2003-09-06
9:58 p.m.

BEVR: Raleighgirl/San Jose

I never imagined I would become such an exhibitionist, but here I go again showing off my BEVR to anyone interested in looking. I blame it on the fact that I will be turning 40 next month! Actually, I blame everything these days on turning 40. It's definitely the reason I ended up in San Jose on Aug.30, 2003. Don't get me wrong! I don't really have a problem with being 40. After all, the alternative isn't too appealing. It's just that it has given me a new attitude towards life.

I purchased my tickets for the Raleigh ClayLive Show way back in May when they first went on sale and then spent the better part of the summer counting down the days to Aug. 6. My ClayLive experience in Raleigh was extraordinary as I described in my first BEVR. All too quickly, however, it was over and Post-Claytal Depression set in.

Then came the Bevy of Beautiful BEVR's, each a unique and personal expression of each Broad's Claylove and their Clay experience, and I began to realize that once just wouldn't be enough. I almost took the plunge to go to Memphis, but it was too last minute and just seemed too crazy. So, as Clay and the tour headed west, I thought my chances were gone.

Then last Tuesday, as the Broads were waxing melancholic about the end of the tour, I checked (just for the h*ll of it) to see what tickets were available..........and found 4 front row, just left of center tickets to the San Jose show. The tickets were ridiculously expensive and I figured there was no chance of going, but I mentioned the tickets to Mini-Raleighgirl (my 11 yr. old daughter) and Mr. Raleighgirl. Mini-me desperately wanted to go. Mr. Raleighgirl just rolled his eyes...........but, that evening while I was out, he checked on flights and use of frequent-flyer points (have I mentioned how much I love that man?). When I returned home he told me if I really wanted to go with Mini-me I had his blessing. Of course, he also said that he thought I was crazy. Thus began two days of inner turmoil.

The practical side of me said it was ridiculous to fly 3000 miles to see/hear a man (even THIS man) sing 3 1/2 songs. The overly emotional, about-to-turn-40 side of me said Go ahead! Do something totally crazy! THIS IS CLAY!! THIS IS FRONT ROW!!!

In the end it was an email from one of my best friends, my most pragmatic, practical friend in the world that tipped the scales. Her email simply said "You only live once. Go for it."

I called Mr. Raleighgirl at work and told him to book the airline tickets. I ordered the concert tickets. I emailed Nelle to tell her that I was on my way to San Jose and to make plans to meet up with her and any other Broads planning to be in SJ. Then I started making my preparations and worrying. Would the tickets arrive in time? Would our flights be delayed or cancelled? Would sudden severe illness strike me or Mini-me or Clay? I worried about everything that could possibly keep me from seeing HRH.

As things turn out, the tickets arrive as scheduled. The planes take off and land as scheduled. I score a copy of EW magazine in the airport news stand. Mini-me and I are healthy and arrive at our hotel without incident. We check in and then get settled into our room. I call Famous Broad Erin (who has also flown across the country for this and is staying at the same hotel) to check in and make plans. We make plans to meet later and to walk together to the restaurant where we will be meeting Nelle and some other Clay fans from other message boards.

Mini-me and I spend the next couple of hours wandering around a craft fair across the street from our hotel, painting our nails, and otherwise trying to keep ourselves busy so we won't go crazy with the knowledge that in just a few short hours we would be standing mere feet from HRH. As the hour grows closer, we shower and dress. Mini-me has chosen to wear Black Pinstriped Pants and a Red Top. She looks darling. I wear a Red Top (with bosom pushed up to look as perky as possible for a 40 year old woman who has birthed three children), a cute khaki skirt and Diesel Shoes (not red, but they are they women's version of the shoes Clay wears in the show).

Finally the appointed hour arrives and we head out to meet FB Erin and her boyfriend Joe (Famous Rock Star Joe, now that he has waved his SOC at y'all) We find them waiting in the hotel lobby and much screaming and hugging ensues. Erin is wonderful and Joe is (as Nelle has said) a Clay look-a-like. Erin presents Mini-me and me with Red Feather Boas which we proudly don. Then we all head out to dinner parading down the sidewalks of San Jose in all our red-bedecked glory!

We arrive at the restaurant and find a dozen or two other Clay fans from other boards. We make introductions and join in the festivities. We Eat! We Drink! We Laugh! We look at signs. We show off our sign. I show off my panties! Finally, Nelle arrives!!! More screaming and hugging ensues! Nelle presents me with a T!B!D! pin, and a Purple Tie pin, which I proudly add to my ensemble. She also presents a Purple Tie Pin to Mini-me which, as Nelle described, takes on purely innocent and age appropriate connotations when worn by Mini-me. More fans arrive, some coming from the Meet and Greet, each with a story to tell and autographs to show off.

Eventually, it's time for the main event. Final pictures are taken, and we head out for the arena. The arena is just a short walk from the restaurant, so it becomes a sort of Clay Parade walking through the streets of San Jose.

We arrive at the arena. Our tickets work! We're in!! We make a bathroom stop, wait 20 minutes in line to buy pictures (three Clay, one Carmen for wonderful husband who thinks she's hot), and buttons (to proudly add to ensemble), then make our way to our seats. OMG!!! THEY ARE SOOOOOOO CLOSE!!!!! Maybe Clay was right to be concerned for the tender hearts of his older fans! I am suddenly not sure that I will survive this.

