Reliving Jukebox 2005: Toms River, NJ, Ritacco Center
It's hard to believe it's been one year, to the day, since the Jukebox Tour kicked off at the Ritacco Center in the southern NJ town of Toms River. The boards were buzzzing with activity and the cellcert was by far one of the most memorable - thousands of Claymates were glued to every letter of the cellcerters' reports. By the end of the evening we had crashed several servers and had an impressive 980 posts on the cellcert thread at the Clayboard -- ahh -- the power of Claymates!
The Performances
- Clay took the stage 30 minutes earlier than expected. The show, originally scheduled for 8:30 PM was moved up to 8:00 PM to allow the crew to relax before moving onto New York City in the morning for Good Morning America.
- 50's set - Claymates were surprised when Clay came out in a leather jacket... hotforclay says: "You guys WILLLL NOOOOOOOOTTTTTTT survive!!!!! He then starts killing us SONG AFTER SONG. NON-STOP dancing, shaking his BOOTY, shacking his KNEES just like ELVIS, HOLY CRAPPPPPP!!!!!! I stood there with my mouth OPEN and my hand to my neck and HEART!!!!"
- WDC: Clay shocked the audience when he came out in choir robes. Everyone had thought that Clay would do a Christian/soft song, but when WDC began to play, the crowd
roared with approval. - Ricky Martin set: hotforclay describes this set nicely: "We're all in ecstacy screaming and having the best time ever! Thought THAT was going to be the sexiest of all but NOOOOOOO!!! He comes out with La viva loca Ricky Martin!!! OMG!!!!!!! THE MAN IS SOOOOO FREAKIN' HOT (I know I've said that a billion times already but I'm not sure what other word to use!). He is on stage BY HIMSELF with a mic stand, his arms out stretched out and his BODY!!! OMG!!!! It's DOING THINGS IT SHOULDN'T BECAUSE WE WERE ALL PASSING OUT!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW!!! When he said he was in training to shake his YOU KNOW WHAT, he was SERIOUS!!!!!"
- Back For More & Just You: The lucky NJ Claymates were the first ones to hear Clay's new songs "Back For More" and "Just You". As the tour progressed, BFM became an anthem of sorts for the Clay nation. During my Toronto concert near the end of the tour, the entire venue sang along with Clay during Back For More.
No Stump the Band during this concert.
The Fans
Clay proved that men do come to his concerts! Not only were there wildly enthusiastic Claymates, but there were also lots of men in attendence. The family-friendly atmosphere was very noticeable. Toward the end of the show, kids were invited to sit in the front row and watch Clay perform his signiture song, Invisible. The Toms River Home News Tribune notes: "Looking around the crowd was a little like going to a family reunion. There were fans of all ages - from tots to teens to grandmothers - and everyone seemed to know each other. There was no hesitation to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger because there was always a common thread: being an Aiken fan."
Classic Clay Moments
- There was no denying Clay's voice was "dead on" during the concert. The HOT music and singing captured the essence of the summer night. Clay mixed the musical side of the concert with just the right dose of banter. During one point, Clay went out into the audience to find a man who would be asked to dance with him onstage.
- The Ashbury Park Press: "Sure, Aiken is a made-for-TV superstar, but maybe the goofy fun of it all is a balm to viewers weary of war and terrorism."
- Toms River Home News Tribune: "Performing such well-known songs may have been overwhelming to some, but he managed to pull them off with ease, exuding confidence as he displayed powerful and rich vocals." (see scan on the right)
- CDD Jukebox Archives: Toms River, NJ
- Photos from the Toms River concert
- Ashbury Park Press review
- Toms River Home News Tribune Review
- Recaps from members of the Clay nation
- MeasureOfAFan.com video downloads
- Clayboard cellcert: Part 1, Part 2
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