DEC 21 CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE SQUARE FAN REVIEWS

[Pamela]

OFFICIAL THREAD!

[Anonymous]

Simply amazing in everyway possible....
The concert could not have gone any more perfect.
Even the school choir blended with the performers.
Amazing amazing amazing!
If I could go to more this tour, I most def. would see them all! :-)
I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!

[claygrl07]

Hello everyone. I'm a new member of this board. i had diner with really nice people from this board last night and they told us to come over and check it out. Hopefully this is in the right spot. Clay did a awesome job at the concert. He has a very powerful voice!!

[HavinaClayAffair]

Ok...where do I start?? How about from the beginning??

Huckleberry drove the 1 1/2 hours to me on Monday night and stayed here for our drive to Cleveland the next morning. We drove to Marion and picked up a Clay fan not on the boards..and set off. We had book signing group numbers and we were praying all of the way that nothing would slow us down and we would not be late. well..we weren't! we arrived in plenty of time. We met up with ClayLady, Caramel131, Karen28, Bisi, McCraig, ChrisieD's mom...LittleLady, Jeanne11 and her friend Ann, and Joyce (friend and Clay concert companion to ClayLady). We also saw and spoke to to GrammaYoder and PapaYoder as well as another lovely lady they brought. We had coffee and bagels while waiting..nervously chatting about Mr. Aiken and what we would say when we met him. I had casually offered to "add another chapter to his book that he won't likely forget"..but they didn't think that Jerome would like that and may drag me off..so..I then offered to say "Hi Clay, I HavinaClayAffair" but once again..they didn't think that would be a good idea. So..I thought..OK- I'll wing it!

Well..at around 11:45, they made the announcement- Clay was going to be arriving soon but could be 15 minutes late. What a surprise!! I totally expected that! Soon, in walked Jerome who did receive some cheers..but by the time they were done fussing with tables and platforms and chairs and benches and different tables and legs of the tables and angles of the table and books on the table - then repositioning the books on the table..well..you get my drift- It was silly. They were now even more late. Planned?? Who knows..but some of the "fans" were now IM- Patiently waiting...I suggested we sing Christmas songs..get the crowd train of thought going to something else. A rendition of Winter Wonderland was began...it lasted until we all forgot the words...but- it took our minds off the fact that the tables were just not right. Again..it was silly. The bookstore then finally put on some Clay music!! Good Idea!!

FINALLY- about 35- 40 minutes late..the clapping for Clay began and in walks OMC..beautiful bookstore, beautiful balcony..then beautiful Clay. Waving, strutting, smiling Clay. Oh.. and Alfalfa Hair Clay..at least that one spike in the back. Too cute.

Group one was postioned to meet Clay..and now- Group 2 was being put in place. I was in group 2 with Caramel- Chandra. I was trying to take photo's - which were allowed. Mine came out badly..except the one photo that Caramel got of me at the table with Clay. THAT one actually turned out! So..anyway- it is my turn now and I hand my book to the girl on my right and walk nearer the table to "meet" Clay. So...what comes out of my mouth??? "Ya know Clay.. I have plans to attend a concert tonight..and now, since you were late.. I may be late to that concert."  He looks up with a giggle..and says something to the affect of "Well..I think you'll be Ok..I don't think they will start the concert without me!!" ummm..."you are probably right.".. He shook my hand and of course, wishes me a "Merry Christmas". I did not say my name..or where I was from or what fansite I followed.. DARN! I should have just went with - Hi.. I am HavinaClayAffair!!

Chandra did tell Clay.."Hi Clay- I am your Cleveland Dancer"..He looked up and honestly seemed to recollect her. He was very surprised and smiling! Told her he did remember her. I got the photo off too late..as they were dragging me/ pushing me away. Sorry again Chandra but her sister got some great shots!

My thoughts on up close and personal with Clay?? Ahh..he's not so bad. HAHA!!

He was a great looking man! He really was!! He did have stubble..he did look you right in the eyes. I do not think he looked small in any way..he did have on that side slit green sweater that I so don't like but..I wasn't looking at the sweater. I was looking at him!! He had a great handshake. I was very happy about that!

I thought that maybe once I saw him..more closely, my delusion of Clay..we will call it a delusion..would be wrong. It was not. He truly is a very handsome man and I must have said that 100 times after I met him.

I had an opportunity to 'meet' Clay twice but Claylady was gracious enough to get my 2 friends actual group numbers so she took my other book to get it signed for me, with Huckleberry, who had stand by numbers. I hope she remembers his face forever. She was beaming.

All in all..the book signing was a success. He was very gracious..hugging and posing with small children and some fans using wheelchairs. He received gifts that Jerome put in boxes on the floor to Clay's right.

