Posted July 30, 2004 12:04 AM. Not a runner-up anymore Aiken stands on his own at Foxwoods By DAVID PENCEK
Norwich Bulletin
Figuring out what to make of Clay Aiken isn’t easy, especially for someone who has never had a particular affection toward “American Idol.”His nearly two-hour show Thursday at the Fox Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino didn’t really clear things up. Aiken somehow made it seem natural to cover a song from U2 and a song from Mr. Mister in the same concert. Does anyone even cover Mr. Mister anymore?He made it seem appropriate to take a 15-minute intermission after performing for just 40 minutes. Did he even break a sweat?It would be easy to dismiss Aiken as a product of today’s reality-TV phenomenon and nothing more than a glorified karaoke singer. But then you watch the power and connection he had with the audience that consisted mostly of women ranging from adolescents to elderly. It’s something many established pop stars don’t have and would envy.It’s then you realize that you can’t simply brush aside Aiken’s popularity or talent.Aiken (as if you didn’t know) was the runner-up in the second season of “American Idol.” He finished second to Ruben Studdard.His concert felt like “American Idol” all over again when Aiken covered songs such as U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name,” which he opened with, Toto’s “Rosanna” and Orleans’ “You’re Still The One.”The show’s pacing also made it feel like the television show as Aiken went quickly from one song to the next.But then Aiken separated himself from the show that made him famous and appeared stronger when singing songs from his debut album, “Measure of a Man.” He owned tunes such as “Shine,” “This Is The Night” and “Invisible.” He ended the night with an encore performance of his hit “Solitaire.”During the few breaks he took, Aiken had some intimate moments with the audience. One young girl from Norwich was invited on stage to dance with Aiken and his backup singers. He then gave her a hand-made lei.During the second half of the show, Aiken invited a young girl from Rhode Island on stage and she sang an impressive rendition of “Without You.” The 14-year-old wore a shirt with the words “Simon Said I Was Good” on it, referring to “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell.“He never said that to me,” Aiken said. “But I’m doing okay now.”Aiken is doing more than okay and what was evident from his show is that if he tosses the cover tunes and continues to produce his own hits, he could be the one person from “American Idol” who lasts.One of the positive aspects about “American Idol” is that the people who watch have the power to make a pop star out of who they want and not who the record companies think the public wants. And right now, the people want Aiken, the young man who wears terms like “geek” and “nerd” as badges of honor.New pop singer Cherie, who hails from France, opened the evening with a 25-minute performance. She sang five songs from her self-titled debut CD that will be released Tuesday. Those in the Fox Theatre should remember since that fact was on the two video screens throughout Cherie’s show.Cherie did her job of warming up the crowd, especially with her hit single “I’m Ready” closing out her set. She even returned to the stage to sing a duet with Aiken.
