some pics from a recent visit to my fave late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Flaming Lips were the musical guests on the outdoor stage and it was quite a spectacle. Check it out...
[check out the robots!]
[Wayne Coyne rulez!!]
[Alien girls on the sidelines - I think they scared the night's guests, Rosario Dawson and Jesse Metcalfe, away]
[Jimmy hugs it out with Wayne]
[Wayne is noticeably tired following the 45 minute set]
[Just as fun as the performance was watching Wayne chat with fans afterwards]
Though I was camera-less, I have seen some AMAZING shows recently including:
Pearl Jam/Sonic Youth at the Fonda: it was a fan only show and probably one of PJ's best. My personal highlight: "Crazy Mary," during which Eddie Vedder damn near chugged an entire bottle of red wine. Some celebs in the house, too. I spotted Adam Sandler standing side-stage, Jeremy Piven in the crowd and White Stripes drummer Meg White hanging at the roof-top bar.
Matt Costa at the Troubador: I didn't know much about this guy until I went to Coachella and literally half the girls I interviewed said he was their fesitval favorite. So I went to check him out and when I got there, was told that my tickets were for the previous night's show. Oops... Still, I hung around outside and listened in and what I heard I really, really liked.
Rooney/Kelly Clarkson at the PNC Bank Arts Center: I love those Rooney boys and was psyched when I heard they were opening for Kelly Clarkson on her US tour. I caught the show in New Jersey and got to catch up with the guys and hear some of their new material. It was great to see them back on stage, getting the kiddies all riled up. And Kelly brought down the house! Her show is spectacular, the best part being when she runs into the crowd for Since U Been Gone. Clarkson rocks, there's no doubt about it.
The Raconteurs at the Wiltern: Excluding that killer Keane show at the Fonda, this may be my favorite concert of the year so far. It was the answer to all those nights when I was watching the White Stripes wondering, "Will I ever be able to see Jack White play with a real band?!" And what a band The Raconteurs turned out to be. Brendan Benson... so hot! And even Jack, without that scary Jacko vibe, seemed super sexy. It's a beauty of a record and one hell of a show. See it if you can.
I know it's been a while since I last posted. On a trip to New York a few weeks ago, I lost my camera and have been severely depressed about it ever since. Just the thought of someone walking around with all my favorite photos - some of which were never downloaded - totally bums me out. But, I had to get over it and just two days ago, brought myself a brand new Casio EXILIM 6.0-Megapixel Digital (my camera of choice).
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Needless to say, it's been a busy few weeks. I've seen some amazing shows, done some interesting interviews, and tried to make the most out of this insufferably hot LA summer. I've also been glued to the TV, watching the latest developments in Israel, where much of my family resides. Nothing I can say about that. It's just all so unfortunate.
Hey everybody, my TEEN PEOPLE cover on Katharine McPhee is finally out! A lot of late nights went into writing this story so I hope you get a chance to read it. The interview was done about 36 hours after the Idol finale, so you can imagine how exhausted Kat was at the time. Still, she was surprisingly candid about her struggles with weight, hollywood and guys and I must admit that I was really impressed by her poise and general presence. Of course, it was difficult to learn about her eating disorder, but Katharine seems to be much healthier now and is eager to tell her story so other girls can avoid the same fate. A noble act, indeed.
Here are some pics from our cover shoot, but the ones in the mag are much cooler so pick up a copy at your local newsstand and let me know what you think.
[We ordered a manicurist for Kat but found out soon enough that the girl bites her nails like there's no tomorrow!]
[Talk about a multi-tasker! While Katharine has her hair done, she also conducts a conference call with print reporters]
[Kat takes a lunch break with TEEN PEOPLE's Hayley Hill (left) and Lori Majewski (right)]
[Just one of the killer pics photographer Brian Bowen Smith shot for the mag]
[McPheever still runs high in LA. I saw this shirt on display at Hollywood & Highland just last week!]
For some video footage from our cover shoot, check outteenpeople.com
Radiohead played two glorious nights at the Greek Theatre and there's no doubt LA was buzzing. Especially around my 'hood of Silver Lake, which is only a couple miles from the venue. I caught the first show and it was spectacular. The Greek has to be my favorite venue (though I still haven't seen a show at the Hollywood Bowl) and it's perfect for the trippy, sensory overload performance that Radiohead always gives. The after-party was pretty cool, too. I heard that Jim Carrey and new girlfriend Jennie McCarthey were in the audience so I was hoping to see them there, but no such luck. I did, however, see Roseanna Arquette, Giovanni Ribisi and Scott Speedman hanging out.
