"What Do Toby Keith, Pam Anderson and Nick Lachey Have in Common?"
Let's get one thing straight: Toby Keith is one of the coolest guys
around. "Extra" was the first to interview the country music star when
his restaurant, "I Love This Bar & Grill," opened last fall at Harrah's
Casino on The Strip. Some themed restaurants in Las Vegas "have no
soul," as Toby puts it. Well, "I Love This Bar & Grill" has soul to
spare, thanks to the man, himself. Can you imagine the scene when Toby
met with his world-renowned head chef to show him how to make a fried
bologna sandwich? ("I told the guy the bologna had to be that thick,"
Toby revealed to me, holding his thumb and finger about a half-inch
apart.) Now that same fried bologna is the restaurant's best seller.
I sat down with Toby at Harrah's Casino again Friday night, this time to
talk about his new album "White Trash with Money." Toby's latest single,
"Get Drunk and Be Somebody," seemed very fitting for the star's Vegas
weekend. "We're going to get drunk and be somebody tonight, and then
we're going to get drunk and be somebody else tomorrow night!" Toby said
with that Sin City look in his eyes. And when Toby Keith says it, you'd
better believe it.
I rolled out of Toby's suite at Harrah's early Friday night and hurried
to downtown Las Vegas for Spike TV's AutoRox Awards Show, combining a
love of loud music and unique cars. Spike TV built a huge, awesome stage
about 15 feet off the ground right in the middle of Freemont Street to
put all of the stars at eye level with the lights and neon of downtown's
classic casinos.
"Extra" is the only entertainment show with a headquarters in Vegas, so
we were the only show invited backstage to get exclusive interviews with
Kiefer Sutherland, Pamela Anderson, Ice Cube, Dave Navarro, Cheech
Marin, Carlos Mencia and every other celebrity enjoying the old-school
surroundings.
Kiefer may be the star of "24," but he told me "21" is his game in
Vegas. Cube and I talked about his upcoming role as THE teacher of youth
in the big screen version of "Welcome Back Kotter." And Pamela Anderson
took time out from doing a little kissing with a male performer from
"Zumanity" (easy, it was just a friendly smooch) to chat about the
"Baywatch" movie in development. Pam thinks Jessica Simpson would look
great in a red bathing suit, and she is voting for Will Ferrell to take
over David Hasselhoff's role.
Pamela and I met up again Saturday night at Pure Nightclub at Caesar's
Palace where she was performing as an honorary Pussy Cat Doll. Ms.
Anderson shared some secrets about the 7-figure condo she just bought in
Panorama Towers off The Strip. Two words, gentlemen: stripper pole. Only
in Vegas, baby.
Nick Lachey may have had one of the best seats in the Pussy Cat Lounge
inside of Pure that night. The newly separated stud was seated directly
underneath the swing that hoisted Pam Anderson about 20 feet into the
air.
Oh, I also ran into Toby Keith again at Pure Saturday night. It was
around 11:30, so his quest to "Get Drunk and Be Somebody Else" seemed to
be in its infant stages.
"Toby, I gotta warn ya, they don't play too much country music here at
Pure," I hesitantly said.
"Carlos, I just want to hear one song with a guitar!" he shot back.
I eventually made my way over to the DJ booth and threw out a request
that would please both Toby and the rest of Pure's clientele. Ten
minutes later, the hip-hop remix of "Sweet Home Alabama" brought cheers
from the dance floor.
Walking by Toby's VIP table, I said, "There you go, buddy."
Toby extended his fist with a smile, we pounded and he sat back in his
booth with a look of satisfaction.
Toby got his guitar. Proof once again that in Vegas, anything's
possible.
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