was it, he was pretty planted and wasn't going to move away. He was going to sing it RIGHT IN FREAKIN FRONT OF ME. As that realization finally sunk in, I think I said out loud either "OMG" or "Holy Crap." I am not sure which. He was one second before the line, and I knew...this was it!! I grabbed the leg of this lovely young girl I had only met a hour or so ago for the first time. I realize now this is something that can only happen in Clay Land. Where else can you grab the leg of a virtual stranger with no negative repercussions? And the funny thing is...she...in the same state as I was...grabbed my arm back. We braced ourselves for impact!!! Clay hit with hurricane force!! I believe we both slumped down in our seats. I am not sure what happened after the line was sung. Newmie, who was videotaping beside me, says he laughed and shook his head. Note to self: When I am stronger I must watch the video and see Clay's reaction to the antics of crazy women in second row.

Again, I realize that I do not need any Christmas gifts. Put a bow on that moment and I am good to go for a year or more :grin

It was sad to see the weekend come to an end...but I knew I would be having coffee with Sash and everyone this morning...so it was okay!!

And Clay...he is always with me!

What a weekend in New England!!

WASHINGTON: Hoodied Clay

2005-12-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

Clay wore a hoodie last night while singing a few songs at the Washington D.C. concert. Apparently, a dry cleaner had wrecked one of his outfits :0.

Washington DC Recaps

2005-12-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

Reports from these recappers say Clay has a voice problem last night (hopefully he didn't catch a cold) and that flashes were a problem. Clay skipped Good News and the venue had several technical difficulties. Clay also wore a hoodie for some songs cause a dry cleaner had ruined one of his outfits.

From the CB's CAFan31:

Just got home from the DC concert - and am so embarassed for our city ....... that Clay would comment on the people's behavior - "HOW RUDE!!!" It was truly awful. Flashes came from everywhere - from the time William Joseph played (and even before) throughout Clay's performance. Sporadic flashes - but still very noticable. Can't believe some came from the balcony. It does NO good - so I don't know why people insist on using it. Also disappointed in the non-existent security.

Also disappointed by the attendance. That was so different from Wolf Trap in the summer and all the other venues he's played in. People who did not come truly did miss an absolutely superb performance (albeit sans Good News).

Clay was right on all night long. DSIAFCD was just right on the money. He was so pumped! He nailed every song!! Especially special to my husband and I was "Mary Did You Know". He makes it sound so easy!!!

My husband just kept commenting on how wonderful the play was (He gets it! He really gets it!!!) He thought it was absolutely brilliant. He said it worked so much better in person than what he thought it would be like seeing snippets that I downloaded. He told me he could hardly wait till Baltimore.

Well Claymates, we have our chance to redeem ourselves in Baltimore. I sure hope that this time, we each take the responsibility to stop anyone by us who dares to use flash.

From the CB's siclayfan:

I'm too tired to do a review, but have to say that I initially thought the absense of Good News was due to the flashes and/or his not feeling well.

I'm now pretty certain it was time constraints. I think what supports this theory is the fact that the merchandise table was totally gone when we left the concert. We commented that it was strange that the table was gone, I'm pretty sure it's usually set up and doing business after the concert. The only realistic explanation for this would be that they had to pack up and be out of there at a certain time.

It was a wonderful concert though I thought there were problems with the sound system and perhaps Clay was struggling a bit in the first half. He was magnificent in the 2d half. His banter was pretty brief, again I originally thought it was because he was upset about the flashes, but he did imply that were having problems with the production this evening.

As some have mentioned the last intermission was pretty long. I also thought I saw Jerome shepherding some people backstage during this intermission. This isn't usually the time when there's a meet and greet scheduled. I'm hoping to hear reports from people who had Stub Hub Meet and Greets to see if their time was changed. If Clay had to do a Meet and Greet right in the middle of his performance instead of before it, there must have been a good reason for the change.

I still have one more show to look forward to at Baltimore, then I'm sure the after concert depression will really set in.

Sorry if this isn't very coherent, I'm way over tired.

From the CB's Missy222:

I was in the 12th row last night and I had a great time! The concert was MUCH better then I could of imagined! I hadn't watched much video of it this year so it was new to me. The show lasted about 3 hours total including the pianist and two intermissions. I got it ALL on tape so I'm pleased as punch! My video camera doesn't have that light thingy on it so I taped away! They did try to stop me at the door but I talked them into letting me tape. The lady said NO and the man said YES so I took his answer, LOL! :hehe
I missed the entire piano part in the beginnging due to heavy traffic near the Hall and not being able to find a parking garage. Finally we parked and walked a few blocks in the 22 degree weather, burr!!! When we arrived they were into the first intermission. The same mean lady at the door told me I had missed the first half of the show but I didn't. She was a pistol and needed to be in where the flashers were. We sat next to many nice ladies who were mainly lurkers on the boards. Most of them can't figure out how to post. They said there's been more arguing on the CB then usual. :laugh I don't know, I'm at That's The Clay a lot nowdays.
I LOVED the show! Clay was wearing a white hoodie under his white suit cause he's been fighting a cold. And he didn't sing Good News for that reason. He was saving his voice so he didn't have to cancel any shows. He would of not been able to hit that songs notes well, he cracked many times last night on the higher notes. Other then that you would of not known he had a cold. He didn't act like it and he sang GREAT! I thought he had actually improved if that is possible! I think all those voice lessons paid off. He was doing things with his voice I hadn't heard before. He was just superb! He did come out after intermission and started by saying they didn't allow camera's last year and there were flashes. They allowed camera's this year and there are flashes. That it was rude! Yes, he actually said that! Then of all things, there were a few flashes on the next song. Now those people had some nerve after he just scolded them. The security was on them fast though in the lower sections that I could tell. Overall there were not that many flashes as I keep reading. There was more on DSIAFCD but not tons and it certainly didn't effect him cause it wasn't that noticeable. But that's my take on it. Most the people around me was not from the boards so I don't think a lot of them take it as seriously or are in tune with the seriousness of it. The venue had wayyyy to many empty seats! The upper level did not have many people in it, mainly empty. I think it's due to the coldness and the bad parking situation. I know I'm not inclined to go there again in the winter, we froze! Plus, we were two females walking the streets of D.C. alone. That location is not good.
I loved the show and I can't believe Clay did such a good job on writing all that! He was in great voice except for a few spots. My only lists of improvements are and here goes my opinion...John can dance but he overkills! He wayyyy to dramatic with his expressions and body language. Tone it down and he could be much better. Angela just didn't cut it on her solo, not even close. Quiana did great on her song except she didn't sound good on several high notes. She too has become way to dramatic this year in her body language and she appears almost cocky. It's like she thinks she's all that now. She used to not be like that. (Save your tomatoes, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) :grin There were sound problems in the beginning but they fixed it and it didn't happen again. Overall the show was an A! Great job Clay! My daughter and I had a great time and thought it was a great show! (minus a few problems but those things happen) I did get it ALL on video so I'm excited!!! Took almost two 60 minutes tapes but I didn't stop for anything except for intermission. Oh, Clay did a fancy move during one song and he really did an unreal "Oh Baby!" He really worked it! The venue hustled us out fast last night so time constraints were a factor. This was my only show I'd be attending and I'm sooo glad I went! I got tickets off e-bay this week. $125.00 tickets for $30.00 each, what a bargain for the 12th row!

From the CB's alpha58:

It was COLD in DC last night! Hubby and I metroed in, and walked the many blocks to Constitution Hall. Good reason to walk really fast!

We were about 16 or 17 rows back, close to center, but good seats. I was surprised, as everyone was, to see how empty the venue looked. The orchestra section looked pretty full, but the sides were very sparsely populated.

White hoodie under the suit. I guess he hadn't done that before. I think I prefer a real shirt/tie combo, but if he did it to protect the voice, that's ok too. Couldn't see the socks.

It did seem like there were lots of technical problems last night. Each break (between WJ and Clay, and the regular intermission) took more like 30 minutes than the 20 it was supposed to take. The mike's crackled in the first part, but seemed ok in the second part.

I hadn't watched much clack, so only vaguely knew the structure of the concert/play. I liked the way the vignettes tied the music together, but hubby thought it made the first half too choppy. We both preferred the music in the second half. The dancers were great.

It seemed like Clay was having some voice issues last night. Maybe a cold or something? He did have some cracks in his voice on some songs. It was particularly noticeable in DSIAFCD. I was surprised he went for the glory note. So, when he didn't do GN, I just assumed it was to protect his voice. I guess technical problems at the venue could have contributed as well though. What I DIDN'T think was that Clay was "getting back" for the flashing.

Alison had some family/friends in the audience last night, and they gave her a doll during the intros. No horseplay during intros.

Overall, I enjoyed the concert, Clay was wonderful despite whatever voice issues he may be fighting right now. However, am looking forward to Baltimore tonight. Hoping for a full house and a wonderful version of Good News. And NO FLASHING!

RALEIGH: Special Editions of Hometown Paper for Hometown Concert

2005-12-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

The Raleigh News & Observer is geared up for a week of Clay. Raleigh native Clay will be featured in two editions of the newspaper next week according the the CB's LuvClayinCA.

The Raleigh News & Observer has an upcoming article relating to Clay's homecoming which will appear in its Sunday, December 18, 2005 edition. It will be located in the Arts & Entertaniment portion of the paper. Also, there will be a Clay pull-out poster in the Thursday, December 22, 2005 edition. The manager we spoke with encouraged us to post this information on the message boards.

