AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MARCH 4

[Pamela]

Triumphant Homecoming: Kelly/Clay Tour Hits Raleigh
by Sheri Liles (2004/03/03)
 

It may have been billed as the Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken Independent Tour but to the sold out crowd at the RBC Center in Raleigh on Monday night it was "The Clay Aiken Show" with two opening acts.

It wasn't that the Beu Sisters weren't adorable. They were energetic, cute, and played to please the crowd.  They tried to connect with the audience and their talent was evident though still developing.  Their rousing rendition of their original song, Stop, Stay Away From My Sister was particularly remarkable.

It wasn't that Kelly Clarkson wasn't fabulous.  Kelly possesses a wonderful voice, clear and melodious.  Like the Beu Sisters, Kelly is energetic and cute.  She graciously acknowledged that it was a Clay crowd and played that up as much as possible by wearing a “I Love Clay” shirt and mentioning his name numerous times during her set just to hear the screams.  She particularly endeared herself to many in the audience by pinning on a "Raleigh Claymate" button handed to her by a fan.

Kelly sang many of the songs from her CD, "Thankful" including her classic American Idol winning A Moment Like This which showcased her beautiful voice, Thankful which revealed her songwriting talent, and the peppy The Trouble with Love Is.  She also covered Reba McIntyre's Why Haven't I Heard From You and performed Timeless, a beautiful duet with Jacob Luttrell, one of the backup vocalists.  It didn't take long for the crowd to acknowledge Kelly's talent with resounding applause and dancing, particularly among the floor seats.  During Kelly's last song, her most recent hit, Ms. Independent, the entire audience was on its feet.  She left the audience energized and happy and waiting for Clay.

For most of the audience consisting of Raleighites, North Carolinians, and many fans from across the country, there was only one reason for attending.  The love between Clay Aiken and Raleigh is evident and enduring.  Who can forget the minutes-long standing, screaming ovation Raleigh gave Clay during the American Idol tour and his tears of appreciation? Anyone in attendance that night still remembers the electricity in the air and the overwhelming feeling of pride in the hometown hero. As a result, Raleigh has become the Mecca of any tour involving Clay and many in attendance on Monday night traveled from other states to relive the experience. They were not disappointed.

On Monday night, when the lights were finally dimmed after intermission, a roar emanated from the audience in anticipation of Clay’s appearance.  Fans that are active on the internet were prepared for Clay's grand entrance from the audience and many eyes were searching for his entrance point. Strains of the Mister Mister hit, Kyrie, were heard long before the spotlight shone on Clay, entering from the back of the arena. He and his security entourage made their way to the front along the side of the floor audience, a tidal wave of sensation.  He finally reached the stairs to the stage and slowly climbed to the stage.  Pausing, akin to a king looking over his kingdom, he soaked in the deafening screams and applause, before launching into the remainder of the song. He immediately followed up with a vigorous version of Perfect Day and then songs from his CD, "Measure of a Man," including I Will Carry You, I Survived You, No More Sad Songs, and his next single, The Way, to be released on March 16 on a single CD with the long awaited Solitaire.  He enlisted the assistance of the adoring audience in singing his hit, Invisible.

For a slim man, Clay Aiken possesses a remarkable stage presence.  He was all over the stage, from one side to the other, interacted with the back up vocalists and the band, confidently strode out on the catwalk in front of the stage, sauntered down into the audience, touched the hands of the ones in the front row, and bantered with the crowd.  He grabbed the cell phone of a "cellcert" participant and talked to the female on the other end, telling her to "breathe, honey," further rendering her unable to breathe by singing his next song, When You Say You Love Me, while holding the phone to his ear.  He charmed the audience by bringing a little girl on stage with him and singing to her on bended knee.  His charisma, charm, and all out likeability was rivaled only by his soaring voice.  The joy of the audience was rivaled only by the joy on Clay’s face during every performance.

The entire set was magnificent but there were several high points. In the absence of Kimberley Locke, Quiana Parler, one of the backing vocalists, stepped in to help perform Clay’s and Kimberley Locke’s duet of Without You, soon to appear on Kimberley’s debut CD.  Quiana, as American Idol watchers will remember, won the Charlotte audition that Clay lost.  She was outstanding and it would boggle any intelligent mind as to why she didn’t make the final 12 during American Idol 2.  Clay's acoustic set, along with one guitar player and three back up vocalists, struck a cord with the audience as he covered When I Need You, Sting's Fields of Gold, and sang his own Measure of a Man. Then he thrilled the North Carolina crowd with James Taylor's Carolina In My Mind while nearly everyone in the arena sang along.

