Clay's Blog

• Clayventure LA - Day 3

  07/04/07 5 Comments

  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

  The following events take place between 6am and Midnight on Sept. 26 – the day of the Climmel Show…

  6:05am - LAX Holiday Inn - Room 323 I hear a pounding on our door and an impatient NJ yells, “C’mon clubby – move yer lazy @$$!” Opening the door, I see her and 99 dressed in the latest Claymate garb with a look of wild anticipation and blind panic in their eyes. We had decided that it just wasn’t worth spending the night on Hollywood Blvd with junkies and hookers – and hope the majority of Claymates felt the same.

  6:45am - Hollywood Blvd - To our relief, there were only about 100 Claymates camped out on the sidewalk, so chances were good we’d get a “golden ticket” to the signing – but as we all know, in Clay-land, nothing is guaranteed. We had heard rumors that the available 200 wristbands had gone down to a mere 100! We grabbed a blanket and sat down to claim our 12 inches of personal space on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I got to sit on Amy Grant – her star, that is…

  For the next few hours, I watched a cavalcade of Claymates walk up and down Hollywood Blvd laughing and hugging and meeting new friends. ClaytonCA got to meet many of the friends that she has chatted to online but has never met face to face.
  

  10:00am - Hollywood Blvd. The doors to the store finally open, and like lemmings to the White Cliffs, we began a slow, agonizing journey to our fate. As the minutes passed, we would hear shouts of joy as the Claymates emerged victorious from the Megastore, a blue band clasped firmly on their wrists – not to mention the new Clay CD! Inch by inch, foot by foot, yard by yard, we followed the line up to the Kodak Theater and then a quick 180 to head back to the Megastore. More and more blue bands were given away – it seemed that hundreds of Claymates already had gotten their golden tickets – how many more remained? Was our long vigil for naught??? Were we doomed to failure? Would we be crying in our IN-N-OUT shakes tonight as the rest of the Claynation got to meet – him?

  10:25am – Hollywood Blvd. – Virgin Megastore “Will that be cash or charge?” asked the cashier. ClaytonCA and I both paid for our 2 CDs and got our wristbands. WHEW! Outside, we joined NJ & 99 and basked in the glow of our good fortune. “Well,” I asked, “it’s only 10:30 – what should we do next?”

  10:31am – Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center

  Crap! – we’re off to join another line! This went from the glass side doors of the Virgin Megastore, up two flights of stairs, where we hung a left, walked down about a block’s worth of various stores and eateries, hung another left, walked down a long flight of stairs down to the parking lot, hung a right past some construction fencing, and finally we hung a left onto the Highland Avenue sidewalk. 99 & I went for some Mc’Ds, while ClaytonCA & NJ held our place in line.

  11:00am – 3:00am Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center For the next three hours we waited. Now, that’s not to say the line didn’t move – it did – backwards! Security (who did a wonderful job by the way – always polite and cheerful) kept moving us back and back to make room for…something. We were also occasionally updated on Clay’s appearance. It was to be at 2, then 2:30. I think he arrived around 3 because that’s when the line slowly began to move.

  4:00pm - Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center Well, the line had made it up the two flights of stairs and down past most of the shops. A camera crew from the Kimmel show had arrived and began chatting with two Claymates who had been in front of us since the line began. We didn’t catch all they said, but the word “tattoo” kept popping up in the conversation. After a while, contracts were brought out and signed, and the Kimmel guys began to interview the Claymates about how they would get Clay tattoos. Historian’s Note: If you watch the Kimmel show, you can see parts of ClaytonCA, NJ, 99 and…my elbow on the right side of the screen! (Yes indeed, my 15 seconds of fame, baby!)

  4:30pm - Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center We make it down the stairs and are standing just outside the Virgin Megastore side doors. There is a delay as the soon-to-be-tattooed Claymates are brought out of line and into the store. As we wait, I look at all the Clay posters that line the glass windows, and as I look closer, I can see there are several pairs of lip prints on the glass itself! To my chagrin, there are lip prints ALL OVER the glass, covering the posters! Have you gals no shame???
  

  4:40pm – We are finally through the doors and inside the Virgin Megastore. I can see a small platform in the back of the store, and the man of the day is autographing the Claymates back shoulders. Lot of giggling is in the air.

  4:45pm- Now we’ve come to it – The Meeting! NJ was adamant that I take pictures of this historic event of monolithic proportions – NJ and CLAY. As if in a dream, I see NJ float, not walk but float, over to Clay’s table. There they were, but we were so close in line all the camera could see was either her or him – I couldn’t get both in the same shot! Crap! And it was over in 5 seconds! DOH!

  So ClaytonCA gets up to Clay and is all smiles, then it’s my turn - I go up and say, “Hey, Clay, how’s it going?” Clay is about to sign my cd when he looks up questioningly and asks “You’re name’s not Bel, is it?” I laugh and say “No, she’s a friend of mine.” Clay chuckles and says, “Yeah, you don’t look like a Bel.” He hands me my signed Cd and I tell him “Thanks. Have a good show.” And he says, “Thanks.” ClaytonCA tells me that Clay’s got a good memory, so I’ll be forever known as “Bel” to Clay.

  5:00pm - 9:30pm – Hawthorne Ave. Sidewalk outside the “Pontiac Garage” Time for another line! YEA! Now we get to wait for the Kimmel show to start. Hawthorne Ave. is perhaps the dustiest, dirtiest side street I have ever encountered. There the four of us waited. We did get to hear Clay & the band rehearse, which was fun, although it was hard to see between the wooden slats in the fence.

  9:30pm – They start letting the Claynation into the concert area. It’s very dark, and I get pulled aside to check-in my camera. I do finally find ClaytonCA and we wait with 99 and NJ for the show to start. We’re packed in like sardines but in good spirits.
  

  As the show inside starts, we all watch on the big screen. The Claynation was in good form that night, and it’s fun to see Kimmel’s interaction with them all. We see the 2 Claymates with fresh tattoos and accompanying video - (and I see my elbow!) Clay came out and insanity/hilarity ensues.
  

  It was a bit surreal, after watching the show on the big screen for 40 minutes to see Clay, Kimmel, and Lopez appear “in real life” on the stage in front of us.
  

  Great concert! 'Nuff said.

  11:15pm – Afterwards, we dropped off NJ and 99 at a club to meet with other Claymates. Unfortunately, ClaytonCA and I had to head back up to the Bay Area, so 17 hours, 2 Big Macs and 9 cokes since we got up that morning, we’re in the car and on the road back home, filled with memories we’ll never forget!

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