Management is working on making these papers available for purchase online as well. We don't have any further details. Keep checking the N&O website at www.newsobserver.com for ordering information as it becomes available.

WASHINGTON: Washington Examiner Pre-Concert Article

2005-12-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

Music - Aiken for the holidays
By Brian Truitt
Examiner Staff Writer
Published: Monday, December 12, 2005 9:58 PM EST

"American Idol" Clay Aiken appears at DAR Constitution Hall with his new holiday show tonight. RCA Records photo
During the past year and a half, Clay Aiken has turned Christmas into an ongoing holiday season that keeps on giving. Good thing the Southern "American Idol" runner-up likes the season so much.

To wit: Aiken began recording "Merry Christmas with Love," the best-selling holiday album of last year, in May 2004. Five months later, the North Carolina native was recording a Christmas TV special and rehearsing for his holiday tour, which lasted through the end of the year. In January 2005, Aiken hatched the idea for his current seasonal tour, rounding up actors, singers and dancers over the next few months and waiting until October to start rehearsals.

"This was a late start to Christmas really, if you think about it, for me," Aiken says. "But it's the thing that I look forward to all year. I get really excited about the Christmas tour. It's my favorite part of the year.

"How many people say they love Christmas so much they wish they could have it all year? And I actually did it."

Last year's traditional orchestra tour inspired this year's new-fangled one. The first half of the 2004 shows featured secular Christmas music while during the second act, he would sing the sacred songs ("The First Noel," "O Holy Night," etc.) with each followed by a reading from the Christmas story by a local child from the area.

Aiken liked that aspect so much, being able to bring all of the songs together, he wondered if he could do the same with the secular tunes. He sat down, outlined some text to go in-between the songs, and a simple storyline turned into a full-on scripted play with touring actors and dancers, with the company using community theater groups where they play.

"It's turned into quite the big theatrical production, which works really well to try and convey that whole Christmas spirit to you," Aiken says.

He and the other two singers don't have speaking roles but they play guardian angels for the main character, a woman who's lost the Christmas spirit. To help her get it back, Aiken and company provide her with opportunities to allow her to flash back to past moments a la "A Christmas Carol," pausing action as well as moving it along.

"We really are the soundtrack to the show," says Aiken, who's finishing work on his second CD next month for a spring release. "As she talks about remembering something, we'll push her offstage and bring the flashback up and sing to it and whatnot."

He's been thinking a lot about doling out the yuletide cheer, but he's also smart when planning it. The tour stops in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C, on Dec. 22, where he'll have four days off to spend with his family.

Aiken has never missed a Christmas with his loved ones, and the first holiday he's ever not been with them was this past Thanksgiving, when Aiken couldn't change the tour itinerary in time.

"I've gotten used to not being home very much, whether it be a holiday or not," he says, laughing. "You get used to that. But at the same time, you have a really great group of people on the road - some of them have been with us for two years - and we kinda have become family with them.

"We know each other so well and we've become a family and that's how we spent Thanksgiving this year: We were in Louisville, Kentucky, we had a Thanksgiving dinner catered at the hotel and we all stayed together and ate together. It was almost as good as your family. In some ways just as, because there's less bickering."

btruitt@dcexaminer.com

WASHINGTON: Washington Post Updates Clay Concert Profile

2005-12-13T14:57:00.000-05:00

In anticipation for tonight's concert at the DAR Construction Hall in Washington DC, the Washington Post updated Clay's concert profile page, which includes a highly positive review of Clay's Jukebox concert at Wolftrap in Vienna this past August. It reads:

Clay Aiken
Overview
Aiken transformed a number-two finish on "American Idol" into a fast-moving singing career.
Type: Pop

Details
7:30 Tuesday, Dec. 13
Constitution Hall
1776 D St. NW
Washington, DC
Information: 800-551-7328
Price: $55-$125 (Buy Tickets)

7:30 Wednesday, Dec. 14
Lyric Opera House
140 W. Mount Royal Ave.
Baltimore, MD
Information: 800-551-7328
Price: $45-$65 (Buy Tickets)

Editorial Review
Dave McKenna reviewed an August 2005 Clay Aiken performance for The Washington Post:

Who says girls love bad boys? Certainly not the women who filled Wolf Trap on Monday -- paying ticket prices higher than for any other pop, rock or country singer scheduled to appear at the amphitheater this season. They love Clay Aiken.

And while his voice is polished and he moves about the stage quite comfortably, there's nothing about his new road show, tabbed "The Jukebox Tour," that will convert the nonbelievers, those who didn't cheer when he finished second in the 2003 season of "American Idol," nor swoon when his first post-"Idol" single and two full-length CDs hit No. 1.

Aiken put on the sort of show a wedding singer might if given a big budget. The set list was made up of two hours of really famous cover songs -- it included the longest Elvis medley seen outside of a Las Vegas lounge -- capped off by a handful of tunes from his own, thin discography. Tunes from the Beatles ("Can't Buy Me Love"), Frankie Valli ("December 1963") and Ricky Martin ("Livin' la Vida Loca") were broken up by decade and delivered chronologically from oldest to newest.

Aiken, in between period-specific costume changes, sang mainly abridged versions. One of the few songs that the singer, fronting a seven-piece combo, didn't give short shrift to was "Mandy," the pop gem from Barry Manilow, a founding father of the asexual heartthrob realm that Aiken now rules.

As a good wedding singer would, Aiken had the crowd dancing and singing along with every familiar tune. And just as "Idol" contestants get caught up in nonmusical subplots as the season goes on, Aiken let the fans in on a behind-the-tour soap opera. He alluded to romantic and sexual advances a backup singer, Angela Fisher, had been making toward him, then made a big point of telling her to back off, and bragging with an odd cackle that he'd "shot her down!"

CHARLOTTE: Dinner Package Now Available

2005-12-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

Claymates planning on going to Clay's Charlotte, NC concert at the Charlotte New Arena Dec. 21 can take advantage of a special Claymate dinner, right before the concert. Dinner packages are $30 per person. You must have a ticket to purchase tickets to attend the dinner. You can see more information by clicking on the above posted poster, which the Charlotte New Arena released today.

PENSACOLA: Playful Clay Interviewed by News Journal

2005-12-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

New, funny interview/article with/by the Pensacola News Journal. Clay plays the Pensacola Civic Center later this week.

It's easy to get into a Southern drawl-fest with Clay Aiken
Rebecca Ross
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

I hesitate to write this column because the mere mention of a certain singer's name is enough to flood my inbox with e-mail -- and as I'm sure to get some detail wrong, like his fabric softener preference or the way he takes his latte, not all of that e-mail will be, shall we say ... of a positive nature.

Aw, heck. I'm all about living dangerously, so here goes.

I interviewed Clay Aiken last weekend.

Let me say this: He seemed like a very nice young man.

I got the chance to talk to Aiken for a few minutes by crackly cell phone about his Joyful Noise tour, which is making a stop Sunday at the Pensacola Civic Center.

I had about 10 interesting questions to ask Aiken. But when it came time for the interview, I was told I would have a whopping 10 minutes to talk to him.

OK, so I had ... five questions to ask him. Five searching, thought-provoking questions sure to evoke equally thoughtful responses.

Instead, Clay (we're on a first name basis now) and I spent the first three or so of our precious minutes discussing our Southern accents.

There's some old joke about getting two Irishmen together and hearing their accents get thicker as the evening goes along. Well, the same can be true for two chatty Southerners. It was as if Aiken's charming drawl triggered my genetic Alabama accent.

"Where are you from, Rebecca?" Aiken asked. "I know you're in the Panhandle, but WHERE are you FROM, girl?"

And out of my mouth, one of my cousins said, "Ah'm from raht here!"

Well, we twanged away in a mutual drawl-fest until his publicist broke in to remind me that time was a'wasting.

So, here are some of the Clay'pinions Aiken shared:

On his tour: "This Christmas tour is a lot more work. This year, I opted to change it from an orchestral show with just me singing, to theatrical vignettes with actors. At first, I sat down and wrote an outline from song to song for the vignettes and was going to have someone else finish it, but I'm too cheap and too much of a control freak, so I wrote it all. And it turned out pretty good!"

On singing live: "I don't get tired of singing Christmas songs on the tour because they are different than any other songs. When I sing a song about someone being scorned in love, a certain percentage of the audience can connect. But everyone knows what the Christmas season is about and can get into the spirit. There are certain songs I sing that people always want to clap along to, but what the audience doesn't realize is that there's a delay in the sound, so, I hear their clapping a beat behind the actual music! That used to really throw me off."

On charity: "Giving to charity is a great gift alternative. I wish that my fans, instead of spending money to bring me a little gift at a show, would take that $10 or $15 and donate it to charity instead. That would be wonderful."

So, there you have it.

The nice young man with the easy laugh and infectious accent is performing 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $39 and $49 at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Details: 434-7444, www.clayaiken.com.

Camden Recaps

2005-12-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

Jumbotrons appeared for the first time this tour last night at the Camden concert!

