This is one tired person...but my spirits are soaring. Standing for 5 and half hours can kill you let me tell you...especially when you didn't sleep the night before because you were on a Clay high!!!! But it is so worth it!!!

Sound check was fun to watch. The band was jamming at one point...not any particular song...just making some music...sounded sort of R&B Bluesier sounding. You could tell when Clay was spotted because the screams were deafening!!! Hee...and all you could see was the back of his head! When Q, A & J came out there was wild applause and screams...heck when Savon came out there were wild applause and screams. Someone asked about sound...sound was a problem. They were all having a hard time hearing through their earpieces...and there was a lot of pointing and adjusting and trying to balance the sound. And the sound wasn't that good at the park either. It was much better last year. [b]Stripedshirts[/b] who I was with, said the sound has been fine up to today and of all days this was the day it went a little off. It just wasn't loud enough. Sort of sounded muted.

We got treated to an extra song...Twist??? Something like that. It was just providential during warm ups. I think the band was playing around! Clay..oh Lord and Taylor...remember the guy who was hesitant to do that hip shake in Grease?? He is long gone and unleashed. There is this new guy there....and man...can he move...and when he moves...watch out...he.is.sex.personified. he was twisting and thrusting those hips...and just GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's hard to take in person without mortal thread to death by thud.

What was wonderful was that every time they did something with Invisible...all the sound checks and the performance...everyone sang along. Clay had a great time with that...you could see it in his face.

What can I say??? I LOVE....just LOVE the new song. The guitars and the drums...it was all that I had hoped for in a song that had a beat and you could hear the soul in the music of the guitars and the drums. And in person????? Just all kinds of wonderful. He really feels this song. You can see that he really relates to it and when you hear the lyrics you can understand why. And my hubbie loves it!!! He came to take pictures and he told me he really liked the new song...I sort of gave him the dropped jaw look so he told me...well...I don't always like him but I like his music. Grrr...but it's a good sign...he is in no way a hard core fan.

And Suspicious minds....just slay me now. He sent me thrumming and swooning with that song. I love that song...and I love what Clay did with that song. Just hearing his voice....soaring...being strong and loud and yet at the same time very delicate and full in the quiet slow parts....just GAH!!!!! And the mike....can I be his mike??? I want to be his mike stand!!! He does things with that mike stand...just :thudmats:

The faces that man made today cracked me up! Winks, smirks, smiles...silly faces. He was really in a happy mischievous mood today. You could see that he was glowing although he mentioned he only got 2 hours of sleep last night at one point. He was a man happy with where he was...happy with what he was doing. It's like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders that has weighed him down or something and now he is flying free. It's as if he has taken control of his life...his direction and he is empowered. I don't know if it's because he is going to have home base in Raleigh or because the CD hassles have been worked out or management issues...but you can see that he has found his center and it's making him strong and every so happy.

Oh...and we were treated to a long session of a direct line of sight straight at the cute tush of his as he leaned on the piano talking to the band...I mean it was pointed right at us....in those jeans... :thudmats: I hope someone got pics!!!!!!!!! That was shall we say...very very nice.

And he so knows what makes us scream...every tug in Invisible...he tugged and then is eyes just laughed like...he knew he was the puppetmaster and we were the puppets. I mean...it was just a feeling of I am gonna make mah fans scream...tug...oh see told ya!!!!

And even though I am tuckered out...I don't care. I am so happy to have had a chance to see him up close again in person. There is nothing else like it. To feel his prescence...his aura...it just touches me and lifts my soul.

The crowd...it was big. I don't think it was as big as last year...but the JBT schedule would cut into who would go to GMA. I am a little worried because there are a lot of fans who are driving now to Mohegan Sun...on either no sleep or very little sleep. If everyone could send some prayers and or positive energy that they all journey safely I think they need it. All I had to do was get on the subway.

And I was getting squished...and I was right next to the "I Love You Clay Greek chorus on one side (although they were young so it was ok) and Ethel on the other. It was interesting to say the least. Those young girls...maybe late teen early college...they had no idea about the concerts...they asked where he had performed...and where he would be tonight and tomorrow...they didn't have a clue. But I told them to check out his official website to get the tour schedule. It's.not.just.us.

Oh...the Womans Wear Daily...I think they had a contest and the winners were there and they were having a M&G afterwords.

Oh and [b]Cap[/b]...I knew...I just knew you would like his hair!!! I even told [b]starhorse[/b] you would!

There will be Clack...there was a woman next to us...and we were maybe 6 feet from the stage with a nice video camera taping the whole thing. [b]Starhorse[/b] said she's seen her around before but didn't ask her name. I am sure it will be uploaded soon!

I saw [b]Dudley [/b]and met [b]finyanga[/b]! I can't wait to hear her recap!!! And dudley...it doesn't have to be a tome!!!!!!!! Also saw [b]NYMom4Clay[/b] from the CB which was nice! We had a good talk and caught up!