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Beautiful People Highlight Saturday's Nightlife

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Partygoers enjoy the Maxim Magazine bash Friday night in Ybor City.

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TBO.com

Published: January 31, 2009

Updated: 02/01/2009 12:03 am

Tampa has quite literally rolled out the red carpet for celebrities this weekend.

Even if you can't afford to walk down the red carpet yourself, you might be interested in knowing where you can go to watch the beautiful people as they stroll by on it.

That's where we come in. Saturday night gives everyone one more night to party hard all over Tampa Bay.

Here's the latest news on tonight's events. Stay tuned for live updates as the night goes on:

12:28 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

And he's chatting up Michael Strahan.

12:27 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Jared Fogle, yep The Subway guy, is in the VIP area. And I'm not. It's just not right.

12:18 a.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Rumor has it Diddy and Justin Timberlake came in through the back way.

12:02 a.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays is all smiles.

-Cloe Cabrera

11:51 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

There's an incredible selection of silent auction items to benefit the Bryant Foundation.

The coolest so far: a signed poster by the cast of "The Dark Knight."

The bidding on the poster is up to more than $1,500, and yes, Heath Ledger's signature is on it.

-John W. Allman

11:44 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

An elderly man just walked the white carpet wearing a very sexual jacket -- so explicit I can't even post it -- and he got into the party!

-Cloe Cabrera

11:42 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Apparently, the Pepin Hospitity Center does not show up on GPS navigation systems.

Michael Strahan, the co-host of the party, was late because his driver couldn't find the venue.

Note to party planners: Provide physical maps to VIPs. Just a thought.

-John W. Allman

11:40 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Pepa of R&B group Salt-N-Pepa arrives at The Venue.

-Cloe Cabrera

11:34 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Pamela Anderson is on the way, with Brody from "The Hills."

-Richard Mullins

11:31 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Boxer Winky Wright is here.

-Cloe Cabrera

11:18 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Deion Sanders and his wife light up the red carpet:

-Cloe Cabrera

11:17 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Kevin Costner's band, Modern West, is tearing up a solid set of original alt-country songs.

-John W. Allman

11:11 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez, who plays Chuck's best friend Morgan on the show, just got mobbed for pictures with fans.

-John W. Allman

11:06 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Zachary Levi rocks! "Chuck" just lit up the red carpet.

-John W. Allman

11 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson of the Cleveland Browns has arrived.

-Cloe Cabrera

10:52 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Sensing The Boss has better things to do than drop by this gilded kegger, ESPN's Chris Mortensen heads for the exit.

-Jeff Houck

10:50 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

An NFL player just needed help getting a friend into the party at Aja. So I helped.

You're welcome, NFL. Glad to be of service.

-Richard Mullins

10:46 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Apparently, even the beautiful are having a hard time getting in. I don't dare leave.

Photo: http://twitpic.com/1a01a

-Richard Mullins

10:44 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

This woman showed up naked, except for some body paint:

-Cloe Cabrera

10:42 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Hard to say what's more popular here among the ladies: the bar or the propane heating poles.

-Richard Mullins

10:39 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

"Unchained Melody." Why did it have to be "Unchained Melody?"

-Jeff Houck

10:36 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Miss Africa, Nyasha Zimucha, arrives at The Venue.

-Cloe Cabrera

10:32 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

The upper deck at Aja is just like a Bennigan's in Riverview. Or perhaps a bit different.

Photo: http://twitpic.com/19zsj

-Richard Mullins

10:28 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Mary Murphy of "So You Think You Can Dance" says the Steelers will win.

-Cloe Cabrera

10:25 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Playboy playmates arrive:

-Cloe Cabrera

10:23 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Word is Zachary Levi of NBC's "Chuck" is on his way. I love that show.

-John W. Allman

10:20 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

This is the best bar mitzvah ever.

-Jeff Houck

10:19 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

And we're back to waiting. The celebrity line has been thin so far -- Costner, Cuba and Cantrell.