From CDD contributor, Romy:

My seats, as always, were in the back on the right. I'm jinxed. It
was very annoying to see rows of empty seats in front of us. The
advantage of the Tweeter Center is the two screens on each side of the
stage, allowing close ups.
Clay Aiken, the business man, the role model, the singer, and the
Christian invested a lot of himself in this show. He put his
creativity, physical energy, vocal talent, and spirituality into it and
it is successful.
As he said, he wanted to expand on the first Joyful Noise concert. He
created a traditional Christmas fable, telling of a older woman who has
lost the joy of the season until it is returned to her by a young boy,
inspired by a Christmas spirit. Clay, dressed all in white and looking
as angelic as "a skinny white boy"S can, echoes Dickens' device of
presenting Christmas past, present, and future. His singing of secular
songs ties the plot together. With elegant hands. he gestures, bells
ring, and the story stops, restarts, and progresses to a happy ending.
Clay wrote this play himself, but credits many people, his team,
singers, dancers, and actors in making it so professional.
His physical energy is phenomenal. He is on the stage practically
the whole show, singing most of the songs. His incredible voice ranges
from high joyful notes to deep resonant tones. He prolongs some of his
notes, knowing that the audience will be excited into applause. Clay
moves across the stage, inspiring the actors, adding songs to move the
story along. He binds the scenes together with song, drama, and humor.
With the acting ability and stage presence of the woman and the boy,
the story touches the heart and gladdens the soul.
After the intermission, the story is moved into church with people in
pews and the boy at the podium reading the story of Christmas from the
bible. When he ends each part, he bows his head. The light moves from
him to Clay, Angela, and Quiana standing on the stage above. Clay
sings the beautiful Christmas carols in his own imitable style. With
the screens you can see close ups of his face. He is very expressive
singing the carols, using his eloquent hand gestures to seemingly shape
the music that flows from his throat.
During the show, Angela performs in one nostalgic scene singing, "I
miss you most at Christmas time." Her rich voices bring a poignancy
and longing for lost love into the music. Later, Quiana sings at the
end of the show, "My grown up Christmas List." The close ups show that
Quiana is as beautiful as her voice. Both "angels" looked lovely in
their long white jackets and pants.
Clay reveals his beliefs, spirituality, and Christianity during the
show. Beside 4s the traditional values imbedded into the plot, there
are the Christmas carols sung in a church setting. Also, Tommy reads
the Christmas story in between carols. Christmas symbols abound: a
crystal ornament in the shape of a star, Clay, Angela and Quiana,
angels all in white and invisible to the actors, bells chiming when
Clay gestures to the actors. The local actors brought into the play
could be seen as shepherds brought to the stable. Music and memories
of the past, love, and hope in the future -- all are part of
Christmas.
In a recorded message at the end, Clay talks of the blessings he has
received, thanking God for his family, friends, and fans. Then he
returns to the stage wearing a black suit, black shirt, and red tie.
He introduces the crew, musicians, dancers, actors, and the local people who also took part.
He then sings, "Don't save it all Christmas Day," a song saying that
the love of Christmas should be shown all through the year.
The curtain closes. Angela and Quiana come out on opposite sides of
the stage. The audience hushes and Clay all in black (red tie
covered) comes out to sing "Good News." He brought so much emotion and
passion to this heartening song that, I am sure, the whole audience was
touched. It resonated with me going home and still this, the morning
after.
I wish Clay would have made a DVD of this show so people who could not
come and all people at Christmas time could receive his message.

From the CB's maryann4clay:

Ok, wow. The concert was AMAZING!!!

I don't know what to say except that Clay's voice was PERFECT tonight. Every note of every song was spot on. I'll be praying for clack.

I thought the crowd was fantastic. It was pretty packed, and everyone was very enthusiastic. Clay received a standing ovation after every song in the second half, and while he sang you could hear a pin drop because his beautiful voice put everyone into a trance. I actually needed to be resuscitated after "Emmanuel" because he killed me with that one. Thankfully I started breathing again and was able to enjoy the rest of the show.

Early in the show there were scattered flashes, and I was getting really worried about "Good News". I was at Reading and the last thing I wanted to see was the flash/strobe light effect again. I was getting nervous for Clay. But when Good News started, a flash went off and quite a few people yelled out "FLASH!!" before Clay even stepped out from behind the curtain. Mission accomplished.... Clay was able to sing without harm to his beautiful eyes. (I think only two flashes went off during "Good News".)

So, Clay looked and sounded incredible tonight, and the night was perfect. I'm so happy that I was able to see this show twice. I LOVE being his fan!!!

From the CB's strollynn63:

HOW CAN YA THUD OVER A JUMBOTRON??????????:thud :thud :thud
The concert was great as usual. Clay's voice was soaring out of the hemisphere. Audience very enthusiastic. Only a few flashes in the beginning, then none. Good work NJ.
The Tweeter looked full to me. The excitement on entering the venue and seeing all different people, men, women, teens, couples was amazing. When leaving everyone had the same remark........THIS GUY CAN SING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL IN ALL, NEW JERSEY HAD THE LOVE GOING FOR CLAY, HE ASKED US TO HUG EVERYONE BEFORE DSIAFC........CLAY LOVE WAS IN THE AIR.
Awesome that he is able to do 40 tours this time out, so many professional photographers there in the front, not just the ones running the jumbotron. Hoping there will be pictures in the paper. ANOTHER HOME RUN FOR OMC!!!! THANKS FOR COMING BACK TO NJ AGAIN.

CINCINNATI: MusicNewsMagazine.net Review

2005-12-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Music Hall is filled with the sights and sounds of "Christmastime" by Clay Aiken during his stop in Cincinnati,Ohio Nov. 26th on The Joyful Noise 2005 Tour
By Teresa Nichols

I know about the concept of "Claymates,"---fans of singer Clay Aiken. If being a fan of Clay means you are a Claymate then you must include me. The very first concert I ever went to was a Clay show at The N.C. State Fair last year in Raleigh,N.C. I practically wore out his "Measure of a Man," CD and his "Merry Christmas with Love," CD is presently playing in my house.
Yes, I'm a geek--Shut Up

Aiken inspires feverish, almost rabid devotion among legions of young, middle-aged and senior women and men(that follow their women). Let's face it, Claymates are not to be messed with.

The crowd was dressed in their Sunday best, and just before the show started, we all listened to Clay's request to "NOT FLASH." People -this is a reasonable request from a man that gives so much. I had my photo taken before the show and saw spots for what seemed like forever. I honored his request as did most of his true fans.

Dressed in an extremely smart white suit, Clay warmed the crowd and our hearts with a show full of beautiful holiday music and vignettes. Clay was clearly here to spread a very special message: " Not only is "Joyful Noise" dedicated to God for all the blessings that he has given me, but it's dedicated to each of you for being those blessings. I make this "Joyful Noise" for you."
This comes from the heart of a very special person. Clay, thank you so much for all the joy you bring us. This show was nothing short of spectacular. It was also written and produced by Clay himself. He continues to surprise and amaze us. We will eagerly await to see what he does next, while collecting more clack.

A night of amazing holiday music opened with Warner recording artist: William Joseph. His first piece was "Carol of the Bells." He is an incredible pianist. He has a fresh, dynamic sound that kept me on the edge of my seat. We were next treated to " Within," from his CD released in 2004 which is titled "Within." It is clear, precise and flows from a classical unique eloquent sound to a full new age excitement. He also included, "Grace," "Homeward Bound," which is Clay's favorite off the album and "Ausperius," which is off of his upcoming album. William is an extraordinary young piano virtuoso. I see nothing but bright stars in his future.

I think of snow, cold, fireplaces, giving gifts, making people feel good, family, and love thanks to Clay and The Joyful Noise 2 Show. Clay was in fine form. He looks and sounds great, has a friendly, self-depreciating stage presence and knows how to work a crowd into a frenzy. Although, with this crowd he probably could have done that by just standing there, which he did for small parts of the vignettes.

He opened with "Christmastime," which was truly uplifting, receiving that special Clay Aiken treatment. He looked very handsome dressed in his white suit, he had no problem heating things up. Additionally keeping the crowd of fans warm were such joyful holiday tunes -"Merry Christmas With Love," "Sleigh Ride," "Jingle Bells," and "Season for Romance." He was joined on stage by many superb performers to give us a feel of watching a holiday Christmas special, and special it was.

Throughout the first half of the show, we were treated to vignettes (which included the brillent talent of: Alison Lawrence -Clay's High School Choir Teacher which you can read about on page 101 of Aiken's book, Learning to Sing: Hearing the music in your life and Gregory Ravary Ellis who is a sixth grader at Magellan Charter School in Raleigh, N.C.).It was very magical to watch Clay start and stop these fine performers with the wave of his hand. I feel I was actually drawn into the play and became eager to see what was going to happen next. My favorite scene had to be the lines Gregory spoke involving coming in 2nd. Now, who do we know that should have come in first, but came in second?

Other holiday songs included, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Christmas Waltz," "Silver Bells," "The Christmas Song," and a duet with Angela Fisher -"I Miss U Most at Christmas Time. This song brought me to tears, reminding me of how much I miss my Dad, who died 4 years ago, especially at Christmastime.

The 1st half of the show closed with Clay, Quiana, and Angela singing "Celebrate Me Home." They interacted with the vignette, putting everyone in the Christmas mood. This was followed by about a 20 minute intermission.

The 2nd half contained traditional carols to create a glowing atmosphere of vocal warmth and buoyancy.I am so disappointed to admit that I reviewed the rest of the show via a tape. It was necessary I leave early to complete packing for a business trip to Raleigh. Like Clay, I want to move back home, and it required I leave very early Sunday morning.

