STICK A GRAND FORK IN ME, I'M DONE!

[ACcountryFan]

HE MADE THE DECISION A LONG TIME AGO THAT HE WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH "TOUCH". AND IS STICKING WITH IT.  UNDERSTANDABLE AND COMMENDABLE I WOULD SAY

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

maybe he doesn't have a problem with a song LIKE Touch...maybe he just really doesn't like the song itself

================
finally, i read through all the pages that i missed after leaving for work and i'm not surprised the thread would get heated toward the end.

claydevotee and misha pretty much summed up the entire scenario in a nut-shell.

even though Clay was laughing during an interview, he was serious when he said that if he had more control over MOAM, "Touch" wouldn't have been put on the CD.

i was going along, reading the pages when i was : stunned by the initial words of cjrmax toward the end of the concert. i continued reading the other posts...then i got to the one where she apologized for making anyone upset.

Well, from what i read from the responses, the people at his concert were taken in by him and what he does to them. 90% of the re-caps were gushing about his stellar voice and how he uses it differently on each song...they were all happy and thrilled with the new songs he performed and the James Taylor tribute. by all accounts, they enjoyed the concert...

i didn't see any re-caps that brought up why he didn't sing Touch...i just can't understand why him not singing the song is that big a deal. i don't think Clay not wanting to sing Touch makes him a hypocrite simply because he did WDC.

Clay does have personal taste too...let's not forget. I look at it like it's a personal preference. He chose to do WDC but he chose not to do Touch. well, in my opinion, it's that simple.

as of now, i have no concrete evidence if Clay has ever said he hated Touch or not. He has said it's suggestive...BUT since Clay viewed WDC as a joke, based on the comments he has made, i don't call his action of not singing Touch as a result of hypocrisy...i see it as i stated, a personal preference.

now, to make my commentary on the concert itself:

based on the re-caps and the excitement, i'll say that the show was a success. i know that he wasn't in a market that's filled with ClayFans, but at least this venue didn't cancel.

of course, all of you know i hope, that i base my opinion of concerts on how the fans reacted to it...not a stuffy music critic with an axe to grind and a hatred of cheese and vanilla :

well, they always say that everytime they review a Clay concert or CD so i'll take Lorraine's advice and ignore them this time! {i hope i can, i hope i can!}

i'll flush the overly critical critics criticisms down the toilet with my messy toilet paper! : flush, flush... "howdy Tidy Bowl man, how are you today?" "oh, i've had better days!". "Hey, I know you! You're a music critic? What's you doin' in my toilet bowl?" "believe it or not, Ripley, i'm joining my crappy review! so could you please jiggle the handle so i can make my entrance down the porcelain palace for the grand tour?? Thanks!"

back to the posts. i was mezmerized by the cell-cert and so i vote to have them at most of the concerts throughout the tour.

oh, remember, Clay is copyrighted now and i recall at the time many of you were asking if this would effect the on-line downloads and all that other hi-tech jazz stuff. well, as it's been revealed, for the most part, nobody can do as they did during the tour with Kelly.

i'm glad to hear that he kept the quirkiness the same...like the cell-phone bit!

i also applaud Clay for resting his voice a little bit and letting his band sing and play some songs and take some of the strain/load off him for awhile. i was surprised he did Solitaire for an encore. But as it was mentioned, that glory note and the overall somber feel of the song is the perfect way to end a concert.

now, i hope no one got upset by how i took the success of the concert; and cjrmax, you aleady know that we almost always disagree on several topics : and i hope you don't read too much into his personal preference of WDC over Touch and just continue to love him like you said you would.

who knows? maybe one day he'll sing Touch in concert like you hope he does. but in the short term, i don't see the song getting added to the set list anytime soon and why don't we just forget about Touch for now seeing that he won't perform it and enjoy the success with his music and TV appearances? [/size]

[Pamela]

Clackhouse

Cherie is talented and sings well. She is an excellent opening act. I don't remember the names of any of her songs.

