Tonight Show Recap - Showtime!

Jay came walking out, shook hands and did his monolouge. He was usually pretty funny (everything is always more entertaining live) and they went to commercial. He must be mic'ed very well because when he would mention Clay all night we would get loud, but I could see Jay keep talking and you can hear him perfectly on the tape. Ross the intern came out and did his bit. During the video Jay stood there on the darkened stage and watched it on the big TV. After a while Ross traipsed backstage and came back out with his dog Lousie, he and Jay took their places, the lights came back up and they did the ending bit with the dog. Then commercial.

When they go to commercial the band starts a song. They play all through the break. Everyone's mic is turned down so we can't hear anyone talking. (This has happened at every show I've been to for ages) On the monitors we can see the commercials playing for about the first half of the break, then it goes to that graphic of the building that has the Tonight Show logo on it. This is when the stations play their local commercials. The band is still playing the song when they come back from break. The lights go back up on stage, the mic levels return, the band stops at just the right time. A well-oiled machine.

Howie Mandel came out, fist-butted Jay (instead of shaking hands) and started with the schick about manliness and waving and wrist-levels. (The more testosterone you have the lower your wrists, the manlier you are. Hands in pockets = very manly.) This annoyed me a little knowing Clay was next and sometimes waves at the audience. But, I knew Clay was paying attention backstage. Howie was pretty funny. I also noticed the longer he talked the higher his wrists got. He always had a thing about lots of big hand gestures. Right before Howie's segment a couple of people came out and stood in that empty space to our left. When he was done with his 2 segments they left and two other people came out. I stared at them but neither of them looked familiar as Clay people. I looked and looked at people the whole time in the studio and nobody looked like a Clay person.

Oh.. now I shall tell you what angle I had. Pretend you are standing right past the end of the couch, looking down it's length to the chair and desk. Now take a couple of steps to the right and that was my angle, but from the bleachers. Pretty much like that shot of Clay and Jay past Howie they had. (That camera was occasionally in my way) When sitting they were just below head level to me. The stage is about a foot or so high.

They go to commercial and are back for the second segment. Howie is still funny, which is a bonus because it would suck to sit through some boring interview. Then back to commercial.

The energy level in my section of the audience rose. I noticed there was a lot of figeting and women adjusting their sweaters. I looked up at Jay and noticed he had the CD set on top of his mug. My first live CD sighting! I pointed it out to Joanie and Renegade. We were far too excited and pointed it out to other people. Boyfriend has been out of circulation far too long, y'all.

The lights come back up, the mic levels return and the band ends their song. WOOOO! Jay makes a crack about Howie taking all of Clay's time. We knew full well he was messing with us but we gave him his expected reaction. The camera was on Howie but Jay laughed pretty hard at his own joke there. It was cute that he knew there were people who wanted to see him so badly that it would be fun to tease us. Then here comes Clay! EEEEEE!!

The FIRST thing I noticed, from across the room, was dark crap on his face. I really don't like that at all, (on most people facial hair actually makes me queasy) but there's nothing I can do about it. I also noticed he HAD been paying attention to Howie and walked out with his hands in his pockets. How manly. He shook hands/one arm hugged Jay and Howie got the fist-butt. Then our manly bf in the nice grey suit with the slate blue shirt... sat on his foot.

Everytime we cheered or laughed it got a little hard to hear him so we were pretty good about stopping fairly quickly. We stood when he came out and then sat back down. The newbie guy from line, who was 3 rows in front of me, shouted, "You're the man, Clay!" and pumped his fist in the air. I noticed Clay had been very normal about all the screaming women and had just turned to face Jay, (meaning his back was to us) but when that guy shouted Clay snapped in our direction and he thanked him very much.

Clay was VERY funny, and Howie. I don't think the mics got it, but when he would say something about being passed out on the floor of McDonalds or having a fever of 105.5 there were tiny gasps of concern in my section. I said to Joanie that I bet the boards would all be buzzing with concern and posts of how he looks pale and ill and he's working too hard.

I thought Clay was very relaxed and the most casual/natural/chatty/jokey with Jay he has ever been. Almost Kimmel-like. They all three had fun messing with each other and being funny, and we had fun laughing with them. There was one thing Howie said that made Clay laugh so hard... (I think it was the mozzarella balls or the pigeon) he was looking at Howie and laughing with his mouth wide open.. but they didn't get it on camera, the shot was still on Howie.

I was very amused by his obsession with foreign McDonalds, especially after his Irish McDonalds crack on Kimmel a couple of years ago. I wonder if he has some sort of International McDonalds scrapbook. When he said everything in his kitchen must be blue I was thinking "Well I know what will be in his gift baskets for the next year."

I LOVED his body language when he talked about having to make a sandwich. I do that eating once a day thing too.

During the commercial the band played and the mics went down again, so we can't hear anything. Clay went to get ready for the song and had to walk past Howie, who was still on the end of the couch. Clay stopped in front of him and said something. I saw him stick his tounge way out like he was saying "aaaah" to the doctor. Looked like he was either telling Howie he wasn't sick or pretending to cough on him. They smiled and Clay walked past us to the performance set.

Performance

When the curtainy thing opened, I saw Clay was looking pensively down and to the side, with his fingers on his chin in a thoughtful manner. This pose amused me. I also saw he was right about head level with my row, and since our row stuck out a bit and he was off to our left.. there was nobody between us. Except a couple of cameramen but fortunately they were off to the sides at that time.

When the lyics started he looked right at us. Holy Crap. I kept staring into his eyes thinking, "Is he looking here? Is he? He's not looking behind me, there's nobody in front of me..." And he gazed intently directly at myself and/or Joanie and/or someone in my general vicinity. For the sake of working myself up and a more amusing recap, I'll claim the eyef*ck for now.

I just sat there and stared into his eyes, with that serious look peering out under the bangs back at me. Do you rememeber that look? Go back and watch your video. I'll wait.................. Those first few lines were right to where I was sitting. I looked at him, he sang at me. He didn't look away. I didn't look away. He's still singing at me. Holy shit. Am I halucinating? Am I delusional? I don't know and I don't care... I LIKE IT! Finally I smiled at him and he closed his eyes. Is it getting hot in here? Hold on, I need a moment.

OK I got a drink of water and came back to re-read that paragraph and I need another moment. It really is quite warm in here. I should open a window or something.

deep breath OK.. next he sang at bit at the blond chick in the front chair. I noticed he was being very still, which was really hot because it concentrated everything into the eyes and voice. The eyes... holy.... so intense. Not even like old NAT RTM/ISY intense... more deep, quiet intense. fans self Several other times he looked again in our general direction. Ah, the benefits of being in steep seats at a weird angle!

I knew this was the first gig with the band so I made sure to look around and take roll. Andy, Daniel, Felix, Clarence, Quiana, Angela. Some random white guy on the piano, 3 violins, 2 cellos. All in black and they all looked good. Yay for the band! I didn't even think to look at Jay and Howie and I'm not sure I could have turned my head that far if I had.

He sounded good but Felix was not behind his plexiglass screen so he was a bit loud, though I assumed they'd adjust that in the mix. The music in the studio was loud but not crazy concert need-your-earplugs loud. It was a good volume.

There was one point... let me find where on the clack.... right about 2:30 on the 126MB vid.... when he started to wail. You know how sometimes you can feel the bass in your stomach when it's loud? Well, at that part the band got a bit louder, and I felt the bass/drums in my stomach for a couple of beats. Then Clay started to wail... and I could feel his VOICE in my stomach! I said something about this to wildaboutclay on the phone after the show and asked Renegade... and she felt it too! I'm not crazy. I was so surprised. I thought... OMG is that his VOICE in my stomach? That never happens! But it was. There was some bass in there too but it was his VOICE. I had a fleeting thought about his voice being almost physically inside me and I almost started to tear up, so I stopped thinking too much about it and just felt it.

You can hear a bit of the audience cheering at that point. Maybe they felt it too. It really was incredible. I did feel it was a cheering-in-the-middle-of-the-song moment, but I just couldn't. I didn't want to break the spell. I didn't want to loose that feeling in my tummy. I was also a bit frozen. It lasted for a few lines and faded away. I have never felt notes that high in my stomach before, I didn't know it was possible. I don't know if it will ever happen again, but damn, it was crazy intense to feel it.

The vocals ended but the song continues. Clay gave us a reprise of the pensive chin-touching pose and then stood with his hands near his waist. At the final note he did one of his finger flourishes, though it didn't really air. Jay and Howie came over for the goodbye and while Jay was chattering away Clay turned his back on the camera to acknowledge the band. Howie did also. I thought that was nice.

The show was over. Jay and Howie both said something to Clay, I have no idea what. Clay went back to the band and some of them started to make their way back to the door. Quiana and Angela each physically pushed him towards the door. I don't know why.

They closed the stage curtain-that's-not-really-a-curtain and brought Clay back out to tape a promo for the show. Jay pointed at each Howie, Clay and himself and said something about "No hair, too much hair, just right." Then everything was done. Clay left to go backstage again and we all cheered nicely for him. While striding quickly, he turned, smiled, scanned the crowd and gave us a big wave. Awwww.

Joanie said when Clay went out the studio door she saw Jerome. Some of the band hung back to deal with their stuff. The strings all handed music to Andy. Backstage people had come out and were milling about in front of the set. Howie was still hanging out a bit. Everyone was leaving. It was time to go.

On our way out we were each given a Deal Or No Deal board game as a lovely parting gift. How nice!

Outside the theater I finally saw PermaSwooned and some CH people. They must have had real tickets. Then back to the car to get my phone and call in a report to my friend and go to dinner.

And there you have it.