In New Orleans, Keith Spera wrote in the “annals of Super Bowl 2013 corporate branding, perhaps no company’s efforts are more ambitious than Bud Light’s." The beer brand “has, literally, taken over the Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans Hotel” and re-branded it the Bud Light Hotel. The company long ago “blocked out all 200 rooms,” and those rooms are “now stocked with Bud Light towels, pillows and shampoo bottles.” New carpet and lighting are colored “Bud Light blue.” The temporary construction projects are “more dramatic,” with the front cab stand and driveway “converted into a VIP lounge; the fountain now sprouts bottles of Bud Light.” There also is a “3,500-capacity tent erected in the parking lot.” That tent will host “three of Super Bowl week’s biggest private concerts.” On Thursday night, LIL WAYNE and BIG BOI performed in the tent, and EA Sports’ Madden Bowl video game competition was held there as well. On Friday, there will be the Rolling Stone Live party with PITBULL and FLO RIDA and a Saturday concert with STEVIE WONDER and GARY CLARK JR. In addition to the Wyndham, Bud Light “also blocked out the nearby Queen & Crescent Hotel on Camp Street to host staffers and additional guests” (NOLA.com, 1/31).
SCENE & HEARD ON THURSDAY: ESPN’s MIKE DITKA, SUZY KOLBER, ADAM SCHEFTER and SAGE STEELE, along with former NFLer DONOVAN MCNABB and Pro Football HOFer THURMAN THOMAS, attended ESPN’s RON JAWORSKI’s Super Bowl charity fundraiser at the Bourbon Vieux nightclub (NOLA.com, 1/31).
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Saints QB DREW BREES will host a Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert with NELLY and SWIZZ BEATS at the House of Blues. All proceeds will “benefit Drew Brees Foundation and Hurricane Sandy relief.” Meanwhile, VH1 and the NFL will host “VH1’s Best Super Bowl Concert Ever” at the Sugar Mill in the Warehouse District. The event is hosted by MICHAEL STRAHAN and CARRIE KEAGAN and will feature music by TRAIN (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 1/30)....Axxis Sports & Entertainment will host the 10th annual “Leather & Laces” party with guests to include KENDRA WILKINSON and JENNY MCCARTHY on Friday night and RACHAEL LEIGH COOK and BROOKLYN DECKER on Saturday night (Axxis).
SOIREES ON SATURDAY: JAY-Z will host a pre-Bowl bash for “flamboyantly titled D’Usse Cognac.” Later in the night, BEYONCE’s sister SOLANGE “will DJ with DIPLO at Audi’s After Hours party” (N.Y. POST, 1/29)….The Taste of the NFL will feature Travel Channel’s ANDREW ZIMMERN, “Cake Boss” chefs JOEY FAUGNO and MAURO CASTANO and Miss America MALLORY HAGAN. SOUL ASYLUM will play beginning at 10:00pm CT (NOLA.com, 1/29)….The Seventh Annual DirecTV Celebrity Beach Bowl “will take place at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World,” which was filled with “more than 1 million pounds of sand to accommodate the bowl” (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 1/30)….Country music group RASCAL FLATTS and rock group JOURNEY will “perform together on stage at the Sugar Mill in a free show” (USA TODAY, 1/31)....The Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XV at Xavier Univ. of Louisiana will feature TERRELL OWENS, JAMIE FOXX, DEZ BRYANT, LANCE MOORE, DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE, DESEAN JACKSON and DARNELL DOCKETT (THE DAILY).