Clay, Clay, Clay. Well, on the last thread, a meer posted about how she missed that spiky head rising through the floor? Well, it's baaaaaack! The smoke streams out, the second flight of stairs (which are lined in white lights) lifts, and this supremely confident man appears to claim the place that is his - in front of an audience of his fans. Striped shirt based in red. Red ties. Jeans. Baby mullet. So gorgeous. He starts singing. The meers around me go insane. I don't go insane, because I've never cared for U2 and so don't know the song. I now love Clay's version. He is incandescent. Honestly, he is just lit up with the joy of performing. He lights us up too. He swings into Shine. The crowd is screaming hysterically. He walks to the catwalk and mentions the leis he receives for every concert. He has decided to give one to a fan at each concert. There will be different criteria for each concert. He has decided tonight is for the best dancer. The meers all stare at each other and as he begins singing WYSYLM, begin dancing our asses off. Everyone is dancing. He points to the girl right in front of me, young, shapely, dances almost as well as I. He selects her. She goes on stage and demonstrates her dancing. He gives her the lei, hugs her, sings a little to her, kisses her on the cheek. She is THRILLED. We take pictures of her and get permission to post. He sings IWCY. He sounds ..... FANTASTIC. Just totally FANTASTIC. He is totally into it. He mentions that he sang the next song in the Independent Tour and swings into Kyrie. He rocks the house with that. And then with NMSS. All the while flirting with the audience......and dancing in joy. Mentions the acoustic set. Says he's gonna do something similiar with one of his favorite artists. Mentions his great backup singers. Says he will do some backup for them. Says backup is hard and if there are any missed notes, they are his. Starts out on a stool at the end of the catwalk near the main stage softly singing Sweet Baby James. He sounds so good. Then he moves to audiences' attention to Angela, who's about three feet to the right of him and she just kills on How Sweet It Is and Clay does beautiful backup. Jacob, who is maybe 5 feet to the left and behind Clay on another stool, rips into Fire and Rain and the man is mad talented - and Clay is still adding beautiful harmonies in the background; Quiana takes on Smiling Face from the top of the stairs and is just wow; Clay and Angela then approach each other singing You've Got a Friend and eventually Clay holds Angela's hand; Quiana and Jacob take on the second verse while Quiana comes downstairs to join Jacob. The final harmonies in the end are incredible. He then sings MOAM and it is clear that he just loves this song. Loves it. Loves singing it. To close out the set, he does RTM because he loves us. He explains that there is gonna be a 15 minute intermission and not to leave. We laugh at him. During the intermission, while the client is dissecting the results of the high-grade clack hit we just got, the video screen starts to show the commercial of POYB, and Disney Hands and the BAF. It is so obviously professional and good! The audience screams at that too. We see the musicians returning so we know Clay will soon be back and he comes out belting PD. In a different outfit too! PD is perfect.

This is the best part of the concert. He sings the most beautifully impassioned version of ISY I have seen. I loved every second of it. I also notice Jacob holding the long note with Clay. I wave at Jacob. Clay finished the song and says it is his favorite (this is clearly a sign that we have a connection). He comes to the catwalk says, a little something has been going on with me and Jacob AND POINTS TO ME. EEEEEEE! HE SAYS, THIS YOUNG LADY NOTICED IT. C'MON UP TO THE FRONT HERE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IT IS? I delicately commented that there seemed to be a little competion on the held note. CLAY SAID TO ME, YOU'RE RIGHT, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? I said Karen. . CLAY SAID TO ME, WHERE'RE YOU FROM? I said Houston and smiled and only adjusted my cleavage because it was uncomfortable. . CLAY SAID TO ME, YOU CAME ALL THE WAY FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS TO SEE ME IN CONCERT? I said, yes, it was worth it. . CLAY SAID TO ME, THANK YOU. I smiled, HE SMILED AT ME.

Parenthetical comment: Clay Looked Me In the Eye and Said My Name. The Next Step is for Clay To Shut His Eyes While Screaming My Name. Baby Steps.

Clay told us he hadn't planned on singing this one but to join in and swung into AAL. He did introduced the band members and kicked into Rosanna, and let the band show their skills while he changed.

This gets into to only possibly iffy part of the concert. I didn’t have a problem with it, but there’s a possibility some people are. The song, You Were There, is typical contemporary Christian, and especially toward the end, he was rocking it out. The staging was, IMO, over the top when everything was put together. The backups changed outfits to all white, Angela and Quiana were at the top of the second flight, to the left and right and Jacob was centered lower down, making a frame for Clay as he was raised through the top of the flight of stair with a gorgeous white suit and tie, and a bright spot behind him. He was broadly gesturing but not moving much. The video screens on either side of the stage were showing at fairly neutral images that became Christian images and then strongly Christian images. I liked the song, the staging really didn’t thrill me, but most of the audience strongly liked it.

He changed outfits again and appeared at the top of the stairs to comment on what an amazing year this has been and how it was all due to us. And to the strains of TITN, a montage rolled across the video screens, started with baby pictures of Clay, then his audition in Atlanta, the Anomaly, the talk shows, the entertainment shows, the awards, the magazine covers and the last video was of the Fans’ Choice Award.

He said the last song we knew, talked about how we made Invisible popular and told us to sing along. At the end, they turned off the stage lights. We screamed for Clay. He appeared at the top of the stairs and sang Solitaire. Then the house lights came up.

I am happy but tired. Am going to bed. Will post the tales of my travels on Saturday when I finally get home.

[dudley5]

To the seats we go...my mom and I had third row on the right side of the floor--great seats. We met Clayanna and her son  Hi Anna!! and had a great time chatting with them. Cherie started a little early, and we thought her instrumentals were too loud--it was hard to hear her sing. Also noticed she didn't work the stage much at all, but then I looked at her feet--she had to have been wearing 6feet tall stiletto heels--then I understood why she stood in the middle of the stage the whole time! Anyway, she was alright, good enough voice, but it's tough because everyone's there to see Clay, not Cherie. Anyway, after she does a few songs we decide to go up to the staircase where we're meeting to go see Clay...

They took us down after Cherie had finished and we went back to the same hallway...stood there for a good 5-10 minutes chit chatting with each other and talking about what we'd have him sign (my little brother had a popcorn box that he "autographed" then had Miss North Dakota and me sign--he was going to have Clay sign that...which we all laughed about!). Then the open the door and tell us to come on in...but no Clay. So we stand around, then they tell us to stand together for a picture, the assistant goes and gets Clay.

