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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November > 12
Monday, November 12, 2007
Thanksgiving assortment at Lenox show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For us, Thanksgiving’s rapid approach didn’t really become reality until our Publix pilgrim salt and pepper shakers brained Buzz as we were reaching up into the dark recesses of a seldom-used kitchen cabinet during a search for snifters the other night.
Other people are more organized, however.
For example, the folks at Lenox Square tell us that they’ve booked honking huge country act Big & Rich to headline the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting on Thanksgiving night, along with R&B faves Take 6, the Macy’s All Star Holiday Choir and Santa Claus. “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent Jann Carl is set to perform the hosting duties.
The folks at Underground Atlanta, meanwhile, have booked country superstar Miranda Lambert for the 19th annual Peach Drop on New Year’s Eve downtown.
Oh, and Athens-birthed jam band Widespread Panic will ring in the new year with two nights of concerts at Philips Arena on Dec. 30 and 31. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Friday at 10 a.m.
If you’re more of a homebody, Dunwoody High School grad Ryan Seacrest will be back co-hosting the 36th annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC with the legendary Clark himself.
The Boss is back
While on the subject of advance planning, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fans will want to set aside April 25. That’s when The Boss and company will bring their “Magic” tour to Philips Arena, featuring the new songs the band recorded here with producer Brendan O’Brien. Tickets are $97 and $67 and go on sale Saturday at noon. VH1 is bringing its “You Oughta Know” tour with James Blunt (James “You’re Beautiful” Blunt? “You Oughta Know” tour? Perhaps there’s a rip in the VH1 time/space continuum?) along with Sara Bareilles to the Tabernacle downtown March 4. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Save the date for Celine
Radio stations The River and B98.5 FM, meanwhile, are apparently in a competition to see who can offer its listeners tickets to a concert requiring a time machine. All this week, The River’s Lexie Kaye and Kate McCarthy are giving away advance tickets to the Springsteen show in April. B98’s Kelly & Alpha, however, are hooking listeners up with tickets to the upcoming Celine Dion show here — set for Jan. 19, 2009.
Still wanted: Reader thanks
Want to share what you’re thankful for this year with millions of Buzz readers?
It’s as easy as sending your thoroughly original, poignant and/or hilarious offerings to us, along with your full name, where you live and a daytime phone number via an e-mail to Buzz Central this week at buzz@ajc.com.
Also, we’re looking for reader photos to include with the column. We’ll publish the very best offerings on Turkey Day.
But don’t delay. The holiday Buzz column needs to be compiled well in advance (and the bosses of Buzz are already impatiently tapping their feet all Larry Craig-like outside Buzz Central …).
‘Drumroll’ for Dallas Austin
Peachtree TV and hip-hop impresario Dallas Austin have changed the name of the new network’s first series from “Drumline: SWD” to “Drumroll: SWD.”
Austin told Buzz on Monday that Peachtree TV already was airing his shot-in-Atlanta 2002 Nick Cannon film “Drumline,” and they didn’t want to cause confusion between the film and the reality series about the Southwest DeKalb High School marching band.
They also pushed back the launch date from Nov. 20 to Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. And instead of eight half-hour episodes, they are opting for four one-hour episodes.
“We pushed it back a week to put up billboards and get more press and promotion,” Austin said.
OVERSCENE
Actress Cybill Shepherd sitting at the counter, enjoying scrambled egg whites with bacon, rosemary moon-dust potatoes and a biscuit Monday at the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Midtown (she’s a good tipper, we’re told). The Golden Globe winner is rehearsing this week for the world premiere of “Curvy Widow” at the Alliance Theatre, which begins previews Nov. 16.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Producer-director-actor Garry Marshall is 73. Actor Joe Mantegna is 60. Actress Sheila Frazier (“Superfly”) is 59. Actress Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”) is 54. Actress Whoopi Goldberg is 52. Actor Chris Noth (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “Sex and the City”) is 51. Actor Neil Flynn (“Scrubs”) is 47. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is 40. Nikolai Fraiture of the Strokes is 29. Actress Monique Coleman (“High School Musical”) is 27.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Celebrating with dancers, dollar bills
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Buzz entered the Atrium in Stone Mountain on Saturday night, we caught exotic dancers dangling ladies in some erotic positions. There was whipped cream, dollar bills being doled out, and the type of sultry moves only trained experts should ever attempt.
