Las Vegas Weekly

October 13, 2008 · 3:54 PM

Strip Scribbles: Celeb sightings and tonight’s tip

By Robin Leach

*Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel rocked out with fans at the Kings of Leon concert (Click here for Erik Kabik's photo coverage) in the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. They arrived after the first song and sat at their table in the balcony cuddling during the entire show except for when Justin pumped his fists in the air during a couple of the songs. Earlier the romantic couple dined at the resort's Japanese Nobu restaurant prior to the show. On Saturday they kicked off their weeklong visit to Vegas with a "get out the vote rally" and you can CLICK HERE for our earlier weekend coverage. Justin on Wednesday will start his Shriners Childrens Hospital celebrity golf tournament fundraiser and then on Friday he hosts a concert at Planet Hollywood with the Jonas Brothers and Rihanna, among many other top stars. Actor Paul Walker was also spotted at the Kings of Leon concert and partied inside Wasted Space with friends following the show. At midnight, Caleb and Nathan of Kings of Leon hung out at the Center Bar at Hard Rock and chatted with fans until past 2 a.m.!

*Dana White has turned his UFC organization and championship fights into a ratings blockbuster for Spike cable TV -- and now he’s expanding his horizons into a new form of programming. He told the Hollywood reporter trade book that he’s partnered with Broken Trail director Walter Hill for a two-hour pilot about a Boston mob boss who retires, which sets off rival gangsters fighting for control of the streets. From his 10 years of living in Boston, Dana should be able to call upon hometown memories as he promises to push the limits of television with violence, sex and bad language. He said: “I’m catering to the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic who watch Spike for our UFC fights."

*Hercules star Kevin Sorbo hosted his first annual foundation weekend golf tournament with a party at the Planet Hollywood resort casino. My pal, Saved by the Bell headmaster star Dennis Haskins, played MC and welcomed actors Patrick Warburton and John Ratzenberger from Cheers, among the star-studded athlete crowd.

Photo: TVT

Hercules event.

Photo: TVT

Hercules event.

*Rumblings and rumors: Top chart singer Rihanna, who will be joining Justin Timberlake as one of his “friends” next Friday for his Shriners Childrens Hospital fundraiser concert at Planet Hollywood, might well be back here New Year's Eve, if ongoing negotiations proceed smoothly in her very own televised live solo show. (CLICK HERE for our weekend story of Justin’s first day in Vegas of his weeklong visit) ... in the ongoing sale/no-sale saga of the Pure nightclub empire I’m reliably told the executives there have given a further 15-day extension to a group that put a $100-million offer on the table to buy the group -- but meantime a moneyed hedge fund in Manhattan became an alternate buyer before last week’s Wall Street massacres ... which comedy star is so germophobic on his visits to Vegas that he now has hotel staff put towels down on pathways wherever he walks in his suite and hallway so his shoes never touch the carpeting!

*STAR SURVEILLANCE: Actress Kirsten Dunst of Spiderman fame treated her best friend, Molly, to a Vegas birthday weekend that began at the new Tao-owned Lavo restaurant and club inside the Palazzo. Chef Ludo sent out his personal selection of menu items for the celebration dinner including the filet mignon rossini, ultimate pizza and chicken paillard. Kirsten continued the party upstairs in the nightclub with a table on the dance floor and cupcake cones with sparklers for the birthday girl. The bachelorettes were even transported around the hotel on the custom-made Lavo/Tao Escalade golf cart. Next night the five-girl posse was at Tao’s Asian bistro next door in the Venetian for sushi, lobster wontons and kobe beef. Kirsten surprised Molly with a cake, which the girls promptly took back to their super-suite to enjoy! ... also dining at Lavo was Justin Bartha, Lake Bell and her What Happens in Vegas co-star Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live, who were joined by fellow actors Lindsay Sloane & Nick Kroll. Chef Ludo prepared a special tasting menu of his favorite dishes ... hanging out at LAX in the Luxor was zany comic headliner Carrot Top and Crazy Girl Liz Grantham. The topless cabaret revue’s founder, Norbert Aleman, brought his dancing cast to cheer on Liz’s new cover on the LV Strip magazine’s October issue. Earlier in the evening, Aleman dined with several guests at neighboring restaurant Company American Bistro ... Dashboard Confessional lead singer and guitarist Chris Carrabba relaxed at the poolside Beach Club bar of the Hard Rock hotel before his group’s appearance as part of the Rock Band Live Tour with Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s and the Cab. After their show he took his band to Carey Hart’s Wasted Space rock lounge to watch the Sin City Sinners' performance.