He walked (very briskly I might add!) through the door and the first thing I thought was "wow, he's got a lot of makeup on!!"--but I didn't have much time to think...he came over to us, talking really fast saying "I wish I had time to get to know all your names and talk, but I gotta get on stage so we'll just have to do this picture quick!" Smile, click click, move outta the way so Clay can take a picture with the UND hockey jersey, click click click, and "Thanks guys, have fun! 7 minutes till showtime!" Whoosh! He's out the door again before we even knew he was there! It was crazy--but once we got back to our seats we realized we had just been thisclose to Clay right before, and I mean RIGHT before he took the stage--very cool...very quick, but very cool!

Ok, now that's out of the way...on to the concert!!
The music started, we started searching for Clay, and suddenly the stairs went all Star Trek and there was Clay--like he was walking out of the mothership! Of course, we screamed--you just can't help it when he's there right in front of you!!  
The set...
Where the streets have no name: Sounded great on this, and as cool as the Star Trek thing was, it's tough to top Kyrie as an opener--him walking by me bopping down the aisle to that song is just such a great memory!
Shine: I was so excited he sang this one since it's one of my favorites. And wouldn't ya know, he sang it almost all right in front of where we sat...and because of the hawkish security, I didn't get any pictures of it! :wallbanging One note--during the last chorus, Clay sang what on the CD is the echo part (as in...everything you--"Everything you arrrrre....Everywhere you've beeeeen....ohhh, fight the battle within" etc.) which was great...but he stole MY part since that's the part I sing in the car!  
WYSYLM: Love, love, love this song! He's giving away the leis the Hawaiian fan sends to every venue this tour, tonight he gave it away to the best dancer during this song. Brought her up on stage and sang to her, then kissed her on the cheek!
IWCY: Sat on the top tier of the steps for this one most of the song...then at the end he jumped off and nearly bit the dust--in the process he knocked his earpiece/receiver out of his ear/pocket, so he said afterward he finished the song without hearing a single note he sang! You would never have known of course!
Kyrie: This just takes me back to the grand entrance last tour...! Honestly this one is a little lost in my memory of tonight at the moment...but as I remember he sounded great!
NMSS: Great!
James Taylor medley: Clay said he wanted to try his hand at singing back-up, thought it'd be easy, but he was wrong. He said he was going to try a little though, and if we heard wrong notes, it was definitely him (my dad says he did hear one sour one during one of the songs!)  It was very cool--nice change of pace to quiet it down a bit, and Clay really has a great voice for this style of music. We thought it was nice to hear the backup singers really shine too--they all are very talented individuals.
MOAM: WOW. Just WOW! Such a great song, such a great voice, such a great performance! He sat on a stool on the catwalk and sang with so much feeling--this really is a song that should be released, in my opinion, because it's just a beautiful, wonderful song. He botched the last note, but it was still just superb.
Run to Me: Another one I was glad to hear since I really like this song too. He sang it on the end of the catwalk with a mic stand, and the lighting during this number was really neat--I snuck a picture and I'll try to get it up sometime soon! Also missed some of the high notes here, but somehow it doesn't seem to matter!

Intermission!!

Perfect Day: Costume change (striped pants and blue shirt)...came in at the top of the stairs. At one point his mic cut out, so what we heard was "It's gonna be a _____ day!!" Jacob laughed and my mom says she read his lips perfectly and he said "I told you that was going to happen!" Clay shook his head and laughed--it was pretty funny.
I Survived You: He sings this one with an awful lot of angst! Really spits out the "hae to have a conscience baby, good luck, I wish you well" part!!
All About Love: He started talking about the song on the Independent tour that turned into a big favorite and I thought for sure we were going to see WDC again! But I was glad to hear this one, it was one of my favorite numbers when I saw him in St. Paul a few months ago, and he did a great job with it again.
Rosanna: I loved this one! Recognized it right away--and what a great song to showcase Clay's voice. He really lets loose on the "All I wanna tell you is now you'll never ever have to compromise/Rosanna, Rosanna!" Had the band intros in this song and then Clay sprinted off the stage to let them play the rest of the song. It's funny, but we really missed Clay when he wasn't on stage!  He has such a captivating presence that it's like when he left, he took the fun with him! But, I figured, he went to change clothes--and I was right!
NEXT SONG: The quiet music started, backup singers walked out in white (costume change!) and then Clay rose up on a platform on the very top of the stairs in a white tux. However...I don't think it was this Five Candles song I've seen listed--I looked at the lyrics and it's missing some of the words I know I heard...said something towards the end about a cross, and you'd rather die...? Not sure what it was...but whatever it was, it was absolutely beautiful. Gave me goosebumps when he got to the end of the song where his voice just soared, and I thought good for him that he's incorporating a song like this that he must just want to be singing. It was beautiful, and it looked like he wasn't really performing that one for us  After it was over he went back down on the platform for another costume change.
TITN: Before this song we saw a taped little intro about how much has happened to him in the last year, etc...then said he wanted to highlight some of the memories. He came out again, top of the stairs and sang TITN--I was so glad to hear it again, since I really always have loved this song...and after all, it's kind of his signiture song. His voice sounded great--cracked some towards the end with the high parts, but still great.
Invisible: Great, as always! Lots of energy, I don't know how he does it.