[See, i wasn't kidding! The Radiohead love was outta control.]
I ran into the lovely Jesse McCartney at Shane West's birthday bash on Sunday nite. He couldn't help but sing the praises of his girlfriend, Katie Cassidy, who just nabbed the coveted role of Lucy Ewing (beating out Jessica Simpson and Kristin Cavalleri) in the movie remake of Dallas, which happens to be one of my fave shows of all time. Yeah, yeah, Jesse - you told me so, but way to go Katie!
Here are some more pics from Shane and Eric Podwell's party at Skybar.
[JC Chasez was in the house and hanging with that other adorable couple, Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson]
[That's my friend Katie, who stars in the next Staind video(!), with Ryan Cabrera]
[There's nothing like cute Hollywood boys getting down to their undies and jumping in the pool...]
[Only to top it off with the Star Wars synchopated swim dance]
It must be years since the last time I saw Pete Yorn play somewhere in New York, but I was such a huge fan of musicforthemorningafter that when I heard he was heading out on an intimate acoustic tour, I decided to check out the kick-off show in Santa Barbara. Of course, first shows tend to be a little, um, sloppy, and this one was no exception, but Pete was spot-on for fan favorites like "Life On A Chain" and "Murray" ("Strange Condition" was strangely absent) and even a couple of covers including The Smiths' "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" and The Association's "Never My Love." And I have no doubt that his set will only improve as he treks onward. Welcome back, Pete. It's nice to see you again...
[the view from outside]
Pete Yorn is on the road, playing small venues and record stores, all friggin' summer!
06/27/06 -- Dallas, TX -- Gypsy Tea Room / Ballroom 06/28/06 -- Austin, TX -- The Parish 06/30/06 -- Lawrence, KS -- The Bottleneck 07/01/06 -- Saint Louis, MO -- Blueberry Hill's Duck Room 07/02/06 -- Madison, WI -- The Annex 07/05/06 -- Indianapolis, IN -- The Music Mill 07/06/06 -- Columbus, OH -- The Basement 07/06/06 -- Columbus, OH -- The Singing Dog 07/07/06 -- Louisville, KY -- Phoenix Hill Tavern 07/08/06 -- Buffalo, NY -- Town Ballroom 07/10/06 -- Rochester, NY -- Water Street Music Hall 07/11/06 -- Portland, ME -- The Asylum 07/12/06 -- Cambridge, MA -- Newbury Comics 07/12/06 -- Boston, MA -- Paradise Rock Club / Lounge 07/13/06 -- Towson, MD -- Record & Tape Traders 07/13/06 -- Baltimore, MD -- Sonar 07/15/06 -- Carrboro, NC -- Cat's Cradle 07/16/06 -- Knoxville, TN -- Blue Cats 07/17/06 -- Nashville, TN -- Exit / In 07/18/06 -- Atlanta, GA -- Smith's Olde Bar 07/19/06 -- Birmingham, AL -- The Nick 07/21/06 -- Council Bluffs, IA -- Whiskey Roadhouse @ Harrah's 07/22/06 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Electric Fetus 07/22/06 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Varsity Theatre 07/24/06 -- Denver, CO -- Walnut Room 07/25/06 -- Boulder, CO -- Fox Theatre 07/26/06 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Club Sound 07/28/06 -- Seattle, WA -- Crocodile Cafe 07/31/06 -- San Francisco, CA -- Great American Music Hall 08/01/06 -- Encinitas, CA -- Lou's Records 08/01/06 -- San Diego, CA -- The Casbah 08/02/06 -- Scottsdale, AZ -- Martini Ranch 08/08/06 -- Alexandria, VA -- Ollson's Books And Music Store 08/08/06 -- Alexandria, VA -- The Birchmere 08/09/06 -- Richmond, VA -- Alley Katz 08/11/06 -- Philadelphia, PA -- North Star 08/12/06 -- Asbury Park, NJ -- Stone Pony
Some pictures from the ASCAP Pop Awards, which honored Green Day, Ciara, Switchfoot and Maroon 5, among others. Since the awards are all about songs and songwriting, I thought I'd ask the Green Day guys what lyric changed their lives and I got some interesting answers. Check 'em out:
Me: What was a lyric that changed your life?
Billie Joe Armstrong: "'I’d rather see you dead little girl, than see you with another man.' It's from an Elvis Presley song called 'Baby, Let's Play House' and it was on Sun Sessions. I was probably about 10 when I heard that."
