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ClayManiacs.com  |  Archive  |  The Timeless Tour 2010  |  TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
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Author Topic: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS  (Read 8987 times)

Marilyn

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TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« on: July 24, 2010, 01:38:07 AM »
NOT MEDIA, BUT A  BLOG FROM A NJU

Quote
Clay Aiken in The Most Beautiful Medley
July 26th, 2010 by admin Leave a reply »



Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard are doing a tour together, and I’m not an American Idol fan, so I really don’t care about that. But they had their first concert on Friday, and if this video is any kind of guide to how the show is, then I might have to start caring.

The medley includes songs like “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan, “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus, “The Right Stuff” by New Kids on the Block, “The End of the Road” by Boyz II Men, “I Swear” by All-4-One, and “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, all with goofy dance moves and pauses so that the performers could catch their breath.

I think I like it so much because all of those elements together just toss me right back to my 5th grade Valentine’s Day dance that I had to sneak into because I had lice and I wasn’t allowed on school grounds.  And that might have been a dark time in my life, but that was a damn good dance.

Thanks for the memories, guys!

WIZKID REPORTS

« Last Edit: July 26, 2010, 07:01:55 PM by Marilyn »
ALWAYS AND FOREVER-UNCONDITIONALLY!!!

Marilyn

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2010, 12:09:54 AM »
Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken: primed for Vegas
August 2nd, 2010, 10:06 pm ·

posted by BEN WENER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Quote
It isn’t as though the careers of Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken have stalled, despite the modest turnout for the pair’s performance Sunday evening at Club Nokia in the downtown L.A. Live complex.

The winner and runner-up of American Idol’s second season (2003) have both maintained solid record sales and noteworthy philanthropy while simultaneously diversifying their portfolios. Studdard, for starters, earned positive notices for playing Fats Waller in a recent touring revival of the 1978 musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, while also garnering strong reviews (including a B+ from Entertainment Weekly) for his fourth album, last year’s Jam & Lewis-produced Love Is. After years of seeming stiff on stage and in front of cameras — a marvelous voice unmatched by a compelling personality — the Velvet Teddy Bear has developed into an easygoing charmer whose appeal still has untapped potential to expand beyond his core R&B demographic.

Aiken, meanwhile, has remained one of Idol’s most recognizable icons, arguably more famous for who he is than what he’s done. As well-received as was his Broadway turn as Sir Robin in Spamalot, and no matter what kudos he racks up for his records (including his new, Johnny Mathis-esque standards collection, for venerable Decca Records), he’s now just as widely known for coming out about his sexuality … and at roughly the same time as the self-unveiled revelation that he had fathered a son with Jaymes Foster, sister of songwriter and producer David Foster, who had helmed three of Aiken’s albums for RCA.

An only slightly old-fashioned Southern gentleman with natural comic timing, Aiken has further bolstered his reputation via memorably funny television appearances, especially as a frequent guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Methinks he envies the host: quick-witted but ever-sweet Aiken would be perfect for a revamp mash-up of The Mike Douglas Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Unlike so many other Idol-related talents — not counting established superstars like Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Kelly Clarkson, the latter of whom was in attendance Sunday night — there’s no telling what Aiken and Studdard might do as the years trudge on; acting is probably more likely than career-jolting albums or tours at this point, though I can’t help but think what wonders it would do for Aiken were he to score an opening slot on, say, a Michael Bublé outing.

All the same, next time these genial fellows suspect their careers might be approaching low ebbs, they might consider pitching their current Timeless Tour to Las Vegas bigwigs as a semi-permanent throwback production. Club Nokia might as well have been a showgirl-studded ballroom at the Stardust in the ’70s Sunday night. Spruce up this two-hour trip through time with some modern razzle-dazzle, inject the arrangements (not the gags) with a bit more personality, and the whole thing could kill with musty blue hairs and partying twentysomethings alike.

That’s largely because The Ruben & Clay Show doesn’t focus on either performer’s material at all — it’s instead a nostalgic, hit-stuffed spree from the ’60s through the ’90s, complete with mega-medleys for each decade that ran longer than each singer’s solo spotlights. Frankly, it’s precisely the sort of memory-lane stroll, thick with satisfying covers, that would have packed arenas full of Idol lovers in the months immediately after Ruben bested Clay by a still-disputed 130,000 votes.

“This is something we’ve talked about doing for a long time,” Aiken said at the outset, just after the two men clowned around in the opening number, upstaging one another as the tune switched from one Idol-finale anthem (Studdard’s “Flying without Wings”) to another (Aiken’s “This Is the Night”), then riffing humorously on the apparent incongruence of a soul star who digs Al Green and the Temptations performing alongside someone who evokes the spirit of Andy Williams.