Photo: Ryan Weber, Radiant photography

Kirsten Dunst

Photo: Ryan Weber, Radiant Photography

Kirsten Dunst with friends

Photo: Ryan Weber, Radiant Photography

Kirsten Dunst and friends

Photo: Ryan Weber, Radiant Photography

Kirsten Dunst

Photo: Ryan Weber, Radiant Photography

Kirsten Dunst with friends

*Congratulations to Vegas gaming icon and hotelier Jackie Gaughan on picking up the key to the city from Mayor Oscar Goodman Monday morning. Jackie, now in semi-retirement, can still be found most days playing poker on the El Cortez casino floor downtown. Our merry mayor of mirth hailed him for his 40 years of contributions to downtown, having owned or operated several properties during his career, including the Union Plaza, the Golden Nugget, the Showboat, the El Cortez, Flamingo and Gold Spike ... congratulations to Donald Trump’s 15-year-old daughter, Tiffany, celebrating her birthday at the hotel-tycoon’s new Trump International Hotel here at the weekend. She brought a slew of teenage girlfriends with her -- all looked after by Donald’s second wife, Marla Maples Trump. She popped in on the champagne preview of the new Chopard jewelry collection there, which among many other gems featured a $200,000 diamond studded lady's watch. It’s a new service where the personal shoppers at Saks 5th Avenue in the Fashion Show Mall bring "trunk shows" to Trump guests so they don’t have to walk across the street to shop and spend ... congratulations to long-time Vegas resident Phil Cooper, who worked alongside us here in the VEGAS magazine marketing and promotions department for many years. He’s just become executive marketing director of marketing for the Agua Caliente tribe in Palm Springs at its luxurious Red Rock-styled “HotWater” casino hotel in Rancho Mirage and its affiliated casino in downtown Palm Springs with a new 2,000-seat theater that will open with Billy Joel in February ... congratulations to Elvis Presley’s daughter, 40-year-old Lisa Marie and her husband, musician Michael Lockwood, 47, on their first new twin babies that were safely delivered by C-section and weighed 5 pounds each. On her MySpace blog, Lisa said she and her husband were "beyond thrilled and blessed, elated and saturated in happiness." Lisa has a 19-year-old model daughter Riley and 15-year-old son Benjamin from her previous marriage to Danny Keough ... congratulations to hometown hero Casey Jennings’ wife, volleyball champ Kerri Walsh on her big first-place win at Dubai’s first-ever volleyball tournament last night. The AVP tour this year returns to Vegas but moves from Caesars Palace after two years to the beach at Mandalay Bay!

Tonight's tip

-- Singing impressionist and ventriloquist Terry Fator, who won America’s Got Talent and starts a $100 million Mirage contract next year, begins three nights at the Hilton ... music stars Chicago blow windy with the brass for the final three nights of their run at MGM Grand ... new hip-hop talent Maino from Brooklyn sings his "Hi Hater" and "Hood Love" hits at Prive in the Planet Hollywood resort casino ... over at Jet in the Mirage it’s a Mardi Gras party with $5,000 given to the girl who grabs the most beads from the VIP tables.

Tomorrow's tease

-- Pop-queen Janet Jackson reveals in a Vegas dressing room interview she wants to have babies with record producer and rap mogul Jermaine Dupri, plus we’ll have the judges' scores and initial fears of Toni and Lance being axed on Dancing with the Stars, and Latin comic Paul Rodriguez draws double-aces readying the launch of his amazing new poker show at the Venetian.

COMING NOVEMBER 1: Our brand-new multimedia Web site -- Vegas DeLuxe -- is on its way with daily 24/7 breaking news updates for all the luxury lifestyle secrets of Vegas plus all the latest celebrity happenings all over the Strip.

Share This