Going to red carpet events with Pete is fun for a myriad of reasons. A.) He has his own unique ideas about what constitutes appropriate behavior in social situations, B.) He is completely unintimidated by celebrities, publicists, and security teams, C.) He usually ends up singing loudly and off key to a captive crowd using a Budweiser as a microphone, and most importantly D.) He always records it all.
The Hard Rock event to benefit Willie Nelson's orginization for Sustainable Biodiesel was no different. Only this time the Gator had a very specific goal in mind -- interviews with expected guests Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson for Breuer Unleashed's impending "George Wendt Film Festival". Pete, Shaka and I spent a good hour standing at the end of the carpet with a mini-recorder, downing drinks behind all of the "legit" media with expensive equipment and eager expressions. A few guests walked by-- former Breu guest Andrew WK, O.A.R., New York's infamous MisShapes, and of course American Idol Constantine Maroulis, but Pete wanted none of it. Constantine even circled by a few times and took up a post right next to Pete, in hopes of doing every last possible interview, but Pete said he felt it was his duty to his country to not acknowledge him.
FINALLY Woody Harrelson arrived. He slowly made his way down the carpet, stopping to chat with every last camera and microphone about bio-this and bio-that. When at long last he reached our Bud-bottle littered station, Pete approached, and his nicest, most polite voice ventured "Hi Woody, can I have just a second of your time? I'm from Breuer Unleashed on Sirius and we're doing a George Wendt film festival." And wouldn't you know it, Woody Harrelson, that tree-hugging, Wendt-hating, sonofagun just walked on by. Pete chased him down the remainder of carpet and down the stairs, yelling "Woody! Woody! It's a George Wendt Film Festival! George Wendt!" until finally security stopped him and he returned to us, defeated. By this point, the entire Breu Crew was waiting at the top of the stairs for him, and though we were all disappointed that we didn't get sound bites for our Wendt Festival, I have never seen a group of people laugh that hard at their friend. Well worth it.
But not everyone gave Pete the brush-off. (Well, there was an incident with Daryl Hannah, but you can't win 'em all). The incomparable Stephen Colbert stopped to chat, and even did his best to drege up some George Went memories.
And obviously, it doesn't get any cooler than Willie Nelson. All in all a very successful evening for Biodiesel and the Regulator Nation.