And then he was gone.
...but wait, he was back!!

Encore: He was up at the top of the staircases again with a mic stand as the music started. I'm not sure if I've seen anything about this yet, but something went really wrong with the beginning of the song. He started singing, but it was like he was lost and didn't know what was coming next. He turned his head to the side and started singing real quiet, almost mumbling the verses, and for a split second, I thought he was going to just stop them and have them start it over. Insteat, he ripped out his earpiece and kept looking to the side, singing quietly. He made it to the chorus, and after that point everything went just fine--but it was very bizarre at the beginning. After talking about it after the concert with my dad, we've come to think that the musical director didn't hear Clay sing the first line of the song, so when he was ready to go to the "and solitaire's the only game in town" part, they were still wanting to play one more line of the verse. It was very strange, and I'm sure there were some words after the show about that number, since the encore is one you just want to absolutely nail. I felt bad for Clay a bit--he looked tired at this point of the night and I think this song is tough to do--especially after 2 hours on stage. Hopefully they can get the kinks worked out for the rest of the tour!

Whew, and there you have it. My LONGEST post ever, by far, but I wanted to share everything! A few notes, the staging was different, bigger this time--lots of steps, more cameras, more lights. Seemed a little more like a big concert. One cool thing was the addition of a camera on a big crane-like arm that did American Idol-like swoops and pans. The only bad news is that it must have been in the line of sight for people on the left side of the stage (as you look at it)--and it did seem like Clay worked the right side more this time around, probably because of that camera in the way.
They were STRICT about cameras...that was no good. I did manage to sneak my digital out whenever the security man went to go chastise someone for using a non-disposable camera, so I got a couple pics, but nowhere near what I was wishing--especially considering he was RIGHT in front of us a lot of the time. I just hope we can get videos still--they were very, VERY tight with this.
One more thing...I sure hope Clay is taking care of his voice! My mom commented that he looks like he is putting every ounce of what he is into his singing--and he doesn't have all that many ounces to give! He did look tired when he came out for th encore, and I hope he will be extra careful with his voice these next few months.

Overall it was a wonderful concert and Clay, as always, was absolutely captivating...it was a great night, and he was in excellent form. We had a blast (even my dad and brother...my dad's comment: "That boy can sure sing!"--quite the compliment coming from him!), and I can't wait to hear about all the other stops on the tour!

[cjrmax]

This gets into to only possibly iffy part of the concert. I didn’t have a problem with it, but there’s a possibility some people are. The song, You Were There, is typical contemporary Christian, and especially toward the end, he was rocking it out. The staging was, IMO, over the top when everything was put together. The backups changed outfits to all white, Angela and Quiana were at the top of the second flight, to the left and right and Jacob was centered lower down, making a frame for Clay as he was raised through the top of the flight of stair with a gorgeous white suit and tie, and a bright spot behind him. He was broadly gesturing but not moving much. The video screens on either side of the stage were showing at fairly neutral images that became Christian images and then strongly Christian images. I liked the song, the staging really didn’t thrill me, but most of the audience strongly liked it.

I really don't think this is a good idea.  Its one thing to sing a Christian song, but quite another to project Christian images up on the screens.  This isn't a revival meeting! He must realize not everyone in his audience shares his religious beliefs, nor wants to.  I feel as if this is very inappropriate and could easily offend some, or at the very least make some feel very uncomfortable. Bad move, Clay (in my opinion)!

[Pamela]

Its one thing to sing a Christian song, but quite another to project Christian images up on the screens.  He must realize not everyone in his audience shares his religious beliefs.  I feel as if this is very inappropriate and could easily offend some, or at the very least make some feel very uncomfortable. Bad move, Clay (in my opinion)!

I hear you Christie. But lest we forget, there were many who thought it was inappropriate as well as a bad move for Clay to grind (or portray grinding, your choice) on one of his back up dancers as well!  :

During the previous tour, he chose to express himself in one way; on this tour, he is choosing to express himself in another way (due to Disney sponsorship? Perhaps.  Or perhaps not).  I don't feel he is excluding any of his fans by giving tribute to his spiritual side.  It's always been there.  He has a right to personal and artistic expression, just as we all do.

I remember many cries during the Indie Tour of 'just because he's a Christian he can still be sexy!'  Well, just because he's sexy doesn't make him any less of a Christian...

Clay is a person with many textures.  It's what makes him who he is.
He probably lost fans over the grindage, and he may lose fans over the
'religious' set as well.  Life goes on.

From the descriptions, the video actually sounds kind of cheesy.  I'll reserve judgement until I actually see it with my own eyes.  Which will be in one week - eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Besides, if I don't like the video I'll just scrunch my eyes closed and listen to the VOX.   :

[ACcountryFan]

Its one thing to sing a Christian song, but quite another to project Christian images up on the screens. He must realize not everyone in his audience shares his religious beliefs. I feel as if this is very inappropriate and could easily offend some, or at the very least make some feel very uncomfortable. Bad move, Clay (in my opinion)!

