'Quintessential Clay Aiken' Performs in Fort Wayne

Expandable photo by toni7babe from Fort Wayne Concert.

Tried & True in Fort Wayne

Banter, Ballads Shine in T&T Show

Tonight Clay was quintessential "Clay Aiken." He was funny, even more than funny. When he sang the fun songs, he had us in stitches and when he switched to the ballads, he wrapped a perfect voice around our hearts.

He was perfection and reminded us once again why we're here and still spending our children's inheritances eight years later. -- canuck2010

In her brief post for message board friends, canuck2010 eloquently summarized Wednesday's Tried & True performance by Clay Aiken & Co. at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, IN.

In addition to the Canadian's concert report from her iPad, below are some of the musical/banter highlights from Wednesday's show videoed by Scarlett. For downloads of these and other files from the show, see her Fort Wayne doc.

Clay performs a fan favorite, 'Mack the Knife.'
View video full screen at the Wowzers4Clay Channel on YouTube.

Clay sings 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me.'
View video full screen at YouTube.

luckiest1: The concert was amazing. [Due to a medical emergency in the second row the night before] ... Clay warned all of us in that row to watch out. We were hooting and hollering at him; it was great energy, and he was soaking it up.

He got so far into his explanation of the Clay Aiken Medley and then, just out of the blue, said he had to take his tie off because it made him look three months pregnant. He'd seen the pictures. It was hilarious.

The 'Who's Sorry Now' portion was hysterical. He did some deep knee bends and growly notes in the "old school funk," and he did some great hip shakes in the "merengue."

The whole concert was just fantastic, every song, every bit of banter, I was totally and completely mesmerized the whole night.

Clay explains the plan for 'Who's Sorry Now.'
See video by Scarlett at YouTube.

'Who's Sorry Now' in the Merengue style.
Full screen video can be viewed here.

'Who's Sorry Now in Old School Funk style.
Full screen version is available at YouTube.

Fort Wayne Set List

Where Do I Begin (Love Story Theme)
Mack The Knife
There's A Kind Of Hush
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Jazzy Medley [The Way, This Is the Night, Measure of a Man, On My Way Here, A Thousand Days, Invisible]

Something About Us
Foggy Day In London Town (Quiana)

Auto Tune: I've Got A Feelin'

Suspicious Minds
Build Me Up Buttercup
It's Impossible
Moon River

Who's Sorry Now
It's Only Make Believe
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Cry Me A River (Quiana)
Crying (Clay and Quiana)

Band Intros

Unchained Melody
Misty
In My Life

Photos of Clay and Quiana Parler, his backup singing partner, from the Fort Wayne T&T Concert are by toni7babe, 1; Shamrock, 2; bottlecap, 3, 5; and cindilu2, 4. All are expandable.

Below are the remaining concerts of the 22-city supporting the Decca Tried & True release:

3.04.11 Waukegan, IN Genesse Theatre, 8 pm
3.05.11 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre, 8 pm
3.07.11 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall, 8 pm
3.08.11 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie, 7:30 pm
3.10.11 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center, 8 pm
3.12.11 San Francisco, CA The Warfield, 8 pm

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation! Catch you again after Waukegan!

Caro