Tré Cool: " 'If we can walk together, why can’t we rock together.' It's by 7 Seconds."
Mike Dirnt: "Billy Joel's 'Still Rock and Roll to Me.' I heard it on the bus going to YMCA camp in Oakland, California and I just thought that song was the coolest thing in the world. To me, it sounded like what real rock-n-roll should sound like."
Tré Cool: "See, he almost got to be in a band with Billy Joel but he had to settle for Billie Joe!"
[That's Ciara]
[On top of signing it, Billie Joe fully christened this guitar.]
[Green Day received the Creative Voice Award. Thank G-d somebody's talking...]
[That's Jonathan Foreman from Switchfoot, talking to Billboard's Melinda Newman.]
[The Papa Roach guys, who performed "Scars" later in the show. Is it my imagination or does singer Jacoby Shaddix look like he lost a lot of weight?]
[That's my friend Jackey with her adorable boyfriend]
O.M.G. I'm still riding high from last night's Keane show at the Henry Fonda. Those heart-melting melodies and soul-searching lyrics, plus a packed house chanting along to every word - it was quite the LA welcome.
The first time I saw these guys was back in New York City, before their debut, Hopes and Fears, was released in the US. Needless to say, outside of them being a British three-piece who didn't use any guitars, people didn't really know much about the band. And I remember that show being stiff, like the singer, Tom Chaplin, wasn't entirely comfortable being the "frontman." But here we are maybe three years later and the guys have come a long way. Richard and Tim handled their multi-instrumental duties like seasoned pros and Tom, believe it or not, had this Jim Morrison thing going on last night, with the low-hung sexy belt and seductive gaze. No wonder a good 100 fans were lined up for three hours after the show waiting for autographs. These guys have got it going on and people are taking notice.
So this brings back another memory (and, yes, I'm a music geek so I'm sure you see where this is going), when a colleague of mine at Rolling Stone poo-pooed my love of Keane. "Why not just listen to the Snowpatrol record?" she said with a sting. And, don't get me wrong, I love Snowpatrol, Coldplay and all those piano bands, but there is something really special about Keane and I think it's their sincerity. I don't know, I just worship them.
So take a listen to their new album, Under the Iron Sea, if you haven't already. Like the last one, it's just plain beautiful. And check out these pics of the guys.
[Tom signs a stack of posters, CD liner notes and soccer balls - or footballs, as he would say.]
[That's keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley and, um, he's hot.]
[Drummer Richard Hughes ain't too shabby, either.]
[Tom looks noticeably slimmer. He told me that he's not drinking on this tour, could that be why?]
[Actor Paul Rudd was there! (That's my friend, Brenda, with him.) Anchorman already made him cool in my book, but being a Keane fan makes him so much cooler.]
[This was the line of fans waiting outside of the stage entrance at 2:00am! Can you believe?!]
[And, of course, the band obliged every single one.]
[The next day, Keane taped an in-studio performance at KCRW in Santa Monica]
Paid a little visit to my friends over at Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight to catch Wolfmother play on the outdoor stage. I missed their show last night at the Fonda, which I heard was packed beyond belief, so it was nice to see an intimate five-song version.
So does this Australian band live up to the hype? "Woman" rocks, that's for sure. As for the rest of the songs, I really liked what I heard. They sound like a sloppier, more garage-y Led Zeppelin. And for a three piece, they make a helluva lot of noise. Plus, if I'm not mistaken, the bass player was pulling double duty, manning the keyboards, too. That's impressive!
Jimmy's guest tonight was Jack Black, who was also rocking out Dewey Finn-style from a couch on the side of the stage. Speaking of, it was practically a School of Rock reunion when Sarah Silverman (aka amazing comedienne, and Jimmy's girlfriend), joined her pal Jack on that couch. She was so good in that movie and I can't wait for her Comedy Central show.
[Wolfmother singer, Andrew Stockdale]
[Jack and Jimmy give a standing ovation, while Guillermo wanders aimlessly. Gotta love Guillermo!]
[these are the guys that make it all happen — music booker, Scott Igoe (left), and executive producer, Jason Schrift]
[Leaving the show, Jack Black signed autographs for waiting fans.]