“Ruben, it’s really a blessing to have you open for me,” Aiken then mentioned.
“I don’t think that’s what’s happening here,” the big man replied.
“Well, you came out first.”
“No, Clay, I think you came out first.”

It was shticky asides like that exchange that kept people giggling between the covers. And make no mistake, after that introductory moment there wasn’t anything else in this set that wasn’t a redo.

Each vocalist shined on his own: in addition to nailing the sky-high notes on Orleans’ “Still the One” and (in the Seventies Medley) Boston’s “More Than a Feeling,” Aiken capably handled Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” and Manilow’s “Mandy,” while Studdard expertly summoned the grit of Otis Redding (for “Bring It on Home to Me”) and the effortless glide of Marvin Gaye (on a silken segue from “Mercy Mercy Me” into “What’s Going On”) before impressing as usual with his nuanced, Luther Vandross-informed reading of Leon Russell’s “Superstar.”

Yet, along with plenty of playful ribbing (too often accompanied by ba-dum-bum rimshots) and some goofy skits (one involving Studdard as a money-hungry televangelist, another that put Aiken in ridiculous MC Hammer pants), it was the mammoth run-on medleys (see the setlist below) that really set this feel-good bit of showbiz in the heart of Sin City.

With choreographed pacing that also involved their two backing vocalists — blond Casey Thompson (pedestrian on Aretha’s “Natural Woman” but a very fine harmonizing duet partner for both stars) and voluptuous Quiana Parler (ordinary on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” but better on Donna Summer’s “On the Radio” and surprisingly forceful for Alanis’ “You Oughta Know”) — Aiken and Studdard steamrolled gleefully through material both expectedly glossy and uncharacteristic. The Motown gems suited the latter as much as the power ballads of Chicago and REO Speedwagon were tailored for the former, but what I can’t shake is the sight of Aiken kicking off Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” or both of them kicking up their heels for Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” and New Kids on the Block’s “The Right Stuff.”

Trust me, I know how cheesy it all sounds, and I’m not suggesting this was a concert-going high. But as salutes to the past go, you can quickly find a whole lot worse.

It’s such a schmaltzy conception that I often found myself wanting these two to give me a reason to loathe their performance — except that I kept enjoying myself. Loosely silly as their show is, it’s also unabashedly joyful, and above all smoothly executed … a simple entertainment that could have legs if given half a chance and a bigger budget … a kinda-corny, kinda-cute variety show …

“You know, like Donny & Marie,” Clay pointed out Sunday. “One was a little bit country, one was a little bit rock ’n’ roll.”

“Or like Peaches & Herb,” Studdard added. “One was a fruit, the other was an herb.”

“Just like us,” Clay retorted.

Setlist: Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken at Club Nokia, Los Angeles, Aug. 1, 2010
Intro: Flying without Wings (Ruben) crossed with This Is the Night (Clay) / Suspicious Minds (Clay) / Bring It on Home to Me (Ruben) / Sixties Medley: In the Midnight Hour > Up on the Roof > Someday We’ll Be Together > Going Out of My Head > You Can’t Hurry Love > Happy Together > I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) > Cryin’ > Soul Man > Wouldn’t It Be Nice > Shotgun > Sugar, Sugar > Just One Look > Harper Valley PTA > Ain’t Too Proud to Beg > Ain’t No Mountain High Enough // (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Casey Thompson sings) / Still the One (Clay) / Mercy Mercy Me > What’s Going On (Ruben) / Seventies Medley: Night Fever > Ain’t No Stopping Us Now > December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) > Oh Girl > On the Radio > Turn the Beat Around > Sex Machine > Don’t Go Breaking My Heart > More Than a Feeling > September // Mandy (Clay) / Superstar (Ruben) / I’m Every Woman (Quiana Parler sings) / Televangelist skit ending in When I See You Smile (Clay) / Eighties Medley: Eye of the Tiger > Rhythm of the Night > The Glory of Love > Shout > Africa > I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore > Through the Fire > All Night Long > If This Is It > Alone > Caribbean Queen > Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now > Footloose // Everything I Do (I Do It for You) (Ruben) / Nineties Medley: This Is How We Do It > Poison > Achy Breaky Heart > The Right Stuff > MMMBop > End of the Road > I Swear > I Want It That Way > Remember the Time > You Oughta Know > Jump Around > Baby Got Back > Livin’ La Vida Loca > One Sweet Day // (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life

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Marilyn

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2010, 07:16:04 AM »
THIS IS A TOTALLY HYSTERICAL BLOG AND THE COMMENTS ARE EVEN FUNNIER. AND THEY HAVE EXCELLENT VIDEO!! THEY ALSO SOUND LIKE FANS OF OTHER IDOLS!

