PEACE CENTER GREENVILLE SC FAN REVIEWS

[clayMaine-iac]

AUG 3

[Pamela]

I'm finally home from my Clay three-for-all so I wanted to share a few thoughts with everyone about Greenville, Cary and Wolf Trap. 

Firstly, there is nothing as fun as a road trip with some maniacs!  Thanks to Sundancer, Moonshot, and heater for the friendship and good times!

We attended the party in the hotel restaurant thrown by calliek and savagal from the Clackhouse, and it was fantastic.  The cutest decorations, stylin nametags, yummy buffet and most excellent gift bag prizes!  Especially because both heater and myself won one of them!  Mine was a 1969 gift basket which included a Billboard Greatest Hits of 1969 CD, some John Lennon glasses, lots of old fashioned candy and even some smiley face games.  Good times!  I'll let heater tell about her prize...hee! 

Also, I have to tell you about Libby.  We were eating at the CH party, and a lady was sitting alone at a table outside the party zone, but just beside our table.  She introduced herself as Libby, and said she was what....77 years old I believe.  She drove, by herself, to Greenville from Columbia to see Clay.  Her family thinks she is nuts, but she didn't care; she just wanted to see him no matter what.  We all had a nice little discussion, and I was so happy that Libby's one wish really did come true - "that Clay wouldn't tone down Doves because his Mama was in the audience!!"

Love Libby!

We walked to the Peace Center which was very intimate and nicely air conditioned.  The show was fantastic, I won't go into all the details, but I will say that he sounded fantastic.  To me, he seemed a little tentative at first, but finally released his inner Elvis and moved forward to the end of the show when I finally heard Back for More live for the first time.

Love Back for More!

My friend DanieP80 won a meet and greet in Greenville, so I was happy to see her after the show and her fantastic picture* with Clay as well. 

I ran into so many people from all over the place that I haven't seen since last year, like bweber9 from California and Lainey and Loopy from Canada.

Good times!

Now...on to Cary!

*click on "picture" to see the picture!

[Prissy]

The Greenville Adventure

After our Chastain Adventure, Carol, JoAnn, and I set off for Greenville, SC, August 3.  We checked in to the Ameri-Suites and changed clothes and went to the pre-party at the Hyatt.  We got nice gift bags and bought raffle tickets to win Clay items.  I wanted to win a stretchy Clay bracelet, but never did!

Dale and Kendall (Dee) joined us at the pre-party and we met Delores V. who is on our site but doesn't post very often.  We all had our picture made with "Flat Clay," a cardboard life-size Clay.  There were several that wanted to trade pins.  I traded Texas Clay Fan pins for a Hawaii pin and a Kansas pin.

At one point, I was in the lobby looking for the ladies' room and ran into Sundancer, Heater, and Moonshot.  I believe that they were at the Clack Party with Pamela.

Faye, Clay's Mom, was at the pre-party and we got to speak to her.  JoAnn gave Faye a Texas Clay Fan pin, and I took JoAnn's picture with Faye.  She is very petite and lovely.

When the pre-party was over, we drove the few blocks to the Peace Center for the concert.  I saw Heater, Moonshot, Sundancer, and Pamela, too.  I gave Pamela a Texas Clay Fan pin.  Delores wanted to meet Pamela and I intoduced them.  Jacob was signing autographs and I told him, "You play a mean saxophone and you're a good singer, too."  He seemed pleased and commented about me being from Texas.

We had wonderful seats for this concert.  Carol and I were close to center and only about 8 rows back.  Lainey from Toronto sat in front of us and Faye was on our row.  JoAnn, Dale, and Dee were near the end of the row in front of us.  Clay
came down to their row to select the man to come dance on stage.  They were ecstatic to be that close to Clay.  And JoAnn got some good close-up pictures.

I called Janet (Claymaniac2000) for the first half of the concert and AC for part of the second half.  My phone went dead, but AC got to hear "Mandy" and "BOTW."

Clay was fabulous as usual, and it was great to see him so close.  I personally thought the sound was better at Chastain.  I think being that close the music, especially the band, was too LOUD! Clay, again, forgot the words to WYSYLM, but there was a gal near the front with a set of cue cards for him!

The Peace Center is a beautiful venue and reminds me of the Bass Hall in Fort Worth.  It looked full from what I could see. 

Note to Clay:  Please play more inside venues, like the Peace Center and Nokia Live in Grand Prairie, Texas.

I have posted pictures on pages 1 and 2 of the CONCERT CONNECTION on the thread, JUKEBOX GET TOGETHER  PIX.  Also, I've started posting some of  my Clay Peace Center pictures in the PHOTO ALBUM under the thread ROCKING THE SUMMER AWAY, JUKEBOX TOUR 2005 PICTURES.

Prissy

[heater]

I'll let heater tell about her prize...hee! 

I guess that means I better spill about my gift, huh?   

