Who are those sweaty, tattoo-sporting, leather-pants clad old men?* Why that's Motley Crue (and the guy walking offstage on the far right, with the even weirder pants, is Steven Tyler). Last night VJDamien got me into the private Ambassadors of Rock event at the Hard Rock Cafe, celebrating the Hard Rock's 35th birthday and raising money for the Chris Farley Foundation. What a weird event... it was as if I'd been sucked into my television while watching VH1 Classic. All five members of Aerosmith! Max Weinberg! Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick! Vinnie Paul of Pantera! All four members of Hootie and the Blowfish! 40% of Damnocracy (Ian Scott and Evan Seinfeld)! And Matt Sorum, who I got to talk to briefly until I scared him away. Booze flowed freely (and free), hot waitresses duped suckers (including the two of us) into buying $50 raffle tickets, and the Crue played a 90-minute set of all hits (and one new song). Although the band was tight, Vince Neil simply sings sounds instead of words (for example, the first line of "Dr. Feelgood" now goes "Ha hail Himmy, heconeh woo, de-a Hollywoo"). Quite bizarre.

* And why can my camera only take crappy, out-of-focus photos at concerts? This was by far the best one to come out.