===================
i held that same kind of opinion when i first saw those small slow-motion clips of the WDC performance posted on here. i think someone uses one as an avatar now. anyway, i was like : and :oops: until i was put at ease when i read Clay's comment that he did it as a joke.

i, like you feel of the Christian scenes, thought the WDC was a bad move and could easily offend some people and it's eerie, to me, that you feel this way about the christian images when i felt the same way about WDC in the beginning. on another message board i said that there's a difference in singing romantic love songs but it's something else to actually act them out on stage!

however, on other message boards, i was grouped in with people who were "prudish" or "stuffy" because i didn't like the WDC thing at first...as if i wasn't allowed to have a differing opinion!

everyone was telling people who thought like i did to "lighten up" or "sex is a normal part of life and if Clay wants to do this, he should be allowed to".

anyway, i read that part of your post and i immediately thought of WDC and how i felt about it and how the scenario's are the same but the subject matter is different! some might take offense to people showing their religion in public as you said, while others might take offense to people showing their sexual side or behaving "frisky" in public as i've often said...which view is correct? both are!  

Clay is a person with many textures. It's what makes him who he is. He probably lost fans over the grindage, and he may lose fans over the 'religious' set as well. Life goes on.

===================
i don't really think Clay will lose fans, in the conventional sense anyway. after all that's been written and said about him...and the mis-understandings and the exaggerations over petty things that has gone on since the start, look at where he is. As usual, emerging victorious.

From the descriptions, the video actually sounds kind of cheesy

====================
is cheesy good or bad? i usually take it as a derogatory word...is it like Cheesy, Cheesy Little Caesar's Pizza, Pizza?? if so, pile on the cheese! pile on so much i get constipated again!! i love un-offensive, harmless, cute, sweet, and sugary songs and cartoons! honest! i really do! :D

[Anonymous]

is cheesy good or bad? i usually take it as a derogatory word...is it like Cheesy, Cheesy Little Caesar's Pizza, Pizza?? if so, pile on the cheese! pile on so much i get constipated again!! i love un-offensive, harmless, cute, sweet, and sugary songs and cartoons! honest! i really do! :D [/color]

Cheesy is good, if you like the cheese.   I mostly think of it as funny, campy, over the top, uber-dramatic, yet mostly unoffensive.  I love the cheese personally.  But we'll see.

[Jan]

SOMEONE HAS , AS THEIR SIGNATURE;
"LET CLAY BE CLAY"

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!

JAN

[Her]

"LET CLAY BE CLAY"

 DITTO, Jan!

[LuvMyClay]

"LET CLAY BE CLAY"

Double Ditto!!!!! : :D

[cjrmax]

I don't know how to explain to you why this is so different than WDC but I am going to try.

The song itself - fine.  To me it is far too religious to be sung at a secular concert. It would still bother me - a lot, but I could live with it.  The staging however, specifically the projected images, are another story.  Now, we don't know exactly what these images are, but let's say one is a picture of Jesus on the cross.  I would find that offensive.  People of the Jewish faith would likely find that offensive.  It is unnecessary.  It is ill conceived.  It is inconsiderate to those who do not share his faith.  It is wrong.  If this were being billed as a Christian concert, then I would have no right to complain.  But Clay is not billed as a Christian artist (he himself has said he does not want to be categorized this way).  This concert is not billed as a concert of Christian music.  There are going to be people there who are not Christian, who may not be anything.  They should not be subjected to what amounts to proselytizing, and that is what this display amounts to.  I feel as if Clay is trying to "spread the word" to those who may not want to hear it.  

I have no problem with Clay having faith.  In fact, I admire it.  But one thing I have also admired about Clay is the fact he does not try to shove his religion down anyone's throat.  I feel with this song. as presented, he may now be taking advantage of his popularity to spread the gospel.  If this is his intent, then it should be made clear to anyone before they buy a ticket.  If this is what he wants to do, go for it, but make sure your audience is aware of it before taking their money.  

In WDC some may have thought he went too far (why I will never understand) or may not have liked it, but was anyone truly offended down to their soul?  Did it offend who they were, what they believed?  I doubt it.  Religion is different. To me, the display of overtly religious pictures during an overtly religious song is paramount to showing pictures of the KKK to an audience partially composed of African Americans.

The pictures being projected on the screen is where Clay crossed the line. It is wrong.  It is offensive to some, many.  Let Clay be Clay - absolutely, but not at the expense of the rights of his fans who have spent money and in many case traveled distances to see him. If Clay wants to spread the gospel, let him hold a revival meeting.  Don't sneek it into a concert.

Frankly, it is my hope he will hear enough negative feedback that he will change the production to at least emiminate the religious pictures. The song is bad enough.  The pictures are just wrong.   And if this is the direction Clay is heading, I am afraid I will be taking a different road.

I guess only time will tell, but this is not a very good sign. I frankly cannot believe his people let him do it.  They had to know it would offend a portion of his audience.  It was an ill-conceived move and one I hope will be corrected.

[Pamela]

Clackhouse

There was something very electric in tonight's performance, and indeed in this entire driven urgency and immediacy to be here, in this improbable place of Grand Forks, taking 48 hours away from family and jobs and homes and normalcy to coalesce in a parallel universe. Yes it is giddy and heady; but more than that, it is urgent. That is the word that comes to me over and over. I can't explain it or understand it. I can only surrender to it.

There is a whole untold story about today; I won't go into it now except to say that after 6 hours of tedious and occasionally disturbing placesitting at the venue, we finally scored aisle seats in rows 3 and 4 next to the catwalk, on the grindage side (despite the absence of grindage), which means that all of us in those seats piled into the aisle next to the catwalk and experienced Clay intimately. The security was in full force; there were many times more individual security persons placed around the perimeters than ever before. Jerome personally greeted and consulted with most of the security people in our immediate area; we assume this happened throughout the venue. There were security personnel on both sides of the barrier -- between Clay and the "fence," and also between the "fence" and the fans. And the security were hypervigilant about everything: hats, signs, gifts, and especially cameras. There were posted notices at all entrance doors that only disposable cameras were allowed, and that digital cameras and video or audio recording equipment would be confiscated. And it was. Security was all over cameras like measlepox. morningstar and I managed to get a couple of bootleg digicam photos each but they meant business.

I presume this is because Disney or Buena Vista or whoever is pulling the (purse)strings doesn't want uninhibited access to bootlegs for all the fans. Our days of unlimited clack may be behind us, at least in the concert venue, at least in THIS concert series. Too early to tell, I guess.

Clay is so amazing. Everything about this concert was stepped up several notches. First of all, HE WAS FANTASTIC. From the moment he appeared on the stage -- arising from the depths of his beautifully constructed set -- he had total command. He was joyful, uninhibited, self-confident, 100% present, natural, self-possessed, and lethally sexy......It was definitely sophisticated and superlative.

We have known for a very long time that he has a generosity of spirit and heart that surpasses normalcy. That was never more evident than in his first solo tour. We saw it with Ruben, we saw it with Kelly, and now that he is beholden to no one, we saw it with his own support players. He gave over two entire pieces of his program to his back-ups and band. In the James Taylor set he announced he would be singing back-up to the back-ups.... and then he did so, in a way that was so beautifully humble and at the same time skilled that he made them look every bit as good as he makes himself look. Ditto in Toto’s Rosanna, when he actually left the stage so that the band could take full credit for its virtuosity (and so he could do one of FIVE I think costume changes!) (Maybe only four.)

(snip)  

[Pamela]

Clackhouse

Almost coherent comments on last night's show --

Clay so loves being up on that stage performing. His energy was amazing. He used the whole set and didn't favor one side more than the other from what I could see. Some video stuff worked better than others -- my personal favorite was the multiple Clay shots on some of the screens -- I counted as many as four ever diminishing ones at one point.

His voice was in great shape -- definite benefit of the first concert. Hearing RTM, TITN, and Solitaire all in one night made that very clear. The emotion in ISY was as intense as ever, even tho it was performed further back on the stage than IT's catwalk performance (RTM got that staging).

I enjoyed the James Taylor staging and the backup singers' featured performances very much. They have great voices. Clay's facial expressions and movements throughout the medley were also fun to watch -- no matter who's singing, boy knows how to keep the attention on him. Featuring the backup singers on this medley and the band on Rosanna (which was done in part to allow him time for a costume change) enhanced the show for me, rather than detracting from it. I love seeing the camaraderie that's grown onstage since the beginning of IT and allowing talented professionals a small piece of the show in which to shine individually has to help build that feeling -- which in turn will help kick the entire show up notches as the tour progresses. (And no songs were interrupted for introducing the band.)

The passion Clay brings to his performances of religious music has always made the songs sound even better to me, and last night's were no exception. I'm not sure that the costuming, staging, and video accompaniment were essential to get that passion across -- I think the excellent vocals alone would have done it -- but parts of it were very beautiful. Parts came across as preachy in a Jim Bakker kind of way -- for me, mainly the white suit on an even more elevated platform at the top of the stage. But I agree that this song was the "risk" for this tour in the way that WDC was for the last -- and I always admire risk-taking.

The program is an absolute must purchase at $15.00. (Bring cash for purchases, because GF didn't take plastic and I'm sure at least some others won't.) Seriously beautiful pictures on every single page. T-shirts come in all shapes and sizes and pictures and colors -- highest price I saw for one was $33, but one might have been $42. Button set was $15.00. There was a red thong for sale for $15.00 (Clay's name but not face) right next to a baseball cap with that new CA logo (no price on it that I could see.)

Overall, I loved a lot of pieces of the concert. The surprise of not knowing what comes next at a first concert of the tour was still there and still brings its own energy. But maybe there's only a first "first concert" -- I enjoyed Grand Forks, but it hasn't replaced IT's Charlotte concert in my heart.

Clay is selling a red thong with his name on it?!!?  Hahahahahahahaaaaaa!  The guy is definitely killing me.  Passion of the Clay and a red thong.  I'm LMAO!

[Prissy]

cjrmax,

I've read some of your posts, and I would like to comment on some of your points.

I am a Christian, but I, also, agree with you that a concert not billed as a Christian concert is not the place for religious pictures.  I have not seen what was displayed on the screens, so cannot comment fully.
 
 I remember reading an interview months ago by Clay where he was asked if he would ever appear on a Billy Graham Crusade, and he said probably not; (and now I'm paraphrasing) that he would rather make a difference to people who  needed it; he didn't feel it was necessary to "preach to the choir." Perhaps he is hoping to touch his fans in a religious way on  this tour!