-John W. Allman

10:18 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

The Max Weinberg 7 are in the process of turning this mutha out. "La Bamba" is like "Super Mario."

-Jeff Houck

10:14 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Hearken to Chidi Ahanatu, on where all the beautiful women came from:

"I wondered the same thing, but they were at my party here last night. It was a sick party called 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.' How'd you get in here? (smiles)"

-Richard Mullins

10:06 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Give respect. Chidi Ahanotu is in the house.

He is perhaps the largest man I've ever seen.

-Richard Mullins

10:04 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

The dream-like lower lounge at Aja, where all await Pam Anderson. ETA ????

Photo: http://twitpic.com/19zf3

-Richard Mullins

10 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Peri-menopausal white women are interpreting the lyrics to "Soul Man" in embarrassingly flamboyant fashion.

-Jeff Houck

9:48 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Wow, Kevin Costner just walked the carpet for 20 minutes.

Funny, warm, genuine guy. I got to meet him personally. Very cool moment.

-John W. Allman

9:46 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Behold, the cash money rolling into the NYPD Pizza in Channelside.

The place is, um, busy.

Photo: http://twitpic.com/19z1x

-Richard Mullins

9:42 p.m., Ybor City

Because so many people are walking around in Ybor City tonight, Tampa Police are shutting down 7th Avenue to vehicle traffic.

The avenue will be shut from now until 3:30 a.m.

Parking garages at 15th Street and 6th Avenue and Nuccio Parkway and Palm Avenue are not affected.

-TBO staff

9:29 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Wow, I've never seen a chandelier made of white beads. I want one for my room!

-Cloe Cabrera

9:27 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

There's also a champagne experience room with -- what else? -- champagne.

Deion Sanders has a room, too, but it's not as nice as Diddy's, if you ask me.

-Cloe Cabrera

9:24 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Also inside Diddy's room: a bucket stocked with 1800, Hpnotiq and Hennessy.

-Cloe Cabrera

9:21 p.m., Icons Of The Good Life Party

Inside The Venue, the the theme is white.

P. Diddy's room -- that's what they call it -- is decked out with white sofas, white beads, and lilies.

-Cloe Cabrera

9:19 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Two nights in a row! Cuba Gooding Jr. refused to talk again.

That's it, I'm throwing my copy of "Snow Dogs" away.

-John W. Allman

9:18 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

He's a man in a box! Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains just walked by.

-John W. Allman

9:14 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

The secret entrance to the red carpet into the Aja club, where Pamela Anderson will soon stride.

Photo: http://twitpic.com/19ym5

-Richard Mullins

9:13 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

The canned music playing at The Taste has been sort of white noise.

Until 'Sweet Home Alabama' came on. Air guitars abound.

-Jeff Houck

9:11 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

Heads up, Tampa. All of Channelside Drive is closed to traffic tonight.

Expect a detour through what might as well be Orlando.

Oh, and the cruise terminal garage is full.

-Richard Mullins

9>09 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Chef Marty Blitz of Mise en Place in Tampa hands out a dish of sautéed calamari with shiitake mushrooms and Thai chilies.

-Jeff Houck

9:02 p.m., Icons of the Good Life Party

There's a rumor that we'll see Paris Hilton and Usher tonight at The Venue. We'll see.

-Cloe Cabrera

8:59 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena is in the house!

-John W. Allman

8:55 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

The first celebrity of the night is baseball great Wade Boggs.

-John W. Allman

8:41 p.m., Athletes and Angels Party

I think the planet Earth is trying to park in Channelside tonight.

-Richard Mullins

8:33 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

The wait continues, and it's cold, but I just was asked to take a group photo of the Texas Energy Holdings models.

It's a tough life.

-John W. Allman

8:07 p.m., Saturday Night Spectacular

The red carpet is gearing up. Word is Hayden Panettiere from NBC's "Heroes" will make an appearance tonight!

-John W. Allman

8:05 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

New Orleans chef Susan Spicer's crawfish curry was incredible.

