If fans of the von Trapps can wear lederhosen in public, then by gosh devotees of Rydell High’s class of ’59 can greet the world decked out as leather-clad T-Birds or not-so-pure
Pink Ladies. Scores of Grease-rs showed up at the HOLLYWOOD ATHLETIC CLUB for
GREASE IS THE WORD, a sing-along, sock hop and carnival fund-raiser organized by Aid for AIDS. Our favorite Pink Lady (second to Rizzo, of course), JAMIE DONNELLY (pictured), did her “brusha, brusha, brusha” number, while Grease director RANDAL KLEISER briefly mentioned his current stint teaching at USC. The event kicked off with a screening of the film: Moviegoers were greeted with goodie bags filled with fake Frosty’s Palace menus and hickies-from-Kenickie, and treated to many not-so-faithful renditions of the musical numbers, one of which featured EDDIE “EUGENE THE GEEK” DEEZEN. The WEST HOLLYWOOD CHEERLEADERS transformed the stage into a sea of heavenly beauty-school dropouts in silver hair curlers, while hostess MOMMA, as principal Eve Arden reincarnated, was more than hopelessly devoted to one poor Danny Zuko (a.k.a. John Travolta) look-alike, whom she almost suffocated with her eye-poking falsies. But exactly where in the movie does it call for someone to strip down to a G-string that didn’t quite cover his greased lightning? Dancers performed a spirited post-screening hand jive followed by a costume contest with props going to the winner in her red Candies. Just goes to show that while Grease 2 may have gone to that malt shop in the sky, Grease will simply never die.


—Siran Babayan



Art for Eat’s Sake


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It’s not often that one sees more people clamoring around the food instead of the booze at an art event. But this was the case at the SANTA MONICA MUSEUM OF ART, which hosted FRESH START, an art auction and sale benefiting Free Arts for Abused Children. It got so frenzied at the food table that you almost needed STAN WINSTON’s velociraptor talon from Jurassic Park (which you could buy) to claw your way through the culture vultures swarming around the spring rolls. And yes, the rolls were that good. The sale/auction was a combination of both established (Bill Barminski, David Levinthal) and emerging artists (Yong Sin, Davis & Davis). SANDRA BULLOCK (pictured) — looking more like a hottie in line at Club Cherry than, well, Sandra Bullock — got in on the buying madness and carried home a fireplace screen by Shannon Thomson. KCRW’s ANNE LITT took a break from spinning records and bought a black-and-white photo by Jesse Alexander. Chilling by the bar was actor
STEVEN WEBER with an entourage the size of the White House staff, while talking high art were Grounded for Life’s DONAL LOGUE, Showgirl ELIZABETH BERKLEY, Just Shoot Me’s WENDIE MALICK, puppet master PAUL ZALOOM, event chair CHRIS CLARKE McCALL and performance artist CURTIS LEMIEUX. The cutest thing in the museum — besides, of course, BROOKE SHIELDS — was a basenji puppy belonging to gallerist PATRICIA CORREA, who apparently has a new sideline: The puppy was for sale. Evidently, the art world has gone to the dogs.


—Marcus Kuiland-Nazario


Your World


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It had to be a first: A band asking people to leave a club immediately before their set, but that strange task befell LEAVING TRAINS’ main man (and Weekly scribe) FALLING JAMES. The Trains were one of 10 great bands who played a fund-raiser at MR. T’S BOWL for renowned punk-rock drummer KARLA “MADDOG” DUPLANTIER (pictured), recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Where the crowds gather, so often do L.A.’s fire marshals, who were apparently in a mood to negotiate (perhaps the spirit of the eve moved them, for once). They struck a deal: If a certain number of people left, the show could go on, and so there was Falling James requesting that folks vamoose. It’s a testimony to the sweetness of today’s punk rockers that many complied rather than rioting, the way it might have gone down in the past. However, the night really was all about Maddog, drummer for the Controllers, Legal Weapon and the Leaving Trains, among others, who made a brief appearance. PHESTER SWOLLEN, leader of the Rotters (a punk band best known for the novelty single “Sit on My Face Stevie Nicks”), put together the lineup, which included THE HUMPERS; THE URINALS; JOE BAIZA and
JACK BREWER from Saccharine Trust; and MIKE WATT, having fun with covers by Wire, the Last and the Urinals. SEAN ANTILLON did triple drumming duty, beatin’ the skins for THE ROTTERS, the revamped SKULLS (with guest
CLIFF ROMAN of the Weirdos), who climaxed with a kick-ass cover of “Judy Says” by the Vibrators, and THE CONTROLLERS, now a five-piece combo that absolutely smoked. Mingling were L7 guitarist SUZY GARDNER, former Bags singer ALICE ARMENDARIZ, gal about town BIBBE HANSEN and artist SEAN CARRILLO, photographer BETH HERZHAFT, record collector and former Blood on the Saddle drummer HERMAN SENAC, and artist JOHN MINER, who designed beautiful posters and a commemorative T-shirt for the benefit, which raised more than $2,700. Contributions can be sent to Karla Duplantier at 1827 S. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019.


—Brendan Mullen

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