It opened with "O Holy Night," a beautiful Christmas classic, followed by "The First Noel." The set gave us the feel of being in church for a very special Christmas program. Gregory reads to us, followed by the angelic voice of Clay who was accompanied by Angela and Quiana. Flawless and beautifully executed, it was simply incredible. His voice seemed to flow, reaching those notes that sent chills down my spine. Clay, did I hear you say "Wooo," at the end of this number?

"Hark The Hearld Angels Sing," and "O Come All Ye Faithful" followed. We listened to a reading from Gregory and then the spotlight hit Clay and he preceeded to grab our hearts and execute a flawless rendition of "O Come O Come Emmanuel, " that could only be pulled off by Clay. You could almost see a bright light shining down from heaven on him.

Gregory briefly read again and Clay went into "Mary Did You Know," as the light continued to shine down on Clay who again was accompanied by the extraordinary talents of Quiana and Angela. Beautiful, Beautiful job.

Quiana, a true talent in her own right, treated the fans to, "My Grown Up Christmas Wish." Again, chills were sent down my spine. She gives a dramatic, gospel-inspired vocal performance that made this old classic sound fresh.

The crowd was very pleased and well-behaved, much calmer than the crowds on his solo tours. This is what Clay wanted, and his fans will do whatever it takes to fulfill Clay's wishes.

Clay reserved a special time to include introductions and a little banter. He thanked everyone for being part of his family and preceded to introduce the members of the band. He reminded everyone that they could pick up a copy of William Joseph's new CD "Within," in the lobby. He also informed us that the character of Beverly played by Alison Lawrence became the character from "Merry Christmas With Love." A huge part of the cast for this show in Cincinnati are part of The Cincinnati Music Theater and he encouraged us to support them. Our challenge from Clay for 2006 is to tell people how much we care. Excellent challenge as it seems today, most people get caught up in their lives and forget to tell one another they care. I will start---"Clay, I care (The list of people I do care about is too long to mention, but I will be letting them know).

The show closed with my favorite Clay Christmas song, "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day." Incredible performance, it seems he can hold a note for an eternity and it stays with you, long after the show ends.
Angela and Quiana begin the very last song, "Good News," and you see Clay come out from behind the curtain dressed in his very sharp black suit (long coat tails looked very dashing). The crowd just loved it.
If you have not seen this show, I suggest you hurry to get your ticket.
This show is Good News.
Merry Christmas Everyone!

WASHINGTON: Claymates Getting Ready: Washington Post

2005-12-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

HERE & NOW
Sunday, December 11, 2005; Page N02
POP MUSIC
The Washington Post

THE SHRIEKING YOU MIGHT HEAR Tuesday night will be from the Clayniacs, who are still apt to melt at the mere sight of Ruben Studdard's bridesmaid. Clay Aiken's 15-minute stay under the celebrity spotlight keeps getting extended. A year ago, the "American Idol" second-season runner-up was burning up the world like a yule log with an affinity for hair gel and middle-of-the-road pop. His 2004 album, "Merry Christmas With Love," was setting holiday-album sales records; "A Clay Aiken Christmas" was on NBC in prime time; and the singer's Christmas-centric Joyful Noise tour was doing boffo box-office biz. Ticket sales aren't quite as robust for the Joyful Noise sequel, but Aiken is no less enthusiastic about spreading his saccharine brand of holiday cheer. Do you hear what I hear? Right: The Aiken faithful, clearing their throats in anticipation.

-- J. Freedom du Lac

At DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. $55-$125. Call 202-628-1776 or visithttp://www.ticketmaster.com.

Wallingford Recaps

2005-12-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

From the CB's imsnoqueen:

I live in Ohio and traveled to Wallingford with regaledbyclay. We were lucky enough to be in the fifth row, center.

As far as the size of the crowd, the orchestra center seemed to be quite full all the way to the back. But the far side sections were not full, and I don't know about the upper levels because I couldn't see them. There was a couple next to me, I'd say in their 40's, who had never seen Clay live. They were amazed at our stories regarding Clay's internet fan community. They couldn't believe how fans travel to see him. After Mary Did You Know, the woman leaned over to ask me if that song was on the Christmas album. After the concert, they both said that it was incredible. I encouraged them to attend the next tour, as they would see more of banter Clay. :thumbup

I would agree that the crowd was subdued in the first half. I felt that Clay struggled with a few of the songs, and I thought he might have a cold coming on. The crowd clearly showed Clay appreciation in the second half, with several standing O's. regaledbyclay felt that Clay had some problems with Oh Holy Night, but after that, he dug down deep and was amazing. On Emmanuel, at one point he bent his knees, and I was so moved...it was as if he was singing from the depths of his soul. The second half is clearly my favorite. It's incredible. Quiana and Angela were wonderful on their solos.

Sock report: I can't tell you what color they were. But it was hilarious when Clay sat down during the cookie making Christmas Song (chestnuts roasting). In unison, several of us leaned forward and up to try to see the socks. Hopefully, someone captured the socks on film, using no flashes, of course. The woman next to me leaned forward as well, but I don't think she had any idea why. Maybe because the rest of us did. :laugh

Very few flashes. DSIAFCD was great. Clay looks so great in the black suit. He did a hip bump with Angela right before the glory note. She seemed surprised. It was cute.

It was nice to see jojoct again. I finally met Mamarose. Sash...I looked for you.

Everyone seemed to leave happy. William Joseph had swarms of people surrounding him in the lobby.

I am once again amazed by Clay's talent.

Hoodies are back in stock. They were selling leftover ornaments from the Council Bluffs concert.

I'm usually not driven to go out to the buses, but I wanted to do one for JNT2, and this seemed like a good one.

I think the concert ended at about 10:45, and we hung around inside because it was getting cold out. We went to the buses at about 11:15. The crowd at the buses ended up being about 40 people (my guess). Security told people to stand back quite a ways from the barricades, near a snow bank. The fans followed all instructions, and were extremely orderly.

As is the usual routine, Clay is the last one to come out to the busses. He had on red checked PJ bottoms, tennis shoes, no gloves, and his GMA jacket. He had his hood up and looked so thin. Clay had his arms full when he came out. He dropped off whatever he was carrying and walked over to one of the other buses by himself. It was icy/slippery between the buses. Jerome accepted gifts for Clay from 2 fans, and put them on what I think was Clay's bus. Jerome took Raleigh for a little walk and a potty break.

Someone called out to Jerome to put on a coat, and he answered that he wasn't planning to be outside much longer.

After about 5 minutes, Jerome told everyone they could move up to the barricades, but they were not to push them forward. Everyone followed instructions to the letter. At about midnight, Jerome went over to the bus Clay was in and knocked on the door. I saw these 2 feet hit the ground and Clay came out. He looked like a real cutie, and remarked he didn't want to fall. Then he put both his arms up, and waved his hands saying, "now don't pull me, don't pull me." :grin Okay Clay. I said, "we won't pull you". :laugh Hilarious. Then he went down the line, and I think he touched or shook every outstretched hand, saying "Merry Christmas".

When Clay got to the end of the line, he walked very carefully on the ice, then made a "shooing" motion about 4 times, saying "Go Home." It was not in a mean way....I think he realized it was cold and didn't want people to be out in the cold any longer.

As we went back to our car, I said to regaledbyclay that Clay lookes so young and cute, with that southern accent, out by the buses. But, as I think they said in the Elle article, "He sings like a big, bad man."

WOW, Clay, you provided a fun evening for me...another cherished memory.

On to Camden. :outtahere

From the CB's inspiredbyclay:

I'm back from an incredible concert. Clay was just sensational.
Just read the cellcert and it is a great recap of the night so I won't go through of the songs.

I, also, saw a number of empty seats on the sides of the theatre, but the rest of the place looked packed. We did have empty seats in our row and, thankfully, we were able to move over closed to the middle. That saved the first half of the concert for us. Our only regret, during the second half, we could not see Clay at all when he was in the back of stage.(I wish they had staged the chuch scene differently and allowed Clay to be front & center.) Thank goodness for the jumbotrons. We were able to see how expressive and passionate he was. The sound system was great and Clay's voice was pure perfection. I loved OHN & Immanual in particular. Well, actually the whole set was remarkable. The crowd went wild. You could feel the audiences emotional responses.

I just melted and went weak in the knees during DSIAFCD. Our whole section all stood up in unison and screamed during "baby that's a fact" and went completely nuts for the glory note.

All in all, it was a great night, but it went by too fast.

From the CB's JCsPrincess07:

The lady who checked my ticket at the doors didn't ask to look in my purse, but she asked if I had a camera. When I said yes, she didn't ask to see it, but she handed me a piece of white electrical tape and said, "This needs to be on the flash the entire time. He has a medical eye condition." I was planning on keeping my flash off anyway, but I dutifully put the tape on my flash as an extra precaution.

I was up in the first row of the balcony (the loge), and from what I could see, the balcony was packed. The floor seemed full except for the two farthest side sections, and half of the second sections from the wall. There were also two rows in the lower orchestra that were completely empty, but we watched people fill those up during intermission. They weren't there the first half, so I don't know where they came from (perhaps people in the orchestra section moving to get a better view?)

Clay sounded beautiful. There are no words to describe it. I loved Emmanuel the best. I hadn't watched/listened to any clack before the show so I could hear it for the first time last night, and I'm so glad I did. He sounded like an angel.

I loved when Gregory came out during the introductions wearing one of the dancer's suit jackets, and Clay said, "What posessed you to do that?" :laugh I was hoping for more banter, but what he did say was cute.

