CorieLuvzClay's Beautiful Review of Red Bank Show

I haven't read very many of CorieLuvzClay's essays, but after reading the review she wrote of Clay's Red Bank show, I do believe I will be looking for them more often. I sat and read this and was so caught up in what she said and could feel every moment she described from the show right through to my soul. She captures the very essence of our man Clay, the person he is, the love and care he has for his fans, how he gives every bit of himself for others with not a thought for himself first.

Corie starts off with a question I have asked myself time and time again, "How do you reach down inside yourself and choose from the array of emotions..." So often I have so many emotions going on inside of me after seeing Clay perform or hearing about some way he has totally given of himself, yet I don't know how to describe or explain those emotions. In Corie's review below (you can also read it at The Clayboard and at our CDD Christmas tour blog), I believe she has found a way to explain those emotions so vividly. Thank you, Corie, for this beautiful and loving look at our dear Clay. I hope all of our CDD readers will enjoy her review below as much as I have.

How do you reach down inside yourself and choose from the array of emotions…exactly which one to write about…at some point they begin their own little race…love is so very far ahead…oh no, wait a minute…heartsick is catching up…but then there comes pride rounding out the bend…and tonight they are in a dead heat and there is a triple tie!!!

He takes the stage like a Prince…tall, sleek & slender as ever. The shoulders are broad and straight, he walks with his head held high and with such confidence. The chestnut colored mane has a silky sheen and it flows, beautifully framing his gorgeous face and sparkling Jade colored eyes. Clay was happy, upbeat and spot on with his amazing voice. Articulate and eloquent in the pronunciation of each and every word and hitting his notes effortlessly. He was as funny as always…telling the husbands in the audience that they would be happier after the show, when they got home, that they had come…and then he made a cute remark that this was a family show. Clay even reassured us all that his fly was zipped up tonight!! And then with the first banter of the evening he asked for the house lights to come up and for the spotlight to be killed and as they were lowered Clay would say all the way, all the way…kill the spotlight. Then he told us that he’s been sick and that he was feeling dizzy tonight. Even with that he told us that if he was going to fall off the stage he shouldn’t do it in front of the center orchestra seats….that he’d better “go over here” where they looked like they wouldn’t eat him up or eat him alive and pointed to right orchestra…being funny and cute and clever in the face of all the pain he was going through.

It never ceases to amaze me how he can quip and joke and be so quick witted when obviously so ill. I was heartsick for him as the night wore on…he squinted in the harsh lights, said his head hurt, every now and then he would touch his right ear and make a painful face and then touch the side of his neck right under that ear. A few times he touched his other ear as well. My heart was just breaking for the obvious pain he was in and all I wanted to say was…Clay, please leave the stage and crawl into bed…in the dark and in your comfy PJs, we love you and you can do that…we’re a family. Go to bed honey and don’t worry about us…you’ve already given so much! This was my one and only concert this season and I would have gladly given it away to know that he would be resting and snuggled under his covers, finally in blessed peace and quiet.

I suffer with migraines and I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like for Clay these past three nights to be under blaring lights, sing the strenuous songs and notes he sang all while enduring a 30+ piece Symphony playing right on top of him. The man is dedicated to a fault, he is the consummate performer and I have never been prouder to be a Clay Aiken fan, nor have I ever felt as much love as I have for him with this concert series.

My friend came with me and I merely told her that he’s had an ear infection for a couple of days and told her nothing more…by the end of the show she was gripping my arm and just kept saying “OMG, poor baby”, “Oooooh poor baby” she could not believe the strength and determination Clay had to try his best to finish the show.

I don’t remember which song he was on but definitely by OCOCE he had been steadying himself against the stool and it was difficult to watch as he’d put his hand behind him onto the stool, try to bring it to the mic again and then go right back to the stool. By DSIAFCD, I knew in my heart that he would not be coming back out again for the encore song…he was teetering a bit and clearly had trouble balancing and Jesse Vargas quickly followed Clay out. The friend I was with knows Jesse through a Community Arts center she works with called Plays in the Park here in NJ…she loves Jesse and said she was sure that by the time Jesse got to Clay he turned to the Orchestra and made a hand signal for them to cut…they began getting up and taking their instruments with them. Although I would have loved to hear Clay sing AIW in person and hear that voice reverberate off the walls, I was relieved for his sake that he did not come back out, I felt terrible because I knew that that meant that he felt worse then last night and the night before, but relieved nonetheless that he would be getting the care that was so obviously needed!

It was a stellar performance, by a stellar performer…he sang every song and hit every single note…there was even a time where by the end of the song there was actually a light echoing and I can’t remember now which song it was but I hope it was captured on clack, it gave me chills!! Clay got several, well deserved Standing O’s. The honey coated voice flowed smoothly and sweetly tonight, we were treated to gentle whispers and stunning heaven bound notes. Clay sang from the depths of his heart just as he does every night.

Every single time I think I could not love him more, every single time I think I could not be prouder of him…Clay one-ups himself and tonight…yet again…I fell in love all over again, deeper still, with this exceptional young man and was struck anew with deep pride for him and how he handles life situations, both personal and professional. I just couldn’t be prouder if he were my own child!!

Thank God there is a day off tomorrow…God Bless you Clay and thank you for all you give to us!

ETA: You will notice in the "Banter" vids that Clay is in the dark...that's just how we saw him...he had the spotlights turned completely off during the banter portions because his head was hurting and he was dizzy...it had to be worse then the other two nights for him to want the spotlights completely off...the house lights, however, were up.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible