Indianapolis is shedding its "Naptown" nickname this week as big-name celebrities and athletes flock to the city for parties leading up to Super Bowl XLVI. THE DAILY offers the inside scoop on Thursday night's events and previews the slate of bashes on tap this weekend.
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Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes was
part of the VH1 Pepsi Fan Jam last night |
THIRSTY THURSDAY: Colts Owner JIM IRSAY hosted a party Thursday at the Indiana State Museum “for 400 to 500 guests.” The private event included "multiple musical performances and a reading from the nearly 120-foot manuscript to JACK KEROUAC's Beat Generation manifesto ‘On the Road,’ which Irsay has owned since 2001” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3)….The 18th annual Madden Bowl was held at the Bud Light Hotel with attendees including Saints QB DREW BREES, Broncos QB TIM TEBOW, ESPN’s SCOTT VAN PELT, actor MIKE EPPS and rapper SNOOP DOGG (INDYSTAR.com, 2/2). The Roots and NAS “lit up the stage with performances later in the evening, and fans were also treated to Bud Light’s new beer, Bud Light Platinum” (INDYSTAR.com, 2/3)….The All-American Rejects headlined “VH1 Pepsi Fan Jam,” with Maroon 5's ADAM LEVINE making a “cameo appearance” during Gym Class Heroes' performance (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3). The INDY STAR’s David Lindquist on his Twitter feed wrote, “VH1 Pepsi Fan Jam is very much a TV event. B.O.B plays 1 song, break, 1 song, break, now a 4-song run” (TWITTER.com, 2/3)….ESPN’s RON JAWORSKI hosted the Jaws Cigar Party at Nicky Blaines Cocktail Lounge, where “cigars and cognac ruled” (INDYSTAR.com, 2/2).
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: ESPN’s eighth Next party will be held Friday at the “40,000-square-foot Jobsite Supply Warehouse, with 2,000 guests expected.” Sponsors include Dunkin’ Donuts, which “will be sampling coffee and Munchkins outside the event; Procter & Gamble’s Old Spice, with a green-screen photo op; and Vicks, with ‘warming stations’ in and around the party.” Maker’s Mark is the "spirits sponsors and Bud Light is showcasing its new Bud Light Platinum" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/30 issue). Guests include musician LENNY KRAVITZ and members of Maroon 5 (N.Y. POST, 2/2)….Florida-based events “impresario and hotelier BARTON G. WEISS is masterminding the NFL Friday night party” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Expected guests include NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL, coaches, athletes and model GISELE BUNDCHEN (N.Y. POST, 2/2)....GQ, Lacoste and Patron are “throwing a Super bowl bash tonight at The Stutz in Indianapolis, with a performance by LL COOL J and DJ set by QUESTLOVE.” Guests expected include ALEC BALDWIN, MICHAEL DOUGLAS, JON HAMM, Nas, ANDY RODDICK and ADAM SANDLER (N.Y. POST, 2/3)….The Leather & Laces party will be held at the Regions Bank Tower with guests to include CARMEN ELECTRA, JENNY MCCARTHY and JENNI “JWOWW” FARLEY (NJ.com, 1/30).
SOIREES ON SATURDAY: DirecTV’s sixth annual Celebrity Beach Bowl will be held at Victory Field Saturday and will feature a concert by The Fray. Actors CHACE CRAWFORD and DAVID ARQUETTE, model KATE UPTON and ESPN’s ERIN ANDREWS are expected to participate. The game will be broadcast on Spike TV. Later that night, the space will be transformed into a nightclub for the DirecTV Super Saturday Night hosted by Maverick Owner MARK CUBAN’s HDNet and Colts QB PEYTON MANNING. The event will include a performance by KATY PERRY (DirecTV). The beach flag football game is expected to draw 10,000 people Saturday afternoon and 2,500 for the private party (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/30 issue)….More than 3,000 guests are expected to attend the Taste of the NFL at Gleaners Food Bank (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3)….Singers JOHN LEGEND and TRAVIE MCCOY of Gym Class Heroes will headline the Legends ‘N’ Models Super Bowl Eve party hosted by model ERIN HEATHERTON. Tickets start at $200 (INDYSTAR.com, 2/1)....Rolling Stone magazine will host its first-ever Super Bowl party called the “Bacardi Bash” with LMFAO, LUPE FIASCO, Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes performing (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3)….Maxim will hold its party at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Playboy will hold its event at the Bud Light Hotel with a performance by NE-YO. Both are “warning folks who want to attend their soirees not to buy tickets.” Neither Maxim nor Playboy distribute tickets to their events. Still, online brokers are “advertising tickets to the Playboy party” from $1,100-1,500 (INDYSTAR.com, 2/2).
CAMPAIGN COCKTAILS: The campaigns of President BARACK OBAMA and Republican Presidential candidate MITT ROMNEY “will hold fundraising events in Indianapolis this weekend.” Obama's campaign “will hold an event Saturday evening at the Conrad Indianapolis home" of former Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. WOODY MYERS. Bears coach LOVIE SMITH is expected to attend. Romney's campaign is “holding a midday event Saturday at the Indianapolis Colts Grille.” Special guests include Jets Owner WOODY JOHNSON, Jaguars Owner SHAHID KHAN and Redskins Owner DANIEL SNYDER (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/3).
NOT ON THE LIST: Sports Illustrated, which “sponsored a party last year, isn’t a party host this year.” An SI spokesperson said, “The numbers didn’t work. Our Super Bowl is the Swimsuit Issue, which hits Feb. 13” (N.Y. POST, 2/3).