SEEING CLUBEN IRL AND LIVING TO TELL ABOUT IT.
SO ON SATURDAY ME AND teamkradam WENT TO SEE THE CLAY/RUBEN (RUBEN/CLAY, CLAY/RUBEN...) TIMELESS TOUR. USUALLY I EXAGGERATE THINGS A LITTLE, BUT THIS WAS LEGIT THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE AND THEY ARE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AND I AM FREE TO DIE NOW.

CLUBEN INVITES YOU IN TO READ THIS GLORIOUS RECAP. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE TRUE LIFE CLAYMATE ENCOUNTERS, CROTCH-GRABBING, BAD DANCING, TMI AND OBVIOUSLY THE MAGIC THAT IS CLUBEN.

FIRST OF ALL THE ONLY THING BETTER THAN SEEING CLAY AND RUBEN WAS MEETING UP WITH teamkradam TO DO IT BECAUSE SHE IS THE BEST SEKKRIT CLAYMATE BUDDY I COULD EVER WISH FOR. <3 PLUS, SHE IS PROVIDING YOU WITH ALL THE PRETTY PICTURES AND VIDEOS IN THIS RECAP!

ONE THING I WAS HAPPY TO FIND IS THAT CLAYMATES DEFINITELY STILL EXIST. AND I DON'T MEAN LIKE ontdtv CLAYMATES, LIKE REAL HARDCORE ONES. THERE WERE OLD LADIES WITH HOMEMADE CLAY AIKEN SHIRTS WITH HEARTS ON THEM AND I SAW SOME AMAZING CLAY AIKEN HANDBAGS AND BUTTONS AND ALL KINDS OF HILARIOUS STUFF LIKE OLD OFC MERCH--THERE WAS LIKE LITERALLY A CLAYMATE CONVENTION GOING ON. FOR SOME REASON THIS WAS THE SHOW ALL THE CLAY FANS DECIDED TO FLOCK TO. IT WAS COMPLETE WITH PEOPLE WHO DONATED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO CHARITY TO GET CLUBEN MEET AND GREETS AND A BACKSTAGE TOUR WHO DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP FOR MOST OF IT BECAUSE THEY WERE TOTALLY DRUNK. FROM WHAT I HEAR THE SHOW WAS SOLD OUT--AWESOME! AND DON'T WORRY I INVITED EVERYBODY THERE TO COME AND JOIN ontd_ai!

FUN ANECDOTE FROM SOME NORMALS: I ALSO GAVE TICKETS TO MY SISTER AND A FRIEND OF HERS. I WARNED THEM ABOUT CRAZY OLD LADIES. THEY LAUGHED IT OFF, THEN THEY GOT YELLED AT BY A HARDCORE CLAYMATES FOR NOT BEING ENTHUSIASTIC ENOUGH AND SHE KEPT CHECKING ON THEM PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE GETTING INTO IT.

SO ME AND teamkradam WERE IN THE THIRD ROW, DROOLING OVER THE HILARIOUS CLUBEN MERCH THAT HAD THEIR GIANT FACES ALL OVER EVERYTHING OMG IT IS SUCH HIGH FASHION I CAN'T EVEN. CLAY AND RUBEN MUSIC WAS PLAYING. RIGHT BEFORE THEY CAME ON THEY PLAYED "TOUCH" AND I HOPE HE COULD HEAR IT FROM WHEREVER HE WAS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH HE LOVES THAT SONG.

NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF!

THE CONCERT OPENED WITH AN ANNOUNCER TAKING US BACK TO THE YEAR 2003 AND THE EPIC BATTLE BETWEEN CLAY AIKEN AND RUBEN STUDDARD. CLAY AND RUBEN TAKE THE STAGE TO DUKE IT OUT AGAIN. RUBEN SINGS "FLYING WITHOUT WINGS" AND CLAY COUNTERS HIM WITH "THIS IS THE NIGHT." FAKE FIGHTING ENSUES, AND YES, CLAY DOES SIT ON RUBEN'S LAP. YES THAT JUST HAPPENED. THEY FIGHT IN SONG UNTIL THEY FINALLY RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES BY... ENDING THEIR SONGS. LOL.

