ORLANDO, FL-HARD ROCK CAFE 2/11/2011

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

caperkeeper:

I loved the first show in Miami - because it was Clay singing to me and because I'd never seen a first show of a tour before. I enjoyed experiencing how Clay put it together - how it flowed - if this or that worked. More importantly his voice was in great shape - he sounded wonderful. He still takes my breath away.

In Orlando if you had been to the Miami show you could tell the difference. It was tighter and flowed better. He tweaked the auto-tune business by using a real song to talk and with the added kick of Clay not knowing what song from show to show, it will be fun. Better than reading from the newspaper.

Loved Clay doing The Way and Invisible as big band - so funny and entertaining and Clay performed them beautifully. Changing up the set list is fun as well. When he started Breaking Up Is Hard To Do I visibly (if anyone had been looking) sucked in a gulp of air and I am not sure when I released it! And when he came to my side of the stage and sat down right in front of me (I was second row right behind the two women who were videoing) there was an even deeper intake of breath! Talk about up close and personal. Clay has grown into such a fine song stylist (and man!) - gosh he is magnificent.

As an aside I love those shoes he is wearing! They look sort of like he is probably walking on something spongy and soft and light - must be very comfy.

I am terrible at sequence of events - I am a person who experiences the sound and the visual rather than one who can remember all the details. Some things will permeate my consciousness and I'll think he did something wonderful with that note or that phrase but right now I'm having difficulty coming up with specifics - only that he did it over and over - caressing me with that special voice, talking and laughing and letting us know he really does know what we love and that he will give it to us if he can. He hit some beautiful low notes. His slide up to that note in UM was perfect last night. It is hard to do because he is condescending at the same time. And I adore the way he sings the end of UM now.

He is so good at finding someone or something happening in the audience that he can play off for comedy. Someone was enjoying her second or third bloody Mary. Je quipped that it might be necessary for this show especially for the men! (Not so Clay!) A little later he was about to start some bit and he found the Lady and said that now might be a good time to go for another because what was coming up was going to be 'boring' (not sure that was the word he used) - he was joking of course but apparently the woman took him at his word and got up right then to apparently go for another bloody Mary! Very funny.

Of course rocker Clay brought down the house just as the softness and nuance of In My Life and the power and emotion of Solitaire did as well. This is part of what makes a Clay show so entertaining and bringing me back for more - he can do it all and do it well and in a way that gets inside me. I guess that's why I'm still here after eight years. Gosh I love him.

note: My PBS M&G was lovely. I didn't expect more because I figured these would be different than the auction or fan club ones. They were to raise money for PBS and still he was charming, inviting and warm as he shook my hand and asked my name. He is such a presence, I know he is tall but when you get close to him he's even taller and bigger! He put his arm around me and I put my arm around him and felt just wonderful for the chance to touch him! After the picture he turned to me and said thank you and shook my hand and all I could manage was 'thank YOU'. He makes my insides go mushy.  A good mush.

[Marilyn]

Hello everyone,

This is the first time that I went to the first set of concerts of a tour. And to get 1st row seats in both Miami and Orlando from the OFC presale, it was just too good to be true.

So, yesterday evening I was sitting at almost the same spot as in Miami. He had sit down on the right-hand side of the stage (from our view) then and I expected him to sit there again or in the centre since the Miami venue had the stage coming out in a crescent form in front and the people seated there were too close to the stage for him to sit there or he would be kicking them in thface. haha. Anyway, time for What kind of fool I am came and instead of going right, he came and sat right in front of me. I was shocked and so was the person who was sitting next to me. She had her photo camera on her lap (hence the long exposure comment) and I heard her mother encouraging her to video tape Clay, so she did it right from the beginning of the song. I was still in shock and was debating with myself as to whether I should take out my camcorder or not. By the time the music interlude came, I took out my camcorder and recorded him too. I could not bring myself to tell him my screen name when he asked, so just shook my head at him. He was looking into my camera and the other lady tried to get him to look into hers. He wasn't, so she moved hers closer to mine and that's when he jokingly said "Aren't you being greedy?" to her.

I only taped until just before he did the disco "who's sorry now". By that time my arm was hurting. I cannot tell the clack gathering too much how much I appreciate their dedication to gathering clack. I took my first ever clack and I don't think I'll be doing it any time soon again. Unless I get another front row seat and he comes and sits next to me again.

I'm staying at my friend's place and we'll be going to Sarasota soon. I won't be able to do anything with my clack until I get back home to Toronto on Monday evening. So be patient with me. As for the other person taping from the beginning, I talked to her and she is not on the boards. She is "new to all this", that's what she told me. I got her email address and will contact her soon.

My post can travel.

Mee4Clay

[Marilyn]

Merieeee meet and greet;

I was in such an Aiken fog I don't remember a lot but he was gorgeous and in a great mood. He shook everyones hand and when he came to me he said "I know you don't I?". At that point I was gone! He talked about not liking the recording process at all which we have heard before. He said that for him the acoustics in Miami were really bad. He kept hearing his own voice in the earpiece. He asked us where we were from and the minute he heard Houston he launched into his English accent! I told him if he needed pointers I'd be willing to help.
I asked him about merchandise and he said it was too costly and difficult to have on the tour but there will be some stuff that will be put up on the OFC later.

He talked to the others but i dont remember too much about that. It was funny when Rita wanted him to sing Solitaie and he said it was not on the current album and was not part of this tour...he looked over at us an sort of winked and yes we were good at not spilling the beans! He told her that the band could only play things they had rehearsed.

We had pics taken.......yeah I got up real close! The mans skin is flawless.

Hee I just remembered something else in the m & g..............the lights were low and we were complaining that we couldn't see too well. He said they were fine it was more romantic that way!!!

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]

[Marilyn]