Author Topic: AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5 (Read 2125 times)
Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5
« on: April 04, 2004, 11:49:17 PM »
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'Idols' are human, but louder
Though Clarkson's and Aiken's limitations are evident, screaming throngs adore the show.
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By Richard Cromelin, Times Staff Writer
When you start out at overwrought, there's only one place to go — into the rarified realm of unmitigated pop bombast, staked out by mighty-mite people's choice pop star Clay Aiken at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on Saturday. What would you call it? Über-wrought? Ultra-wrought? Maybe there is no word for it.
In any case, it's what "American Idol" hath wrought. Aiken is the hit TV talent show's flagship star (even though he was not a winner, losing a close race to Ruben Studdard in the viewer voting last year), and he's the headliner on a national tour that pairs him with first-season champ Kelly Clarkson.
It's a dream team for "American Idol" fans, whose intimate observation of the contestants and participation in the outcome has given them a proprietary relationship with the performers. The Pond audience wasn't one to sit back and clap politely. They screamed and shouted and waved signs that said such things as "Taken With Aiken" and "Kelly Rocks."
Both artists played their determined roles, making sure to be appropriately modest and grateful. But while Clarkson was casual and down-to-earth in her opening set, Aiken fancied himself a more theatrical figure, role-playing to his songs' emotions with melodramatic pauses and heavy glances. If he had a mustache he would have been twirling it.
Striding to the stage from the rear of the arena while belting his version of Mr. Mister's 1985 hit "Kyrie," Aiken immediately set the tone for his hour-plus set, in which his songs — mostly power ballads that sound designed for uplift scenes in "The Lion King" — were spewed with a flat forcefulness that could pin you to the back of your seat if you weren't standing up waving a sign.
It was enough to make Celine Dion seem restrained. But at least Dion has the equipment to make her over-the-top approach technically impressive. Aiken's voice is thin and pinched, with uncertain pitch and little versatility, as one awkward attempt at soul-style embroidery showed on Saturday. His one tool is volume, an appropriate expression of the go-for-it theme that underlies every "American Idol" story line.
And of course the flaws and limitations are part of the appeal, the things that make him one of us even as we send him into career orbit with our votes.
The concert actually reversed the expectations created by their hit albums, Aiken's "Measure of a Man" and Clarkson's "Thankful." On record he at least sometimes seems a slightly eccentric character, while she comes off as a somewhat slick genre-hopper.
But on Saturday she was the one who was easygoing, even a little feisty — as when she criticized the production on her recording "Beautiful Disaster" and proceeded to sing it with bare piano backing.
The giggling and the whooping between songs and the signing of autographs went a little over the top, and nothing she sang suggested she's more than a modest talent aglow in the fairy dust of "American Idol," but as its resident girl-next-door, the pop world could probably do worse.
LA TIMES (newspaper subscripton required)
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Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2004, 11:54:27 PM »
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Beauty versus brains: Apparently we can’t have both
Why the entertainment industry keeps Britney and Clay famous
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It all started on my 7:15 a.m. flight to Oakland. A man sitting next to me introduced himself as a booking agent for the music industry and proceeded to tell me about how he was on his way to talk to an anonymous new young artist, and possibly to book her for some events. I was half listening to him and half dozing off, when my ears perked up. He was talking about how she was not a very good singer, but he knew his company would make money at prospective shows since she was “a gorgeous piece of ass.” Next, he proceeded to rant about how he did not understand why Beyoncé has such a huge following when “she needs to lose some weight and tone up.”
What the hell?!
This statement confirmed the fact that the art and entertainment industry’s expectations for artists are becoming insanely ridiculous.
(snip)
Some argue that the people with more talent are the ones who are the most popular. It is obvious that they are living in La La Land. Ruben Studdard, the overweight winner of “American Idol,” barely holds a candle to Clay Aiken, the good-looking man who came in second on the show. While Aiken’s popularity reaches feverish heights despite creepy, stalker-like pop songs like “Invisible,” you end up seeing Ruben more on fewer television specials than on MTV, a station on which Aiken is a regular. It is telling that the industry would spend more money to promote someone who the American public recognized as being less talented than another individual.
UCSD GUARDIAN
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Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2004, 11:56:29 PM »
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GRATUITOUS CLAY MENTION OF THE DAY
Think a Osama collectible coin is offensive? Just you wait
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I'm sure the smart people at the New England Mint have already envisioned this, so no doubt they have new, improved products at the ready. Look for these fine collectible coins coming soon.
(snip)
The American Idol coin: featuring Clay Aiken, with text "There's Freedom in Being No. 2," and Ruben Studdard, with text "I Could Kick Clay's Butt."
