Atlantic City News Article From Clay's 2004 Solo Tour

Here is the second in a series of articles that were published during Clay's 2004 Solo Tour. This one is right before his appearance in Atlantic City.

The Latest Feat of Clay
'Idol's' Aiken makes nightclub debut
By David J. Spatz

Chalk up another first for the guy who came in second on "American Idol."

When Clay Aiken steps onto the stage of the Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars Atlantic City next weekend, it will mark his nightclub debut.

"All of the dates we've done so far have been in, like, 4,000- or 6,000-seat venues," Aiken says. "I've never played a nightclub before."

Or such a small room. At 1,200 seats, the showroom at Caesars is considerably smaller than any place Aiken has played since he began touring after finishing second to Ruben Studdard on the 2003 edition of the TV talent competition.

But Aiken, 25, won't change his music or how he presents himself for his new surroundings. Casino or not, the skinny kid with a massive voice from North Carolina feels his is a family show that will play to all generations.

"We've got a good and very wide audience base," he says during an exclusive Daily News interview. "We have preteens and teens and an older generation coming to the shows, and we try to do a little something for everyone."

The song "Invisible," he adds, plays well to younger fans. "Solitaire," his breakout hit, appeals to the folks who were glued to their televisions while he made his "American Idol" run.

In addition to songs from his debut triple-platinum album, he also performs covers of songs that cater to folks who came of age musically in the 1970s and '80s.

"We've got a very eclectic mix of music," he says.

What he's really looking forward to, though, is unpacking his suitcase. Since launching his tour earlier this month, Aiken has been doing nothing but one-nighters, waking up in one city and going to sleep in another. The two-night stand at Caesars will be the first and only multi-night gig on the tour, which ends in late September.

"That'll be a treat," he says with a big laugh.

Aiken, who'll warm up for his Boardwalk debut by working Foxwoods casino in Connecticut the night before, says he had some preconceived notions about casinos that are turning out to be completely unfounded.

Until last September, he had never set foot in a casino, not because of any big moral objection, but simply because -- growing up in Raleigh -- he never had the opportunity.

"The only vacations we took were ones where we could drive there," he says. "Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, the mountains of North Carolina."

"I'd never even been to Atlanta before I went there to audition for '[American] Idol.'"

Everything he knew about casino life came from TV and movies. "My vision of a casino was that it was a lot of desperate people...and five people in a lounge listening to Don Ho with a martini glass," he recalls. "That's what you see in movies."

He's also looking forward to venturing out of his hotel suite to do a little Boardwalk exploring. But he admits it isn't easy trying to blend in with the crowds.

Owing to the enormous popularity of "American Idol" -- and a massive publicity blitz -- Aiken is instantly recognized the moment he steps into public view. Even with a hat and sunglasses, fans see through the disguise and mob him for pictures and autographs.

"I don't do incognito that well," he says. "It's easier if I'm in Los Angeles, where people expect to see [celebrities]. But if I'm in Portsmouth, Va., or Grand Forks, N.D., people don't expect to see me and it becomes a big deal."

And, yes, he admits that signing autographs, shaking hands and posing for pictures get a little tiring when all he wants to do is run to a mall and do a little shopping. But whenever Aiken feels he's a prisoner of his own success, he remembers one very salient point.

"All those people asking for autographs are the ones who helped put me here," he says.