 I don't think I would object to a really catchy Christian song in his concerts.  Being an instrumentalist, I admit that I don't listen to the words of songs so much as the music.

I am also a fan ofTOUCH and think it should have been the next single with WYSYLM as the other side.  I think he could have changed some of the words if he felt there was a problem with them.  Again, I tend to listen to the music and not the words so much, so I would have to relisten to the song to see what the objections might be.

I really cannot comment on WDC.  It seemed pretty tame to me in the Nokia Live Concert with Kelly I saw in March.  I am unable to see downloads of other concerts because of my computer (Macintosh Apple!)

I am always glad when people on this thread are willing to take a stand for what they believe.  We all love Clay, but don't have to agree with everything he does.  I think that Pamela has created a "haven" for us here where we can discuss and agree or disagree with respect and kindness toward each other.

Of course, in the end, Clay is in charge of his destiny, and we will be here for him no matter what!  He is bound to make some mistakes, but, as he always says, he's not perfect;  he's just CLAY!! I like Pamela's quote, I think, originally from the TIME article:  "LET CLAY BE CLAY!"

Just my opinions,
 Prissy

[Pepe]

cjrmax, I truly am sorry you were offended.  Maybe I am more open minded but Clay is all things to all people.  He tries to give everyone at his concerts something to take home with them.  There was a song for everyone last night you take what you like and ignore the rest.  Christians have rights to and I am sure they were touched with the song there were plenty of other songs for the others.  Now if he had sang three or four Christian songs that might be different there was so much in the concert to love I hope you will dwell on that instead.

The wonderful work Clay does for children how could anyone think bad of him for singing a Christian song.  

   Pepe (Clay's Personal Chef)
Proud Member of the OCD Support Group

[Pamela]

Clackhouse

More than anything last night, I thought that Clay was trying on different personas. I saw an incredibly gifted, talented artist who was is evolving at an incredible rate and is not quite sure which direction this evolution is taking him. One thing was clear to me, though - he has, in a sense, outgrown the material on MOAM. It seemed to me that he and the band were wanting to go places that many of those songs couldn't take them. WTSHNN, Kyrie, and Rosanna, Solitaire and the JT medley proved that to me. I think the only song that "stood up" to these was MOAM. Now, I love Clay's CD, so I was a bit surprised by my reaction.

I wanted to agree with Toffee from p. 18. I think he took a risk with covering a U2 song. I recall the interview he did for Canadian Idol last year, when he told Ryan Malcolm that his choice of "One" for the semifinal rounds was really brave - well, I think inviting comparison to one of the iconic figures of rock, Bono, is equally risky as his take on WDC.

As for YWT, I wasn't offended, but my eyes rolled a little. Like MrsR so astutely observed, it was tacky religious cheese. I thought the song, while well-sung, was trite. It didn't ruin the concert for me by any stretch, but this was a choice Clay made that did not really work for me. Like I said, I think this was one of the several personas he was trying out.

For me, I can see why many (including me), had the feeling they were being preached to. Clay was literally on a pulpit, raised a couple of feet above the uppermost part of the stage. Again, it didn't bother me (and I'm kind of surprised that it didn't), but it didn't work for me either.

If I had to take a guess at Clay's musical direction, I would have to say that he is headed towrd 80's rock style. I think this music suits him (lots of wailing), and he seems to love singing these types of songs (Kyrie, Rosanna, WTSHNN). Oh, and the JT medley was gorgeously staged. Even though Clay was singing backup, he was still the centre of attention.

[ACcountryFan]

Maybe I am more open minded but Clay is all things to all people.

=================
that's correct! Clay is more than just a "singer" to the kids he helps with the BAF; as an example.

...Christians have rights to and I am sure they were touched with the song. there were plenty of other songs for the others.

=================
that's another correct statement. because Clay has spoken openly about his christianity, it shouldn't come to nobody's surprise that he has some kind of a christian following, too, and they have every right to be "acknowledged" at a Clay Aiken show with a song or two.

who knows, he may one day pull an Amy Grant and jump from pop to Christian or from pop to country?? {i'm personally wishing on the latter scenario :}

but unless he fills his shows with one gospel song after another to where it mirrors a Gaither Gospel Goodtime Show, i can't see that anyone would get offended!
 
cjrmax, we may never see eye to eye on many things but i still like you and you know that already!

[grammaof6]

If he didn't like the song THAT much, why is it on his album? I need to hear an explanation as to why he doesn't like the song. If he DARES to say its because its too suggestive, then I maintain that he is a hypocrite. I am just very disappointed in him. I thought he cared more about what his fans wanted. How can he hate a song THAT much? I mean, could he be more blatant? It is the ONLY song off MOAM he didn't sing at either concert!

Maybe he's not who I think he is. I know I may sound ridiculous. Its just a song. But to me his not singing it is an indication of something more

.

 :  :  :
I can't believe this controversy has come up.

I thought he cared more about what his fans wanted.