The concert begins and I am having a blast. I truly enjoy all the warm-up acts. I'm in such a Fabulous Mood. I decide right away that I'm not going to sit down at all. I scream and cheer. I shake my thang, or sway depending on the mood of the song. I really have to resist the urge to start spinning right along with Trenyce and the dancers during Proud Mary. Finally THE MOMENT arrives, and KLo introduces THE REASON I'M HERE!!!!!!

CLAAAAYYYY AAAAIIIIKEN!!!!!!!!!

The first few notes of TITN begin and the arena goes dark. The lights come back up and Clay rises through the mist, beautiful in suit and purple tie. There is much screaming happening, but a very strange thing occurs to me. The screaming is NOT coming from me!?! I suddenly realize that I am so transfixed by Clay that I CAN'T scream. I simply stand there dumbfounded by his beauty. I study his face, his hair, his hands. I am simply mesmerized by his presence as his voice washes over me. Somehow, I manage to take two pictures of him while he sings.

The song ends, and Mini-me jolts me back to reality. "Mom! Get out the Sign!!" I somehow find the sign in my bag, get it unfolded and right-side-up and Mini-me and I hold that sucker up and flaunt it. It says, "WE CAME FROM RALEIGH TO SAN JOSE TO SEE CLAY AGAIN." Clay is talking, getting ready to introduce Ruben when he suddenly stops, mid-sentence, and points to us. He says something (Hey!?! Whoa!?! Hi!?!) I don't really remember what, and waves to us!!! Mini-me and I start jumping up and down and screaming! HE SAW OUR SIGN!! HE SAW US!!!!

This is when we meet our seat neighbors. They look at our sign to see why it had caught Clay's attention, and when they see we are from Raleigh, they scream "We're from Greensboro, NC!!" It was a mother and daughter who had bought the other two of the four tickets that I had first seen. We proceed to gab through half of Ruben's song (sorry Ruben) and then chat excitedly through half of the intermission.

Mini-me and I then go to find Nelle and Erin and tell them about Clay seeing us. We jump up and down and scream and hug and generally make a spectacle of ourselves. CLAY WAVED TO US!!!!

Second Act: Clay appears looking delicious in white. There is singing. I can't take my eyes off Clay. He really is luminous. I am still dumbfounded by his beauty. My reaction to Clarmen surprises me (I couldn't really see it when I saw the show in Raleigh). I find watching Clay move in such a suggestive way to be extremely erotic. It becomes very easy to imagine, well,.... other things...................uhh, where was I???

I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact order of this part of the show, but while Ricky is singing the first part of his duet with Julia, Mini-me suddenly tugs on my arm and says "Mom, I can see Clay!!" She points out a small gap under the stage where you can see, from our vantage point, straight back under the stage. We can see Clay just sitting on a bench with one of the male dancers. He appears to be relaxed, chatting with the dancer, and just waiting for his next song (CYFTLT). The Ricky/Julia duet is one of my favorite non-Clay parts of the show, but I pretty much miss the whole thing, plus half of the next song (I don't even remember what that is) because I keep looking to see if Clay is still there under the stage.

Much of the rest of the show is a blur. I toss my panties onto the stage before TGIM with a check and one of Nelle's Purple Tie pins attached, but no note. I still find that I can't scream when Clay is on the stage. But I drink in every moment. Clay is in a very goofy, silly mood tonight, unlike Raleigh where he was very emotional. At the end of CYFTLT when he walks to the side of the stage before singing the last word/note he actually cracks up and almost can't get the note out. He clearly loves the give and take with the audience.

INVISIBLE! What can I say? I fear that my 11 yr old daughter's virtue has been forever tainted by what she witnessed. On several occasions Clay stops directly in front of me and moves in ways that I'm sure must be illegal in some states. I am certain that he performs these moves for me personally, (my own personal lap-dance if you will) since at these moments I'm completely unaware of anyone else being in the arena.

Alright, I know this BEVR is getting to be quite engorged, but there's still a little bit more to tell. So go ahead, dive in for the CLIMAX.

Last song of the night: PTBAA. I'm feeling a little bit disappointed because Clay has not looked my way since seeing my sign (once is never enough), and because my Claylive experience is coming to an end. But, I'm savoring the moment. I'm gazing at Clay (still unable to scream) when Clay's gaze comes back to meet mine (can you say EF?) and he smiles. Then he glances to my left and waves to Mini-me and gives her a Wink!!!!!!! We are both absolutely dumbstruck.

The rest of the show is a blur. All I know is that all too soon; Clay waves one final time, turns around and walks off the stage leaving us with the other guy. When the show is over, we chat for a few more minutes with our seat neighbors from NC, then leave to find Nelle and Erin and Joe. We walk back to the hotel excitedly telling of our concert experiences. Back at the hotel, Nelle, Erin and Joe decide to have a drink, but since Mini-me is ready to collapse from exhaustion and we have an early flight to catch the next morning, we say our goodbyes and hug one last time.

Final Thoughts: I have never done anything like this is my whole life, but I am so glad that I did. I have such special memories to share with my daughter as we enter what will surely be some of the most difficult years in our relationship. I have rediscovered a joy and spontaneity that had been missing from my life, a casualty of having small children. I have found that I really don't care about the people who "don't get" why I would do something so crazy and impractical, the ones who look at me like I'm slightly off my rocker. My true friends (whether they share my devotion to Clay or not) think this has been the coolest thing!!!

Raleighgirl