SIOUX FALLS - WOW!!

[iplaywithCLAYdoh]

debster, I was there too!!!!  and i have to agree with you...it was the best night of my entire life!!!  I seriously don't think Clay could have been any better.  And when he sang Solitaire at the end, and held that note out sooo long, I thought I was really gonna have a heart attack!!  It was grrrrreat!!   :D  :D  :D  :D  :D

[ANGELA]

iplaywithCLAYdoh,
WELCOME TO THIS SITE.  HOPE TO SEE YOU POSTING MORE OFTEN.

ANGELA

[forever_clay]

hey everybody!! thanks so much for the fantastic reviews! Clay has become so effortless (thats not the best word to describe it...but it works) on stage. he was a little more tight during independant tour and we all loved him then. now with his FABULOUS moves and emotion behind each and every song, he makes us WILD!! on another note, does anybody have a recording of, or know where i can get a recording of this robert kid? my aunt and cousin were there and said he was actually really good. if anybody can help, that would be great!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all, for your kind words.  And thank you, heater, for sharing the name of the song.  As I said, I just loved it.  I guess part of the reason it struck me the way it did is that it was nice to see Clay sharing his faith with us in his own special way through song.  And the set up was just beautiful with everyone dressed in white and the lighting done the way it was.  It was very dramatic and very moving...
BTW...  I am a registered member, but I posted wrong and came up as a guest.  I think I may have this post do the same way.  Can anyone guess what I am doing wrong?  I logged on first...
Anyway, I was glad to post a small review.  I have always appreciated others who do that for my Stars On Ice shows that I love!  So I thought why not do it for others here!
Kathy_Tenn

[cookie157]

We traveled from the Knoxville, TN area to see this concert...our first and not last Clay concert.  When I say the drive over was worth it...I mean it!  My daughter and I had the best time.  Clay is very interactive with his audience and so humble.  I especially liked that he brought the girl up to dance and the girl up to sing and he looked at and would recognize the different signs.  Clay joked about his dancing but he is learning to move to the music!!!!  What is especially nice too....is he is still CLAY....he still wears the same type of clothing and still wears his WWJD bracelet.  That religious song he sang near the end certainly did bring tears to our eyes.  The pictures he had on the videos of the clouds and rivers and mountains, etc with the song and him on that platform in a white suit.  It was phenomenal!!!!!!!!  What was great is also that his audience varied from the young to the very elderly!  My daughter is 16 and I'm old enough to be Clay's mother....but we BOTH had a great time.  Nice to go to a concert where it is just good, clean fun!!!!   We will be going next month into Knoxville for his concert and may actually travel to NC for his Charlotte concert!!  It was really really a WONDERFUL night!  :D

[Kathy_Tenn]

Hey, Cookie 157!  I drove to Greenville from Johnson City!  My oldest daughter is married and lives in Knoxville.  I seriously thought about going to the Knoxville concert, too, but it is my birthday (49 and counting!) and I didn't think I should.  Besides, school is in session by then and it would be a hassle.  But I know that when August 17th gets here, I am going to be wishing I was there!  Maybe I should jusy go by myself and stay with my daughter. Maybe I'll give it some more thought...  :)

[reeree]

hello, cladybugs i was in greenville also, and it was truly an overwhelming event, i was in nashville on wednesday and greenville on saturday....wheeewwwww, i don't know how clay does it???? his concerts are unforgetable simply for what he has to offer all of us a laugh, a cry, a little dance, and a WHOLE BUNCH OF TALENT.....he is what we all have been waiting for in the music seen, some good clean music that you can actually follow...... great night clay , thanks for the memories in july 2004, we'll be waiting with sweet tea in hand( to cool off a 'lil ) for your next performance..... maria

[lorraine]

THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE REVIEWS.  HE IS JUST SUCH A REFRESHING CHANGE AND MAKES US FEEL GOOD.

WHETHER IT BE THE MONEY WE PAY FOR A TICKET, OR THE TRAVEL TIME WE TAKE TO SEE CLAY IN CONCERT FOR SURE WE KNOW CLAY GIVES HIMSELF TO US 100% PLUS.  THERE ARE VERY FEW ARTISTS OUT THERE THAT DO THAT.  YES IT IS ALL WORTH IT.


LORRAINE

[a guest]

Gosh, I am so envious... Thank you for posting  and sharing your experiences with us. What Clay brings to each of his concerts is an ability to make each and everyone of us a part of an event that we will always remember and cherish as long as we live.
And even if we can't be there to share in it, all of your postings bring it alive in our hearts and in our minds, and we can't help but feel that this is only the beginning of a future, where only the sky is the limit.
Love you all, Franny

[CT loves Clay]

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!

Claybuf,

Here it is July 18 and I just found this.  What a fantastic review.  I would have given anything to be there and see the funny things that happened, hear Clay soar with his songs, and hear the Clay look-alike.  I did see him somewhat on a download; yes, he did resemble him.  I never even think that there is someone that could look or sound like Clay, but you never know.  In my heart, though, there will be never, ever be another Clay!!