The picture of Clay standing at the end of the catwalk singing Run to Me with a single spotlight shining on him was unquestionably memorable.  Although he had mentioned in an interview earlier that day that he had trouble reaching some of the notes of the song, his rendition was perfect.

By far, the zenith of the concert was the sizzling cover of Prince’s When Doves Cry including a sensuous dance with Angela Fisher, the other vocalist, leaving the females in the crowd moaning, squealing, or hyperventilating – or all three.  It was a mesmerizing performance both for his patented hip shakes and the smoldering looks directed at the crowd and elicited the loudest screams of the evening. Clay out-Princed Prince and proved without a doubt his icon status.

There is no question that any self-respecting Clay Aiken fan must see this show.  The only question remains is how many concerts to attend.

BEAVERS ON IDOL

[Pamela]

Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken perform on NBC's Today Show

'American Idol' stars Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken are feeling independent these days for good reason. Independent is the name of their current tour and they both performed on NBC’s ‘Today Show’ Wednesday morning and talked to Katie Couric.

Kelly and Clay have released CD's that went double platinum. Kelly's CD is entitled ‘Thankful’ and Clay's is called ‘Measure of a Man.’  “I know that you all were going to go on tour by yourself, and they you decided to team up calling it the independent tour. How'd the idea come about for you guys to have a two for one show?” Katie asked Kelly.

“I actually thought of it because I found out we would be touring at the same time and I said why don't we just tour together and he thought of the name independent and I was like ok,” Kelly said.  “Sort of off like ‘Miss Independent’ (one of Kelly’s songs),” Katie commented.

“And the fact that we're independent from everything,” Kelly said. “We're independent from the show, but we're not running from it. We're still independent. We have very independent shows.”

“Is that hard Clay?” Katie asked. “You want to still embrace and I guess appreciate the fact that ‘American Idol’ brought you to the forefront and at the same time you kind of want to move forward. How do you balance those two?”

“The show kind of gives you parameters of what you sing and what you perform and the types of stuff you do and when you get off the show you're able to do your own thing,” Clay said. “You're able to have your own sound and your own personality and so I think that's what really shines through and that's the easiest way to step away. Yet we both have to remember that the show is what got us here.”

“You performed last night (Tuesday) in Philadelphia. You wanted the show to really be about the music, not a lot of pyrotechnics stuff, not a lot of special effects, you wanted to be pure? Why?” Katie asked.

“I think a lot of people our age, when they go on tour they do that. I like watching shows like that, but I think people with us know that we're really about the music because that is the main reason why we were on the show. That's why we both tour together well because we both are focused on the music,” Kelly said.

“We were going to do our own small tours, in theaters, and what I think what we've been able to accomplish really successfully with the people who helped us out is we have a small theater show, the intimacy of that, in an arena,” Clay said.

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[LJB]

I love this quote...................

Clay out-Princed Prince

[Pamela]

Crowd is Clay's in Idols show

By David Hiltbrand
Inquirer Staff Writer

American Idol alumni Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken have been taking turns headlining on their current tour. Tuesday at the Liacouras Center, it was Clarkson's night to top the bill, and that resulted in a topsy-turvy show because the predominantly female crowd was clearly composed of Clay devotees.

The ladies began to scream as Aiken emerged from the back of the hall, singing Mr. Mister's 1985 hit "Kyrie" as he walked through the audience. And they continued to scream all the way through his final number and latest single, "The Way."

Whatever X factor makes an Idol an idol, Aiken obviously has it - this despite the fact that he's a one-man Andy of Mayberry reunion: He looks like Opie, moves like Barney Fife, and sings like Gomer Pyle.

He certainly didn't bother dressing for the show. In an untucked blue dress shirt, baggy gray slacks, and running shoes, he appeared to be headed for a shift at Kinko's.

As always, Aiken's clear and limber voice was impressive. The best showcase for his soaring instrument was the simplest: an acoustic medley of his "Measure of a Man," Sting's "Fields of Gold," Leo Sayer's "When I Need You," and James Taylor's "Carolina on My Mind."