KINSTON.COM
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Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2004, 11:58:07 PM »
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Concert Data
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LOCATION.........GROSS.....ATTN....CAPACITY...% CAP
Charlotte, N.C.......$367,875......8657.......8959......96.6%
Duluth, Ga............$417,642......9166.......9636......95.1%
Tampa, Fla............$323,247......7198.......7829......91.9%
Miami, Fla..............$245,818......5395.......6204......87.0%
Raleigh, N.C..........$586,230.....13538.....13538......100.0%
Philadelphia, Pa.....$368,378......7934.......9229......86.0%
Uniondale, N.Y.......$565,198......12501.....12769......97.9%
Washington, D.C....$458,128......10627.....12102......87.8%
Wilkes-Barre, Pa....$321,470......7660.......7898......97.0%
Worcester,MA........$448,170.....10,408....10,408....100.00%
Columbus,OH........$432,283.......9,279.....11,270.....82.33%
Detroit, Mich.........$431,584........9,654....11,767......82.04%
Winston-Salem......$429,090.........9,828.....9,828.....100.00%
Grand Prairie.......$287,306.........6,094.....6,094.....100.00%
St Louis, MO........$375,595.........8,195....10,298...... 79.58%
Chicago,IL ..........$436,250........10,002.. 10,724...... 93.27%
Omaha, NE..........$320,957..........7,081....7,526.......94.09%
Salt Lake City......$280,235..........6,561...10,119...... 64.84%
Las Vegas, NV.....$286,109...........5,859...7,199....... 81.39%
San Diego, CA.....$254,072..........5,301.....8,215.......64.53%
THROUGH MARCH 30, 2004:
Total Shows: 20
Total Sellouts: 4
Total Gross: $7,635,637
Total Attendance: 170,938
Average Gross: $381,781.85
Average Attendance: 8547
Average Capacity: 9580
Percent Capacity: 89.2%
NOTE: There are some discrepancies between Pollstar and Billboard.
You can see that SLC and San Diego really bring down the % capacity. It'll be interesting to see what numbers Billboard reports on that.
BUT, overall, these numbers are GREAT. To be playing Arenas at this point in his career is amazing. Lots of bigger named acts are playing much smaller venues.... Speaking of smaller venues, there wasn't any new data on Ruben's "tour", but as soon as Pollstar has it, I'll report on it.
Data compiled by hockeydonna at the Clackhouse. Thanks!
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ClayBuf
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Re: AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 5
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2004, 12:05:08 AM »
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Aiken's voice is thin and pinched, with uncertain pitch and little versatility
This whole review was offensive to me, but this particular statement downright pissed me off. They say ignorance is bliss. This guy must be quite happy, because he has the ignorant part down pat.
Oviously he doesn't think much of American Idol, and already had a pre-conceived attitude about Clay and Kelly going into this concert. I hope Times readers who attended the show just let him have it - cuz he has it coming.
This is one of the most unintelligent, moronic reviews I have read.
~Buffi
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ACcountryFan
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« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2004, 12:58:07 AM »
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:roll: i'm glad that review was printed because it clearly points out the personal bias the reviewer has against Clay and the Idol phenom. once again the critic polishes a double-edged sword. By saying something complimentary like addressing Clay's popularity and the screaming women, the critic goes on the attack. The critic admitted his bias toward someone who's real and doesn't use fancy microphones and technology when he brought up Celine Dion. He even justifies Dion's power ballad style being good simply because of the technology involved!
Clay is natural...he doesn't need hi-tech gadgets to make him sound good! It's amazing how that guy could see something different than everyone else. The fact that he shown distaste for Clay's style: the looks, moves, etc. already told me the critic hated what he saw. i did find it kind of funny about the mustache line the critic used. i could just imagine Clay doing that if the mood called for it. then the critic sums up Aiken's performance as "theatrical", WELL what's wrong with that??? i don't mind seeing a singer getting into their songs!
Conway Twitty used to bend his body in a crouch, have his head bent forward, and just sing his lungs off...causing all the women in his audience to scream and cheer. He'd wink at people during certain songs. on his version of "Slow Hand" he'd always end the song with his hand moving slowly up and down, lips in a seductive expression, with his finger pointing at the audience and the women would scream their heads off and this was 1982 and Conway was 49 then!! Oh, and Johnny Ray literally cried during his songs if they were sad! On a more rocking type song, Johnny wasn't above falling to his knees ripping his shirt open and start singing at the top of his range either! Some people are singers and some are showman/show-women. it's great if the act can sing and be entertaining at the same time!
the critic said that Clay's "flaws and limitations" are what make him appealing to us?!? i didn't know this! when i hear him sing, i can't find any flaws.
it's just a terrible review that doesn't flow with the opinions of the actual fans of the show. :roll:
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Nostalgia Nut
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~Jerry~
outthereforclay
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Blow by blow critique of the critic's critique
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2004, 01:53:17 AM »
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his hour-plus set, in which his songs — mostly power ballads that sound designed for uplift scenes in "The Lion King" — were spewed with a flat forcefulness that could pin you to the back of your seat if you weren't standing up waving a sign.
You know, for a good part of my life, people have suggested that I should be a writer....If this is a writer....I resemble that remark! : :evil:
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Aiken's voice is thin and pinched
Ok, sometimes, as some of us have reluctantly acknowledged, our man Clay slips into helium mode...but it never lasts long....
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with uncertain pitch and little versatility,
Sorry, but much to the total amazement of those who know me, I'm rendered speechless here....
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as one awkward attempt at soul-style embroidery showed on Saturday.
And Mr. Shakespeare, would you care to tell us what that "one awkward attempt at soul-style embroidery..." was, or shall we just try to make this phrase make some sense all by ourselves? :? As a former English teacher, I would pull out my red pen here and ask for "example? that to which you refer?" in the margins...
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On record he at least sometimes seems a slightly eccentric character
: Oh, I bet that if Clay were to read this, he'd be so thankful, he'd send this bozo an autographed copy of MOAM! :
Suggestion to the LA Times: Lend this...uh...critic to American Idol 4; they could use another clueless judge.... :roll:
