Tidbits 7/29

• North County Times - American Idol 7 auditions kick off - "Some of the show's well-known alumni are Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Josh Gracin, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood."
• Greenville Online - Asheville, NC's Biltmore Estates getting set for sold out Clay Aiken concert -

  The concert schedule features country singer Kenny Rogers, performing Friday; new-wave dance-rock band the B-52s, playing Saturday; singer-songwriter Chris Isaak, who performs Aug. 10; and popster Clay Aiken, performing with the Asheville Symphony on Aug. 11.

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay gives New York and New Jersey fans a real treat ... Newark concert:

  Accompanied by the New Jersey Symphony, Clay Aiken & Co. wowed a very enthusiastic audience at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Saturday night with passionate, soulful, and entertaining vocals, as well as personable humor and charm interwoven throughout the two-act show.
  
  Clay even added a tumbling segment to the Newark show as he jumped off the stage for some audience assistance on the song "The Way You Make Me Feel." Hopping back onstage proved to be troublesome, but the crowd loved his belly-flopping antics clamoring back up the five feet.
  

• There Was A Man - Clay makes a stop in Michigan... photos and recaps.

  Clay's tour had a stop in Sterling Heights, MI on July 23rd at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre. The Sterling Heights concert was a visual feast for all--attendees, and online fans who got to view some excellent pictures and video. Clay wore his the stunning royal blue shirt/lowrider jeans outfit(with a black jacket that fortunately came off) of the People photoshoot. He is filling it out a bit better these days, but as someone once texted him after the AMA's, "the weight looks good on you". *g*
  

Newark Concert Marks The End of Northeast Shows

Photos

• Clayboard photo/video thread - Newark
  

Clack

• ClackUnlimited.com

Complete tour coverage at our tour blog

Tidbits 7/28

• NorthJersey.com - mention of tonight's concert at the NJ Performing Arts Center -

  Clay Aiken with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
  
  One of "American Idol's" most memorable voices joins the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for an evening of song. Aiken's debut CD ("Measure of a Man") went double platinum.

• Few more tour mentions... NY Daily News
• Entertainment Weekly - American Idol: it doesn't really matter if you win or not -

  Think about it: Does it really even matter who wins? Clay Aiken has outsold Ruben Studdard, early exit victim Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar, and it is Chris Daughtry, not Taylor Hicks, who is currently burning up the charts.
  

• Seattle Post Intelligencer - Clay fans taking over the internet?

  In a sense, you're just as vulnerable to most threats online just as you are, well, offline, and demanding that they weed out child molesters, murderers, scam artists or fans of Clay Aiken -- I know, not a criminal element, but a personal point of revulsion nonetheless -- is flat out unreasonable.

• Raleigh News & Observer - Kimberley Locke article -

  Locke seems adept at turning what others might see as a step back into a step up. The Nashville native placed third behind Raleigh's Clay Aiken and winner Ruben Studdard in the second season of "American Idol."

• Tacoma News Tribune adds up how long Sanjaya Malakar's "15 minutes of fame" will be -

  [Malakar] has strange mind control power over impressionable female fans, occasionally leading to public crying. (Such power in the wrong hands! We’re talking to you, Clay Aiken): plus 12 months.
  

• New York Times - article about stupid Perez Hilton... don't bother clicking the link... his blog is all lies, lies, and more lies...

  In his blog postings, he lavishes exclamation points on the ravishing looks of arbitrarily chosen heroes like Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and Dita Von Teese, and snarkily picks on so-called villains like Clay Aiken, Kirsten Dunst and Sienna Miller for perceived sins like excessive drinking, promiscuity or denying homosexuality.

• AOL TMZ - uh... Phil Spector -

  First he frightened us with his shellacked "Golden Girls" Chia Pet monstrosity -- now follicularly challenged Phil's taken his heinous blond Clay Aiken bob and accented it with poop brown lowlights and some frizz. A little dab'll do ya!
  

• Nothing here yet
  

July 28 Concert at New Jersey's Prudential Hall - Wait Till You See This Venue

Most of Clay's venues this tour have been outdoors it seems. The tour started in Frisco at Pizza Hut Park's soccer stadium. Thankfully the weather was cool and sunny, at least for Texas in the summer. There have been a couple of amphitheaters. And who can forget Meadowbrook, complete with dive bombing mosquitos and horseflies the size of a Clydesdale!

Well, Clay won't have to worry about having his bug spray with him on July 28 when he performs at New Jersey's Prudential Hall. This venue is absolutely gorgeous! The New Jersey Performing Arts Center website says the following about the venue:

(The 2,750-seat) Prudential Hall…is breathtakingly glamorous…classical in form and spirit: four-tiered and horseshoe-shaped, glittering with light. The color scheme varies slightly from the traditional red and gold. There's red galore, but in place of gilded plaster, the tiers are faced with panels of beautiful golden wood…(the) stage and auditorium have been combined into one warm, embracing room. The region has not seen as fabulous a new hall since Philip Johnson's New York State Theater opened its doors three decades ago."
--- Herbert Muschamp, The New York Times

Take a look at this beautiful theater:


When Clay looks out from the stage, this is what he will see, and hopefully a sold out house looking back at him! A friend who showed me this picture said that, though she lives in New York, it took Clay to finally get her to this amazing theater. I hope that both fans and first time hearers fill the place to the brim. What an awesome place for Clay to perform. Why, its almost as classy as he is!!

Those of you who are going, we want to hear all about it!