Unfortunately, he had to wade through the sappy songs on his debut CD to get there. With the exception of "Invisible," the anthemic material sounded like flea-bitten Three Dog Night.

The high and low points of Aiken's set was Prince's "When Doves Cry." His slow, melismatic, a cappella preface to the song was sensational. Then the music began to jerk and throb, and it became painfully clear that Aiken doing funk is like Yanni attempting Metallica. It's just wrong.

Clarkson proved to be the more engaging and natural performer, though her reception was not nearly as enthusiastic. Like Aiken, she has a phenomenal voice, but there is greater passion and depth to her delivery.

On a stage covered with area rugs, so she could scamper barefoot, Clarkson moved a bit too hastily through songs that ranged from nostalgic ("Stuff Like That There") to soulful ("What's Up Lonely").

Her voice combines the earthiness of Bonnie Raitt with the dynamic coloratura of Christina Aguilera. But she possesses an extra gear that most singers don't: Like fellow Texan Janis Joplin, she's an elemental belter.

Until she learns to harness that power, Clarkson risks overwhelming her material, as she did on a cover of Reba McEntire's "Why Haven't I Heard From You." But she's capable of bravura moments, such as her stark and stunning rendition of "Beautiful Disaster."

Since her season on American Idol, Clarkson has grown into her voice so much that she has trouble doing a convincing rendering of paint-by-numbers pop ditties like her first single, "A Moment Like This."

Maybe she should turn it over to Aiken. In his hands, it would be a showstopper.

PHILLY.COM

[Pamela]

Aiken's ready for a new claim to fame

Clay Aiken doesn't want to be an American Idol anymore

By ADELE UPHAUS

Let's get one thing straight: Clay Aiken is not an American Idol.

"I want to get people to stop calling me that," said the nation's favorite spiky-haired boy wonder over the phone from Charlotte, N.C. He will play the MCI Center with Kelly Clarkson tomorrow night.

Aiken is just a sweet Southern boy with a mellifluous drawl--a bespectacled special-education major who was the runner-up in a TV talent competition.

The 24-year-old Raleigh native said he doesn't even listen to much music. The only contemporary CD he's been playing lately is one by RCA label-mate Heather Headley, whom he says has the best voice he's ever heard.

"I was never somebody who had huge musical idols and that kind of thing," he said.

But since the second season of television's "American Idol" wrapped, Aiken has ditched the glasses and dyed his red hair honey blonde. He's appeared with his shirt unbuttoned on the cover of Rolling Stone, released a multiplatinum album that's outselling that of "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, and is in the midst of a coast-to-coast tour, sharing headlining duties with the original "Idol," Kelly Clarkson.

And he admits the benefits of being famous far out-weigh the drawbacks.

"The biggest perks are pretty obvious--the paycheck ain't bad," he said.

Overnight fame and fortune couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

Aiken's lifelong career ambition was to work with autistic children. Diane Bubel, the mother of a 12-year-old autistic boy with whom he worked, encouraged him to audition for "American Idol." Otherwise, he would never have done it.

He has since formed the Bubel/Aiken Foundation with Bubel and her son. The not-for-profit organization works to facilitate the immersion of children with disabilities into the lives of those without.

Aiken used to sing along to country songs on the radio in his mother's car, he said, but he never considered singing as more than a hobby.

"Any kid who's 5 years old and just even willing to sing becomes a novelty," he said. "When I was younger, I thought it would be fun to be a singer, but I really just wanted to be a teacher."

But there's no denying Aiken can sing. His "American Idol" performance of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" reduced the songwriter to tears.

Aiken sends fans--mostly women of all ages who call themselves "Claymates"--into hysterics of Beatlemania proportions. In an article in Elle magazine's October 2003 issue, he said women often throw underwear to him onstage.

Aiken remains baffled and almost shocked by his heartthrob status. When asked if he ever imagined himself a sex symbol, his response is an emphatic "Oh God, no, no, no, no, no."

"I never had people paying attention to me, even in my own town," he added.

Aiken has said that he wants to be someone the whole family can watch and listen to without embarrassment, and his Rolling Stone cover shot is testament to that. In the picture, even though he's wearing a sheer shirt with chest hair on display, the "What Would Jesus Do?" bracelet he sports is clearly visible.