Saw William joseph in the lobby. There were too many people, and I didn't feel like waiting, but I think he is just so nice to stand there in the middle of a mob of people and sign autographs.

I wanted to wait by the buses, but it was FREEZING and I was wearing a skirt, so I didn't think I'd make it another hour. I sort of wish I had waited, but oh well. Maybe in warmer weather.

I don't have much hope for my pictures. i already knew they wouldn't be great, since I was up so high, but I thought the zoom might help. The pictures look so tiny on my camera screen, I will be surprised if I can see anything at all. I'm :pray that something will be distinguishable.

Sorry for the sporadic review. My thoughts are all jumbled up. I guess that's what Clay does to you

From the CB's cookiedog8:

Well, let me first say that my big. 6'3", 260 lb husband, who teases me mercilessly about Clay and who would have happily stayed home to watch basketball, CRIED. His face was all wet when they turned on the lights at intermission. My daughter and I (who had been to the Albany show) did a secret little high five. Then he got really into swaying with the rest of us during DSIAFCD.

I did notice Clay struggle a few times, but it's always endearing as you know he is trying his hardest to give us his gift no matter what. It was most noticeable during OHN when he has to get to some tough notes without a lot of backup music. During DSIAFCD, I thought for a second that he wasn't going to do the glory note! Quiana started it instead of him, then he joined in and did hit it, but she stayed with him, just in case.

I too wish Clay was down front during the second half. We did have trouble seeing him, and we were in the fifth row! We were slightly to the side on the aisle of section 100 (not PB), about a 45 degree angle from center stage. We thought they were going to be great seats, but with Clay being in back, the church pews and the curtain (which, if they would have pulled it back all the way, would have made a huge difference), Clay was often hard if not impossible to see. We couldn't see Gregory during the second half at all. I definitely recommend center seats for this show. (One woman in our row spent the entire intermission trying to find an official person to complain about the curtain not being pulled all the way back, to no avail.).

Not as much banter as in Albany, but several times Clay broke out into giggles as if there was a private joke going on between him and the others. Very funny when the guy below the stage started talking to him and it looked like Clay was talking to the floor. Allison apparently lived in Greenwich, CT before moving to NC (boy, has she got the southern accent down) but there wasn't a lot of response when she was saying where she lived and went to school -- I guess most of the audience were out-of-towners!

Almost no flashes. One or two, and the "big guys" went right to those people to remind them not to flash.

MDYK makes me melt, every time.

Quiana, Angela, luv ya.

Thank you, Clay.:bighug

RALEIGH: News & Observer: Aiken To Share Spotlight

2005-12-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Aiken to share the spotlight
Clay Aiken's 'Joyful Noise' tour stops in Raleigh's RBC center on Dec. 22.
Orla Swift, Staff Writer

Clay Aiken never got to wave a magic wand in Raleigh Little Theatre's annual "Cinderella" musical. The "American Idol" star was only an ensemble member when he performed in the show in the 1990s.

But he now has the magic wand and is waving it at his theatrical alma mater. For the Raleigh stop on his "Joyful Noise" tour, he asked the company to provide a troupe of actors to perform in scenes and songs.

Joining Aiken's cast for the Dec. 22 show at the RBC Center will be Daniel Markhelko, who plays the young prince in this year's "Cinderella," as well as Yolanda Rabun ("Smokey Joe's Cafe"), Charlie McNeill ("Carousel"), company veteran Don Smith and several others. Aiken has also promised a cash donation to the theater.

Company star Alison Lawrence, Aiken's friend and former voice teacher, is riding Clay's sleigh for the whole tour, coordinating the local choirs and community theater actors that join him onstage. And Gregory Ellis, a sixth-grader at Raleigh's Magellan Charter School, is a full-tour joyful noisemaker.

For show details: 834-4000, www.ticketmaster.com.

WASHINGTON: Catch JNT, says Washington Post

2005-12-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

TheScene Shows to Catch
By Curt Fields, Washington Post staff writer
Friday, December 9, 2005; Page WE06

Tuesday
The Claymates in the area already know this (and probably are already in line), but here's a heads up for the less fervent fans of Clay Aiken. The one-time second-place finisher on "American Idol" with the voice made for adult contemporary playlists is at DAR Constitution Hall (202-397-7328) with a Christmas show.

Providence Recaps

2005-12-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

From the CB's Shar8517:

Despite the bad driving and long time to get there, this concert was WELL worth the trouble. Clay was indeed "magical" and put his heart and soul into the songs. He seemed much more rested then in Boston and had a calmness about him that settled me down and made me forget the stress of the 3 hour drive that should have taken 3/4 of an hour. I was BLOWN AWAY by the second half and Clay got Standing O's for all of these songs. It was simply beautiful! The acoustics were amazing in Providence. I absolutely love to watch Clay's face when the other's are acting - he is so proud! I'm sure watching the skits that he wrote come to life each night is very rewarding for him.

The crowed was awesome and cheered and screamed after each song but there was no yelling out during the songs. I thought there was a great energy in the room.

My heart breaks for those who couldn't make it - It was just plain horrific driving. :hug2

From Clay's Daily Double's Clayscience21:

It took my husband and I three hours to drive to Providence because of the snow and traffic (for perspective, it took us less than an hour to get home when the weather and roads were clear). Up to 3:30 pm, we seriously considered not going. Then we decided to give it a try. After getting stuck in our driveway, being rescued by our mail carrier who helped push us out (he's getting a good tip this year), then getting stuck in local traffic for 30 minutes on the first route we chose, then being stuck in Providence traffic for two hours, it's amazing that we actually got there. But it was well worth it. I went to the Boston concert and loved it. But this concert just blew that one away. Clay was vocally perfect and ON. The venue was gorgeous, the accoustics were perfect. Unbelievable show.

WALLINGFORD: Idol Gives Local Performers Chance To Shine

2005-12-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

'Idol' Aiken gives local performers a night in the spotlight
By Jesse D. Smolin, Record-Journal staff

SOUTHINGTON -- Members of the town's community theater will perform on a slightly bigger stage than the one they are used to tonight, when they sing with Clay Aiken at the 5,000-seat Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford.

Twelve theater members will sing backup for the 2003 runner-up on Fox's wildly popular TV series "American Idol" when he brings his holiday concert, "Joyful Noise," to Wallingford.

Wearing winter and formal outfits, the group will sing three songs from Aiken's Christmas album, "Merry Christmas With Love": "Christmas Time," by Mike Smith, "Celebrate Me Home," by Kenny Loggins, and Celine Dion's "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day."

The 40-show tour is the sequel to Aiken's sold-out 2004 holiday tour.

The theater group, which ranges from 7-year-olds to adults, was selected by Aiken days before today's concert and will perform for the first time with his cast at 2 p.m., hours before the 7:30 p.m. concert, said Corrin Campbell, the vice president of the community theater.

After community theater President Chad Valk was contacted by Aiken, he sent a mass e-mail out to see if anyone from the group's past productions was interested.

"Talk about a quick learn," Campbell said. "We meet with the cast and crew of the show and block the songs right before we sing them. It was kind of a short-notice thing."

This is not unusual for Aiken, who often invites members of local theater groups to participate in a series of vignettes with a running story line, written by Aiken. The vignettes feature two main characters and supporting roles are cast in each city with local actors, according to Aiken's Web site.

Cyndi Bird, a member of the theater group, thought Campbell was asking her to attend the concert with her, not perform in it, when she asked her on Thursday.

"It is very exciting to perform in a place the size of the Oakdale (the former name of the Chevrolet Theatre) and with someone of Clay's talent," she said. "It will be surreal to go on stage with him."

Although members of the group admitted to being struck by working with someone they had watched for weeks on TV, they planned to represent their organization.

"Hopefully we will show how professional our organization is. Everyone is thrilled to be on a large stage, but I am more excited that we will get exposure by working with someone as talented as he is," Campbell said.

GENERAL: JNT Musical Director Working on New Project

2005-12-10T13:12:00.000-05:00

Jesse Vargas,Clay's musical director for the JNT tour is working on a new production called "Dreamgirls" according to Playbill News.

Dreamgirls Gets Broadway Talent at Philly's Prince Music Theater

By Kenneth Jones
10 Dec 2005

Prince Music Theater's resident staging of Dreamgirls opens Dec. 10 in Philadelphia, following a week of previews from Dec. 3.

Richard M. Parison, Jr., the Prince's associate artistic director and a recent Barrymore Award nominee for his production of The Big Bang in Philadelphia, stages the new production of the glamorous musical by Henry Krieger (music) and Tom Eyen (book and lyrics). His creative team and cast for the Motown-era musical soap opera is drawn from a pool of artists from New York and Philadelphia.

The show known for its flash, glitter and "big" feel is scaled-down at the Prince to allow "focus on the emotional journey of the women," Parison told Playbill.com.

"The scenic design is completely different than the original design, but still incorporates the fluidity and the cinematic nature of the piece," he said.

He calls this revival a sort of chamber version of the pop show, though none of the power of the Krieger-Eyen score is diminished.

Parison explained, "It's one of the things that regional theatre can do really well: Take things that are large in scale and take a fresh approach to it in a way that can create something exciting for our community. We've been playing to sold out houses since previews."

