Super Bowl Alli
Allison Weiss Brady Tackles the Town
Allison Weiss Brady was at it again with another exciting social-filled adventure. In this latest chapter AWB took on the Super Bowl with Creed frontman singer/songwriter, Scott Stapp. They bounced around the action in VIP style to mix and mingle with NFL superstars, A-list actors and bona-fide power brokers.
Everybody knows Creed. With a string of # 1 hits, the band recently released their CD entitled “Full Circle,” which debuted at # 2 on the Billboard Charts.
I first met Scott Stapp through mutual friends at a Ricky Williams event and have helped him in PR and marketing projects for the last six years – Grammys, MTV VMAs, etc. Since he was in town for the Super Bowl, I knew that it would be fabulous to tag along and see things from his perspective.
Pro Bowl and Super Bowl events were right in our backyard, so who would turn down an opportunity to hang with one of the greatest rock ‘n roll stars, attend a fabulous week of star-studded events, and write about it for this column? Well, not me. Clearly, it was work, work, (and more work), but it was all worth it.
The first adventures were Pro Bowl festivities. There were a few terrific parties, but overall, it wasn’t that busy, as everyone was saving their big events for the Super Bowl.
A few nights before Pro Bowl Week – at a dinner at Houstons in Coral Gables (love their veggie burger) – I was asked to help work on an event by one of my husband’s business partners. The event would be for the organization One Team 4 Haiti, a collaboration of the Players Associations of the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and Pro Soccer, which benefits the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Unsettled by the
devastation in Haiti, there is no way I could say no. We had a call at 10 a.m. a few days later with President Clinton’s office, former NFL players Jack Brewer and Barrett Green, and the rest of our team, and we were in full-swing.
The Pro Bowl week event benefiting the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund officially launched Brew Sports International, founded by former NFL player Jack Brewer. I was working peripherally on the event, helping on marketing aspects.
The event was an unbelievable success, due in part to Barrett Green, Jack Brewer, Jesse Meehan and the Brewer Sports International team. NFL star after NFL star showed up at the event. From Terrell Owens, Sidney Rice, Zach Crockett, to Marion Barber, if it wasn’t the only party in town, it certainly seemed like it was. It was that fabulous!
The event had a big, successful auction, and since Scott had just gotten back from Haiti the night before, he couldn’t attend, but sent auction items instead.
Super Bowl Week was not nearly as crazed as I thought it would be, as Scott, working on several projects, only wanted to go out on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Many of the best events were on that Thursday and Saturday anyway, so that was a good call.
Remembering how fabulous the Ocean Drive/Market America 8th & Ocean Drive concert with Jennifer Lopez the last time the Super Bowl was in town, people were scrambling to attend the VH1 Presents Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam concert on the beach with Rihanna.
Rihanna was rockin! She popped up on the stage wearing a black and white outfit, and her pants, I mean shorts, well actually both had one pant leg that went to the ground, and one leg was shorter than shorts. Interesting. Only she (or maybe Pink at the Grammys or Lady Gaga) could pull that off.
Timbaland, JoJo, Justin Beiber, Nancy O’Dell were on stage while in the VIP area, Scott, his wife Jaclyn, my husband Chip, and the rest of our group ran into Miami Dolphins player Channing Crowder who was chilling on the sofas, boxer Lennox Lewis whose long hair was swept up in a knitted cap, actor Nick Cannon, NFL Player Tony Gonzalez, and many other NFL stars and celebrities. It was a fantastic concert and perfect weather – a wonderful Miami night.
Next stop, the GQ party hosted by Jose Ortiz, but first we stopped by a restaurant on Ocean Drive to say a quick hello to Ricky Williams. It had been a while since Scott and Ricky had seen each other. Since then they have both lost about six inches of hair. Luckily, that was by choice.
As we approached the GQ party, a lot of whispers were going on…That’s pssst…so-and-so from the Buffalo Bills…That’s oh-my-gosh…superstar from the Detroit Lions…
With or without a helmet, I couldn’t recognize half of them, although I can guarantee you every press person and every guy in the room could. What’s a girl to do?
We were almost at the GQ party and I noticed that Scott’s wife Jaclyn was wearing the most gorgeous pair of Louboutins. Only in my dreams could I walk in those. Then I heard a voice behind me. “Hey, Sparkles, nice shirt!” yells a homeless guy talking about my new Tory Burch tunic. Well, clearly everyone knows I have good taste.
Later in the week, we hit major rainstorms en route to sports agent Drew Rosenhaus’ “Rock ‘N Soul” party at Hard Rock Live. I noticed Creed memorabilia hanging on the wall as soon as we walked in, which was pretty cool. The memorabilia was surrounded by items from Nickelback, The Beatles, and other fab artists.
The Hard Rock staff couldn’t have been nicer, as we meandered our way to the party. We were stopped by Creed fans asking for autographs, and eventually found our way to the Step & Repeat/Red Carpet – except, it wasn’t a carpet. It was a glass stage. And underneath, something was moving! They were models. That’s right, live models wearing shiny outfits and flowers. Wonder how they did the casting for that job? Can you add that as a skill to your resume?
Inside the event, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, Jermaine Dupri, Gym Class Heroes, LSN Partners Chip Brady and Michael McAllister , Katrina Campins, former Miami Dolphins player Zach Thomas, Tennessee Titans Jevon Kearse, Drew Rosenhaus and his brother Jason schmoozed about football and rock ‘n roll. Super Bowl predictions ran rampant around the room.
Finishing out the week, we headed off to Jim Carrey’s and Jenny McCarthy’s Saturday Night Spectacular/Generation Rescue event, benefiting children with autism, presented by American Airlines and Texas Energy Holdings, and III Forks restaurant (from Texas, opening soon in South Florida – FYI).
I saw Mary McCormack there, who I hadn’t seen since my New York City days before she was famous and dating some model named Alex. I also saw Chelsea Handler who was wearing an adorable pink sateen dress and perfect blond hair. Joining them were Eva and Michael Chow, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Derula (who recently opened up for Lady Gaga at the James L. Knight Center), and Cheryl Burke from Dancing with the Stars. I should have asked her for a few dancing tips.
Scott loved the event and told me that he especially likes to support charities that directly improve a child’s quality of life. Who can argue with that logic?
While walking the red carpet, Scott and his wife made a surprise announcement to People magazine that they are expecting a boy early this summer.
Meanwhile, Scott is busy working on his solo album and his upcoming Creed summer tour. Jaclyn finished writing her first children’s book, a heartwarming story about an unlikely beauty queen. Can’t wait to see them in concert again and read her book.
What a great week it was for all! It was quite successful, and lots of fun. Now I’m looking forward to getting a pedicure to fix up my worn out feet, and oh yes, some sleep would be nice too.
Until next time, I bid you adieu.
Allison
Photos by: Larry Marano and Ralph Notaro.
Allison Weiss Brady handles marketing for celebrities and non-profits. She is active in many organizations in South Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania including Big Brothers Big Sister, The Community Coalition, Voices Against Brain Cancer, Gene Spotlight, The Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, and one of her family’s foundations Say Yes to Education, which recently partnered with Quincy Jones. Weiss Brady and her husband Chip Brady are members of Art Basel’s Junior Host Committee and Weiss Brady is a member of the Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon Founding Committee. She on the Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice and she’s the only female on the university’s Football Board. Weiss Brady was also the sole recipient of the University of Pennsylvania’s 2008 Young Alumni of the Year Award, and serves on the Overseers board for the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