Aiken is a little rueful about his long-gone anonymity, about never being able to go for a walk or to the grocery store without his bodyguard. And he's still not used to the pop-star lifestyle.

"It's kind of a work in progress," he said. "I don't know that I'm used to the routine yet, but I'm used to not being used to it, if that makes any sense. I don't get more sleep now than I used to, but now, I'm used to getting by on five hours of sleep."

Perhaps most importantly, however, he understands that celebrities have roles to play.

"Every celebrity has some sort of responsibility to society and to the people who got him there to be a good role model," he said.

Aiken has his head on straight, and he's having fun with his popularity.

"Hopefully this isn't over yet," he said.

Date published: 3/4/2004

FREELANCE STAR

[outthereforclay]

Then the music began to jerk and throb, and it became painfully clear that Aiken doing funk is like Yanni attempting Metallica. It's just wrong.

 was a mesmerizing performance both for his patented hip shakes and the smoldering looks directed at the crowd and elicited the loudest screams of the evening. Clay out-Princed Prince

Ok...a guessing game for you...

Which of the above quotes about Clay's performance of When Doves Cry was written by a man? :  :

[AdoringClay]

:D Yeah, Outthere...I had the same, exact thought.  Seems most male reviewers are critical of Clay's WDC performance and woman reviewers love it (they can't help themselves).

Actually, I thought the most accurate and truthful review was probably the one that a man reviewer wrote (a few concerts ago, can't remember which one) where he said the WDC performance was so out of character for Clay and such a juxtaposition, that that's why it worked so well...

[cjrmax]

I have to tell you, that critic for the Phildephia Inquirer is an idiot!  He has rarely had anything nice to say about Clay. And you just KNOW he's jealous!

 The picture of Clay standing at the end of the catwalk singing Run to Me with a single spotlight shining on him was unquestionably memorable. Although he had mentioned in an interview earlier that day that he had trouble reaching some of the notes of the song, his rendition was perfect.

I just hit me.  He didn't sing "Run to Me" in Philly!  Oh well, maybe in Wilkes-Barre.....

[houstonclayfan]

From Clays official website:

3-4-04 :: In the past year I have been overwhelmed by the amount of enthusiasm and support that I have received from all of you. You are without a doubt the BEST fans in the country. Since the end of American Idol, the requests for a recording of my version of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" have continued to pour in. I'm thrilled to say that, with the help of producers Steve Mac (This Is The Night) and Cliff Magness (I Will Carry You, Perfect Day, I Survived You), I have recorded the song and we are ready to get it to you! "Solitaire" will be included on the single for "The Way", which is in stores March 16!
I am so glad that we are able to provide this for you as you deserve so much!
I feel blessed everyday to have the support of each and every one of you. I hope you enjoy hearing the song as much as I enjoyed recording it for you!

Health, happiness, and HOPE,
Clay

Awe, warm fuzzies  :P   Thanks Clay !

[liney23]

Houston, I am presuming you copied that verbatim from the site.

Therefore, I just have to say this.  I have thunk and thunk about what draws so many to Clay.  There are multiple answers, but one that has always stood out for me was that he brought hope into a world that so desperately needed it.  Hope that there was decency, love, beauty, caring, respect, joy etc., in this world that had seemed to have lost it.

When I saw the way he signed that with HOPE in all caps, the light bulb went off.  I saw another story about his signing a fan pic for a little girl with HOPE capitalized.  

I don't believe in coincidences!  Clay is a gift of HOPE. Subconsciouly he recognizes its importance.  Gives me chills!!!!

[wisconsinmaniac]

Therefore, I just have to say this.  I have thunk and thunk about what draws so many to Clay.  There are multiple answers, but one that has always stood out for me was that he brought hope into a world that so desperately needed it.  Hope that there was decency, love, beauty, caring, respect, joy etc., in this world that had seemed to have lost it.

I don't believe in coincidences!  Clay is a gift of HOPE. Subconsciouly he recognizes its importance.  Gives me chills!!!!

Beautiful observation, liney.   We are very verbal about our feelings regarding his voice, his beauty and his charm - -  but HOPE is that so important element that so few  people bring to us.   And he brings it to us the very best.   He knows how deserately we need it !