Enjoy the A-list celebrity sightings while you can, Chicago. There will be a lot fewer of them once “The Oprah Winfrey Show” ends in May.
Want proof? Last week, the talk show queen hosted musicians
Miley Cyrus
,
Sheryl Crow
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,
Stevie Nicks
,
Joan Jett
,
Pat Benatar
,
Avril Lavigne
,
Salt-N-Pepa
and
Sister Sledge,
as well as “30 Rock” star
Tina Fey
.
As is common with Winfrey guests, Cyrus and Jett dined Thursday at Table Fifty-Two — co-owned by the talk show host’s former personal chef,
Art Smith
. It was Cyrus’ second visit to the Gold Coast restaurant (she ate there with Demi Moore in September). “(Cyrus) loves our fried chicken,” Smith said by email on Friday. “Our food reminds her of home.”
Benatar and her family had dinner at Table Fifty-Two on Friday. Lavigne dined at nearby Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on Thursday and signed an autograph for a young fan celebrating her birthday. The members of Sister Sledge had brunch at Hub 51 on Saturday.
Meanwhile,
Kirstie Alley
and her “Dancing With the Stars” partner
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
taped an episode of “Oprah” on Thursday and partied at Lumen and The Underground later that night. “Forget You” singer
Cee Lo Green
also taped an episode of “Oprah” on Thursday and stayed at the W Chicago — Lakeshore Hotel, the same hotel where Charlie Sheen stayed while in town for his Chicago Theatre show.
Chicago rockers finalists in Rolling Stone contest
Playing for the cover:
Chicago indie rock quartet
Empires
are among the eight unsigned artists left in Rolling Stone’s “Do You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star” contest, which will place the winner on the magazine’s cover in August and award it with an Atlantic Records contract.
“I don’t think any of us think we will win,” said guitarist and Logan Square resident
Tom Conrad
before Empires performed Thursday at the Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue. “The people at Rolling Stone are telling us we’re so close, but it doesn’t seem like a possibility.”
Empires’ pessimism is somewhat understandable. The guys still load their own equipment into their van and cram into drummer
Ryan Luciani’s
subcompact Toyota Echo five times a week to rehearse in Wheeling.
The winner, determined by fan voting on
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rollingstone.com/choosethecover/blog
, will be announced on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” Aug. 1.
“It’s hard sometimes (playing in an indie band),” said Luciani, a self-proclaimed “couch guy” who said he sleeps at various friends’ apartments. “Money alone makes it difficult to do some of the things we want to do.”
Believe it or not, Empires, who are set to perform at Beat Kitchen on May 21, didn’t jump at the opportunity when Rolling Stone initially contacted them. The guys — Conrad, Luciani, Sean van Vleet, Max Steger — said they had to think about it for a few weeks because they were used to doing things without any outside influence and knew the competition could change that.
Since agreeing to the contest, the band has performed on Fox’s “Good Day Chicago” and “WGN Midday News” and will appear in a six-page ad for hair care line Garnier Fructis in Rolling Stone’s April issue. The contest began with 16 artists and will be narrowed down to four bands after the second round of voting ends Thursday.
“We would get to be on nicer tours and play more locations,” Luciani said about winning the contest. “It would definitely give us an opportunity to reach more people.”
Sightings:
R&B star
R. Kelly
bowled at Lucky Strike Lanes in Streeterville on Thursday. … “Entourage” star
Adrian Grenier
had dinner at Sunda on Thursday. …
John Cusack
was spotted at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap on April 2. Fellow actor
Vince Vaughn
hung out at Proof on April 3. … Fall Out Boy singer
Patrick Stump
hung out at Angels & Kings in the Hard Rock Hotel after his solo show at Schubas on April 3. … Singer
Gavin DeGraw
watched the NCAA men’s basketball championship at Public House April 4. … The Cubs’
Carlos Zambrano
visited the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower on March 31. Former Cub
Mark Grace
dined at DiSotto Enoteca, in the basement of Francesca’s on Chestnut, on April 4. … The Phoenix Suns’
Vince Carter
and
Jared Dudley
hung out at District on April 4.
For more sightings, go to chicagotribune.com/luis.