THE SHOW IS BASICALLY THEM GOING THROUGH DIFFERENT DECADES OF MUSIC AS IT APPLIES TO THEM, WITH BANTER AND PLAYFUL DIGS AT EACH OTHER, CUTENESS AND HEARTFELT MUSHY CLUBEN-Y GOODNESS. BUT MOSTLY IT WAS JUST HILARIOUS. IT'S JUST SO OBVIOUS THAT THEY'RE THE BEST OF FRIENDS AND LOVE BEING ON STAGE TOGETHER. MORE THAN IT'S A "TIMELESS TOUR" IT'S JUST CLAY AND RUBEN DOING WHATEVER THE HELL THEY WANT TRYING TO MAKE EACH OTHER GIGGLE. I SWEAR THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH PURE CONCENTRATED HAPPINESS. I LEFT THERE IN PAIN FROM SMILING SO HARD.

THIS IS THE FIRST TOUR CLAY'S DONE SINCE COMING OUT, SO THERE WERE EXPECTED MENTIONS OF THAT. THEY JOKED ABOUT TOURING TOGETHER AND CLAY WAS LIKE "THANK YOU FOR OPENING FOR ME, RUBEN" AND RUBEN WAS LIKE "NO YOU'RE OPENING FOR ME" AND CLAY WAS LIKE "NO YOU CAME OUT FIRST" AND RUBEN WAS LIKE "NO, YOU CAME OUT FIRST." THEN CLAY DECIDED TO SHARE SOME OTHER THINGS ~THEY HAVE IN COMMON. WHICH WAS MUSIC. YES THERE WAS SINGING ON THIS TOUR DON'T WORRY I'M GETTING TO THAT.

ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE THINGS ABOUT THE SHOW WAS THIS LADY WHO WAS DRUNK OUT OF HER MIND AND CLAY AND RUBEN SPENT A LOT OF TIME MAKING FUN OF HER. CLAY DESCRIBED HER AS "DRUCKING FUNK" AND SHE KEPT SAYING THINGS LIKE "I LOVE YOU!" AND "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" SO CLUBEN HAD EVERYBODY SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER. CLAY ASKED WHO SHE CAME WITH AND SHE SAID HER KIDS AND CLAY MADE A PRICELESS FACE AND WAS LIKE "OH, EXCELLENT" THEN TALKED ABOUT THE YEARS OF THERAPY HER CHILDREN WERE GOING TO REQUIRE AFTER TONIGHT.

SO THEY KICKED IT OFF IN THE 60S. THEY WOULD DO IT WHERE THEY EACH SANG A SONG FROM THE DECADE AND THEN DID A LONG ASS MEDLEY TOGETHER. I GANKED THIS VIDEO FROM SOMEBODY ELSE SINCE I DON'T THINK WE GOT THE 60S. LOL.

GUH LOOK AT HOW CUTE THEY ARE FID FLIGIFDJGFGIDG.

ALRIGHT SO THEN THE 70S HAPPENED. THAT MEANS HILARIOUS DANCING (NOT THAT ALL THE DANCING INVOLVED WASN'T HILARIOUS ANYWAY).

THEY ALSO DID A BIT WHERE CLAY THEY WERE GOING TO SIT DOWN AND CLAY GAVE RUBEN A TINY LITTLE STOOL TO SIT ON SO RUBEN SCORNED HIM.

THIS LEAD TO DISCUSSION ABOUT THEIR ~STOOLS AND IT WAS LIKE WOW THIS IS TMI THIS TOUR REALLY WAS MADE FOR ME WASN'T IT. BUT SINCE CLAY IS A PUSHOVER HE EVENTUALLY GAVE IN AND TOOK THE LITTLE ONE.

SO THEY TALKED ABOUT VARIETY SHOWS OF THE PAST AND HOW PEOPLE COULD SING TOGETHER AND MAKE A GOOD TEAM EVEN IF THEY'RE DIFFERENT. LIKE DONNY AND MARIE AND HOW ONE WAS A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY... ETC., AND PEACHES AND HERB BECAUSE ONE WAS A FRUIT AND ONE WAS AN HERB "JUST LIKE US." AWWWW. BUT THEY WERE LAUGHING SO HARD THROUGH IT AND THEY COULD BARELY EVEN SAY WORDS.

CASEY AND QUIANA WERE THERE TOO AND THEY SANG WHILE CLAY AND RUBEN GOT READY FOR THEIR OTHER STUFF AND THE GIRLS BROUGHT IT.