You are right, we will be there forever, right along with him.  Let's hope for many, many years, no matter what it costs us. :

Linda

[cookie157]

Hi Kathy_Tenn....come on down to Knoxville and see his show there too!!!  I was looking at the tickets and there are some good seats left and you know you'll be upset when the day comes and you aren't there!!!   :D
I am so excited about seeing another of his shows....he is a BREATH of fresh air!!!!!  I am hoping he will continue for many more years to come!!!

[nursingme]

Hi! Guys I just wanted to touch base and say that Clay Aiken just gets BETTER with every performance that he does. Both nights were magnificent. You know Greenville may have been even better than Greensboro. I think the sound was better in Greenville,but he does such an amazing job that no matter what he is SUPER. Sorry I missed tonight . I wish I had gotten tickets for Charleston because I can't seem to get enough of that young man. He is soooooo wonderful,sexy, funny,inspiring and absolutely awesome. Can't wait till my next encounter with Mr.Aiken.

[Kathy_Tenn]

Well, Cookie, I did it.  I just couldn't stand it!  My friend's daughter wanted to go and her husband DID NOT.   So I offered to go with her when my husband said if I wanted to go - then go!  So even though it is my birthday, I WILL BE THERE!  (I figure at my age, who cares if we celebrate a day or two early!)  We will be in section 123-row 14.  Not bad for two months into the ticket sales...  I was in the lower bowl, first row which was one step up from the floor at BiLo, so row 14 might feel like the nose bleed section in comparison, but I will still enjoy it knowing that I could see better in Greenville!  What section will you be in, Cookie?  I hope you get seats close to the stage.  It really is fun to be able to see well.  And you will love the Christian number Clay does toward the end of the concert!!!  That number is one of the main reasons I want to go again.  I just loved it!  
Do you know a good place to park at Thompson/Boling?  I've never been there before and have no idea where the "nearby" parking is.  My daughter told me today, "Good luck finding a parking place!"  I looked up UT's fall term and the first day is the 18th which means all the students (and their cars!) will be there.  Sure hope you have good advice on where to go.  We plan to get there about 5:00 or so in hopes that it will help avoid most of the evening traffic since we are coming from the east from Johnson City. And we are hoping it helps us get a better parking place by arriving early.
I'll be looking for your post.  I hope we can meet.  I read that several Claymaniacs were at BiLo and I wish that I had realized it so that I could meet up with them.  I think it would be fun to say hello to a fellow Claymaniac!
P.S.
The review is my pleasure, Lorraine and Franny.  It wasn't much, but I'm glad you enjoyed it...

[heart4clay]

Hi Taken,
I was at the Lexington concert and it was great!!!  I could not believe how wonderful he looked and sounded!  One of my friends got picked for the Meet & Greet and another was out at OMC's bus and he came out and shook their hands and talked to them!!!  I don't have any pics that I have taken but I have some from different boards.

 I went to Nashville, two nights later, on the 14th and was lucky enough to get 2nd row seats.  Ohhh, I thought I died and was in heaven!


Here is a post from a gal at RHT and it is a good one:
Ok, I've been DYING to post this all day.
My friend and I went to the Lexington concert
Yes, we drove 3 hours, but it was worth it!!!! Oh, was it worth it!
We had 10th row seats, and we were OH SO excited.
When we got there, we were milling around the convention center, and it is so fun to watch all the Clay fans. They all look how we feel....so excited! We are all happy just to see Clay. I think that is my favorite part of going to a concert...seeing all the fans, and talking to people who love Clay as much as you do.

We sat next to Sapphire's sister, Sharon. I love talking to people who are from online....so much fun! It's like we all have this instant bond. We talked about the different concert's we've been to and were planning on going to this summer. We asked her if she'd ever met Clay...nope. Us either. Darn. Hopefully one day we can be so lucky.

I won't bore you with my concert review, but let's just say it was AMAZING!! All of the songs were fantastic. "I Survived You" gave me chills, like it always does. I am so amazed everytime I see him perform. He has so much energy, and the whole crowd is just feeding off it. He is such a talent. The drive would have been worth it if the only song he would have sung was "Solitaire." My God. I was watching him on the jumbotron, and he was so into it. I mean, he is just lost in another world. It's amazing to watch. I had goosebumps. Imagine that.

After the concert, we were left all sweaty and breathless and coming down off our Clay-high.

We walked back to our car, and since we were parked right by the buses, we decided to wait for him to come out.

And suddenly, there he was. At first I thought he was just going to get on the bus, but we all started screaming for him, and he waved, and started walking toward us! Oh my god. He was really coming toward us.

As he approached the fence he took off his hat, and you could see his huge smile. He was genuinely happy to see his fans. He started shaking hands with people and saying hello. I was fiddling w/ my camera trying to get a good picture of him. It's so hard b/c you want to enjoy the moment, but I knew I'd want the pictures later, so I tried to get some good pics of him.

He had a blue Kentucky t-shirt on and flip flops. His toes are even cute!

Then he got to my friend Amy. She was speechless. She muttered "Thank you" to him as she shook his and, and he giggled. Oh no...the giggle! Clay, you are slaying me! Don't you know I can't take your giggle when you are that close to me?? My god, that man is adorable!