Don't know if you were a Something Corporate fan, or if you've even heard of the band, but they were one of my favorites. Singer Andrew McMahon sounded like Ben Folds (another fave), but had more balls and spunk. I adored him before I ever met him. So when Andrew formed a new group, Jack's Mannequin, a little over a year ago, I was one of the first to jump on the bandwagon - literally. But just a few days after a pre-tour hang with Andrew at this fabulous party in Beverly Hills, I received news that he had cancelled his New York shows because he wasn't feeling well. Not long after that, we all learned that he had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia.
Cancer? He was only 23 years old?! WTF???? I started reading Andrew's blog, which he was writing from his hospital bed, and could barely deal. I can't even imagine how he did.
Fortunately, Andrew is strong as a motherf-er and pulled through, with the help of his sister, Katie, who faciliated a stem-cell transplant. Not surprisingly, Andrew started playing again as soon as he could and, on that first show back in December 2005, he looked weak and pale. He rocked it, but wasn't pounding on the piano with the ferocity that he used to have. I was happy to see him, but sad that I couldn't give him a hug because any germs put him at risk for infection. Still, he was getting better everyday and, as long as he was alive, countless friends, family members and fans were overjoyed.
Now it's been a full year since the diagnosis and Andrew is back on the road opening for O.A.R. I caught the set at the Wiltern Theatre on Friday and was so psyched to see that he was back to his usual on-stage antics, getting the crowd riled up with every chord. But the best moment came at the end, when Andrew belted his true-to-the-original take on Tom Petty's "American Girl" as the closer. Hot damn, was it good!
So I'm happy to present these photos of a strong, healthy, rejuventated Andrew. The first is from the night of the show and the second from a photo shoot we did a few days later for an upcoming issue of Teen People. If you look closely, you'll notice that his hair went from brown to black practically overnight. He's a cutie either way, but I think I like the black better. Which do you prefer?
[Andrew and his fiancée, Kelly]
[Always the daredevil...]
Check out VH1 this week — Jack's Mannequin's "The Mixed Tape" is #1 on the VSpot Top 20 Countdown!
Tune in tonight for the MTV Movie Awards which, thanks to the tons o'stars that showed up, were a blast to cover. Here are some pics from the blue carpet, but also check out teenpeople.com for a full report and video interviews!
[Jessica Simpson is led off the MTV News stage by her hot shot publicist, Rob Shuter]
[Jess gets interviewed by Suchin Pak]
[i love this weird shot of Christina Aguilera]
[all hail Will Ferrell]
[and John C. Reilly, a personal fave of mine. I love that scene in Boogie Nights where he's doing the 80s dance in the recording studio]
[Owen Wilson, so cool]
[Justin's introduction of the Best Kiss category, which he shared with Eva Mendez, was hilarious!]
[Nick Carter came with his brother, Aaron, and his sisters]
[the South of Nowhere kids]
[Amanda Bynes gets interviewed by 16-year-old Sabina, who won a Teen People contest to come to LA and do the carpet with me!]
[and here's Amanda with Laguna Beach hottie, Stephen Colletti]
[Brooke Hogan looking eerily like Paris Hilton]
[Flav gets his drink on]
[up really close and personal with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz]
[Suchin Pak's dress was designed by Project Runway'sSantino]
[Mario, another in a long line of singers-turned-actors]
I caught a somewhat secret appearance that Constantine Maroulis made at this cool jazz club in Bel Air called Vibrato. I didn't think I'd know anybody there, but when I walked in, I saw Sean Lennon on the stage (who I don't know personally) and Ryan Cabrera, a mutual friend of mine and Constantine's, in the crowd with his mom. So we all sat down and waited for Constantine to perform two new songs, which I must say, were not what I expected. The music had this old soul, Sam Cooke kind of vibe, a complete 180 from his last band. And, as usual, he commanded the stage like only Constantine can. Here's hoping for a record soon.
OK, I know it's been over a week since the Idol finale which already makes it old news. But I was travelling and having major computer issues so this is my first chance to catch up. Check back in the next few days for more updates, including pics from last night's MTV Movie Awards.
[gotta love Guillermo (of Jimmy Kimmel Live, my favorite late-nite show), who was working the carpet from the press side]
[Simon, Randy and David Foster]
[Kellie Pickler - always the picture of grace on the carpet ;) ]
[Idol's under 18 club]
[gorg']
[carrie underwood - pretty in pink]
[Jasmine Trias and Jennifer Hudson catch up on the carpet]
[oy, bobby trendy - why?]
[Teen People's own Aaron Parsley interviews future DreamGirl, Jennifer Hudson]
[This lovely gal, Jennifer, won a Teen People contest to meet Paula Abdul. See, people really do win!]