CLAY AND RUBEN DID THEIR BIT WHERE RUBEN ATTEMPTS TO RID HIM OF HIS LACKOFRHYTHMITIS (AFTER A NIGHT OF TERRIBLE DANCING FROM CLAY) AND CLAY WAS ACTING EXTRA PATHETIC AND RUBEN HAD ALREADY BEEN LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AT EVERYTHING THAT NIGHT AND HE KEPT LOSING IT IT WAS SO CUTE AND CLAY LOVED IT AND KEPT PUSHING IT MORE AND MORE.

THEN CLAY WAS HEALED BY THE POWER OF CHRIST AND RUBEN AND $750 AND HE SANG "WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE" TO THAT DRUNK LADY FROM BEFORE. LOL. OMG AND RUBEN SANG SUPERSTAR AND IT WAS SO. GORGEOUS. LIKE OMG. I THINK EVERYBODY WENT RIGHT OUT AND JOINED THE RUBEN NATION.

OKAY SO THEN MY FAVORITE PART: THE 80S! CLAY WAS TRYING TO BE ALL MANLY BECAUSE IT WAS THE 80S AND HE WAS LIKE "THE A-TEAM EFFF YEEEAAHHHH" AND RUBEN WAS LIKE "CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS!!!!!!" AND IT WENT BACK AND FORTH LIKE THAT. LOL.

INCLUDES LULZY FAKE FIGHTING, STUPID DANCING, DUMB 80S MUSIC AND CLAY SINGING "ALONE" WHICH IS MY PORN LIKE OMG.

AND DID I MENTION FOOTLOOSE?

THEN ONTO THE 90S! THEY TOOK A MOMENT FOR SRS AND CLAY TALKED ABOUT HOW HE MET RUBEN.

GUHHHH THEY ARE SO SWEET AND ADORABLE AND FUNNY. AND I LOVE HOW THE STORY OF HOW THEY MET IS BASICALLY "I MET RUBEN IN A BAR AND HE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO ASK FOR MY NUMBER." OH OKAY THEN. CLUBEN IS REAL YOU GUYS.

AND JUST BECAUSE ME AND teamkradam ARE SO HARD ON CLAY AND HIS WARDROBE AND HAIR AND ALL THAT, FOR RENO HE DITCHED HIS ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS YELLOW SHIRT THAT HE'D BEEN WEARING AT THE REST OF THE SHOWS AND TRADED IT FOR A NICE WHITE SHIRT ALL CLEAN AND TUCKED IN AND IT ACTUALLY FIT HIM OH MY GOD. ALSO, HE GOT HIMSELF SOME NEW HAMMER PANTS FOR THEIR 90S STUFF.

RUBEN HADN'T SEEN THE NEW PANTS AND HIS NEW BELT YET AND HE LOST HIS SHIT AGAAAAAAAAIN HE WAS DYING IT WAS SO CUTE AND AMAZING. AND RUBEN WAS LIKE "ARE THOSE MADE OF PLASTIC?" AND CLAY WAS LIKE "NO FEEL IT."

SO RUBEN WENT IN TO FEEL CLAY'S PANTS.

GUYS.

OKAY SO RUBEN WAS LAUGHING SO HARD AT CLAY'S BELT AND PANTS THAT EVERYBODY WAS TRYING TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT THEM.

BEFORE CLAY RIPS OFF HIS PANTS (YES THAT HAPPENS) teamkradam GETS HER ZOOM ON CLAY'S CROTCH. SHE CLAIMS SHE WAS TRYING TO GET THE BELT BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT'S A LIE.

ALSO THERE IS BACKSTREET BOYS AND RICKY MARTIN IN THIS YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO WATCH.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~ AND THEY ENDED THINGS BY SINGING "TIME OF MY LIFE." CLAY COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING TO SING THE GIRL PART BUT THEY BOTH SOUNDED AMAZING AND IT WAS JUST LULZY AND ADORABLE AND INAPPROPRIATELY ROMANTIC.

I HAVE NEVER NOT WANTED TO SOMETHING END SO BADLY IN MY LIFE IT COULD HAVE BEEN LIKE 12 HOURS LONG AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ENOUGH. IT WAS PURE, CONCENTRATED JOY.

IF THEY DON'T TOUR TOGETHER AGAIN I WILL WEEP FOR ETERNITY.

YES THIS WAS THE LONGEST POST EVER BUT YOU ARE SO LUCKY I AM ONLY MAKING THIS ONE POST AND THAT I PUT IT ALL BEHIND A CUT. LOL.


LIVE JOURNAL




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Marilyn

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2010, 09:20:26 AM »
Quote
Ex-Idols entertain with smart, tasteful show
 
 
By Ted Shaw, The Windsor Star August 6, 2010
  StoryPhotos ( 1 )

 
American Idol veterans Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard perform at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Thursday.
Photograph by: Scott Webster, The Windsor Star, The Windsor StarWhile neither could be called an American idol, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken showed Thursday at Caesars Windsor's Colosseum how they won the hearts and votes of millions who watched them compete in 2003.

