These were the posts I made to RedHotTopic after returning from the concert.

AprilJoy and I are back from the concert. We're in our hotel and I'll be posting some details in a moment. Then AprilJoy. I am feeling overwhelmed and a bit dizzy. I did not know this would affect me so.

My recap: Part 1.
Where to start? This was an amazing experience. I have heard Clay perform at 2 AI concerts and a Jingle Bell Bash, but those did not prepare me for this.

It went by so fast, and then time seemed to stand still. Everything seemed to be its opposite 3 seconds later. I felt like I needed air and was dizzy. I wonder if I can even remember things?

The arena was packed, floor and lower level. The top level was curtained off. I think Clay said there were 10,000-11,000 people there. That is great since in the Salt Lake paper today I read that they expected 6500. Most of the crowd was for Clay, as usual, but Kelly got a good reception with lots of cheering and many people standing for some of her songs. Good crowd!

Clay was first. Kyrie was so emotional. I saw the king striding through his kingdom, filled with his subjects. He owned the house and us. He walked through the crowd on the left side (darn, I was on the far right, seventh row on the floor) and the noise was deafening. The king had returned. He mounted the stage at last, very majestic. The look on his face--not humble Clay at all--just accepting it as his rightful due. Yes, yes, yes. This song really is a show stopper. Great choice, Clay. I want to see this one again and again. The concert videos do not do this song or any other justice.

I know you've probably heard many details from the cellcerts. Clay did do a cell phone call this time. He talked to someone named Carrie, I believe the daughter of the woman with the phone, MaryJo. Carrie was in Tampa. Clay said she was trying to ask him questions, trying to interview him. He tried to hear her question so he could answer it, but then said "you're breaking up" and "I can't hear what you're saying." I had the sneaking suspicion he heard her question very well and just preferred not to answer it. Like maybe she asked him, hey Clay, are ya going to do some grinding tonight? LOL. Please don't start a rumor. This is just speculation on my part but he made such a deal over the question she was going to ask him and then suddenly (how convenient) the phone starts breaking up. I kept thinking, she asked him a question that he doesn't want to answer. And then he imitated her in a high-pitched squealing voice--very funny.

OK, I'll post this now and then give part 2.

My recap, Part 2
I'll comment on the sound since that has been the subject of a recent newspaper review. Clay's set was not too loud. Not too loud at all. It was fine. I had no complaints. There was no "helium voice" that I noticed. His voice was in fine, fine form and the sound system was fine. Kelly's set was louder with a penetrating bass. I don't want to say it was too loud, probably tolerable, but I did put earplugs in to protect my ears (I have some hearing damage and need to protect what I've got left). With the earplugs I could hear Kelly's singing and talking just fine. I highly recommend earplugs if your ears are sensitive.

I took my earplugs out for Open Arms when Clay returned. Another moment that filled me with awe. I know you all have heard this before about umpteen concerts, but when Clay joined Kelly on stage for Open Arms, the noise was thunderous. The noise rocked the house. Clay could not help but grin. Could anyone contain a smile if 10,000 people were screaming for them? Kelly was on my side during Clay's entrance and I looked at her and she stood there silent and expressionless. I felt a little bad for her since the contrast of the cheers for Clay to the noise the crowd made for her was so extreme. I loved screaming and cheering for Clay's return on this song, letting him know how much we loved him.

I'm getting really out of order. Some other highlights:

All About Love--Clay rocked out on this one, really great performance song, tried some dance steps with limited but cute success.

I Survived You--really one of the best songs of the evening. Angry Clay sings it with such passion and violent gestures. You really believe he is angry and declaring his triumph to the world.

The acoustic set--my favorite was Carolina in My Mind. I think I might have cried on that one. I love the sound of his voice on Carolina. Beautiful, down to earth tone and accent.

When You Say You Love Me--this is really a crowd pleaser. Audience sang along throughout on this song, loudly.

After seeing all these songs from MOAM performed live (the recorded versions, which I have heard a thousand times, just do not compare with the live versions), I felt like maybe the next single should be When You Say You Love Me or I Survived You. These got great crowd response and Clay seems to like performing them both.

(April is talking to her mom on the phone and just told her that seeing the concert was worth a million dollars.)

I'll post this and then back for a few last thoughts.

My recap, part 3
Hi to VaInUt. I met her plus of course AprilJoy. Also, AmyO, who organized the pre-concert party at Applebee's, which was a lot of fun. I got to sign the tour banner. It is filling up, folks! I ended up sitting right next to Va and her family. Her husband was right next to me. Believe me, he is a big Clay fan. He was yelling and cheering as much as any good Claymate.

I took my nice digital camera that takes short movies(minus the add on lens). They did not search our bags or cameras or anything at the Delta Center gate. I was sitting right near the edge of the floor seats and very close to 2 security guards. I took a number of movies and they just didn't care. I guess this is very venue dependent. I found it hard to take photos and movies because I was so excited about Clay's performance. I did take movies of When You Say You Love Me, I Survived You, Field of Gold, and Open Arms. Since my batteries still had not died by Kelly's set, I also took some videos of Kelly: The Trouble With Love Is and Beautiful Disaster.

Kelly, by the way, was very good. She has a great voice and didn't show a lot of that overkill melisma that she is sometimes criticized for. And she showed off her versatility with a jazz number, Stuff Like That There, that was just great.

All in all, this concert just filled me with awe. At the beginning I just could not believe it was Clay up there, so close, singing songs I have come to love from MOAM, like my favorite, Perfect Day. I remember looking at Clay and hearing the crowd roar and thinking what an unlikely star he is. How has he captured us all? How can he be who he is, the man that 10,000 are screaming for, the voice that we all are dying for? Who is he?

My recap, part 4. Odds and ends
Hey, everyone. I'm back in Seattle now, my flight from Salt Lake arrived this AM. Sat next to AprilJoy on the flight. I am still on cloud 9 from the concert. When will I come back down? I hope never.

A few notes: our cab driver this morning said that he had seen the tour buses at the Hotel Monaco, a very nice hotel in downtown Salt Lake, so that is probably where Clay and Kelly stayed. Strangely enough, when April and I first entered the cab, the first thing the driver said to us was "Are you headed to Las Vegas?" We just cracked up and said I wish. We still don't know why he asked us that, because he had no idea we were Clay fans (we were trying hard to appear normal) or that Clay is performing in Vegas tonight.

When Doves Cry: So many people want to know about this performance. Clay's dance with Angela was very tasteful and exciting. It was not as tame as some recent versions but not as hot as some earlier versions. I thought the entire performance was jaw dropping--both his voice and the dance. I loved the way in the slow build-up to the fast part of the song, he hits that really low note and the crowd just goes nuts and Clay just smiles and laughs. He knows that we all die for his low voice and it tickles him. He is happy to oblige. Even if the When Doves Cry dance was not as hot as some people may have been hoping for, it was really just fine. I was feeling that this was just one song, one moment out of a whole hour or more of Clay and no matter how it went, it would not make or break the show for me. (But I liked it very much!) He and Angela had plenty of touching going on and several of those looks exchanged between them. And she grabbed his tie and put her arm around his neck and drew him toward her. Later, he pulled her toward him by her belt. When they were softly grinding together, the cameraman switched camera angles to show just the joined hips of Clay and Angela, with a splendid rear view of Clay. LOL!! That cameraperson must have been a female!

Close-up: There was one splendid close-up of Clay on the jumbotron, during No More Sad Songs, I believe, that showed his head, microphone, and hand. I was amazed at the clarity on the screen. You could see individual blonde hairs sticking up on Clay's hand and even on his knuckles. He has blonde hair on his knuckles! It was mesmerizing. There was also major stubble, like a couple days' growth. Is he growing a beard? I would like to see that, at least for a short time. Deep red beard. Yeah, go for it.

Without You: Beyond compare duet. Clay and Quiana's voices blend perfectly. I was blown away by the vocal talent of this wonderful singer, Quiana. It is hard to believe she did not make the final 32 in AI2. There were so very very many singers of lesser ability in the round of 32 as well as the final 12. Quiana is also quite beautiful and glowing--the videos I have seen of her do not do her justice. Ditto Angela.

Just want to add to what AprilJoy mentioned--I did not hear any fans screaming "We Want Clay" disrespectfully during the Beu sisters' performance. Another person on this thread also said the "We Want Clay" came between the Beu sisters' and Clay's sets. The crowd was very enthusiastic but not rude.

I am trying to get my videos uploaded. They are: When You Say You Love Me (with cute dancing), I Survived You (with angry arm flailing), Fields of Gold, The Trouble With Love Is (upbeat version), Beautiful Disaster (acoustic version), Open Arms.

Over and out.

ENDURING SALT LAKE MEMORIES

• Flying all the way to Salt Lake City just to see Clay.
• Kyrie entrance. Clay striding to the stage through the crowd like a king. The way he stepped up on stage and looked out at us, like he knew he deserved all the cheers.
• The way the crowd screamed and thundered its love when Clay came back on stage with Kelly for Open Arms. And the way Clay smiled when he heard us. What a moment!
• The whole crowd singing along on When You Say You Love Me and Invisible.
• Clay's beautiful voice on Carolina in My Mind.

MY SALT LAKE CITY PHOTOS
My row 7 pics here: http://photos.yahoo.com/elfe350

SETLIST
Kyrie
Perfect Day
I Will Carry You
All About Love
No More Sad Songs
When You Say You Love Me
Without You (with Quiana Parler)
Invisible
I Survived You
Medley: Measure of a Man/Fields of Gold/When I Need You/Carolina in My Mind
When Doves Cry
The Way
Open Arms (with Kelly Clarkson)

last updated 9/16/04