 :  :  :
It seems that Clay is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

I think everyone on this board knows my opinion of WDC. Actually the song and 'fun' dance wasn't all that offensive to me. What was offensive is the way it is portrayed in montages, avatars, and comments. When I saw the WDC in Chicago it WAS a fun, innocent dance. I sat directly in front of it (second row) and watched with a magnifying glass. There was light between the two bodies the entire time. Yet when I saw the comments and montage of that night, it was "HOT, HOT, HOT!" and  "they had their hands all over each other" and "Angela went down on him" . WHAT? : What concert was I at? The over exaggeration of the WDC making it sleasy and over-sexed was offensive to me. Why did Clay do it? To prove how sexy he is? The man just has to massage a mic stand and we all THUD, so what was the point? I believe he did it for his fans. Because he DOES want to please us. A hypocrite? No I don't believe so. Clay has repeatedly said he doesn't like TOUCH. It's not the image he wants, feels comfortable with, and would not have included it on MOAM if he had the power. To call Clay a hypocrite because he doesn't do something he doesn't want to do is like calling us fans hypocrites because we say we love and respect him and then get mad because he doesn't do something we want him too. A fan accepts and supports. Even tho some of us didn't like the WDC we still loved him as a man, a voice, a benefactor to the disadvantaged. We are still FANS!

Pamela, AC and several others have so eloquently addressed this issue so much better than I. I remind all of us to LET CLAY BE CLAY!

[Pamela]

Clackhouse

Well that was fun. I don't think I will EVER miss opening night of a Clay Aiken tour again!

I wont do a long recap becoss that's why I talked KAndre and Sausalito into rooming with me. They are very good at that writing stuff and I am obviously not.

My favorite moments of the actual concert were the JT set and Clay's entrance from under his spaceship-like staircase. Oh and there was that moment he was talking to KAndre while she was standing right next to me. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to stare into those beautiful green eyes...gah! It's hard to pick just one moment that was best. Everything was amazing! Everything! Amazing!

The IT was good, but isn't even the same ballpark. I now know with 100% certainty, Clay Aiken really loves his job and really loves us too.

(snip)

The camera restriction was heartbreaking. The lighting was great for picture taking. Many meers successfully snuck in their digital cameras, but the camera police were patrolling with a vengeance.....(snip)

The Tour Program -- This is the most beautiful piece of (non audio) clack I have ever owned.

When you attend your concert don't forget the cash. All the merchandise booths were CASH ONLY! I had a mountain of merchandise I was going to charge, it was reduced to three items because I did not have enough cash.

(snip)

This was the best Clay adventure I've ever taken. It actually topped my AMA/Nick at Nite adventure. I felt so much love during that concert from the fans to Clay and from him back to us. I hope each one of you have this same experience with your concerts. He was so happy and filled with energy and joy. I couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again.

[sjlogghe]

The pictures being projected on the screen is where Clay crossed the line. It is wrong. It is offensive to some, many. Let Clay be Clay - absolutely, but not at the expense of the rights of his fans who have spent money and in many case traveled distances to see him. If Clay wants to spread the gospel, let him hold a revival meeting. Don't sneek it into a concert.

Frankly, it is my hope he will hear enough negative feedback that he will change the production to at least emiminate the religious pictures. The song is bad enough. The pictures are just wrong. And if this is the direction Clay is heading, I am afraid I will be taking a different road

Okay, I am sorry but I have to add my 10 cents on this!!!  First of all, I find it offensive and immature that you can make comments like this when you haven't even seen the pictures that are being displayed!!!!!  I am always open minded to people's opinions and comments, but to speak irrationally about something like that in my opinion is where YOU crossed the line!!  And as far as rights, it is Clay's concert, doesn't HE have a right to do whatever he wants to without being criticized about it??  

As far as the song and pushing religion onto people, he does nothing of the sort.  So he sings a christian song, there are plenty of billboards, commerials, signs, all over the United States that speak of all sorts of religions.  Does that mean we shouldn't be allowing these anymore because one person might drive by and find it offensive??  It is not like Clay is asking us to become Christian and go to church or anything, he is just singing a song he loves to sing.  And to me, I look at it as Clay thanking God in front of us for allowing him to have that opportunity.  He is paying homage to his God, his beliefs, for being on his amazing journey.  Another example is his WWJD bracelet.  Should he stop wearing that because people might be offended??  I think not!!

Yes I am christian, and yes I like christian music.  I loved that song, and had tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my arms when he was done.  I also watched the pictures.  And in my opinion, they are not offensive at all.  It shows pages of a book, a rock with a sun shining in the background, and at the very end a cross with light shining behind it.  It is just a reflection of Clay, and the fact that he is very thankful to God for where he is at right now.  Regardless of what religion anyone is, we all believe in something.  Clay is just choosing to share with us what he believes in, and we should be thankful for that!  

And to mention another thing!!!!  No one said a word when Clay and Ruben sang a Christian song at the AMA's.  That was shown to millions of people across the country, and many of the celebrities gave it a standing ovation - celebrities who are open about their religion, many of whom are not christian!  

I know that there is a lot more that I want to say, but I will end for now.  And I know some people will probably find my post offensive, but I do not care.  To me, hearing comments about things that people have not seen or heard is very offensive and I am not the one to sit back and just listen!!  Like so many have said, LET CLAY BE CLAY, and this is a part of the Clay we all love. And to me, saying that you will not be a fan anymore because he sings one song that you do not like tells me you may not be that big of a fan in the first place!!

Sarah