It was all part of V-103’s Porsche Foxx’s much-hyped “Leather & Lace” Scorpio birthday celebration. So we couldn’t help but ask which Zodiac sign she thinks is best behind closed doors.
“I’m offended by that question,” Foxx says. “The type of person I am, you don’t ask a question like that.”
Gasp.
Sorry Porsche, but this scene is far from what you’d find on an episode of “Gidget.” Things kind of went downhill from there.
Porsche, as you might recall, was fired from V-103 in 2004 after being arrested for DUI. This year, she went back on-air. So we asked her thoughts about Don Imus coming back to radio in December after being fired.
“He made a mistake. Should he be punished for the rest of his career? I don’t have a comment.”
Geez, Porsche, you’re rougher than a pit bull on a pork chop. Calm down.
Anyway, as for the party people, it was a festive bunch of women — and plenty of guys, too — who rocked to DJ Herb, took in a few laughs from comedic host Lightfoot, and watched lots of greased-up bods with names like Bodacious, Midnight, Romeo, Luscious and Candyman.
Muscle stud Black Scorpion, aka Marcus Sterling, a personal trainer by day, says. “Our main goal is to give women an experience they only dream of.”
And if these screaming, hyperactive ladies are dreaming, by all means let them sleep.
Empowering entrepreneurs
Buzz got ahold of “The Apprentice 4” winner Randal Pinkett Friday morning about his book, “Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business,” which brings him to Lobby at Twelve in Atlantic Station at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for a meet-and-greet.
“I want to empower and equip the next generation of entrepreneurs,” he says. Pinkett, who runs BCT Partners in New Jersey, in January completed his apprenticeship with Donald Trump as part of his prize, overseeing a $110 million renovation project in Atlantic City.
Buzz explained there are two African-Americans who stand out from “The Apprentice” — himself (the sinfully attractive professional whose Oxford, MIT and Rutgers degrees shined in every challenge).
Then there’s the infamous Omarosa from Season 1.
“Omarosa has done a remarkable job at using this reality medium to advance her own agenda. She has her critics of how she portrayed herself, but what she did was flip the script.” Um, OK.
The 36-year-old Pinkett says he loves coming back to A-town. And where did the man with impeccable suits choose to host a party just before his life-altering, “You’re hired!” grand finale? Right here at Harlem Bar.
You gotta give it to him, the man is smart.
No nice-guy act for ex-bodyguard
Steve Wilkos isn’t nearly as big or imposing in person as he is on his talk show, which airs at 2 p.m. weekdays on WATL.
In fact, while Buzz lunched with Wilkos last week, he charmed the Georgia Tech waitress at the Vortex, signed autographs and ate only half his cheeseburger (“I have to watch my weight.”)
The former Chicago cop who parlayed a decade-plus stint as the main bodyguard for “The Jerry Springer Show” has found a niche as a tough-guy version of Dr. Phil, giving deadbeat dads, child molesters, drug addicts and basic moral scum the beatdown in hopes they’ll change their tune.
“There are no sitdowns, no nice conversations,” he said with an amiable grin. “We yell at people. I did so much yelling yesterday, I got a migraine.”
As for his appeal, “I think people relate to me. I’m a cop, not some comedian or actor.”
Interestingly, the only new syndicated show beating “Wilkos” in the ratings is a show about celebrity worship, “TMZ on TV.” Wilkos draws about 1 million viewers a day.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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