PEACH BUZZ: Carter gets new wheels, some ribbing

While “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart got the recent Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter bicycle theft story slightly twisted when the former president guested on the Comedy Central show Monday night, the comic’s heart was in the right place.

During Carter’s two interview segments to promote his latest book, “We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work,” Stewart had a set of his-and-hers bikes rolled out and presented them as replacements for the pair reported stolen recently from the Carter Center in Poncey-Highland. Stewart somehow thought the Carters had their bikes stolen during a trip to China.

While he was on the late-night satirical news program, Carter also made it clear that he did not snub fellow former President Bill Clinton at last week’s inauguration of Barack Obama. Stewart played back a TV news clip of Carter blowing past Clinton before the swearing in.

But Carter explained that he and the former first lady from Plains actually already had spent 15 minutes visiting with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton before the TV cameras arrived. Carter joked that he momentarily considered bussing the future secretary of state again in front of the cameras, but “I didn’t know how Bill would feel about that!”

Carter also dished about what went on behind the scenes when he and president George W. Bush, former President George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama lunched together this month at the White House.

“There’s a pecking order,” said Carter, explaining that the current president is considered the most powerful and that’s why George W. was seated next to the incoming president.

“I was the junior president since I’ve been out of office the longest,” he told Stewart. “I was at the bottom.”

Our fave part of the interview? When Stewart asked if “We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work” was Carter’s first foray into fiction.

Carter flashed Stewart a trademark grin and quickly reminded him about his 2003 Revolutionary War novel, “The Hornet’s Nest.”

‘Dream’ tour to stop at Philips

Even as “Working on a Dream,” his lighter-hearted, made-in-Atlanta studio album produced by Brendan O’Brien was hitting stores Tuesday, Bruce Springsteen was announcing his new tour with the E Street Band to promote the project. The “Working on a Dream” tour is scheduled to hit Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta on April 26.

We’re told that tickets are $99 and $69 for reserved seating and general admission floor. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday online at www.livenation.com or www.philipsarena.com, or fans can turn up at the Philips Arena box office, or order by phone at 404-249-6400.

For more information: www.brucespringsteen.com.

‘Talent’ returning for auditions

Last year, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” not only did auditions here, but also filmed the semifinalists on location at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Former Atlantan and judge David Hasselhoff was thrilled to be back and even visited his childhood home.

Unfortunately, nobody from the area made it to the top 20.

The popular summer show is coming back. The early rounds (before the Hoff & Co. show up) are being held Feb. 7-8 at AmericasMart, 2 W. 235 Williams St. N.W. in downtown Atlanta.

Taking the cake

In honor of Grant Park’s 126th birthday, local pastry chefs baked a small mountain of cake confections to celebrate the milestone.

At Monday night’s Take the Cake birthday cake competition held at LIT Kitchen in Grant Park, caterer Tony Brewer, Jessicashopsatlanta.com retail guru Jessica Dauler and Grant Park Conservancy board member Beau Grant had the enviable task of tasting the winners first. Out of the 15 entries, pastry chef Joshua John took home the best overall cake award for his three-tier Italian cream creation, Sweet N Sinful scored the best visual award with its five-tier double chocolate cake (complete with Grant Park landmarks), and the best-tasting cake award went to the Laughing Elephant Southern Bakery for its “chocolate density” cake decorated with mallards and an outdoor theme.

Other notables spotted at the birthday soiree: Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood, Kate Atwood of the charity Kate’s Club and Dale DeSena of Taste of Atlanta.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Actor Alan Alda is 73. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan (above) is 41. Singer Anthony Hamilton is 38. Singer Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync is 32. Singer Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is 29. “The Lord of the Rings” actor Elijah Wood (below) is 28.

OVERSCENE

Rapper and Straits restaurateur Ludacris in the studio at KEF Media Associates, cutting a track for a cause. Luda was recording a public service announcement for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s upcoming National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day campaign. We hear the Feb. 7 event will feature nearly two dozen celebs urging others to “Get Educated. Get Tested. Get Treated. And Get Involved.”

Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services

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