The music director is Jesse Vargas (Bare: A Pop Opera, Altar Boyz Off-Broadway and Joyful Noise: The Clay Aiken National Tour). Mercedes Ellington (Play On! on Broadway, Ambassador Satch at Prince Music Theater) choreographs.

PROVIDENCE: Providence Journal Review

2005-12-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Mixed review from the Providence Journal. Compliments Clay's voice, says theatrics ruined the show.

Theatrics detract from Aiken's schtick
01:00 AM EST on Saturday, December 10, 2005
BY RICK MASSIMO
Journal Pop Music Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Well, you have to give Clay Aiken credit for trying, I guess. For his second Christmas tour in two years, which stopped at the Providence Performing Arts Center last night, he made some changes, going with a more theatrical stage show that included actors, sketches and sets (including a contingent from the Community Players of Pawtucket).

Unfortunately, the hokey theatrics (written by Aiken) didn't enhance the show; they got in the way.

Aiken's voice is still in fine form -- in fact, it seems to have mellowed some over the past few years. Perhaps he feels he has less to prove, usually a good thing for any artist, or perhaps he's broken out of the American Idol check-me-out template of performance.

But one of the other keys to his appeal is his onstage demeanor -- his self-effacing sense of humor and all-around good-natured schtick. None of that was on display last night, as Aiken flitted among the actors, never interacting but stopping time with a magical wave of his hand, complete with synchronized chimes.

Musically, the first half of the show relied on Christmas chestnuts such as "Sleigh Ride" and "Jingle Bells," along with some songs from Aiken's Christmas album, last year's Merry Christmas With Love, and a couple of originals to advance the plot.

Oh yeah, the plot: An adorably pesky kid badgers the neighborhood "mean old hag" (who, truth be told, isn't really so mean) into remembering what Christmas is all about.

The second set, in which the kid narrates a church Christmas musical, is the template for Aiken to cut loose on more frankly religious material, such as "O Holy Night" and "Mary, Did You Know?"

So that's about it. That's OK -- thinner theatrical blueprints have been great -- as long as they're delivered with some good-natured humor. Aiken's got it in spades but this show left him looking arch and otherworldly, when the rest of the year, it's his very worldliness that helps him get over.

Pianist William Joseph, who also played in Aiken's band, opened the show with piano instrumentals from his own debut album, Within, and an offbeat cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." He's got chops to spare, but his compositions were only sporadically interesting and his forced use of backing tapes instead of a live band was unfortunate.

PENSACOLA: We Have A Winner!

2005-12-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Pensacola News Journal announced their winner to their making Clay contest. The News Journal challenged fans to create a 'representation' of Clay using a combination of mediums. Doris Fehl won a pair of tickets to Clay's Pensacola show later this month.

Makin' Clay
Contest winner from Milton takes home two tickets to 'American Idol' singer's 'Joyful Noise' concert
Rebecca Ross
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

Well, our "Makin' Aiken" Clay Aiken contest is finally over, and we're ready to reveal the creative winner of two tickets to his Dec. 18 show at the Civic Center.

Drum roll, please .... and the winner is Doris Fehl!

While we expected to be bombarded with all sorts of wacky, handmade Aiken creations (frankly, we were hoping to be up to our necks in glitter and google-eyed Clays), we learned that most local fans couldn't wait for a contest -- they were buying their own tickets, and fast. We had lots of out-of-state fans who wanted to enter the locals-only contest, including one devoted soul from Canada, but in the end, it was Milton resident Fehl's entry that was the clear winner.

"I'm so excited! I have never, ever done anything like this before, and I can't believe it," the 49-year-old Aiken devotee cried, upon hearing the good news.

Fehl has followed Aiken's career since his 2003 appearance on the second season of the competitive singing series "American Idol," which she watched with her daughter, Cori Lyn, now 16.

"My eyes were glued to the TV while the show was on. Clay was so talented and nice, that I just fell in love with him. I thought right from the beginning that he would win the competition," she said of Aiken, who lost in the finals to fellow competitor Ruben Studdard. "In my heart, he did win!"

For the contest, she spent two weeks creating a poseable, jelly bean-eyed miniature Clay Aiken who comes complete with his very own stage and lollipop microphone.

"I don't consider myself a creative person, but after I went to a lot of craft stores, I decided to try and make a little mannequin out of different things," said Fehl, who used a small box for Aiken's head, wooden letters for his ears, and fake fur for his hair.

She struggled with the figure's facial features, before deciding to work with a variety of sugary treats that would also represent Aiken's "sweet nature."

"Thank goodness my husband and daughter love candy," Fehl chuckled. "I bought two bags of jelly beans, looking for baby blue ones to use for his eyes, and I found only two that were the right color, so I figured it was meant to be. The whole thing turned out better than I could have imagined."

Fehl plans to take her husband, John, with her to the concert, and she said she doesn't know if she can wait to see Clay Aiken perform live.

And what does Fehl's family think about her Clay mania?

"Oh, my family thinks I'm crazy," she said with a hearty laugh. "And my husband John? He's just jealous."

ALBANY: Times Union Review

2005-12-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Review of the Albany concert from the Albany Times Union. Mixed.

Aiken's 'Joyful Noise' is strange
By MICHAEL ECK, Special to the Times Union
First published: Friday, December 9, 2005
review

ALBANY -- Weird.
When someone asks if you've heard how the Clay Aiken performance at the Palace Theatre was on Thursday night, just say weird.

Aiken's "Joyful Noise" tour is more than just a concert, it's a traveling show replete with stage band, dancers, and, um, actors.

Aiken, you see, has written a play that accompanies the songs. Unless it's the other way around.

Let's say he's not Shakespeare.

Aiken's story concerns an old woman, Mrs. Ledford, who's doing her best to be a distaff Scrooge. Her plan is foiled by the arrival of Tommy, a neighborhood lad with -- anyone? -- a heart of gold.

Aikens spins sugar, not a tale. Each scene gets sweeter and sweeter until the stage is an icky mess.

Amid all this holly, mistletoe and magi Aiken sings the expected classics -- "Sleigh Ride," "The Christmas Song," "Silver Bells, "Oh, Holy Night."

His writing does grab a genuine laugh when it's revealed that Tommy, like Aiken, came in second at a school talent show (Aiken's career hangs on coming in second in "American Idol"). But Aiken, the writer can't leave well enough alone. He milks it through four more punchlines until the idea deflates itself.

For up to $127 a ticket the man should stick to singing.

What about the singing?

Well, let's just say he's not Frank Sinatra either.

Still, Aiken can carry a tune, and the familiar melodies sounded pleasant enough.

The sound, however, was questionable at best. For much of the first act Aiken's voice, amplified through a headset microphone, sounded muffled, with the high end blunted and the bottom end watery.

To make matters worse, Aiken looked blunted and watery, too.

Given the lush production values of the stage set it would seem that Aiken and company could afford a real spotlight. Instead he was almost lost in shadow. Occasionally he would stick his face into the bright pool of light surrounding a scene, almost as if to prove he was actually in the building.

Aiken was more audible in the second act -- set in a church for a Christmas eve service -- but he was no more personable.

It almost seems unfair for Aiken to simply play a role (a white clad narrator? preacher? cipher?) onstage, when his fame is built on being the boy next door, a friendly approachable guy.

He might take a hint from Martina McBride, whose Christmas shows are also different from a standard concert but are so all-embracing that she literally invites the audience onstage.

New piano phenom William Joseph opened the show with 20 minutes of dinner music.

Michael Eck is a freelance writer from Albany and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

MUSIC REVIEW

CLAY AIKEN with William Joseph

When: 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: The Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany

Length: William Joseph, 20 minutes; Clay Aiken, 2 hours, 20 minutes. One intermission.

The crowd: More than 2,100 "Clayheads" sat rapt for Aiken's show.

Albany Recaps

2005-12-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

From the CB's MarLovesClay:

I can't possibly be the first! I don't think this has ever happened to me! Well, this was a SHORT drive home, only two hours!!!

Anyway, I do have to work in the a.m., but let me say that this was the absolutely positively best concert I have EVER been to, EVER. This tops any Clay concert ever. This is from someone who was in Wilkes Barre for the IT!!!

When we first started, I said to riversend who I was sitting with, that the crowd seemed pretty subdued compared to last Saturday night in NYC. Well, that didn't last long. The first half of course was magical. This time I was sitting on right side facing the stage, and had been left in Ohio and center in NYC. I think I liked this the best. We were in the 2nd row, but there were no seats ahead of us, so we had a clear view of Clay. I actually took video of The Christmas Song 'cause he was right there sitting in the kitchen. We bought these seats just two nights ago from the CB, and I thank our seller! This allowed us to give my friend and her daughter our 6th row center. They had 6th row RC, and riversend went to the very back row, and in the second to last row, found a mother and an adorable little boy to give those tickets to. I wanted to cry when I saw his cute little face.

Oh, one funny thing in the first half, during Sleigh Ride when he gets down in front of them on the "sleigh", it almost looked like he was going to fall backwards on his butt.

The second half, well, his voice was stronger than ever, and in this beautiful venue the setting was gorgeous. He got several standing O's......I remember specifically after TFN, which of course I had to wipe tears through. And just seeing him standing there looking out over the audience who are practically all on their feet. Speaking of, it was a pretty full house, full on the floor, and it looked good in the balcony too. The place seemed big!!! Not sure on the count.

Each song was flawless in the second half, and I don't recall the Aiken random lyric generator being out at all. The intros were cute, not as long as NYC, but he got a kick out of a bunch of college folks I think who cheered wildly as the local players were from there. Clay jumped back when they cheered and joked about him not getting those kinds of screams from them.

