VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Stars amid the fireworks on New Year’s Eve

Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

New Year's Eve is often referred to as amateur night, when infrequent partiers use the turning of the calendar as a reason to go out and get lit up.

But not professional socializers Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. The couple were alone -- with her mother, Guadalupe, and about 15 other family members -- drinking Cokes in their Hard Rock Hotel suite when the clock struck midnight.

As usual, the national media swooped into town as false rumors of nuptials spread like wildfire.

Meanwhile, British bookmaker Ladbrokes is offering 7-to-1 odds that the couple will marry -- and then divorce -- in 2004.

Their pal Matt Damon was sitting virtually unnoticed with three friends eating dessert on the deck at Mon Ami Gabi (Paris Las Vegas) when the pyrotechnics exploded at midnight.

Britney Spears popped into Rain in the Desert (Palms) in the wee hours, but saved her decadent display for Thursday night, when she took over the AMP Salon.

She treated her eight New Year's Eve dates (her backup dancers) to an evening of beauty: manicures, massages, facials and pedicures. Then the group hit ghostbar.

Even Clint Holmes -- who frequently goes out on the town after his nightly Harrah's show -- was on the down low.

"This is the first New Year's Eve I haven't worked in 16 years," he told VegasBeat.

After he made an appearance on the nationally televised "America's Party" on Fox, Holmes had a quiet dinner with his wife at Postrio (Venetian) and called it quits for the evening.

Other performers and pals milling around in the VIP tent at the Fox telecast included Rachel Hunter, Ice Cube, Ashanti, Puddle of Mudd, Funkmaster Flex, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Darius Rucker, Nate Dogg, Mack 10, Keith Urban, Nikki Ziering and the Chippendales dancers.

Model Angie Everhart, NFLers Ricky Williams, Tony Gonzalez and Warren Moon and baseball's Jason Giambi were at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Drew Barrymore was at Cox Pavilion to see her boyfriend, Strokes rocker Fab Moretti, perform.

Kobe Bryant led a parade of jocks at Rain. Also on hand were Chris Webber, Peerless Price, Ray Crockett, Yancey Thigpen and Dante Hall, plus rappers Too Short and Lil John.

Together again

For perhaps the first time since their acrimonious split, manager and celebrity maker Benny Medina and his former prize client, Lopez, were in the same building at the same time -- at the Hard Rock Hotel on Tuesday night.

She was upstairs with Affleck; he was inside The Joint for the debut of Jeff Beacher's headline comedy show, "Jeff Beacher's Comedy Madhouse." Medina now manages Beacher, along with the guy Medina attended the show with, "American Idol's" Justin Guarini.

Their cross lawsuits were recently withdrawn, and Medina had nothing but kind words for Lopez.

"I wish her nothing but the best both professionally and personally," he told VegasBeat.

Sitting in front of Guarini and Medina and loudly laughing during the bawdy show: Vince Neil, Shannon Elizabeth, Paris Hilton and Richie.

Disappointing

Sales of "St. Anger," Metallica's latest album, are a "bummer," frontman James Hetfield said.

It debuted at No. 1 in June, but quickly fell off the charts.

"It's a bummer," Hatfield told VegasBeat. "In Europe it is doing really good. But it is what it is. We can't change that. We do our best for our fans and that's all that we can do."

With an audience of only about a dozen, VegasBeat saw the band in The Joint when it taped a segment Wednesday afternoon for the Fox New Year's Eve show.

Later, as the year slipped away, they rocked a room full of rabid fans who paid as much as $500 per ticket (read Spencer Patterson's review of the show on page 7E of today's Accent section).

Two wives

Connie Stevens brought down the house Monday night when she introduced one of the members of the audience at her Suncoast show.

"I'd like to introduce a fellow thespian, a neighbor and good friend ... my wife-in-law, Debbie Reynolds," Stevens said.

Of course, both are ex-Mrs. Eddie Fishers.

Stevens had a gaggle of classic celebs at her New Year's Eve show, including Lainie Kazan, Renee Taylor, Steven Bishop, Diane Ladd, Joe Bologna and her daughters, Joely and Tricia Fisher.

VegasBits

Ring in: Out with the old? Not yet -- Cher hits the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight and Saturday for her latest farewell concert ...

Party: Financier and MGM boss Kirk Kerkorian hosted a party of 40, including Tony Curtis, for dinner Monday night at Piero's. Charles Barkley sat at an adjacent table. Embattled Crazy Horse Too club owner Rick Rizzolo was at the bar ...

Winner: Poker star Phil Ivey -- known as the Tiger Woods of the circuit -- walked away from a Bellagio craps table late Monday night with at least 50 $100 chips. Dressed in a throwback Dominique Wilkins Atlanta Hawks jersey, he was congratulated by several fans who recognized him from his televised poker tourney appearances ...

Anniversary: "Lifestyles Las Vegas," Les Kincaid's nationally syndicated radio program that airs locally on KDWN 720-AM, celebrates four years on the air with Saturday's broadcast. The public is invited to watch the celebratory show at noon in the David Brenner Theatre at the new Westin Casuarina (formerly the Maxim) near the Strip on Flamingo Road ...

Fans: Telma Hopkins, Sheryl Lee Ralph and her fiance, Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes, were at Holmes' Tuesday night show ...

Farewell: MGM MIRAGE's beautiful and talented Entertainment Public Relations Manager Dalicia Ramey is leaving Las Vegas after a nine-year run. She is moving to Miami Beach, Fla., to become an executive with champagne maker Dom Perignon. Her first assignment: a tour of their French facilities. Nice. Staffer Fatemah Emamzadeh is temporarily taking over her duties.

From Sun wires

Norway's Kurt Nilsen won the "World Idol" competition on Thursday when he triumphed in a singing competition with winners from 10 other nations.

"American Idol" Kelly Clarkson won second place, and Belgium's Peter Everard came in third when the vote was announced on Britain's ITV television following the New Year's Day broadcast of the international singing competition.

Nilsen, a 25-year-old plumber, won the Norwegian version of "Pop Idol" in May. His single, "She's So High," went straight to No. 1 in the Norwegian singles chart and is the country's biggest-selling single to date.

Rush guitarist arrested: The lead guitarist for the rock band Rush faces criminal charges after a New Year's Eve fight with sheriff's deputies in Naples, Fla.

Alex Zivojinovich, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, was arrested for what deputies described as drunken, violent behavior at the Naples Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Deputies said they used a stun gun on Zivojinovich, 50, who faces six charges that include aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence and disorderly intoxication.