New Beavers on Idol Article

Clay Has Come A Long Way: Thoughts on the Summer Tour
by Teresa Marconi (2004/10/02)

After seeing Clay in Lexington, Greensboro, Columbus, Indianapolis, Dayton, and Allegan this summer, I have come to a conclusion I would not have dreamed of coming to a year ago: I almost can't stand watching his American Idol performances anymore. It isn't that I suddenly find those performances bad, it's simply that Clay has improved so much since then. He has improved both vocally and with his stage presence. When I first reviewed the Independent Tour, I said that Clay's songs are better live. I stand by that statement, and judging by message boards such as ClayDream Believers, the Clay Board, Red Hot Topic, Measure of a Fan, Clay Aiken Please Click Here, That's the Clay, etc; many others feel the same way.

This is for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we can hear Clay's voice (the very thing that made us his fans) when he performs live. He isn't drown out by back-up singers and background music, due to poor mixing. Second, his back-up singers and band are far superior to what he has on his album. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Angela Fisher, Quiana Parler, and Jacob Luttrell are solid vocalists and compliment Clay's voice rather than distract from it. I've also got to give props to Danny Weisfeld on lead guitar, S'von Ringo (who became the music director half way through the tour) on keyboard as well as the rest of the band. We can't forget Jacob's superior Sax playing during Rosanna, Measure of a Man and Run to Me. Jacob truly enhances those songs. Rosanna, is a bit more fun and Run To Me and Measure of a Man are a bit more tear jerking.

While I did miss Kelly (Clarkson) on "Not a Tour" I have to say that Clay's set was much improved over his Independent Tour Set. Some say that he is growing into his songs. That is most apparent with his performance of I Survived You. It is my least favorite song on "Measure of a Man" but one of my favorites when he performs it live. On the CD, Clay almost sings it lightly, but he sings it in full force live. Every time I saw Clay sing it, his growl, which has made the women of ClayNation THUD like it ain't no thang became more intense. I may be bias but I have to say, his growl in my own town of Dayton (not to mention at my Alma Mater) was by far superior to all the others. Watch the clip at Airplay Central or What's Gonzo if you don't believe me. (Note: Clay has become a better dancer whether he admits it or not. He demonstrates perfect rhythm during When You Say You Love Me). Shine was not performed on the Independent Tour, but it is definitely improved over the album version. There is no production on the live version, just Clay singing and the band playing - with enthusiasm.

Clay somehow makes eye contact with thousands of fans simultaneously. The meaning of the song is made much more clear than it ever was in all the times I listened to the CD. Clay has improved on covers like Kyrie and All About Love are vastly improved from the last tour as well. Clay allowed Angela, Quiana, and Jacob to shine during the James Taylor Set. Clay sang Sweet Baby James Angela sang How Sweet It Is, Jacob sang Fire and Rain, Quiana sang Smiling Face and the four of them sang the best version of You've Got a Friend to date. The set was fun and it made a whole new generation appreciate the music of James Taylor, one of Clay's favorite singers/songwriters.

Perhaps the thing that has helped Clay improve the most since his days of AI is his relationship with he fans. On some level, he's gotten to know us and we've gotten to know him. It is an intangible level where he knows how to reach out to us. It's something that a lot of casual fans did not understand until they saw him live and became enthusiastic fans. He banters with the audience, back up singers and band. Even many critics (notably Stephanie Call of the Dayton Daily News who was Clayverted) noted the warmth and sincerity this added to the shows. Clay has mentioned reading the message boards a few times. While there are most likely things he won't do, he will do things that make his fans happy, such as the signature shirt tug and growl.

On final note, I have to say that Clay's physical appearance has vastly improved over the last eighteen months. Perhaps it's the fact that the AI make up artists often put too much on him, thus making his green eyes less prominent. Maybe it's that Clay has developed his own style. As a girl who went to Catholic schools where un-tucked shirts were punished by the Nuns, I love the way Clay has been dressing at his concerts. I have to note that his clothes fit him better than they have in the past, even on the Independent Tour, where they were often a few sizes too big. The final theory: perhaps Clay is growing into his new physical image just as he is growing into his songs and being a pop star in general. He is no longer just the Runner-up from American Idol.
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