I got choked up as DSIAFCD started, knowing this was my last show, and knowing it will be a long while before we see him on tour again. (Where's that PCD thread???) This song alone might have made this the best show ever. The energy was the best I have ever seen. The glory note......just unbelievable. And he did that high note at the end and Quiana seemed to be happy. The best part of the song for us was right after "oh baby that's a fact". Riversend and I were grinning from ear to ear and nodding, and as he walked over toward us, he saw us, and he did an eyebrow raise to us while he was smiling, really really cute. I so pray it's on video.

Just when you think that's the best, he comes out with GN. Sigh. I wonder if we'll see that next year, but I savored it tonight. In fact, the whole show. I only took 2 videos, the other being Emmanuel, and I'll try to get those off to the CH server before I hit the sack here. I'll post some pictures tomorrow, especially got some yummy ones of him in the pew (is that terrible????? )

Anyway, I am too happy right now to be sad it's over. This show gets better and better, and this was my favorite tour, and tonight, my favorite show. It's just HIM. That's all I can say. It's sweet, charming, engaging, reverent, powerful, energetic, exhilarating, and finally worshipful.

It's been a privilege to be able to attend these three shows, to see Clay, and so many friends again. Or perhaps I should say family.

P.S. Always love sitting in mamarose's lap!

From the CB's snarkystripes:

Clay was "flat out" amazing last night. (Ever since Harry Smith on the CBS Early Show said that to him last week I've decided, hey, I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT!).

I ditto everything Mar said.

During the second half he just. never. stopped. He keeps the songs firing at you till you can't breathe.

Emmanuel - OMG. I was sitting next to flyonthewall, grabbed her arm. It was stunning. I almost think he did it in a different key. Not sure. But he slid down into his lower register a few times and it was like GUH. Buttah. Oh my. I melted.

TFN - what is it about this song? Wow! The power and feeling that pours out of him is, well, FLAT OUT AMAZING!

DIAFCD - we got a very hawt "Oh baby that's a fact" - oh yeah. And the dancers are really into this song now. They jump and down and thump on the stage and egg Clay on before he hits the glory night. The crowd goes wild.

I thought the crowd was a bit subdued in the beginning. Second half all bets were off. Standing O's for all songs. I was surprised though. I was in 6th row center and the first few rows center hardly stood before DSIAFCD.

One of the moments of the show that touched me the most wasn't a song. It was Clay's comments to the crowd from back stage, when he shared what "joyful noise" means to him and how this show is a gift to God and a gift to his fans. This was so very meaningful to me.

He is a blessing to all of us. Truly. With a capital "T."

RALEIGH: WRAL Coats For The Child Drive

2005-12-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

WRAL is challenging Claymates in the Raleigh area! As part of its 2005 Coats For The Child drive, WRAL has given away an autographed copy of Merry Christmas With Love ($100 donation) and a pair of tickets to Clay's Raleigh concert Dec. 22 ($255 donation). Tune into WRAL tonight at 7 and 11:35, if you would get your chance to grab another pair of tickets, in exchange for a $255 donation. More information is available at WRAL.com.

WALLINGFORD: Interview with Hartford Courant

2005-12-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

The Hartford Courant interviewed Clay this week. Clay plays the Chevrolet Center in Wallingford, CT on Saturday night.

For Clay Aiken, Life After 'Idol' Has Been Joyful

December 8, 2005
By AMY ELLIS, Courant Staff Writer Your holiday wishes have come true. Clay Aiken, runner-up to Ruben Studdard in "American Idol 2," is back in town.

Aiken brings his "Joyful Noise 2005" tour to the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford Saturday night.

"Joyful Noise 2005" is the sequel to Aiken's first holiday tour and will feature songs from his "Merry Christmas with Love" CD. The concert includes several songs Clay recorded for the album that didn't appear on the CD as well as new arrangements for some traditional favorites.

We talked to Aiken by phone this week from Boston:

Q: You're doing something a little different this year on tour: a series of vignettes with a running storyline, which you wrote?

A: We actually played Wallingford last year and we had a show that was just music with an orchestra. The second half with the religious songs, we tried to connect them together with some local school children reading passages from the Christmas story. As I watched that part I thought, you know it would be great if we could figure out a way to link together the non-religious songs too, with the story, and try to make them have some purpose, some meaning, some story to them ... I was going to do an outline and hand it off to somebody else and let them write out a script and it turned out that if you want something done right you do it yourself.

Q: So how's it going? Are you happy with the way it's come out?

A: It's a lot of work but we've pulled it off. We had a really great director come in and really made it work really well; we've got some dancers who kind of provide flashbacks for us and really pulled it all together into a very, professionally done, produced show.

Q: I'm sure you've been asked this question a million times, but what's your favorite holiday song to sing?

A: I get it asked all the time, my favorite kind of changes. My favorite Christmas song of all has always been "O Come, O Come, Emanuel" and I didn't get to put that on the Christmas album; this year for the tour we decided to do it. And so I think that's probably my favorite. ... Since I didn't put it on the album I haven't worn it out for myself yet.

Q: Does your family have any special holiday traditions that you do every year?

A: You know, not really as far as strange, creative holiday traditions. We don't really do anything different. We always get together as a family, the whole extended family comes together at my grandparents' house and that's nice because often times it's the only time I get to see some cousins throughout the year. It will be a little different because my brother just got back from Iraq; he's stationed at Camp Lejeune. He'll be home for the holiday but a lot of his friends who are Marines with him probably won't be able to make it home, so he'll bring them home with him. And we'll have some people who are from the tour who aren't able to make it back home or who aren't going home for Christmas ...so we're going to have an extremely extended family for Christmas with us.

Q: You're working on a new album. Are you planning on doing any collaborations with anyone? Any duets?

A: We started before the tour, we stopped before the tour and we get back in the studio some time around January. ... I'd love to sing with somebody else. I'd love to put a duet on the album. We've just got to find the right person to do it with.

Q: Any artists come to mind?

A: Well there's definitely people who I think are talented and I would love to sing with. ... I think there are people like Faith Hill and Martina McBride who are extremely talented.

Q: Well you didn't win "American Idol" but you've had a lot of success since the show. What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been so far?

A: It's hard to say. I could say a few things like, you know, 'We had an album,' 'We had a Christmas tour' and so on and so forth. Honestly for me, I think probably the biggest accomplishment has been being able to go and do things working with the [Bubel/Aiken] foundation that I've set up.

ALBANY: Albany Time Union Article

2005-12-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

Q&A article with Clay from the Albany Times Union. Clay plays the Palace Theatre tonight in Albany.

Claymates in Clayland
'American Idol' star brings his holiday tour to the Palace tonight

By STEVE BARNES Senior writer
First published: Thursday, December 8, 2005

Clay Aiken, a big-voiced nerd from North Carolina and the most successful loser in "American Idol" history, is on his way to becoming the next Barry Manilow: adored by legions of fervent fan-addicts ("Claymates") who buy his albums by the millions, yet considered a punch line, or ignored altogether, by an even larger contingent of the population.
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After finishing as runner-up to soul crooner Ruben Studdard in the second season of "AI" in 2003, Aiken, now 27, went on to release the smash-selling CD "Measure of a Man" and to tour solo, drawing screams and sighs from audiences comprised mostly of generations of women.

This holiday season, as he did last year, the proudly Christian Aiken is touring with a Christmas show. He, backup singers, dancers and a band provide the theatrical and musical accompaniment, including many songs from Aiken's multiplatium "Merry Christmas, With Love" CD, for a story performed by actors. Aiken wrote the script, which details how a grumpy lady finds her holiday happiness restored by the ebullient festiveness of an 11-year-old boy.

Aiken's "Joyful Noise" tour makes a stop tonight at the Palace Theatre in Albany.

Because the fervency of his fans plays an unusually large part in his career -- and because the Claymates know far more about him that we do -- we asked them what they wondered about him. The interview questions below were e-mailed to the Times Union and read to Aiken. When available, questioners' full names, ages and places of residence are given.

Q: (Judy Constantino, Capital Region): What do you want for Christmas (besides world peace)?

A: At this point I'm pretty happy, and I'm sure I'm a lot tougher to buy for than I used to be. I guarantee if I told somebody something I wanted, fans would go and spend their own money and I'd get 55 of them, so I'm a little hesistant to say anything. I'm pretty content right now. I do want my house I'm building (in North Carolina) to be finished.

Q: (Danielle Crandall, 35, South Lake, Texas; signs her e-mails "Clay 4 President!") If you had to choose one from the following, which would it be?
A. Unlimited peach ice cream
B. Perfect vision without contacts or glasses
C. Flip-flops for every occasion

A: Oh, gosh. If I had one wish, it wouldn't be any of those three; I don't think I care for any one of them. If I had to pick one I guess it would be the flip-flops.

Q: (Joyce M. Weber, 66, Troy) As a grandmother and mother, my question is: Because you are traveling for the tour, was your mom able to be with you for your Nov. 30 birthday?

A: No, but we'll see each other at Christmas, and we talk often. I'm getting, hopefully, old enough where I can have a birthday without my mom having to be there.

Q: (Karen Ketcham, 52, Rotterdam) Clay, you talk so much onstage it's clear you're a "born talker." How do you protect your voice from the strain of performing almost nightly shows?