Then he was in front of me. Looking directly into my eyes, and holding out his hand. I know his eyes are green, but he had a blue shirt on, and they looked as blue as the sky, and twinkly! I swear the were twinkling. He had a huge smile on his face. I reached out and took his hand...it was so soft ...but he had a nice firm grip. I tried to think of something interesting to say...something that he hadn't heard a bezillion times before, but all I could muster was "Clay, we all love you so much!" He smiled and looked down almost like he was embarrased. Then he said "Thank ya," and squeezed my hand tight before letting go. My God. I thought it was impossible to love him more than I did already, but I was wrong.

I watched him walk down the line of people, and he shook hands with every single person at that fence. Smiling, and being gracious and thanking people the whole time. That man really loves his fans. It's not fake. I saw it. He was basking in it. He didn't have to come say hi to us....he wanted to. I think that's why we all love him so much -- because we can feel it in return. You should have seen the faces of all the people. They were elated, and his face looked just the same. He made every single person there feel like he was there just for them. He just has that way about him. He is an amazing person, and I am so thankful to have met him.

I mean, how many people get to meet their favorite celebrity? How many of Clay's millions of fans, actually get to tell him how special he is face to face? My friend and I are so lucky. Clay will never know how such a simple act can make such a difference. My friend and I have both been having a hard time of it lately, and he really made our night - our week- heck, our YEAR with a smile and a handshake. One little Clay moment that we can call our own. He is real to me now, and I will be his fan forever, and support him in whatever he does. No wonder he's so beloved.

Thank you, Clay.

[Kathy_Tenn]

Hi Nursingme,
I was in Greenville last night, too.  I read somewhere that Pamela was there, as well.  I wish I had thought to get on the discussion forum before the concert to see who all was going.  It would have been fun to meet a few Claymaniacs!  I was in the first row in the lower bowl facing about the 8th row of the floor seats.  We were cloe enough to be able to see
Clay well and it was great fun!  
I am going to the Knoxville concert with a friend next month.  I can't wait to see the concert again.  And I will see the other opening act, too.  Ben somebody...  My 20 year old has heard of him anyway!  We got the tickets just today, though because I had not figured on going to the Knoxville concert at first.  Two months into the ticket sales and we still managed to get the 14th row in the first section of the lower bowl that starts just past the front edge of the stage.  Hope that makes sense.  Anyway, the seats should be fairly good...

[Kathy_Tenn]

I just noticed that you joined the group only 2 weeks before I did.  I love having the site to keep up with Clay activities.  If it weren't for being a member of this site. I would have missed the concert in Greenville...

[LiftClayUp]

Hi Kathy and Cookie - I will be seeing Clay, the day before Knoxville,
in Indianapolis.  With so many nice reviews I am really looking forward to this concert.  I am taking my 8 year old granddaughter for her birthday.

In case you didn't know there are most of the time preconcert parties somewhere close to where the concert is.  I haven't looked to see if there is one for Knoxville but will this afternoon and come back and report.  The parties are a place where you can meet other Clay fans and are usually a lot of fun.

Carol

[cookie157]

Kathy_Tenn.....I'm so glad you decided to go!!!!  At Greenville I was on the floor in the second section back which wasn't too bad but in Knoxville I got 15th row seats which is great!!!!!  I hope at least!!  I wish I could help you with the parking but I moved down here almost a year ago and have never been to the Thompson Boling Arena myself  : I love the shopping in Knoxville but don't even know where the arena is.  I am going to ride with some friends to it so hopefully they will know where it all is.  I think if you get there by 5 you won't have any trouble parking though.  We parked at 6 in Greenville and we were fairly close.  I may actually though drive myself in if they aren't going to leave early enough.  It will be another wonderful show!!!!  Maybe we could figure out a place there in the arena and meet!!!

[cookie157]

LiftClayUp....please do let us know!!  I would love to go to one of them.  I don't know who likes Clay better...my daughter or myself!  :D  I think if I can wing the preconcert party I will definitely drive myself to Knoxville.  Kathy_Tenn....on my husbands next day off I think we'll drive into Knoxville and I'll find the arena and check the parking situation out for you and I!  We live in Sevier County so we aren't far at all!

[LiftClayUp]

This is all I found.  It seems they are getting together a party from the "Red Hot Topic" fan site.  RHT started charging about a month ago to have access to their site and I made the decision not to pay so I don't have access to that site.

I did get this from "the Clayboard" (another fan site).  

To sign up for the Knoxville pre-party go to
www.bestcruisequote.com/knoxvillepreparty

Details have not been ironed out yet. Hopefully by the end of next week. To be honest, we've not had much response, so we're not sure how big a place to get!!! So sign up and get the word out..

Thanks

This was posted several weeks ago and nothing has been updated.  Maybe you can get the info from the bestcruise link from the Clayboard post.    All Clay fans ae welcome at these parties.  It doesn't matter which fan site you belong to.

Sorry that I haven't been able to find out any better info. :oops:

Carol