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Even the singer's mom, Faye Parker, was on-hand for the show. Parker was put to work when, prior to the show, she selected a lucky, talented young lady to sing on stage with Aiken.
The evening started with a nod to the singer's sponsors via a video sneak peak at the new song Aiken has lent his voice to. The soon-to-be released Disney's Aladdin Special Edition DVD features a resurrected song from the infamous "vault" titled "Proud of Your Boy."
Aiken emerged from beneath a staircase met with the roar of the predominantly middle-aged and female crowd of Claymates. He broke into "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2, then transitioned into his own bouncy "Perfect Day."
The singer greeted his audience with a mix of humor and Southern charm.
"You look good, you sound good, York Pennsylvania," Aiken said. "I gotta be honest with ya ...you got 'em all whooped right here."
He then offered the crowd an opportunity to prove it, inviting two fans to dance onstage during "When You Say You Love Me," and to earn a Hawaiian lei now coveted by Claymates everywhere.
"You've got some people who can move," Aiken said, "some people who had a little too much sugar at the fair."
As the evening progressed, it was evident that Parker's boy has grown during the past several months on the road. Aiken is starting to overcome his reputation for being clumsy, tripping and occasionally dropping the microphone - certainly part of his Southern, boyish charm that keeps the ladies reeling. This powerful performance was even more solid and confident than some previous ones, and it was seriously rocking at times.
The evening's highlights included a video montage of Aiken's television appearances, accomplishments and experiences since the end of season two of American Idol. The crowd roared with approval at the sight of the Rolling Stone cover featuring Aiken - particularly a panning shot of the WWJD bracelet that he refused to remove for the photo shoot.
His show of faith did not stop there, as Aiken, adorned in choirboy white covered "You Were There," a spiritual ballad recognizing God's omnipresence. He received a resounding "amen" from the crowd upon singing the lyrics "You would rather die than leave us in the dark." It was a very poignant, powerfully-moving point in his performance.
Aiken and his band filled the show with covers like "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister, a rocking rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered," and a mesmerizing version of Toto's "Rosanna" that, in the words of Paula Abdul, Aiken "took and made his own."
The evening's performance also included a salute to James Taylor featuring back-up singers Angela Fisher, Quiana Parler and Jacob Litrell on lead for "Sweet Baby James," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Yesterday Morning," and "You Got a Friend."
Aiken and company have taken to vocally challenging each other by seeing who can hold a note the longest. (It was Aiken, by the way.) The singer's talent, confidence and experienced showmanship emerged each time he stepped out of his comfort zone with a howl or a growl integrated into his phenomenal, standard performance.
Aiken also wowed 'em with his current single, "I Will Carry You," a particular favorite with the audience; "Measure of a Man"; "I Survived You"; and his first hit, "This Is The Night."
"That song means a lot for obvious reasons. It was a pivotal point in my life," he said.
"If you had asked me two years ago where I would be tonight, I would not have said York, Pennsylvania. [I'm] glad I'm here. I feel blessed to have the opportunity."
The singer dedicated "Invisible" to the crowd and sang the words "I am nothing without you" with particular emphasis as he pointed to his fans. He then disappeared under the stair, only to emerge atop the stage for an encore that featured "Solitaire."
Aiken provides a night of outstanding vocals and powerful simplicity - no lasers or five-second delays required.