[one of the coolest cats in the house, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, with his kids]
It's four in the morning and Aaron Parsley and I just finished filing our teenpeople.com Idol story that will go online in just a few hours. Needless to say, I'm wiped. But as the same time, very psyched. Taylor rocked this competition from beginning to end and it was an absolute joy to watch him win this very coveted crown.
Red carpet pictures of our Idol shenanigans will be up very soon, I promise.
Hope you guys got a chance to check out my last two interviews with Paula Abdul on teenpeople.com. I got to chat with Paula after Chris was voted off and she was borderline inconsolable. But she got it together the following week when her personal fave, Elliott, got the boot.
Of course, I'll be all over the finale this week. Who's gonna win??? I have no idea, but I'm so excited!
I went to see Carrie Underwood perform outside of Palm Springs at the Morongo Casino, which houses the brand new Key Club. It was my second time at the Key Club (I saw Duran Duran the week the club opened), and looking at their list of upcoming shows, I have to say that they're getting some really cool bands to play there, including LA's infamous 80s hair-metal cover band, Metal Skool, which has a weekly residency that I highly recommend you check out if you're ever in the area.
Anyway, Carrie was great. I hadn't seen her since the Grammy Awards back in February and the time she's spent on the road, playing tons of county fairs, by her account, has really helped her performance. She's more confident than she ever seemed on Idol, and her voice truly is tremendous.
The show was sold out and I saw tons of cowboy-hat wearing locals in the audience. Carrie is a country artist, for sure, but she has her inner metal, too. During the hour-long set, she covered two Guns 'N Roses songs, "Patience" and "Sweet Child O' Mine," giving them both a twangy treatment which went over really well with the crowd. But my favorite moment was her hushed version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Simply spine-chilling, I tell you.
[In her dressing room backstage, Carrie assembled some scarves for the microphone stand she uses during "Sweet Child O' Mine"]
[Carrie hosted a small meet-and-greet before the show, where she signed autographs for radio winners and fans]
[I found it interesting that Carrie signs all her autographs with the phrase "God Bless"]
[I thought Carrie looked great...]
[and she even did her own make-up!]
"Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I'm begging of you please don't take my man..."
* Carrie is touring all summer, both on her own and opening for Kenny Chesney. Check out these tour dates to see if she's coming to a town near you...
5/27/06 Virginia Beach, VA / Patrioitic Festival 06/01/06 Evansville, IN / Roberts Stadium 06/02/06 Grand Rapids, MI / Van Andel Arena 06/03/06 Grand Rapids, MI / Van Andel Arena 06/08/06 Pryor, OK / Pryor Creek Festival Grounds 06/09/06 Comstock, NE / Second Wind Ranch 06/10/06 Nashville, TN / CMA Music Festival (Fan Fair) 06/13/06 Oakland, CA / Oakland Arena 06/15/06 Glendale, AZ / Glendale Arena 06/16/06 Las Vegas, NV 06/17/06 Carson, CA / Home Depot Center 06/21/06 West Valley City, UT / USANA Amphitheatre 06/24/06 Grand Junction, CO / Country Jam USA 06/25/06 Cadott, WI / Chippewa Valley Festival Grounds 06/29/06 Greenville, SC / Bi Lo Center 07/03/06 Del Mar, CA / San Diego County Fair 07/06/06 Fort Loramie, OH / Hickory Hill Lakes 07/08/06 Milwaukee, WI / Summerfest 07/09/06 Fowlerville, MI / Fowlerville Fair 07/14/06 New York, NY / Madison Square Garden 07/15/06 Morristown, OH / Jamboree In The Hills 07/16/06 Foxboro, MA / Gillette Stadium 07/19/06 Twin Lakes, WI / Country Thunder USA 07/20/06 Memphis, TN / FedExForum 07/21/06 Huntsville, AL / Redstone Arsenal 07/27/06 Cheyenne, WY / Frontier Park 07/28/06 Minot, ND / North Dakota St. Fair 07/29/06 Great Falls, MT / Montana State Fair 07/31/06 Medford, OR / Jackson County Expo Park 08/02/06 Paso Robles, CA / California Mid-State Fair 08/04/06 Murphys, CA / Ironstone Vineyards 08/06/06 Sweet Home, OR / Oregon Jamboree 08/09/06 Sioux Falls, SD / Sioux Empire Fair 08/12/06 Bethlehem, PA / Bethlehem Musikfest 08/14/06 Fairlea, WV / West Virginia State Fair 08/16/06 Hamburg, NY / Erie County Fair 08/22/06 Rama, ON / Casino Rama 08/24/06 Cleveland, OH / Quicken Loans Arena 08/27/06 Essex Junction, VT / Champlain Valley Expo 08/28/06 Syracuse, NY / New York State Fair 08/30/06 Pueblo, CO / Colorado State Fair
When the Disney Channel movie High School Musical first aired, there was little fanfare and certainly no red carpet. The under-the-radar flick, about a basketball player and a math geek who, while worlds apart, and drawn to each other through song, was a blip of Disney's programming slate. Now, mere months later, the premiere for the DVD was sheer pandemonium on Hollywood Boulevard, with its stars just as taken by the spectacle as the fans themselves! "The fact that we can do this for the DVD, after people have seen the movie a hundred times is crazy!" said Monique Coleman, who plays Taylor in the movie. "There's so many people on this street, I've driven by other premieres before and tonight I'm on the other side. It's a big honor."