They were rivals back in the second season of American Idol, when Studdard took top spot and Aiken was right behind. Now they're singing side-by-side on a 17-city North American tour called Timeless.

Taking a cue from 1960s TV variety shows, the two teased and joked with each other in a well-rehearsed revue that covered four decades of popular music.

Pretending to still hold grudges from the American Idol contest, they opened with hit singles they have each had since the show -- Studdard's Flying Without Wings and Aiken's This is the Night.

There were winks about Aiken's coming-out about his homosexuality in a People Magazine interview two years ago. The audience lapped it up. It was close to capacity, about 5,000, and surprisingly an older-than-you'd-expect audience.

But that made some of their musical choices smart and tasteful, particularly in the first half of the show.

Aiken was first out of the blocks with a cover of Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds, backed by terrific vocalists, Qiana Parler and Casey Thompson. Parler and Aiken go back to the earliest days of American Idol -- they were performing together before signing up for the show in 2002.

Studdard was up next with Bring It On Home to Me, then they went into a 15-song medley of the 1960s, each taking leads. Studdard's In the Midnight Hour was followed by Aiken's Up On The Roof.

There were snippets of Motown, too, with the backup singers and Aiken slapping tambourines on their sides.

Clay's Still The One, the Orleans song, was a little out of place during this segment, but he did a bang-up job of it.

The highlight was Studdard's moving performances of two Marvin Gaye songs -- Mercy Mercy Me and What's Goin' On. Three medleys from succeeding decades followed, each less interesting than the last. The '90s medley near the show's end was, unfortunately, a real downer.

Studdard and Aiken work seamlessly together -- both have musical stage acting in their backgrounds, and it pays off during the banter between songs.

This is a concept that could easily be translated to the small screen -- maybe it's time to revive weekly variety television.

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2010, 09:29:03 AM »
PRE-CONCERT CHAUTAUQUE INTERVIEW


Quote
'Idol' singing stars perform in Erie region
By DAVE RICHARDS - ERIE TIMES-NEWS
Call it an ideal confluence of idols: Four notable "American Idol" stars will perform in the Erie area in the next five days.

Advertisement
 Ruben Studdard, the 2003 champ, and Clay Aiken -- the contestant he edged out in a memorable finale -- bring their surprising joint tour to the amphitheater at Chautauqua Institution tonight.


Meanwhile, flamboyant, big-voiced 2009 runner-up Adam Lambert takes his Glam Nation tour into the Warner Theatre Tuesday, where he will perform before a sold-out audience.


Opening for him will be Allison Iraheta, whose early departure in '09 surprised "Idol" judges. She wound up finishing fourth.


Aiken, in a phone interview, said he and Studdard became friends during the 2003 season and always wanted to tour together. Commitments -- including Broadway musicals -- prevented them from linking up until now.


Aiken played Sir Robin for a spell on Broadway's "Monty Python's Spamalot," while Studdard starred in the Broadway touring production of "Ain't Misbehavin,'" which played Erie in 2009.


When their schedules meshed, they decided to devise a fresh approach. Instead of performing separately, one after the other, they take the stage together for a night of duets and classics drawn from the 1960s through today.


"It's far more fun for us to be on stage together," Aiken said. "We wanted to do this because we enjoyed singing with each other when we did the show.


"I'd say we're both on stage about 85 percent of the time, maybe more. We sing together the whole time," he added.


Their 60s medley includes such titles as "You Can't Hurry Love," "In the Midnight Hour" and "Happy Together." They also dabble in songs by the Bee Gees, James Brown, Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire in their 70s medley.


Studdard also does a Marvin Gaye tribute, while Aiken sings "Mandy" and "Suspicious Minds" by himself.


But what makes the show sparkle is the onstage interplay between Studdard and Aiken. They approach it like Martin & Lewis, bantering back and forth, often ad-libbing for maximum comic effect.


You can't fake that kind of chemistry. These guys actually like each other, even if they are total opposites. Studdard is big, black, straight, loose. Aiken is thin, white, gay and wound more tightly.


"We are opposites," Aiken said. "I don't know what the bond is. We just like each other's company. He's funny, pretty laid back and relaxed, which, I guess, balances out my high-strung uptightness. That's what makes it work."


He says the long ordeal of competing on "Idol" -- then in just its second season -- drew them closer. They went through it together.


