We got back from the States late this afternoon, after a long drive back from seeing Clay in concert last night! What a night... there were so many firsts, it's hard to know where to begin. For starters:
- this was my first Clay Christmas concert (I've seen him only two other times: during the Jukebox Tour, and during this past summer's An Evening with Clay Aiken tour - but never during one of his Christmas tours)
- for the first time in my life (yes, it's true), I used (our new) digital camera
- this was my sweetie's first Clay concert ever
Before
We arrived late at the pre-party, which was a real shame, but there was no helping it. We just didn't leave home early enough. So I didn't get much of a chance to get to know other fans attending the concert there, but there will always be next time. Plus, we have the Internet to get to know each other, now that I have put some names to faces - both real names and screen-names.
I was absolutely amazed by the efforts the party organizers put into everything. A beautiful room in a local pub/restaurant, nicely decorated, with Clay's lovely voice in the background, gifts, a great dinner, a silent auction, fun, games and more! Kudos to everyone who worked so hard to prepare the party, with my apologies for not being there on time.
After the dinner party, everyone trotted down the street to the Palace Theater, a historic building with a stunningly beautiful interior. What we first saw from a distance warmed our hearts:
And then, came this moment - his name in lights! 
And closer still...
The moment was finally here - seeing Clay again, this time on a more serious occasion than the two other occasions when I had seen him live.During
The two-hour concert flew by, of course. It seemed to me we were there maybe 30 minutes, and then all of a sudden, he was singing All is Well, and that was it... The arrangements were perfect and Clay was in fine form, as usual. That voice is always such a surprise to me, the richness, the depth, the beauty of it. The way it stirs my heart, reverberating so deep inside. I know his voice, inside and out. Yet everytime, I am bowled over again when I hear him. I listen to a huge variety of singers/musicians, all kinds of music, from pop to classical to hard rock and metal. Yet each time I come back to Clay, I am overwhelmed by the wisdom and purity he shares with us in those golden notes. To me, Clay is the finest male vocalist around today, hands down. And what a joy he was last night.
Christmas classics, some woven into medlies, some sung in full, some Clay alone, others with his accompanying singers, Angela Fisher and Quiana Parlor - two extraordinary talents themselves. With classical orchestral accompaniment. Very beautiful. Other than that, visually the show was quite sombre - everyone in elegant black, Clay dashing in his black suit and tie, and his coal-coloured shirt. For those of you who like Clay in glasses, you would have been happy yesterday: he was wearing his rimless glasses, which to me, make him look so distinguished - like a wise, favourite teacher. The blond highlights in his light-brown hair, parted to the side. Sweet Clay.
I was wondering how the Christmas stories written by fans, would fit into the evening. And I have to say that Clay is a masterful producer, because each of the four stories was perfectly woven into the show. And what moving stories they were! One humorous and whimsical (a Jewish little girl who was curious about Christmas, and went to meet Santa for herself), one full of a sad strength through grief (a woman who lost her adult son in a car accident, a week before Christmas), the other two told of the losses, yet small joys that can be found in the most unexpected places (a young woman travelling in Europe, far from her family yet finding Christmas in a country church in a tiny village in England; and another young woman having faced many lonely childhood Christmases, celebrating the holiday in an atmosphere of surprising joy, with an elderly woman she was caring for). I very much enjoyed the stories and am so proud and touched by what those fans chose to share with all of us.
Clearly, this concert and this tour are more serious than Clay's summer tours. Like many, I somewhat missed his playful banter with the audience, but regardless, this show worked and was a piece of art and pure joy, as it was.
I'm going to put up some of the pictures I took, but like I said above, be forewarned! They are completely newbie pix, and quite blurry; it was my first time ever using a digital camera... That being said, here goes, for posterity - and for my own archival history!
And for a bird's eye view of the stage:
My sweetie was a Clay-virgin and I was wondering how he would enjoy (or not) the show. He enjoyed it quite a bit, and was impressed with Clay's rich voice, professionalism, producing talents and his commitment to encouraging local performers wherever he goes. He's not exactly Clayverted, but it did go over well with him! And God bless him, he accompanied me, driving the 5 hours it took to get there, and 5 back today. He was serene about being one of only three men among 40-some women at the pre-party, and one of a very few men at the concert itself. He got asked regularly things like: "were you dragged here?", "you didn't come to the concert alone?" and he took it all in stride. Perhaps he did it for me, since today is my 44th birthday. He wanted to make me happy - and he succeeded, once again, as he so often does!
After
After the concert, my sweetie found it very cold outside, so he decided to go back to the hotel rather than wait at the buses, as I planned to do. I saw quite a number of husbands leaving at that point, as the diehard fans (mostly women) went out to stand and wait by Clay's buses. I was more than prepared: double pair of socks, hat (I never wear hats), warm gloves, scarf, my heavy winter coat, wool skirt and jacket... I got ready to dig in and enjoy some waiting time chatting with other fans in the line. And enjoy it I did... for a very long time! It was actually a lot of fun, talking with and meeting other fans, sharing our histories with Clay, discussing the concert, his music, him, joking with the people there. Then Quiana and Angela came out of the theater and directly over to some fans! That was very nice of them - Angela autographed a sheet of paper an excited little girl had brought with her. Quiana chatted with a group of young fans. They both stayed around quite a while until they became chilly themselves, and headed over to one of the buses. We also saw Jesse (Vargas, Clay's pianist/conductor/music arranger) and Sean (McDaniel, Clay's drummer) head over to the buses, stopping on the way to spend some time with the Vargas girls (Jesse fans - hi girls!).
There were two doors out of the theater where we were, each one close to one of the two buses. We were pretty sure which one Clay would come out of, and waited hopefully, a hundred people or so. For the first hour... when nothing happened, and we saw pizzas being carried into the theater door, a number of frozen people gave up and left. Then fifty or so of us waited some more, spending the time yacking and sharing. Quite a while later - still no sign of Clay, though lots of comings and goings of Jerome, Clay's bodyguard and Jamie (?) and/or Mary (?), Clay's assistants. Still we toughed it out, hoping for a glimpse, a smile, a wave. None of us expected Clay to go down the line shaking hands, as he often does during his summer tours. It was too cold, and being flu season, not the best idea for Clay, so I fully approve. But a least a flash of that smile, a "hello"? We hoped, and waited.
Almost two and a half hours after the concert ended, a couple drove by in their car, saying that had glimpsed Clay being whisked out of the second theater door, behind Jerome, and onto his bus, with only a small word to the five or so fans who happened to be at that end of the line. Some fans I saw were hurt, some angry. Personally, I found myself to be feeling quite zen about the whole thing. I had spent a late evening with people who are touched in different ways by Clay, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't see Clay or get to say "thank you", but I feel it is his right to greet his fans, or not, whenever he wants. If it happens - great. If it doesn't - it's not a big deal. It would perhaps have been nice if one of his fellow tour people had let us know that he wouldn't be stopping to say hello, so we didn't keep waiting for nothing. But I don't regret a minute I spent out there, beside Clay's buses! Things happen for a reason, and I was able to shake Clay's hand this past summer, but I couldn't say hello this time - and that's fine.
Well, I will undoubtedly remember something else to share with you, but for now, that's all. For those of you attending concerts to come, enjoy! Take whatever comes with an open heart, and you will be pleasantly surprised, no matter what happens!
-- ClayKat
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