It was also a really busy day for the cast, who attended the premiere following a separate press junket that morning. Then, once they were done with the carpet, they made their way into the famed El Capitan theatre for a sing-along screening followed by an after-party at The Highlands, where they shot hoops and rubbed shoulders with industry folks and fans, including celebs like Lisa Rinna and American Idol's Ace Young.
[The themed carpet — complete with school desks and lockers — was way cool. Nice work, Disney!]
[The main event, Mr. Zac Efron, said he "felt blessed to be chosen" for the role of Troy.]
[Ashley Tisdale is all laughs and having a blast on the carpet. The former Jersey Girl (like me!) said she was also excited about the High School Musical sequel. "It's being written and everybody's signed on," she told me. "We all can't wait. It couldn't come any faster."
[This adorable baby doll dress was a Betsy Johnson find, said Ashley. "It was the first thing I saw and tried on and I thought it was perfect. And the cast was supposed to wear all red and white because of The Wildcats, but..." Well, you know how hard it is to coordinate outfits.]
[Vanessa Anne Hudgens, who plays Gabriella, walks the line next to Lisa Rinna.]
[Two adorable little girls sing songs from the movie to a local news crew. Awww....]
[Here's Zac being interviewed by Teen People stringer, Lindzi Scharf]
I accidentally deleted my photo of cutie Lucas Gabreel, who was sporting a toned down look. "Hair's down, no hat, outfit's kind of mellow, I don't look so girlie," he said to contrast his character, Ryan. As for the premiere itself, it was actually Lucas's first red carpet. "This is insane," he said. "But I signed up for this, so I gotta roll with the punches."
Who is Joe Francis? He's the multi-millionaire businessman responsible for the Girls Gone Wild series, which I have never watched, not even a snippet at a frat party, I swear! Anyway, the guy's got a lot of money and is also quite the Hollywood scenester. So much so that he invited about 2,000 of his closest scenster friends to celebrate his birthday at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 30 miles outside of LA.
Now, it's not that easy to drag celebrities outside of their comfort zone, but with promised free concessions, no lines on rides, an open bar and a set by DJ AM, they came out in droves. Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Kelly Osbourne, Mekhi Phifer and Kristin Cavalleri were just a few of the stars who made the trip, though I didn't see any of them inside because the place was so friggin' big! Perhaps they were sampling the park's newest coaster, Tatsu, in which you literally dangle in the air while staring straight down. Yeah, you couldn't pay me enough money to get on it, but I'm sure Paris doesn't have that hang-up.
And so I spent most of the evening with fellow scaredy-cat, Alexis Arquette (of Surreal Life fame), laughing and people-watching. And, even with no celebs in sight, what an entertaining crowd it was!
[You had to take a tram from the parking lot to the main gate, where hundreds were already lined up]
[Paris gets cozy with her latest boy toy]
[Jessica Alba looking stunning, as usual]
[Dirty dancing with Tweety?? Now that's just not right]
[Alexis makes her red carpet entrance]
[Stephan Bender, who plays young Clark Kent in the new Superman movie, arrived with a date by the name of Stephanie]
[there were lots of fun games to play for those of us not into flying through the air at the speed of light]
[And speaking of Cobra Snake, I loved this shot he took of all the discarded stuffed animal prizes. What's the point of keeping those things anyway, right?]
[Six Flags' latest mega-coaster, Tatsu, which should maybe be called Nutsu!]
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