seeing clay aiken in niagara falls.

I've been waiting forever for this...this is the night. I last saw Clay Aiken in concert twelve years ago. At that time, my mom and I traveled to Windsor, Ontario, to see both Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard perform. Ahh, memories. We used to see Clay all over the place. We would travel far and wide to hear him sing, whether it was at an arena, casino, or even on Broadway. Well, it has been pretty quiet on the Clay front for the last little while. He moved into politics and political commentary while music was more or less put on the backburner. However, since this year marks the twenty year anniversary of the second season of American Idol, the pair decided to do a reunion tour of sorts. While there weren't any concert dates nearby, there were some that were near enough. So, my mom and I decided to take a three day trip to Niagara Falls to see two Clay Aiken (and Ruben Studdard) performances. The first was an evening show and the second was a matinee. It was an exciting experience to say the least with an extra show added in. (More on that later.) Ready to hear all about it? Here are some highlights from the concerts themselves as well as some other standout moments from the Niagara Falls vacation. 

Day One: It all started very early on a Sunday morning. And I mean 5:00 am kind of early. I wouldn't exactly call myself a morning person (or at least, not a before 7:00 am kind of person) but it was all for the greater good. We had to head to the train station to take a train into the city...and then take another train to Niagara Falls. And then a cab to the hotel. It took absolutely ages to arrive and there were some transportation related hiccups, but eventually we made it. The hotel held onto our luggage until check in at 4:00 pm and we went to do some exploring. Actually, we took a bus to an outlet mall. There were several stores there and we managed to find some really fantastic items for a whole lot less. But more on that in my next post, which will be a Niagara Falls Outlet Haul. Once we finished shopping the deals, we headed back to the hotel and had an early dinner at TGI Fridays. Though the overall experience wasn't great, the macaroni and cheese balls were a delight. 

Then it was time for the Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard concert at Fallsview Casino. We had tickets in the third row and I was so beyond excited. Though crowds are still not my thing, thanks to COVID related anxiety that has not seemed to disappear, it was Clay Aiken. I just had to be there. Before the concert, we went to the merchandise table and spent far too much money on overpriced hoodies and t-shirts. It was $90 for a black hoodie with a printed photo of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard and $50 for a purple t-shirt with a photo of the duo...but what can I say? It's been more than a decade since I have been able to purchase Clay Aiken merchandise. I did what I had to do. As for the concert itself? Wonderful. Just wonderful. Though I was there for Clay...Ruben sounded excellent and really wowed. The concert was themed around the American Idol experience and featured songs from their audition and various theme weeks from the competition. It was certainly nice to hear some of those familiar songs, but my heart was still hoping to hear some of the music that Clay released post-Idol. After all, that is the music that I have listened to most over the years. That being said, it was a fun show, an exciting night, and a total dream come true to see Clay perform live again after so many years. Once the 90-minute set ended (encore included), I felt a little blue, but knowing that there was another performance to enjoy the following afternoon certainly softened the blow. 

Day Two: The second day did not start nearly as early as the first. In fact, my mom and I took our time waking up that morning. And even after we did, we spent some time watching TV in the hotel room. The concert was scheduled for 3:00 pm so it kind of changed how we did things. Before the matinee show, we were back at the merchandise booth to see what remained. There were some baseball hats the night before, but those were all sold out. There were also a ton of tote bags the night before. Well, there were three left. My mom and I decided to purchase two of those, since this was our last hurrah. Then it was back to the third row to see the show all over again. It was the same setlist as the night before, but some of the banter, jokes, and stories were a little bit different. Clay sounded especially fantastic during the second show and knocked my socks off with "Unchained Melody." It was such a fun time. When the encore ended, it all felt a little bit sad. I didn't want the experience to end. That was when I realized that our train to return home the next day was not until 5:45 pm. There was just enough time to squeak in another matinee performance. Though it was totally illogical (and not ideal for my budget)...I purchased another set of tickets in the seventh row. I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to it all. I wanted one more joyful and happy experience.

After the concert, my mom and I went to the Fun Zone, which was a mini putt and arcade place near the hotel. We had the mini putt place all to ourselves (which was a lot of fun) and had a bunch of tokens to play games like basketball, ski ball, and lots of others. We were able to act like kids for a bit! After that, we braved the chilly weather and walked to the Margaritaville restaurant. Honestly? I love it there. The food is good and I am a sucker for a themed experience. 

Day Three: It was all coming to a close. We were packed and ready to check out of the hotel. Unfortunately, there was a bit of frustration to start with, because the hotel did not want to hold onto our luggage until after the concert, even though we had stayed there in the past and that was never an issue. Thankfully, it was resolved and our luggage was safely stored. We grabbed food for lunch and then headed into our last Clay Aiken concert at the Avalon Ballroom. Though were a few rows further back, the seats were great, and I was lucky to nab them since everything else was sold out. Once again, Clay wowed and it was a treat to hear him sing live one more time. I don't regret the additional purchase of concert tickets. Not one bit. Sadly, we had to leave midway through the encore in order to get back to the hotel in time, grab our luggage, call a cab, and get to the train station. Though we ended up being early, the timeline was a bit tight, so it was a better safe than sorry kind of situation. It took ages to get home on two trains, but eventually we made it. As I reflect on this three day adventure in Niagara Falls, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I was able to see a performer that has meant so much to me for twenty years. To be honest, it's hard to believe two decades have passed since I first heard that voice on my television...but what a ride it has been. 

Have you done any travelling lately? What is the last concert that you attended?