2004-03-14
4:46 p.m.

BEVR: Mindee - Columbus, 3/10/04

How �Bout A Little Buckeye BEVR?

Oh Broads�.mah face is Aiken from smilin� in Ohio. Fate and Jerome have rewarded us not once, but twice! Daughter and I got backstage at the July AI concert and managed to do it again Wednesday night. I saw the flannel jammie pants up close and in person. I have been sweaty evah� since.

Despite stepping on a few sixth graders at the bell, in my attempt to get to the Broadfest hosted by Joy, we could not make the drive in time. Sorry OH Cindy and other Lecherous Ladies. The van was decorated with �Claymates! Honk 4 Clay��.and we received many loving acknowledgements on the interstate and in Columbus.

Our seats were not bad, 10 rows from the floor�we were surrounded by Clay fans on all sides, and we were decked out! Baseball shirts� �CLAYMATE 1� on the back with purple �LBFCA� above it. �Show me THE WAY backstage� on the front left chest. Headbands with 6-inch springs and hearts reading CL AY atop our heads�.we were drawin� some attention !

Beu sisters, uh, okay. Kelly, great vocals, scary 7-inch stiletto heels on the stairway. But no question who the crowd was there to see. Between OMC�s and Kelly�s sets we flashed our 9 screaming orange signs�.

�Hey, Jerome show us THE WAY back stage !� We bellowed for him to come over and finally he

S-T-R-O-L-L-E-D on over to us smiling, smiling, and shaking his head. My daughter met him at the floor level, he spread his arms apart and she hugged him. He took pity on her, and via another much shorter version of Jerome�.two BEE-YOU-TI-FUL PURPLE passes were surrendered. He told us he is not allowed to carry them anymore because he gives away too many. So be on the lookout for a shorter Jerome�.he is the guy with the access to HRH!

Knowing you are going to meet Clay afterward unfortunately makes you almost brain dead during the performance! OH Cindy described him as �boyish� BINGO! He performs like no one anywhere else on the planet is havin� as much fun as he is�.charming, endearing, engaging and flat out adorable onstage. Not to mention the voice. My brain couldn�t take it all in�.but I know WDC was naughty!!!!

BACKSTAGE�

VERY different from last July where the Idols just milled around with us for pictures and conversation. This time we got serious orders. ( Imagine the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld�.. �NO CLAY FOR YOU!�)

�ONE ITEM PER AUTOGRAPH PER PERSON�NO EXCEPTIONS/ KEEP LINE MOOOVIN�/NO PICTURES/WRITE YOUR NAME ON THIS PIECE OF PAPER SO THEY DON�T ASK YOU HOW TO SPELL IT/PUT PAPER RIGHT BETWEEN KELLY AND CLAY/KEEP IT MOOOOVIN��GOTTA GET TO DETROIT!� I know, I know�.there has to be rules�I am a teacher�.we�re really big on rules.

We were ready�..and obedient�. I glance at daughter�s paper�she has scribbled �Laynie Aiken� in bold letters. At that minute Kelly came into the room followed by �..gasp�.him.

I really am too old for this. I have been an admired teacher for 25 years with many awards on my classroom walls. I have a loving husband and many friends. However, lately I have been receiving looks akin to pity from almost everyone�... They began with my ever-increasing shrine of 70 pictures behind my desk. But when that unassuming, unpretentious, modest man entered the room my knees almost gave out under me. A smile stretched over his face, and even though we knew he wouldn�t be speaking�to save that glorious voice for the Michigan Broads, his expressive gestures make you weak. Tough to describe it �not since Bobby Sherman and the Monkees is all I can say�..most of you will understand.

We were third in line. Kelly was seated first, my daughter slapped the paper down, and Kelly started laughing. She slid the paper in Clay�s direction and he grinned even larger. He stood up and motioned for Laynie to come and hug him, at that point I hoped the paramedics were nearby. They both signed our items�. Clay actually signed two for Laynie, her Ebay Rolling Stone Cover purse and her program� �To Laynie �Aiken� All my love, Clay Aiken.� He signed the back of my shirt and pointed to the LBFCA, raised those gorgeous eyebrows, and nodded in recognition�he does luv us Gurrrrrls!!!! I asked him if Miss Faye knew he was dancin� sassy on the tour, and he leaned his head back and wiggled his eyebrows.

Deliriously happy we floated out into the hallway��to await the group picture.

We were organized in groups of ten. Our cameras were to be ready, on the floor in front of the group. The icing on our Clay concert cake was having him stand right beside us smelling like a dryer sheet�beaming� with my daughter�s head on his shoulder.

Jerome wrapped a big bear paw around his neck, pulled him under his armpit�. And he was gone.

My dear friends had been waiting one hour in the lobby. They squealed and jumped up and down�. Wanting all the details.

Mah face is still Aiken����.

-Mindee