2004-05-06
12:18 a.m.

Bee-Gees Night Retrospective

It's been awhile, but Danielle and Kelly are back!

Bee-Gees night was special to us, for different reasons. Despite those differences, two things are true for both of us: 1)Bee-Gees!Clay! inspired wanton spending; and 2)This night brought us one step closer (though we didn't know it) to meeting each other.

Danielle

It made me wonder.

At what point did I lose my mind? When did I regress back to my teenage years? Could I pinpoint the exact moment?

When did swooping in like a vulture on eBay to pay an exorbitant price for a third row ticket to an American Idols Live! concert in Cleveland, Ohio seem like a perfectly normal thing to do? And why would a grown woman recreate the "Grease" ensemble, make a sparkly posterboard sign and hold it over her head while jumping up and down? Alone.

Was it because of this moment?

What made driving to Albany, New York to see the exact same show less than a month later a completely rational decision? And what would inspire a person to nearly crash her car into a guardrail just to catch a glimpse of Clay Aiken walking off his tour bus? While we're on the subject, why would this same person dance and sing at the top of her lungs in a crowded parking ramp?

How about this moment?

Why did it feel natural to impulsively click the "Purchase Now" button on Ticketmaster for five tickets to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey to see Clay Aiken sing one song? Under normal circumstances, would I have been a passenger in a car whose driver was so tired, he was hallucinating airplanes on the side of the road?

This was the moment, right?

How come I didn't care when people looked at me funny after I told them I was flying to Las Vegas, Nevada to see Neil Sedaka in concert just because he was nice to Clay Aiken? Would I have imagined my thirty-three year-old self jumping to my feet and screeching, "I love you, Neil!" after hearing "Solitaire" sung by its original composer?

It HAD to be this moment.

How many days of cold and flu symptoms does it take before considering that standing in the December rain for two hours in Atlanta, Georgia following the Frosty the Showman concert just to see Clay Aiken wave and beep makes me question my own sanity?

Please, say it was this moment.

What would cause two intelligent adults with a combined total of four advanced degrees rationalize the purchase of two extremely expensive tickets on eBay to a hockey game in Raleigh, North Carolina as "philanthropy?" Why did the thought of shaking Clay Aiken's hand send the female component of this twosome into such a frenzy that she slipped, fell and tore all the ligaments in her upper arm after the completion of said eBay transaction? Is there an explanation for it all?

Was this the moment?

How could hearing two acoustic sets in concert leave me breathless, physically exhausted, emotionally drained and wanting more? Always wanting more?

I sit here today, one year later, having traveled more than 15,000 miles and spent over 5000 dollars, wondering what brought me, a seemingly level-headed woman, to this place. A place from which I would never turn back, having made irreplacable friends, created lasting memories and rediscovered myself. It all happened because of one moment.

This moment.

To love somebody.
To love somebody.
The way I love
You.

-written lovingly by Danielle.

-thanks to I Heart Clay for most of the screencaps.

Kelly

It's hard to imagine my life without Clay Aiken. One year ago, the roots of full-blown obsession were growing when a healthy dose of Miracle-Gro sent the redwood of Claylove reaching for the sky.

When the Bee-Gees episode aired, I had just moved out of my parents' home. Our TV had horrible reception (still does) and there was only a dial-up connection. My dad taped the show for me and I usually watched it on a one day delay. That Thursday, I sat on our couch with Leah, who had been sucked in ever so slightly by then.

I remember nothing of the rest of the show really, probably because of what Grease did to me. On marches Clay in an outfit much more cutting edge than I was used to him wearing. He's biting his lip and sashaying a little.

I don't recognize the song, but I'm enjoying it. All the high parts are impressive. And then�BAM!

HIPSHAKE

AND

AGAIN

AND

AGAIN

Leah and I screamed. And I slipped off the couch.

Leah claims I didn't actually fall off the couch, but she isn't the one telling the story, is she? "Oh my God" was uttered about 40 times. It was simply the most outrageous thing I'd seen anyone pull off on that show.

And then the judging. This part was mostly a blur, but I do remember this freaky looking dude behind Randy.

On to the stool talk with Seacrest. The small amount of coaxing it took him to get Clay to thrust his way into my heart again has always stuck in my mind.

Clay showed me that night that he didn't need to be serious to run away with the whole show. His sense of fun made me feel like we were old high school drama buddies goofing around backstage. His sexuality peeked it's head (shut up!) out, too. The kind of sexiness that surprises you, making you wonder what might happen if he was just a little more serious.

This night would also be the key to my obsession over concert shoes. I knew that I had to have the real deal for the AI tour, so I spent hours looking for those red Diesel Vegas. I was successful on my hunt and proudly wore my overpriced shoes to Detroit and Cleveland.

Say�I wonder if Clay's taken better care of his�

-brought to you nostaligically and lovingly by Kelly and Danielle

-Grease screencaps by Kelly with continued thanks to Tony