Actually before I do that, I have to say that I agree with Pamela, seeing Clay is wonderful, but spending time with the friends I have made because of Clay is never anything short of a fantastic time!  Clay was great in Greenville.  This was the 2nd time I had seen the JBT and it was better than the first time.  Clay was more comfortable and it just all seemed to flow better.  There is nothing better than seeing Clay live...period.

Okay, on to that gift that Pamela alluded to!  I was lucky enough to win a purse that said "I'm on the list"!    We all know that when it comes to Clay you don't want to be on the list!  The purse was filled with different kinds of candy such as nerds and also some candy lips.  I was laughing so hard when I opened it!  I don't know that I will ever be daring enough to bring the purse to a concert though!  I think I might be a little  !

[Pamela]

Prissy, that was a great recap!  Your powers of recollection are quite commendable. 

I went over to see your pictures, and they are wonderful!  Thanks very much for sharing them.

Heather, you should take a picture of your "I'm On The List!" bag....hee!

I was so excited I forgot to tell the most special thing about my prize...the 1969 Billboard Greatest Hits CD includes the rockin good time hits "Sugar, Sugar" and...

(drumroll)

...the original version of "Build Me Up Buttercup!" 

Wow.  That was some powerful karma!   

[LiftClayUp]

Pamela - Prissy keeps a log as we travel so she can remember everything.  And she does a mighty fine job of it.  I just trust to my very bad memory - I would misplace the log if I had one.

We went to the Upstate SC Clay Connection preparty.  We were given nice gift bags with all kind of goodies in it.  Two of the goodies were chocolate candy with the wrapper having  the official Jukebox tour picture on it and on one side was the date and the other was name of the preparty.  I am such a chocoholic but I am saving it as a souvenir - and believe me that is hard.

They had all kind of Clay things to win - I didn't win any.  I was in the process of trading a Texas pin for a Georgia pin and dropped my door prize ticket.  I picked it up but when they started calling number - and they had lots of door prizes- I couldn't locate it.

Earlier I had missed a cell phone call so I went out to the lobby to call the person back.  While talking to Elaine from KC about her lost concert ticket, she was telling me that Clay was doing the sound check at the Peace Center and I was telling her that Mama Faye had just entered the Lobby.  I got a nice picture of Faye before she was inundated at the preparty.    I was going to take the picture with my cell phone and remembered I had a new digital camera with me - duh!!!!!!

As far as Elaine's ticket,I just had to show up at the Peace Center box office with ID and they gave her a form that allowed her to sit in where she was supposed to.   Those are such nice people at the Peace Center. 

The concert was wonderful.  When I got to my seat I said something to Prissy and this lady in front of me turned around and called my name.  It was Lainey.  What a treat to see her again.

I saw the Raleigh bunch after the concert and one of them told me of the change in plans for before the Cary concert.    I can't remember who it was but thank you.

After the concert we went back to the hotel.  I was hungry because all I had to eat at the preparty was a cookie and bottled water.  I was going to order from Pizza Hut but alas they were closed.  Dale, Dee and I piled into the car and went looking for food.  We ended up at Burger King - got food- and headed back to the hotel.  The KC bunch had gotten in after us and they found Papa John's was still open.  They had enough Pizza for an army.  Lainey popped in and out, I think she was looking for food also.  She had tickets for Cary but had decided to go back to Toronto.  I couldn't convince her to come on to the next concert.

The next morning we got up, loaded the car, had breakfast and took off for Raleigh.  Jana from the KC bunch rode with us and Joyce followed in her car.  We had Karen's (from KC) walkie talkies with us and we would talk back and forth with Joyce.

We eventually ended up at our hotel in Raleigh - lots of pit stops- and of course that is another concert thread.

Carol

[Prissy]

Carol,

Thanks for filling in the things I left out.  I actually cut my wrappers off my Gift Bag candy, ate the candy, shared  one with Skip  and still have one uneaten.  The wrappers are in my JUKEBOX TOUR scarpbook.

I always take a notepad from the hotel and each night try to write down what happened that day!  I missed a couple of nights and had to remember two days at a time.

Pamela,
I'm glad you liked my pictures.   I really thought I had lost all of them.  The chip Hubby bought for my camera before the trip turned out to be a bad one.  But he found  recovery software that enabled him to "save" the pictures!   

Heather,
Yes, please do, post a picture of this purse.  I am curious!

Prissy

[LiftClayUp]

I actually cut my wrappers off my Gift Bag candy, ate the candy, shared  one with Skip  and still have one uneaten.  The wrappers are in my JUKEBOX TOUR scarpbook.

Prissy you shouldn't have posted that.  I couldn't stand it anymore and just unwrapped the candy and ate it.   Bad Carol, Bad Carol.  OMG it is so good.  I must look for the other one.  I only got two

Carol

[heater]

Here it is!!  The illustrious "I'm on the list" purse!   