I left a happy gal...on to the hotel and the concert!! And to see a man that enters my thoughts on a regular basis for the last 2 years of my life.

Lora-Ohio

[KY4Clay]

I attended this concert , it was great.  When he came out in the audience he was on my side of the aisle, he kept getting closer to where i was sitting.  He exited to the righjt , his right.  he brushed me as he went by.  That is close as I have been.  My niece and family attended the show with us.  I ask my Niece What she thought after about 3 songs?  She said awsome!!! She kept repeating this.  The Great niece 16 said she found a whole new love for this man.  They said usually a performer doesn't sound as good in person as on th record, but not Clay he is fantastic in person.  The Mom said that he is an entertainer.  Last comment the Bellman at our hotel said, " Who is this guy?"  I havn't seen this kind of excitement since Elvis" Enlightening one person at a time.

[HavinaClayAffair]

After checking into the hotel..we got around for dinner and the concert. We met up with many of the same ladies we met at breakfast..shared some laughs and then headed next door to the Palace Theatre.

We had our tickets out and purses checked. No cameras with flash and no camera phones. Well..I had a camera phone- but I was not intending to use it for photos. I was however hoping to get a call out to someone if the ushers were not the same "atillas" that we had in Baltimore.

Our seats were better here than in Baltimore. The crowd was a much better crowd than in Baltimore. what I mean is that I believe that a lot of those attending the concert in Baltimore were regular  Baltimore Symphony Orchestra members..not necessarily Clay fans. Makes for a different crowd. They were pleasant but they weren't Cleveland!! And Clay took note early on too!!

This concert started better than the other I attended. We could hear better and see OMC better. The choir..well.. VERY GOOD harmonies with Clay. They were actually quite wonderful. Better dressed and seemed more happy to be a part of the show..smiling and swaying! Thank you Cleveland Choirs!!

Jacob, Angela and Quianna did their parts in the show like the talented singers they are. I was most impressed with Angela that night. She was fantastic. She seemed so comfortable there. They all did actually. We all have our own opinions but IMO - she sounded better than she had on any show I had seen her in. Congrats to all of their solos. It is such an added bonus to this tour.

About Mr. Aiken. There have been so many reviews of Clay's voice and demeaner in these and others concerts. Whether it was me and my mood that night or a full moon, I don't know-but MAN!! Was he great! He looked fantastic coming out amongst the kids in his gray slacks and burgundy sweater- fitting him great!- from what I could see of his hair..etc. nothing wrong. Nothing. Not that there really is anything ever really "wrong" but the words "he is beautiful" left my mouth more then once- quietly of course.  few.."he is so fine" and "He is so hot" came out too! Again..quietly.

He was perfection singing. To my ears, I could find no fault- but I understand he did mess the words of "I'll be Home For Christmas". Jacob sort of pointed that out during the resolution part, Savon laughing at the piano and Huckleberry looking at me going "Did he just mess up those words?" I have no idea. I was in heaven and I didn't notice.

I knew going into that night that it was my last time to "see" Clay. I knew going into it that I did not know when I would be seeing our "Idol" after that. I think my emotions were very close to the edge that night. I found out - at the end- they were.

I believe that Mary Did You Know was the best I had heard him sing it from all the recordings and other TV shows and downloads I had seen, as well as Baltimore. I also believe that- as heartfelt as Clay can sing songs..he added just another little piece of himself to them in Cleveland.

He fed off the crowd enthusiasm. He did respond to the one gal that hollered from the mezzanine. And he did seem to enjoy it. Made me think at that moment- maybe he did miss some of the crowd interaction with him. He thrives on that, it seems. He ad libs so well.. he can take any punch coming at him and make it seem like he threw it first. He was very funny and light hearted. We have all seen it at one time or another. I saw it very clearly in Clio on that great Saturday night..and I saw it again, live and in person, in Cleveland.

I laughed.. and smile the whole way through. I felt his words. I ached to be nearer. Not for anything other than to know it would not be the last time I had the opportunity to be a part of this, for Clay.

I did "speak" of the pleasure Clay was giving to me. Not by using words necessarily but by little breathes that would escape my mouth during moments that I just could not hold it in any longer. By pleasure, I mean, of being able to take in his voice and what he is trying to convey to his audiences.

I knew that at the end..during Good News- I really was more emotional that I thought. The tears came. Rolling down my face. I actually sobbed quietly to myself..at least I had hoped to myself. I guess my sniffling and heaving shoulders may have been a give away. I was not alone though. As the lights came up..and you take a moment to look around, you see you are not alone. You see that Clay has touched many as deeply as he has touched you. My friend was crying..the people below me were sobbing and above me. You still saw reddened eyes and faces as you walked out of the venue. I was never more proud in my life to have let complete strangers see me cry. They understood.

