[Peace-discuss] War profiteer suborns culture

[C. G. Estabrook]

<www.rockrap.com>

History will forever record Elizabeth Brooks' bat mitzvah as
"Mitzvahpalooza." For his daughter's coming-of-age celebration
last weekend, multimillionaire Long Island defense contractor
David H. Brooks booked two floors of the Rainbow Room, hauled
in concert-ready equipment, built a stage, installed special
carpeting, outfitted the space with Jumbotrons and arranged
command performances by everyone from 50 Cent to Tom Petty to
Aerosmith. I hear it was garish display of rock 'n' roll idol
worship for which the famously irascible CEO of DHB
Industries, a Westbury-based manufacturer of bulletproof
vests, sent his company jet to retrieve Aerosmith's Steven
Tyler and Joe Perry from their Saturday gig in Pittsburgh. I'm
also told that in honor of Aerosmith (and the $2 million fee I
hear he paid for their appearance), the 50-year-old Brooks
changed from a black-leather, metal-studded suit -
accessorized with biker-chic necklace chains and diamonds from
Chrome Hearts jewelers - into a hot-pink suede version of the
same lovely outfit. The party cost an estimated $10 million,
including the price of corporate jets to ferry the performers
to and from. Also on the bill were The Eagles' Don Henley and
Joe Walsh performing with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks; DJ AM
(Nicole Richie's fiance); rap diva Ciara and, sadly perhaps
(except that he received an estimated $250,000 for the job),
Kenny G blowing on his soprano sax as more than 300 guests
strolled and chatted into their pre-dinner cocktails. "Hey,
that guy looks like Kenny G," a disbelieving grownup was
overheard remarking - though the 150 kids in attendance seemed
more impressed by their $1,000 gift bags, complete with
digital cameras and the latest video iPod. For his estimated
$500,000, I hear that 50 Cent performed only four or five
songs - and badly - though he did manage to work in the lyric,
"Go shorty, it's your bat miztvah, we gonna party like it's
your bat mitzvah." At one point, I'm told, one of Fitty's
beefy bodyguards blocked shots of his boss performing and
batted down the kids' cameras, shouting "No pictures! No
pictures!" - even preventing Brooks' personal videographers
and photographers from capturing 50 Cent's bat-miztvah moment.
"Fitty and his posse smelled like an open bottle of Hennessy,"
a witness told me, adding that when the departing rapper
prepared to enter his limo in the loading dock, a naked woman
was spotted inside. I'm told that Petty's performance - on
acoustic guitar - was fabulous, as was the 45-minute set by
Perry and Tyler, who was virtuosic on drums when they took the
stage at 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Henley, I hear, was grumpy at the
realization that he'd agreed to play a kids' party. I'm told
that at one point Brooks leapt on the stage with Tyler and
Perry, who responded with good grace when their paymaster
demanded that his teenage nephew be permitted to sit in on
drums. At another point, I'm told, Tyler theatrically wiped
sweat off Brooks' forehead - and then dried his hand with a
flourish. Yesterday, Brooks disputed many details provided to
me by Lowdown spies at the affair and by other informed
sources, scrawling on a fax to me: "All dollar figures vastly
exaggerated." He added: "This was a private event and we do
not wish to comment on details of the party."

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