Reliving Jukebox 2005: Pittsburgh, PA, Chevrolet Amphitheater
Photos in this post courtesy & copyright 2005 Liandra.
A gorgeous, sunny day greeted Clay's first (of several) arrivals in Pennsylvania for the first time. The stop? None other than the Steel City, where American Independence was established beginning with the War of 1812. According to Wikipedia, the city produced "95 million tons of steel" during World War II. The city's open arms for Clay and his crew was equally impressive.
The Performances
- I Can't Make You Love Me was a showstopper... Clay's breathtaking vocals wowed everyone! The CB's maggithemagpie says: "it was very hot."
- Quiana, Angela & Jacob were excellent as usual. Quiana brought down the house with her bone-chilling rendition of "Midnight Train To Georgia"... The CB's Madame President said: "Quiana is simply magnificent. She got a standing ovation from the crowd, and she earned every single second of it. Whitney had better watch out. And, it's a shame that Quiana does not have a deal yet, or at least a CD out because she could grab some sales. She continues to win me over more everytime I see her."
- The Dancing: Clay certainly kicked the dancing up a notch from the previous concerts. Compared to the AI2 Clay, he was virtually unrecognizable... "It was so much fun watching Clay do the dance steps. He did them very well, and looked quite proud of himself. This is a very high energy show with a very quick pace, and Clay looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself and totally at home on the stage," says Madame President.
- When Doves Cry continued to cause droves of Claymates (especially those in the first 10 rows) to thud. His 'behaviour' during When Doves Cry continued to surprise Claymates. maggithemagpie's reaction: "I was like, 'Whoa...what are you doing Clay?!!!'"
- There were some sound issues at the venue. At times, the singing could bearly be heard.
No Stump the Band during this concert.
The Fans
The Pittsburgh fans were great! However, what was impressive was the representation from outside the area. Fans travelled from as far as Quebec, Canada to see Clay live in Pittsburgh! As usual, Clay invited a guy up to dance on stage. Clay took him backstage during the 20 minute intermission before the 70's set and brought him back on stage when the concert resumed with an awkward "bright pink boa" costume. As embarassing as it may have seemed, the guy was very enthusiastic and danced along with Clay & band during the 70's set's opening song, Carwash.
Classic Clay Moments
- During the 70's banter, Clay said: "But the best thing to come out of the 70s was.........me."
- Clay forgot the words to When You Say You Love Me. This wouldn't be a one-time incident as Clay continuously forgot the words to that song throughout the tour. At one point, Claymates began bringing lyrics for Clay. Not knowing what else to do, Clay pointed the mic towards the audience and sang: "75 songs for this concert and I forget the words to mine."
Meet & Greet
- Madame President's meeting with Clay made her realize Clay is just like any other 20-something year old guy.
As each person went up, Clay introduced them to Angela and Jacob who were standing behind Clay. He explained that they both had CDs and that he expected us to own them by the next tour. Ok, so it was shameless promotion, but that's ok. Angela and Jacob were very nice. I shook both of their hands, which is more than I can say for Clay.
I have a handshake theory (I've been told I'm like Hank Hill in that respect), meaning that I judge people by their handshakes. At least a surface judging. And I didn't get to shake Clay's hand, which is odd, but things were hurried, so it didn't happen. I did get his arm around me twice, so I can deal, I guess.
I was about the fifth or sixth person in line, and the line went quickly. I handed him my Clayboard pass from the IT tour to sign. It's a long story, but essentially I kept myself out of the meet and greet in Omaha by aruging with the security people that my Clayboard pass did not get me back there. Stupid right? When I told Clay why he was signing that, he looked at me and said, "well..." then he seemed to be thinking what to say, and finally concluded, "thanks for being honest."
Nick took our picture. He actually took two because the first one didn't seem to work. In reality, it was a nice shot of my arm. The second one was good, and as a bonus it has Nick's voice on it saying, "Umm, I think that took." :laugh
Some people report about meeting Clay, and it's a wonderful thing for them, a true highlight. I wish I could be as positive, and I suppose that's why I feel bad even talkingn about it. But, I think yesterday morning when I woke up, I was going to be meeting Clay Aiken. One stray delusional though of courtseing even entered my mind, quickly brushed away, I might add. But after meeting him, he's now clay aiken. And I know that's a subtle difference, and I'll try to explain it the best I can. Until now, Clay has always been this man who's larger than life (and in many ways he still is, I suppose). He was distant, unattainable, a superstar. Now, after having had my two minutes with him, he's just clay aiken. He's just a man. I definitely doesn't change my fan status (especially after that concert!), but I no longer have that "omg, it's Clay Aiken" feeling. I don't know. That probably made no sense.
- Only one press review for this concert... The Pittsburgh Post Gazette raves: "Fans plunked down more than a few quarters to hear Clay Aiken on his Jukebox Tour Sunday night at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre. And they got their money's worth. It was a delight to see the entire group perform the songs in a manner true to the originals and not jazz them up for the sake of showmanship."
- CDD Jukebox Archives: Pittsburgh, PA
- Photos from the Pittsburgh concert
- Pittsburgh Post Gazette review
- Recap of Clay's interview with 92.9 FM
- Recaps from members of the Clay nation
- MeasureOfAFan.com video downloads
- Clayboard cellcert
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