For those of us that have gotten to see Clay this time around- it was a gift. It was meant as a gift, I believe. For those that haven't gotten to see Clay this time..know you were there. You were with Clay as he sang those songs and you were with those of us fortunate enough to be there. To share in Clay's giving nature and to be able to give back to Clay - to me- is amazing.

I had a very meaningful experience at this concert and I thank Clay for that.

Lora-Ohio

[claylady]

Lora, I not only cried right along with everyone else at the end of our concert in Cleveland but I'm crying again after reading your review.  It's exactly the way it was for all of us.  It was beautiful, magical, and so emotional.  After Clay finished singing Good News, Karen28 and I hugged.  I then looked over at Bisi and she was teary eyed too.  Then we hugged.  It was a very special concert and moment for all of us.  Like you say, who knows when we'll see Clay again.  In my heart, I hope he doesn't make us wait too long.  This past year has been the best because of Clay and all of the wonderful friends I have made on this fantastic ride on the Clay Train.  Thank you again, Lora, for giving me the opportunity to meet Clay a second time at the booksigning.  I will always remember you fondly for that.  I can't believe that when I went up to Clay that second time, I was laughing at something and the first words out of my mouth were "Hey Clay boy, how ya doin"  He just laughed and said he was doing great and could tell that I was too.  He probably wondered what the heck I'd been drinking.  It was just so much fun and so special.  I will always remember meeting Clay, all my Clay friends, and the emotional Joyful Noise Concert in Cleveland.  
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

[cassms]

He fed off the crowd enthusiasm. He did respond to the one gal that hollered from the mezzanine. And he did seem to enjoy it. Made me think at that moment- maybe he did miss some of the crowd interaction with him. He thrives on that, it seems. He ad libs so well.. he can take any punch coming at him and make it seem like he threw it first. He was very funny and light hearted. We have all seen it at one time or another. I saw it very clearly in Clio on that great Saturday night..and I saw it again, live and in person, in Cleveland.

Thanks for the review, Lora.  And I noticed that he seemed to feed off the crowd in Atlanta, too on the JNT tour--the second day was a matinee, not evening, and the crowd seemed a little more noticeably "rowdy" (a relative term--everyone was well-behaved, but you could tell the buzz in the crowd among Claymates--just tons of people who knew each other waving to each other across the auditorium--it was amazing.  

And though I definitely enjoyed being able to hear every glorious note he sang, I did miss a little bit being able to "whoop" it up to show OMC just how much we love him--I guess we'll have to learn to whoop it up in between numbers and then close mouths quickly once singing begins--I guess that would satisfy both needs!

But when he ad-libs he just shines!  I think that is why it is so hard to miss out on any concert and I enjoy Clack so.  In the Charlotte concert, Clay was like a stand-up comedian when he was joking about "Ethel" the dancer!  I can't get over how much personality Clay has, and it seems the more spontaneous he is, the funnier and more charming--and not many people have that kind of charisma.  What a charmer he is!

[hotwaxonclay]

finally after two weeks of having to wait to post this b/c my computer oesn't work...we are back in school! lol i thinkn that is why i was so excited wasb/c i could post my review....here goes...

so all dayat school i was insanely crazy b/c i was so excited...then after school i went home and got everything ready and my friends and i left at 4:00-ish we missed out exit tocleveland so had a 15 minute detour to get back on track and we got to palace theater around 600 i do believe. then i got in and was like "whoa" i could feel the energy already and we were just waiting in line...so i bought my things and the line moved to the doors and in we went to wait for the main doors to open. and they did...i had goosebumps...lol then i took my gift for raleigh to the house management...i sure hope he got the scarf...if you know anything please let me know! lol
but then i went and sat downa nd waited...boy i wasa mess lol. my sei ats were about the same as i hadfor the idols tour way back when and i had my contacts in so i oculd see his face! nd when he came out...oh boy i was so happy and it hit me that i was actually seeing clay aiken live!!! i started to cry a little bit and sucked it up so i wouldn't miss anything lol. but let me tell you he is so funny!! i loved the bit when he talked about his special and lost...i  love lost but wasn't at home to see either his speacial or lost so i had to tape both lol. but he was funny....
i coulnd't believe how awesome his voice was....i was in awe the whole time...fighting back tears on mary did you know and o holy night....those were great...and dsiafcd was grrrreat''

but my fave part was when i yelled "CLAY ROCKS MY SOCKS" and he said "WHAT? I RUB YOUR FOOT?" i laughed pretty hard at that....

then after the schow i cried a little more and jumped and went razy outside...i think i threw my water at my friend...but i met jacob and he liked my coat! he is pretty cool

but period is almost over i  hope to be back later and write more!!!!! bye!!!