But I think what I'm going to focus on is the community. There is a community of fans that has grown up around Clay Aiken that I think is second to none. Clay fans embrace Clay's charitable causes and take them to heart and to wallet. A recent example is how at an online auction, a signed Clay collectible went for over $15,000 while at most one or two of the other celebrity auctions barely reached $1,000. It isn't just about fans obsessed with having a piece of the man, it's about how much he makes us want to do for others. When Clay became this year's Toys For Tots spokesperson, his fans filled the Marines' barrels with donations. When his Bubel-Aiken Foundation asks for help and support and a raising of awareness for their cause, Clay fans are in the forefront ready to give their time and their money to help. But again, it's because something in him inspires something in us. Inspires us to be a little kinder, a little more patient, a little more generous, a little more aware.

As I sat waiting for the concert to start, I chatted with the Clay fans of all ages sitting around me. We compared concert experiences, tour memorabilia purchases, our love of the music, our histories of how we discovered Clay. During the concert, I found myself constantly sharing the binoculars I'd brought with the people around me who didn't have any. I wanted them to see what I could, to enjoy the moment just that little bit more. That thought frankly probably wouldn't have occurred to me at any other event, nor do I think I'd feel comfortable in general passing my possessions to random strangers. But at a Clay concert it felt natural and right. I felt on some silly small level, 'well, it's what Clay would do.'

Being part of the Clay community is so much more than loving the music. It's about a lifestyle. It's about behavior. It's about responsibility. It's about respect. And that was so evident throughout the concert, from the grand applause the audience gave to the local schoolchildren participating in the performance to the hush that came over the crowd as Clay sang - so different than at a typical concert full of screaming fans. But Clay wanted this to be a different kind of theater experience, an older kind, a civil kind. And so it was, and so we were. At one point some fans called out to Clay while he spoke between songs. He teasingly reproved them, reminding them this was his show and it was his turn to talk. Chastised by Clay in his best teacher mode, the fans quieted down and let him speak. Then there was the moment as Clay sang 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?' that he walked down into the audience and sang one verse to a little girl and the next to an elderly woman, finishing the song by kissing the woman's hand in courtly fashion. Clay tends to pick the young and the elderly to sing to, knowing that every woman in the audience wished he were singing to her, but by not choosing some pretty young woman, none of us can feel jealous, and instead we all feel proud at how good he is with children and the elderly. Clever is our Clay, and effective, too!

Another aspect of the Clay community is in how we embrace those who surround Clay, like his backup singers. Consistent from early on, Jacob, Angela and Quiana are as much a part of the Clay 'family' as Clay, his mother and his dog are! And as each of the singers got their solos, the crowd screamed and cheered and adored them as if they themselves were the reason for the concert. Again, it's a generosity of spirit and love that the Clay fans give and receive that makes it so extraordinary to be a part of.

In terms of specifics, although ours was one of the concerts that had had to be rescheduled due to Clay's earlier sore throat, he was in good voice and belted out what songs needed belting! I felt completely satisfied with his performance. His comfort with a crowd grows with each performance, but as always, it's his willingness to laugh at himself (such as a moment of trying to do a bit of soft shoe and then giving up and promising not to dance again in the show - a promise which he fortunately broke!) that is most charming.