|  | ||||||||||||
|
| |
2003-08-26
1:43 p.m.
BEVR: MnM/Oklahoma City (part 1)
Broad's Eye View Report: MnM/Oklahoma City (part 1)
If someone told me, last July that - I would be flying to Oklahoma City to watch Clay in concert, I would have told them - I am NOT that obsessed. I would only consider watching concerts that are within driving distance from Chicago, and only on weekends.
Finally, a group of people I met online convinced me to come to OKC, if not for Clay - then at least to meet them. So, there I was, less 25,000 frequent flyer miles, broker prices for 5th row tickets and a $50 room at Westin (thanks to Priceline.com) - I am at Oklahoma City, on a Thursday no less, missing 2 days of work. And everything has been WORTH it.
Let me apologize in advance for the lack of lechery on this BEVR. There is too much to say, there is no place for lecherous thoughts. I'll reserve that for the St. Louis BEVR.
My flight arrives in OKC at noon. Unlike STL, I've had enough sleep, I am relaxed and I am prepared! My partner in crime, koalablue - picked me up from the airport. Before going to Westin to check-in, we passed by Wal-mart and I bought a 24 pack (paranoid much?) batteries. Never again will I be caught with no spare batteries on a Clay concert. St Louis had taught me sooooo much.
When we got to Westin, it was just past 1pm. And the first thing I saw? The IDOL buses. Again, St Louis has taught me that. I was so excited, we left the car to be valet parked, and checked in. I asked the Westin staff if the idols are staying at this hotel, and she said "no". I knew better!
I knew the idols have to check out by 2:45pm and have to be in the bus by 3pm. We went up, rested a bit and planned to be down by 2pm. There were not as many people in the lobby (as there were in St. Louis). By that time, we were also hungry. Not taking any risk, koalablue and I stayed at the hotel lounge and ordered lunch and drinks from there. Our seats and table are directly in front of the lobby so we won't miss anyone. We placed our orders and started eating and watching... On a table to the right of us, I noticed the same security person I saw from St. Louis - so, brazen Broad that I am, I approached him and started chatting - I told him I remember him from St Louis, and is he Charles' security? If not, who is he guarding? He told me he's the Head Security for all the idols. He's really such a sweet man, but you wouldn't know it from looking at him, he looks so tough. We chatted some more, about his job, and the crazy fans. I talk about Utah and how long of a drive they have that night. He said that the idols are staying at the hotel that night, checking out at 6:45am and are actually flying to Utah tomorrow. I filed that little info somewhere at the back of my head. A very pretty woman approached him and sat at the other chair. I realized that it was the other dancer, the one that danced with Rickey in his "The Way You Make Me Feel" song. We asked her name, Louela (don't know if I spelled that right) and had a picture with her. We asked for a picture with the head security guy (I'll learn his name later) but he declined (I'll work on him later on :-)
So much better than a Meet & Greet
We went back eating and soon (this is kinda the trend, eat, meet idol, eat, meet idol), Trenyce and Rickey came in through the door. We asked for their autographs and had our pictures taken with them. Next was Carmen, she was talking on the phone all the time. I gathered up my courage and asked her if I could take a picture of her (I had the camera ready). By the time she replied that we could take a picture as soon as she's off the phone so that she won't have a funny expression, I have pressed the shutter! OH NO! I, of course apologized, and waited patiently. She went up to the counter and came back and graciously gave us an autograph and had our picture taken with her. KLo came next but she was only giving autographs and said there's no time for pictures. Security was hustling her real fast. She's very pretty, and very short (about 5'2). Kim C and then Julia came down next (separately) - and we got their autographs too but no picture. Charles passed by but was barely noticed in the confusion. By the time I saw him, he was already at the door of the hotel. We've pretty much seen everyone and its almost 3pm, so I KNOW the time has come, we stay in the lobby and lo and behold, there he is, His Royal Hotness, Clayton Holmes Aiken (and with his buddy Ruben, hee), surrounded by Jerome, AI Security and the Westin Staff. He was wearing a red striped shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Everything would have gone on fine but as soon as Clay emerged, someone started screaming! Clay had this panicked expression and he was hustled out of the hotel. *Sigh*, sometimes I hate some of the fans. I was about a foot from him and yet he's so far, because he's literally surrounded by security. I had barely time to think, much less raise my camera. I think I've had my first star struck experience - and I have never been star struck.
At this point, I have had pictures with Trenyce, Rickey and Carmen and autographs from everyone but Ruben, Clay and Charles. Life is good...
We went back to the lounge and finished our food. Our cute little bar tender asked us who those people are... I *gasped*. You DON'T KNOW WHO they are? So my friend, koalablue, started telling him about AI and Clay and convinced him to watch the concert that night. Me? I was reviewing the day in my head. I was in heaven.