"When we were on the show, I don't think anyone knew what would come out of it. We were both kind of guinea pigs, in some ways. Kelly Clarkson had already gone ahead, but it was not that big the first year.


"The second year, it exploded. I don't think people knew what to expect, so there was not as much pressure on us to be competitive. Maybe in subsequent years it was like that, because I don't think any contestants are as close as Ruben and I are."


Big changes are afoot for "Idol" in 2010 with Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler reportedly joining as judges, leaving Randy Jackson as the only original one left. Aiken couldn't care less.


"I don't even pay attention to it," he said. "I haven't watched 'Idol' in about five years. I found my life has been just as fulfilling without it, so I don't really pay attention to all that."


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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2010, 01:19:48 PM »
Quote
Clay Aiken And Ruben Studdard's 'Timeless' Tour: Medleys, Exorcisms And Borscht Belt Comedy
Posted 37 minutes ago by Jim Cantiello in Music



On Wednesday night (August 11), Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard brought their joint "Timeless" tour to New York's Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. Well, it was supposed to be at Hammerstein, but at the last minute it was moved to some secret ballroom on the seventh floor, which had the decor (and odor) of an untouched 1970s wedding reception hall.

It turns out the venue switch (due to low ticket sales) worked brilliantly for Clay and Ruben, since their show played like a long-lost Carol Burnett/Julie Andrews variety special. (With less of a budget.)

The setlist is set up like the tagline of Terri Garr's favorite radio station: Featuring the hits of the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and today! Except scratch the "today" part. The only songs from this decade were their debut schmaltzy "Idol" singles, performed in an opening "battle" mash-up that winked at the fan-wars that erupted after Ruben won the second season of "Idol." (They didn't even perform their post-"Idol" hits — I guess Clay's "Invisible" and Ruben's "Sorry (2004)" were deemed too musically adventurous for this tour.)

"Timeless" is wall-to-wall decade medleys. I counted 69 different songs represented in the two-hour show. And most of them are tracks you'd find on one of those cassettes your parents used to buy at a car wash: "Harper Valley PTA," "Turn the Beat Around," "When I See You Smile," "Caribbean Queen," "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Basically Every Song That's Ever Appeared On A Time-Life Compilation And/Or '80s Movie Soundtrack."

In between sets, Clay and Ruben delivered their finest stand-up material, whether it was bantering about 1960's race relations (!!), joking about Clay's sexuality (!!!) or performing endless sketches about "Pastor Ruben" curing Clay's "lack-of-rhythmitis." (!!!!!!!!!!!)

Feast on these sample exchanges:

Clay: Thanks for opening for me tonight, Ruben!

Ruben: I didn't open for you!

Clay: I'm pretty sure you came out first!

Ruben: I'm pretty sure you came out first!

Ba-dum-dum!

Ruben: We have a lot in common, Clay! I love my wife!

Clay: And I love "Desperate Housewives."

Ba-dum-dum!

Bruce Vilanch earned his pay check, folks.

And this was long before Clay busted out tear-away Hammer pants to perform a '90s medley that included hits from Montell Jordan, All-4-One, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bell Biv DeVoe, Backstreet Boys — you get the picture.

The "Timeless" tour throws back to two eras simultaneously. One is when variety shows ruled the school, but it also references a time when "American Idol" was set up to find exceptional vocalists versus contemporary music artists (a la David Cook). Simon often criticized contestants for being "cruise ship singers," but sometimes a reliable workhorse performer is what "Idol" would produce. In case you forgot, Clay and Ruben can sing really damn well. And although I went to the show to bask in (and gawk at) its unabashed hokiness, I can't deny that Ruben's "Superstar" and Clay's "Mandy" covers left me with goosebumps.

By the time the "Timeless" show wrapped up, I felt like I was in the Catskills circa 1964. Then again, maybe that's because the grand finale had Clay and Ruben singing "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from "Dirty Dancing." (As my buddy Brendan said: "Nobody puts Cluben in the corner.")

What saved the show from being a totally depressing exercise in seeing washed up reality stars is the realization that Clay and Ruben aren't taking themselves seriously at all. They have created a show exclusively for their tried-and-true, intensely devoted fans. (Although, judging from the way the fancy hairdos stood up and sat down depending on which performer was singing, I'd say 99.99999 percent of the ticket holders were of the Claymate variety.)

These two singers brought an immense amount of joy to their followers last night. Yes, the "Timeless" tour may be as dated as the secret ballroom on the seventh floor of the Manhattan Center, but sometimes it’s fun to tap into your inner grandma. And Grandma Jim left the show with a big dopey grin on his face.
That being said, if six years from now Kris Allen and Adam Lambert are putting on a similar show, I might jump out of a window.

