Reliving Jukebox 2005: Darien Lake, NY, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

Clay riding the rollercoaster at Six Flags Darien Lake with Angela Fisher (her face is priceless)

Clay's performance, both on stage and off stage, wowed everyone at Darien Lake. The day started with Clay and the band 'skipping' rehearsals, instead opting to have fun at Six Flags Darien Lake which was home to the concert venue. Angela obviously didn't have a very good time on the rollercoaster, but Clay's magical touch made the night a very memorable one.

The Performances

• When Doves Cry still surprised concertgoers. The CV's DancesOfSpirit recounts her conversation with an 'inexperienced' Claymate from Canada: "At one point she said then I must know a lot of the songs that he would sing tonight. She was interested, so I told her a few. Then, as it was getting close to WDC, I asked her, 'Did you like WDC when you saw it previously?' Then she got all big-eyed and asked, 'Is he going to do that?' I said, 'Yes, just wait.'"
• The ballads, Unchained Melody, Solitaire, BOTW, Mandy: Clay's voice was especially powerful during the Darien Lake concert. Perhaps the day of fun had loosened him up a bit - "Solitaire was breath-taking, the best I have ever seen him perform it. So powerful and intense...he was so into it," said the CV's jspark007.
• Quiana & Clay, 70s Medley: 3 concerts in, Clay and Quiana seemed quite flirtious with each other. During the 70s medley, Quiana kept making "goggle eyes" at Clay, cracking him up in the middle of the song. Clay had a hard time keeping up with the song and had to stop singing for a moment.
• Elvis Medley: The leather jacket continued to bring Clay out of his comfort zone... "I never knew he could move like that," said jspark.
  

Stump The Band
No Stump the Band during this concert.

The Fans & The Venue
Claymates from both the Northeast as well as Canada descended on Darien Lake.Only a short driving distance from the border, the Canadian representation was very strong. During the concert, many more cameras could be spotted than at the 2 earlier concerts. The gorgeous 'resort-like' theme park was a gorgeous venue for the 3rd Jukebox tour concert. It was also the largest venue on the tour, with a huge seating capacity of 20,000! The venue was very lenient on cameras and even let some professional-quality cameras in. End result? Lots and lots of Clack!

Classic Clay Moments

• Before the intermission, when Clay ventured out into the crowd to find a guy to come on stage and dance with him, he encountered Erika, a sweet young girl who was left wheelchair bound by a drunk driver. Clay stopped the show for several minutes and talked to her. Erika told Clay that it was a 'miracle' that she was alive at all. It doesn't end there -- before the concert, Clay asked his security detail to drive (in Clay's golf-cart) young Erika to an off venue Claymate pre-concert gathering. WOW! Read more...
• As Clay was getting off the Six Flags rollercoaster earlier that day, he met a boy with Multiple Sclerosis. He spent 5 minutes talking to the boy and his family. How much sweeter can Clay get? Read more...
  

Reaction

• Buffalo News: "At the concert's end, fans walked away with smiles and filled with all the Clay Aiken they could have hoped for."
• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: "But where does the adoration come from? The sex appeal? Why are the women screaming? The guy's a nerd. He looks like he spent all four years of high school gym class being held upside down by his ankles over a toilet by the team. And we're not talking the football team. The chess team could have handled the job."
  

Links

• CDD Jukebox Archives: Darien Lake, NY
  
• Photos from the Darien Lake concert
• Recaps from members of the Clay nation
• MeasureOfAFan.com video downloads
• Clayboard cellcert
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Invisible