We went back to our room, giddy like schoolgirls. At this point, we were content - we learned that meet & greet attendees don't get pictures taken WITH the idols, just OF the idols and that Clay doesn't do backstage anymore. The day was going better than we have imagined. We couldn't have asked for more. Since I was sooo busy before the trip, I am re-using my posters from STL. Koalablue has spare poster boards, so I made another poster, it says "This BROAD is Clay's!" At 5pm I made my way to Bricktown Brewery to meet the new friends I met thru Clay.
Get on with the review already...
By the time I got to my seat, despite this being my 3rd concert, I am still excited! My seats are 5th row center, right smack in the middle of the stage - in front of HRH rising from the floor. It would have been PERFECT! Except for this tall guy in front of me that is standing all the time, and swaying. I mean sure, I'm glad he's having a good time, BUT he's blocking my VIEW!
The past BEVRs have already done a rundown of the show, so I won't take valuable space. Here are my impressions from the idols:
And now for the main Act (oh, you mean he's NOT the main act? You could have fooled me)
This needs to be said. For any non-AI fan attending these concerts, would you really know that Ruben won the contest if not for Clay's constant reminder that Ruben is "YOUR American Idol"? The arena is a SEA of red: red shirts, red glow sticks - and his songs are drowned by screams from hundreds of Clayniacs.
TITN was a blur, I got good photos from STL so decided to shoot a video this time around. Finding a way to do this while keeping eyes directly at HRH, is VERY difficult indeed. I swear, I am sitting beside the two loudest teenagers on the floor who are trying to scream my eardrums off. In the middle of the song, the woman on the 3rd row, started raising her poster! OMFG, Woman! I know you're excited, but can't you wait for the damn song to finish before raising your poster? He's stil wearing the dark purple tie, I miss the periwinkle one. I love periwinkle... *sigh*
TLS is my favorite song on the concert. Seeing him doing the mother of all glory notes, right in front of me, is enough to get my ovaries working overtime. And then coupled with the head snap at the end of the bar, it's a wonder I wasn't picking myself up on the floor. Oh yeah, I have to keep standing because of that odious man in front of me.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight really makes me cry, if I were the crying type (my spirit was crying, does that count?). I love the lack of gl-O-ry note in this song, and the lower register Clay. The long pause before the last line, is a sign to the fans to give their best, and scream we did. I love that shirt. I DO, really - I don't see any buttons on it, is it VELCRO? Can you imagine how easy it is to JUST.RIP.IT.OFF? Erm, back to the review...
Invisible. I must have a thing for jerseys, because OKC invisible didn't do much for me, I mean not as much as St Louis did. Or maybe I was awe struck. Again. Watching the video brought it all back and wished I was front row, so I could see that new leg shaking move he's been trying.
And now with the lechery...TITN is like foreClay, a long and slow process of Clay getting our emotions UP and DOWN. Of knowing just when to stay there in the middle, caressing that mike stand, and knowing when to pull the mic off the stand and start moving around, inciting sighs and screams from everyone. You KNOW this is just the beginning. You KNOW there's more. And you WANT all of it. With TLS, the goal was to bring us to a fever-pitch-of excitement. And those gl-O-ry notes? Oh well, you know what they mean, at the end, he looks in our eyes and sings "... the way I loooowwwe you..." CYFTLT is the calm after the storm. You have just died and gone to heaven and an angel is singing to you. "There's a calm surrender" indeed. You wait for your body to catch its breath, bask in the after glow. And then you hear it... that long pause, that wait, that KNOWING smirk - you KNOW he KNOWS what he's doing, you KNOW what he wants, he wants us to beg for more. He raises his eyebrows, look around, and there it is, from the bottom of our hearts, from the inside and out, we give him what he wants, we SCREAM! At that he smiles, looks down, sings the last note and disappears from sight.
If I smoke, this would be the time to pull on a stick and wait for my heart to calm down.
My friend and I walked back to our hotel thinking this was definitely the BEST concert day we've had. Oh yes, the OKC crowd was small - but it was LOUD. While the STL concert and crowd, are a lot better than OKC. No one can beat my OKC experience. The only way that could have made this day any better is if I could have met Clay.
I can't believe you are still reading? This is so long already and I haven't even started on the highlight of my night.
MnM
-Note from Nelle: You, too, can participate in the LBFCA Summer Series, and have your Broad's Eye View Report, or, for any other Brude's out there, your Summary of Clay, about Clay's Summer Concert Tour on the LBFCA Main Page. Just send it to Nelle via email, and she'll post it ASAP. (If you are a lurker, or otherwise wish to remain anonymous, just let me know that in your email). Don't worry about your BEVR not being the same size or looking the same as anyone elses. Here at LBFCA we celebrate diversity. Every BEVR is unique. This is your personal experience of witnessing what Katynka so gloriously described as "a little hockey-jersey-clutchin,' white-leather-wearin,' DTTR revealin,' mic-flickin,' thigh-strokin,' eye-f***ing, smokin,' jokin,' singin,' hunk-o-burnin' libido."
blog comments powered by Disqus
