I don't know if this is the place for Concert Reviews, but I'm going to try to put my Houston Review here, anyway. If there is a central location for reviews, I'm hoping one of the Moderators will move this later!!!
I left here early Friday morning in the pouring rain, picked up a friend (Betty) who was attending her first ever Clay concert, then headed for daughter Amy's house (2 1/2 hours away). Amy took over as driver when we got to her, and we continued on Down I10 in the monsoon. We drove on for almost another 2 hours in the pouring rain dodging big trucks on the Interstate, going in and out of high water (as I told Amy ONLY FOR CLAY!!!!!! - I would not go through this for anybody else!)
We got to the hotel an hour later than expected, but had a little time to meet up with other fans in the lobby (which was a huge area filled with tables and chairs around a bar
) We took pictures with so many cameras - I know that Prissy has some with additional members of Claymaniacs - but here is the picture that ended up on my camera!
Click on all pictures to make bigger!
From left to right we are: JoAnn, her Mom Jennie, Dale, Prissy, Bozena, Linda in front, and me (Frankie/fhmmany2) in the back in an orange shirt
We all went to our rooms to change, then Amy, Betty, and I met dudley/Linda and Bozena in the lobby. Linda drove my car to Jones hall (parked in the underground parking), then we walked one block in the rain to the preparty. I was glad that we decided to go to the preparty (they are not really my thing!) because we had extra time to visit with everyone. Meesa and Marilyn finally showed up at the party, after a bad day of driving that included a flat tire and going through high water.
We left the party at 6:30 and headed toward Jones Hall. When we entered, we got into line for t-shirts - they were better organized than other concerts I have attended. There was one central place to enter the line, then you stood there until there was an opening at one of the people making the sales!
Shirts came in M,L, XL for $25, and XXL for $35. There were also posters for $20.
Our seats were very much better than I expected!
We were on Row P, but we seemed so close to the stage! I am mentioning this in case Clay every plays Jones Hall again - there is really not a bad seat in the house! They had a wonderful sound system (but the huge speakers were all at the ceiling - not good for cell certs! - and there was a Jumbotron on each side of the stage - at the ceiling). There is already so much clack up - I think the whole concert was taped - but I just have to say that it is so wonderful to have him back - he was his usually funny, lovable self. He seemed to be taking the fans' side in the "No Camera" rule. He kept talking to a woman member of the Symphony - she was sitting in the first chair vioin position, and must have had something to do with the "rules" He turned around at one point and told her "I tried to stop them from taking pictures and videos at first, too, but then I realized that they can't be stopped"
I loved that he autograped the picture that sailorstarnite drew (said he was grading it, but we could tell he was writing an autograph!). He also talked to the members of the Lousiana Clay fans seated on the second Row - they had on their usual Mardi Gras feather boas. (Clay recognized them at the Jacksonville Christmas concert last December, too - he must like feather boas
). I am a member of this group, and was offered a feather boa to wear, but I am just not the "feather" type!
Back to the concert - I thought Clay was wonderful - I was, as predicted, a puddle of goo
when he sang Lover All Alone.
I was not crazy about the T.V. Theme songs - I had rather of heard Clay sing full length songs rather than just little snippets - and I did not really love the Top 40 snippets either, except that Clay danced a lot during this, so it was worth watching! I was also VERY relieved that he left the singing of "Like A Virgin" to the girls. I had tried to not read anything before the concert, but I had read about that
and I had warned Amy in advance - we were both happy that he did not sing what we consider a girl's song! Since you can watch the entire concert, I really don't have anything more to say except that I think he has never looked better - different now - all grown up!
We did hear that after we left
Clay came outside of the front door of Jones Hall and shook hands with fans before getting into a car/limo. Now we know that he did stay in Houston, and flew to Tulsa the next morning.
After the concert, everyone staying at the Hyatt went back and met in the lobby/bar/restaurant area. I love the Clay Nation! By the time we got back to the hotel, there were laptops on several tables, and people were watching the concert we had just left!
I wish I knew how fast the concert really got posted!
We stayed downstairs until 1, went up to our room and talked until 2, and I stayed up alone unil 5:30! (Nobody would stay up with me any longer - I don't sleep after Clay concerts!)
I am still tired, but it was worth all of the trouble of getting there - I can't wait to see Clay again in Knoxville!
These pictures will be a little out of order - PhotoBucket is not wanting to cooperate today, and I am having a fit getting pictures moved over!
This is a picture of one of the door prizes I won - a framed collage of Clay in "Flip Flop" pictures - I also won some flip flop note cards and stickers with this!
The Marquee at Jones Hall!
This is me and a poster of Clay's concert that was in the tunnel beneath Jones Hall - if only I could have gotten the picture frame unlocked!!!!!!!!!!
I already loved dudley/Linda, but even more so after she drove around the block an extra time so that Amy could take a picture of the "Clay Street" sign for me (this street backs up to the Hyatt Regency Hotel!)
This is Amy and the portrait of "Cowboy Clay" that she won - and then gave to me!
The Houston Chronicle featured Clay on the front of its Entertainment Section insert - the preparty had copies for everyone attending!
After the concert, we noticed that someone sitting on our Row had left their "flat Clay" alone for a minute, so we took the opportunity to take pictures with him!
this is Dian/aikenangel - she has been a member of this board almost from the beginning, but does not post: