Feb 8, 2007

The Rock-Star Lifestyle

Talk about partying like a rock star: I spent Saturday night at new nightspot Pharmacy (1450 W. Chicago Ave.), where a charity event benefiting the Chicago Music Commission featured photos by Rock Star Supernova bassist Johnny Colt and rock photo legend/CMC founder Paul Natkin. Pharmacy is still awaiting its liquor license; stay tuned for a full review of the spot-and more on the CMC soiree-in Chicago's April Nightspotting column.In the meantime, a few behind-the-scenes tidbits you can only read here. Rock Star Supernova guitarist Gilby Clarke was at the event, as were Pharmacy co-owner David Lehtman and Colt, who headed to the bar following the band's concert at Rosemont Theatre. Colt is by far one of the nicest, most well spoken musicians I've ever met-and there have been a few. (What can I say? I'm a sucker for rock stars.) We spent a lot of time rapping about his former stint with The Black Crowes, which meant I had to fess up about my not-so-secret crush on Crowes frontman Chris Robinson. When Colt asked why I'm still single, I told him it's hard to find a nice Jewish boy with edge. "Chris Robinson is Jewish!" he told me. Honestly, I had no clue. "Technically, the kids take the mother's religion anyway, so you can raise them Jewish, no matter who you marry," Colt said. He has a point. (If you stop by the bar, check out his shots of Chris Robinson and the Crowes; one sold for $500, but I still have my eye on another.) Across town Rock Star Supernova drummer Tommy Lee spun until close at Enclave. Lee wore a Bears jersey with his name on the back and polished off a bottle of Cristal on stage. Dave Navarro was also in attendance; his band, The Panic Channel, had opened for RSS earlier that night. (Navarro was also the host of the reality show, Rock Star: Supernova, that brought RSS together.) I got some behind-the-scenes scoop on the concert from Pharmacy owner David Lehtman, who with his wife, Kim, was backstage before and after the concert. Lehtman, a big Tommy Lee fan, took a picture of a restaurant sign near Western and Lawrence that reads, "Tom Lee," and signed the back of the shot. He handed it to Lee in the Rosemont's green room, saying, "I know everyone asks for your autograph, so I thought I'd give you mine." Lee accepted the gift with a smile and showed it off to his kids, Dylan and Brandon. When Navarro wasn't on stage, he was spied chowing down in the commissary-shirtless, of course, revealing ripping pecks and nipple piercings. But the highlight of the night for Lehtman was when Gilby Clarke, former guitarist for Guns N' Roses and Heart, let Lehtman play the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" on Clarke's guitar. Photographs: Courtesy of Paul Natkin and Grace Public Relations

Posted at 07:50 PM in Nightlife | Permalink