Colicchio's teen son Dante is working the line with Spike, Andrew, Blais and Antonia. Colicchio? He's chatting with Miss America 2009.

Tampa Bay Bucs chef Mike Beadles is here with wife, April. He liked the Po' Boy Andouille Sausage made by the Epicurious contest winners.

-Jeff Houck

8 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Newlywed Rays manager Joe Maddon is being beseiged for autographs and photos. One woman told Maddon he converted her from a Yankees fan.

-Jeff Houck

7:39 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Michael Keaton is in the house. Billy 'Blaze' Blazejowski!

-Jeff Houck

6:56 p.m., Taste Of The NFL

Just got to the Taste of the NFL at Tropicana Field. Very elaborate entrance, lighting, setups. I wondered how they'd justify a $500 ticket. Impressive.

-Jeff Houck

5:25 p.m., pre-Saturday Night Spectacular

One has played iconic characters from Crash Davis to Elliot Ness, and won an Academy Award. The other played for the New York Giants, won a Super Bowl and currently works as a football analyst for FOX NFL Sunday.

Together, Kevin Costner and Michael Strahan are co-hosting the third-annual Saturday Night Spectacular at the T Pepin Hospitality Centre in east Tampa. The party is being sponsored by American Airlines and Texas Energy Holdings.

It's not cheap to party with Hollywood and NFL elite, however. Tickets cost $875 each. But proceeds from the Saturday Night Spectacular will benefit the Matthew Tryson Bryant Foundation, which was started by Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Matt Bryant and his wife, Melissa, after their 3-month-old son Matthew Tryson died in September 2008. The Bryants, through the foundation, will allocate funds to different charities, including March of Dimes research, to help fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Costner's band, Modern West, is performing. Also taking the main stage is Starship SuperGroup featuring Mickey Thomas of Starship, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Jimi Jamison of Survivor and Skip Martin of Kool and the Gang and the Dazz Band.

The red carpet event is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. and last until 3 a.m.

-John W. Allman

Here's some basic info about tonight's parties:

Athletes and Angels

Pamela Anderson hosts a party at Aja Channelside that features a guest list of top athletes and celebrities, including Simeon Rice, Shaun Phillips, Stephen Cooper and Vernon Davis. DJ Vice spins records for your listening pleasure. The party is Saturday and lasts from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Tickets are $300. Call (813) 373-2633 or visit www.ajachannelside.com.

Under The Veil I and II

Under the Veil takes place at the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa. The celebration kicks off tonight with a party hosted by Aqib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and rapper/record producer Jermaine Dupri, featuring a fashion show and dancing all night long. Janet Jackson, Jamie Foxx and the whole So So Def Family are among the list of possible attendees. Nelly and Antonio Tarver co-host "Under the Veil II" on Saturday night. Additional attendees include hip-hop star Common, comedian D.L. Hughley and Ken Griffey Jr. Ladies, tickets are only $100 for you each night, which include free drinks. The festivities begin at 8 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets are $100 to $600. Call (813) 380-8273 or visit www.undertheveilparty.com.

Saturday Night Spectacular

Actor/musician Kevin Costner co-hosts a charitable evening with former New York Giant Michael Strahan at the TPepin Hospitality Centre in Tampa. The event features live performances by Costner's band The Modern West, Starship Supergroup and flip-tastic movements overhead by Cirque USA. The ticket price is high at $875, but a portion of the proceeds goes to the Matthew Tryson Bryant Foundation. The party lasts from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Call (212) 244-5001 or visit www.saturdaynightspectacular.com.

Free, Cheaper and Red Carpets:

Bud Bowl Block Party's "One Night Stand" Concerts

This free concert features 3 Doors Down tonight at Channelside Bay Plaza in Tampa. Tickets can be obtained through promotions in area bars, clubs and restaurants and through radio station giveaways only (no tickets or invitations available at event). The show starts at 8 p.m. for ages 21 and up. Call (813) 223-4250.

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