[CLAYMATEFL]

As you all know, I don't post that much...but I'm compelled to make a few comments about Greenville.  I too, did the 3 concert thing, Atlanta, Greenville and Valdosta.   While all 3 were great, I will best remember Greenville and talk about it for a long time.  The energy, enthusiasm and love for Clay was evident from the moment he stepped out on the stage.  I'm sure the whole group felt it and I can't help but wonder if that's why he came out and shook hands after the show was over.  You just can't beat traveling with the Texas trio and meeting so many other Clay fans.  Ironically, Carol (I think) was chatting with some ladies a table away from us at breakfast the next morning and they were from Jacksonville.  She introduced me to them and I chatted with them for 10 or 15 minutes, telling them about the local Clay fans group here in town.   They were retired and had bought tickets for the entire tour and were driving to every concert.   I don't remember their names, but gave them a card with my e-mail address on it.  I hope they call me when they get back. 

[Pamela]

The Peace Center in Greenville is downtown, right on the main street. We walked there from the hotel, the Hyatt, which is also right downtown, on the same main street.  The venue itself was kind of industrial looking; like a big red brick box.

Peace Center

Inside, it’s the feeling of a true concert hall.  The rows of seats stretch out unbroken by such frivolities as you know, aisles.  Seriously, there were no aisles, except on the either end of the long rows.  So everytime someone had to go visit the ladies room, or a friend in another part of the venue, they had to walk over you.  And your feet!  In the lobby before the show, I met one of the Claydawgs, whose name I have sadly forgotten.  He was carrying a large, framed and matted photograph of Brett in his dress uniform.  He said he brought it to show Faye that Clay's fans had not forgotten about her other son.  Seems like he would have given it to her, but I guess he kept it.  In the lobby after the show, where we were trying to wait in the air conditioning as long as possible before going out to the buses, I met Delores, who is one of our wonderful lurkers.  *waves to Delores!* 

It was cool inside the venue.  A nice, air conditioned venue with comfortable seating.  I had no idea at the time how much I would come to appreciate these facts later.    This was one of the few inside venues.  Being that the Peace Center only seats 2,100 people, it was quite intimate, and therefore, sort of mind blowing when Clay hit the stage. Because it was so small, you could literally just look around and see nearly everyone in the audience.  I saw all kinds of people I knew, from other Maniacs, to Clackhouse people, to non board people from Raleigh.  Our seats were really good.  But the spell was broken, several times, by all the admonishments from people behind us to “sit down!”  Only to want to stand up at the beginning of every next song, whether slow or fast. 

As this was one of the earlier shows, there was no “stump the band” segment. But he did forget the words to WYSYLM, and this was the venue where he took the fan penned cue cards with all the lyrics!

Anyway, to the show!  The jukebox seemed to be stuck for a very, very long time.  HA! But when Clay appeared at the back of the stage, snapped his fingers, took on the Fonzie face and descended the steps with Quiana and Angela on each arm, I think I zoned out!

Literally!  I remember screaming, and dancing, and exercising my quadriceps with all the standing (fast songs) and then sitting (slow songs.)  Actually, I think it was the Elvis set that zoned me.  Because I do remember it, quite well, but not much after.  I had only watched downloads from Tom’s River, and then, only the Elvis set and ICMYLM.  So I was just a little bit spoiled.  Hee!  But seeing Clay channel Elvis, live, and hearing the whispery sweetness of Love Me Tender, the growly splendor of Hound Dog, the blinding hip-swivelin’ of Blue Suede Shoes,  the reach-into-your-tummy-low notes of  Don’t Be Cruel, the deadly combo of the hips AND low notes of Heartbreak Hotel (gah,) the molesting of the mic in Jailhouse Rock, the sincerity and heartbreak of Can’t Help Falling in Love and the soulful passion of Suspicious Minds...well, from that point forward I have been rendered slightly fangirly.   

I guess it all was just sensory overload, rendering my too stoopid to remember much of the rest of the show. Ahhhhh.  The Elvis set was my favorite.

I remember at one point, when Clay was trying to talk, people kept yelling out “I love you Clay!” and so on. Finally, sort of exasperated, he said OK!  I’m going to count to 3 and everyone say what you have to say!  1! 2! 3! And the place goes wild. 

It was a great, great show.  Clay’s voice was exceptional, he was having fun on stage, the crowd was loud, and except for the incessant standing/sitting, it was one of my all time favorite concert experiences EVAH!

After the show, there was a line of people at the buses.  I watched with some folks from a distance, as the last time I attempted to see Clay up close at the bus after a show, some woman shoved me out of her way and crushed my foot in the process.  So, we saw Clay from a distance, as he went down the line thanking everyone for coming to the show.  He looked young, and cute, as always. 

Up above, when I told about the 1-2-3 I love you Clay moment?  No, I didn’t scream out “I love you Clay!” but I will admit that I was already at that point on my rapid descent into fangirl world; a world from which I have not yet quite recovered.

You have been warned.