After losing out to Beyoncé Knowles, Katy Perry and boyfriend Russell Brand (left) hit the EMI Grammy after-party at the new W Hollywood Sunday night, a venue that came in to focus for the first time this weekend as the host of multiple high profile bashes.
The comic-singer pair were inseparable on the music scene across the weekend, hitting Clive Davis’ annual A-list bash at the Beverly Hilton the night before. (Below right, Davis saddles up to Barbra Streisand, who got her greatest hits sung back to her by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson earlier in the night.)
Instead of Grammy week, it felt like Miami’s “Art Basel” festival had arrived in L.A. on Thursday night.
Drew Barrymore, Rachel Griffiths and Anthony Kiedis cruised 50 of the top international art galleries at the VIP opening-night reception for Art Los Angeles Contemporary at the Pacific Design Center.
Neil Patrick Harris (below left with ALAC director Tim Fleming) ran into Stacy Keibler, who recently guest-starred on Harris’ “How I Met Your Mother’s” 100th episode. Harris, a collector himself, had nicer things to say about Jennifer Lopez‘s upcoming appearance on the CBS hit than he did when the producers stunt-cast another pop star, Britney Spears.
Meanwhile, 2,500 of will.i.am‘s invited guests simultaneously asserted their VIP status to get in to the producer and Dipdive’s first annual Data Awards at the Palladium in Hollywood. In addition to a Black Eyed Peas medley, Kelly Rowland and Kelis performed for a broad cross-section of notables — Malin Ackerman (riding the high from good Sundance buzz), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Oscar de la Hoya, among others.
Later, the party king himself,Diddy, and John Legend snuck in to surprise boldfacer friends and people watchers perched above the crowd in Bacardi’s twin VIP balconies.
In a rare industry deferment of credit for a monster success, will.I.am called David Guetta to the stage to honor his under-reported contribution to the Peas’ 2009 ubiquity. Guetta collaborated on the globally overplayed and overused (usually as a music cue in video packages) “I Gotta Feeling” and went home with two data awards — “Diamond” edition Blackberry Bolds.
It was the end of a long day for “Mr. Am,” as he premiered Gillete’s Uncut rock-doc film series with fellow cross-genre musicians Mark Hoppus and Tim McGraw at the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live 14 hours earlier.