MTV.COM

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Marilyn

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2010, 09:06:12 AM »
PRE-VIEW for Biloxi

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Aiken, Studdard bring energy, chemistry to the Beau
By JAMIE BATES - Special to the Sun Herald 
 
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tool goes here Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken will be at the Beau Rivage on Saturday, wrapping up the 18-city summer “Timeless” tour that has brought the two “American Idol” alums together for the first time since “Season 2.”

With a few minutes between sound checks somewhere on the road, Studdard took time to share a sneak peek of the show for Sun Herald readers.

So, what can guests expect when they see “Timeless”?

“I think people will really be surprised by the energy of the show,” he said. “And we are so happy to be doing this. The show is fun, and Clay and I are having a great time. Come out and see it. We are doing what we love up there, and it shows.”

The two singers share chemistry on the stage, and to some degree, will forever be linked together in the hearts of “American Idol” fans and music fans in general.

For many of us, when we hear “Clay Aiken,” we think of “Ruben Studdard,” and vice versa. We had to ask Studdard — do you love that or do you hate it?

“Well, you know, you can try to fight that, the record labels can try to fight that, but it is what it is. With the two of us, I mean, that was a huge part of the driving force behind the second season of ‘American Idol.’

“But we have both been wanting to do something like this (tour) together for a long time, since the beginning even, but we’ve just both been busy doing our own projects.

“And coming to Biloxi, well, we love Biloxi. My wife and I, we have family in Mobile, and we go to Biloxi all the time. In fact, we spent our last anniversary at the Beau Rivage. Didn’t win much money,” he added with a sound something between a laugh and a groan, “but we had a great time, so I am really looking forward to getting back.”

The show is Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Beau Rivage Theatre.


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Marilyn

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Re: TIMELESS TOUR MEDIA REVIEWS
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2010, 09:55:00 AM »
LANCASTER REVIEW

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Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard: Timeless Tour Review
Aug 10, 2010 Anne Marie Coar

 Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken - Anne Marie CoarAmerican Idols Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken reunited for the first time since 2003 with the "Timeless Tour."
   
The approximately two-hour long “Timeless Tour” was as much about entertainment and the rapport between two former American Idol “rivals,” Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, as it was about the music, which spanned the past 60 years.

Reliving the Moments that Made Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard Famous
Before the show began, a sinister-voiced announcer dramatically and humorously retold the moments leading up to the final 2003 showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.

American Idol winner Studdard then took the stage and began singing his coronation song and first single, “Flying Without Wings.” Midway through, Aiken appeared from the wings and launched into “This is the Night.” The pair, amid microphone grabs and playful shoves, switched back and forth between the two songs, amid cheers from the packed audience at Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s American Music Theatre.


Timeless Tour Medleys
During the next two hours, Aiken and Studdard sang medleys from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. One of the most popular numbers was the ‘70s selection, which included “Night Fever” by The Bee Gees and Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “September,” which had the audience up on their feet, dancing along.

Aiken showed off killer vocal chops with “Through the Fire” and “Alone” during the ‘80s medley, and Studdard had a rap moment with the ’90s huge hit, “Baby Got Back.”

Throughout the evening, the two Idols also took some opportunities to shine individually. Studdard delivered rich vocals during a Marvin Gaye tribute including “Mercy Mercy Me” and “What’s Going On.” Aiken proved he can master up-tempo numbers just as well as ballads with “Suspicious Minds” and “Still the One.” Studdard also performed his much-acclaimed rendition of “Superstar.” Aiken embraced past Barry Manilow comparisons with “Mandy.”


Skits on the Timeless Tour
As segues from one decade to the next, Studdard and Aiken bantered with each other and the audience during short skits. At one point, Aiken came to seven-week older “Uncle Ruben,” asking the R&B star to tell him about the ‘70s. Aiken’s dancing ability, or lack thereof, was a running joke throughout the show. As an introduction to the ‘80s, Studdard donned a white robe and became a televangelist determined to cure Aiken of “lack of rhythm-itis.”

The "Timeless Tour" also allowed backup singers Casey Thompson and Quiana Parler to take center stage for a few solo performances. Thompson showcased her vocal ability with Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” and Parler’s rendition of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” had much of the crowd arm-waving to the beat.

Another Finale
Aiken and Studdard returned to the stage for an encore performance of “Time of My Life.” As the pair’s powerful vocals filled the theatre for one last time that night, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard proved good music is not the only thing that is timeless. Talent is too.

POPMUSIC.SUITE101.COM]


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