A: Oh, my Lord, I don't even pay attention to it; I just kind of do it. My (former high school) choir director, who's on tour with us, says I've always been the very worst when it comes to warming up, protecting the voice and all that mess. I don't think I really do anything.

Q: (Debi Cionek, 51-year-old Claymate, South Glens Falls) When you're singing at a concert, which do you prefer singing: a slow ballad or an upbeat song?
A: Oh, my goodness, it kind of depends. It doesn't necessarily depend what the tempo is, but whether it says something and whether it's got a good melody. When it's live, sometimes ballads are more powerful, but when you're recording something, a faster song can be great.

Q: (Miranda Joly, 11, Clifton Park) If you could sing anywhere in the United States, where would it be, and why?:

A: I've done most every state, except I've never been to Louisiana or Mississippi, and I've never been to Montana and I think there's another one -- Wyoming. So I probably would go with those: Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana or Wyoming, for my fans there.

Q: (Marilyn Gerby, "over 21," Latham) I was chatting online with a couple of friends on The Clayboard, and we all had tickets for a rescheduled show you did in El Cajon, Calif., last Dec. 30, and I said to them on The Clayboard, "Remember, Christmas isn't over 'til the skinny kid sings." Imagine my surprise and delight when you said pretty much the same thing onstage at that show! Ever since then I've been wondering: Did you get that line from me or was it a case of great minds thinking alike?

A: I got it from my manager; he has a penchant for saying that. So I guess I'd say I got it from the manager.

Q: (Mary Shaver, 43, Ingleside, Ontario, Canada) I had to come all the way to Albany to see you last time and will this time, too. When organizing your tour dates, would it be possible to include a city on the eastern side of Canada? I'm sure that I am not the only Clay fan in my area.

A: I don't schedule my tours. I have to trust the agencies or tour operators. Sometimes we have trouble getting to all the places we'd like to.

Q: (Terri Thompson, 50, Niverville) When you were on "American Idol," I voted for you every time -- not once but many times during the evening. Now I'm disappointed to see the price of tickets. They are $47 to $127, and some online sites have them as high as $360! What do you say to fans who liked you because you seemed to be a real down-to-earth guy who is now commercialized?

A: That's something that's a concern of mine, too. But I have nothing to do with ticket prices. All I can do is show up. If you buy from a reputable source, tickets are never really higher than the official prices. It sounds like those tickets are being sold illegally. Ticket prices are a concern of mine, and I want to make sure that my shows are affordable for family, but I only have so much control.

Q: (Chris, 38) I know you don't like to talk about your personal life, but we Claymates have heard stories about you with girls in college, making out at parties and such. Tell us the truth: You're not as innocent as you want us to believe, are you?

A: Oh, my gosh! (Laughs) We're nice to you and give you time for one last question and you go for the dirt?

STEVE BARNES: Dirt? That's not dirt. You should see the fans' questions I didn't ask:

A: Oh, my! (Laughs) Well. OK, what was the question again, about making out with girls at parties?
SB: She asked, "We Claymates have heard stories about you with girls in college, making out at parties and such. Tell us the truth: You're not as innocent as you want us to believe, are you?"

A: Some things are best left to the imagination, Claymates.

Steve Barnes can be reached at 454-5489 or by e-mail at sbarnes@timesunion.com.

PITTSBURGH: Claymates Respond to Post-Gazette Article

2005-12-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Claymates responded to this negative critique of Clay's concert today.

Clay was touching
John Young's column on Clay Aiken's Joyful Noise Concert ended saying it was "unseasonable" to mention the negative things he then, in fact, proceeded to mention.

His criticisms of Clay's fabulous show were totally inaccurate. Clay himself wrote that beautiful Christmas script that he combined with music from his Christmas CD along with some new songs. Clay's powerful haunting voice always shines and the vignettes added a beautiful, touching story line so typical of what we want to see at Christmas.

So what does this article say about Mr. Young? Well, in addition to being a freelance writer that the Post-Gazette should not use in the future, it showed him as a reporter whose personal bias came through (maybe jealousy of Clay?) which most of us will write off as totally WRONG. Young never mentioned the great reaction of the audience who absolutely adored the show. That's unfortunate, since this is a real charming piece of entertainment for the mainstream that people should know about.

To Mr. Young: You are clueless of real talent, what Christmas is all about, and how much Clay is admired. You should find another line of work.

Carol Ellis
Oak Lawn, IL
In praise of Clay
My wife and I attended the Clay Aiken concert, and after reading John Young's review (Dec. 1), I've come to the conclusion that he either phoned in his review or had it written before he ever heard a note sung, because he certainly was not at the same show we were. First of all, Miss Beverly (Alison Lawrence) had a problem with her microphone but Mr. Aiken's was fine. In fact everyone around us thought he sounded better than ever.

Also, Mr. Young needs a fact checker; Clay sang "Christmas Serenade," not "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" when Miss Beverly first met her husband.

With regard to Mr. Young's last two sarcastic and condescending paragraphs, holidays ARE sentimental and kitschy. "It's a Wonderful Life" is sentimental. Renewal of spirit is kitschy. It is Mr. Young who needs an infusion of holiday spirit.

After reading this review, I fully understand why Mr. Young is a free-lancer and not a staff writer. See, Mr. Young, I can be sarcastic and condescending also.

Harold Marcus
Squirrel Hil

WALLINGFORD: Norwich Bulletin Concert Preview

2005-12-08T15:05:00.000-05:00

He'll make a joyful noise
By BEN DUTKA
For the Norwich Bulletin

Gannett News Service
Clay Aiken will perform Saturday in Wallingford.

If You Go

Who: Clay Aiken.

Where: Chevrolet Theater, Wallingford.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $38, $48, $58.

Information: Call the Box Office at (203) 265-1501 or purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com
Holiday Choices

It took all of 30 seconds for Clay Aiken to win over the judges at the start of the second season of "American Idol," and the eventual runner-up moved on to win over the American public.

For the holidays, Aiken's bringing his voice and spreading popularity to Connecticut.

Aiken will perform Saturday at the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford as part of his Joyful Noise Tour 2005. Doors open at 6 p.m., show time is 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $38, $48 and $58.

Joyful Noise 2004 was successful enough to spawn the 2005 sequel, which includes 40 concerts throughout the United States and Canada between November and December.

Born Clayton Holmes Grissom in 1978, the young singer adopted his mother's maiden name and graduated in 2003 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in special education.

Aiken became an "Idol" contestant while at UNC, a move that was a springboard to stardom. Because he didn't physically embody the "Idol" image, the judges very nearly discounted Aiken before the first note, but everything changed after he launched into a rendition of Heatwave's "Always and Forever."

His post-"Idol" career began with the single "Bridge Over Troubled Water"/"This is the Night," which became the fastest-selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" in 1997, and the best-selling single of 2003.

April 2004 saw Aiken embark on his first tour, the Independent Tour with the original "Idol," Kelly Clarkson.

The Joyful Noise Tour later that year featured a 30-piece orchestra, and Aiken found himself supported by ensembles such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to his singing career, Aiken has also founded the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the normal-life environment of their nondisabled peers.

From numerous TV appearances to smash hits to lending his time and money to charities around the country, Aiken is one of the busiest artists in music.

Originally published Thursday, December 8, 2005

GENERAL: New Tour Footage On Amazon.com Tomorrow

2005-12-07T16:50:00.000-05:00

As previously announced, Clay will be releasing special behind-the-scenes footage from the Joyful Noise Tour 2005 tomorrow on Amazon.com as part of Amazon.com's efforts to raise funds for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Clay posted this on the official fan club today:

12/07/05 / Clay Exclusive Tour Footage on Amazon.com to Benefit Hurricane Victims
Hi Fans,

I am excited to let you know that I have partnered with Amazon.com and will be involved in a very important effort to help the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As thanks for your support, I would like to give you exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from my Joyful Noise 2005 Tour. Please join me in helping the rebuilding process for those who have lost a place to call home during the holidays and make a donation to my charity of choice, UNICEF. For more information about Amazon.com's Holiday A-List for Hurricane Relief program, please take a look at the information below and be sure to check out my exclusive content on Amazon.com beginning December 8, 2005.

Happy Holidays,
Clay Aiken

BOSTON: Bostonist.com: Claytacular Concert!

2005-12-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

Claytacular Concert Tonight!

Sure, some people like to spend the holidays with family, friends, eggnog, and/or hangovers, but Bostonist is sure that some of you also love a good holiday concert to get you in the festive spirit. We're also sure that lots of you out there have already bought your concert ticket to the Clay Aiken "Joyful Noise" concert at the Boston Orpheum tonight at 7:30p.m. Listen, you don't have to be embarrassed. Bostonist has watched American Idol and although we were always routing for Ruben that season, there was something oddly interesting about the runner-up, Mr. Clay Aiken. Perhaps it was the magic of a new haircut that hid his ears or the possibility of someday learning the answer to the age old question "is he straight?", but Clay invaded America that year and has since been touring. After hearing comedienne Kathy Griffin talk about her love-hate obsession with Clay, we are quite curious to know what goes on at an actual Clay concert. Is the audience composed of only pre-pubescent girls or does he attract an older, more mature crowd of listeners?

Well, if any of you Clay-natics out there are going, write us and let us know how it was. Bostonist will be spending tonight watching our favorite show The Office instead. For those interested, tickets are still available and ain't cheap ($49.50-$68.50 a pop!)