$10 million party for 13 year old kid

  As if to underscore the adage that the rich are different from us, here comes news of a coming of age party to end all coming of age parties. The person being feted was Elizabeth Brooks ,and the person footing the bill was her daddy — defense contractor David Brooks. The reason for the party was Elizabeth's bat mitzvah, but when you're a multi-millionaire like Brooks, hiring a hall and a DJ or a band is so pedestrian somehow. So, you rent the best room you can find, hire some A-list entertainment, crank out the wallet, and (US)$10 million later, your little girl has her party.
  Brooks, who is CEO of DHB Industries, rented out two floors of Rockefeller Center's Rainbow Room in Manhattan. He supplied some kickass audio and video equipment, put on a helluva spread, and then paid for the entertainment. It was the entertainment which likely drove the final cost of the affair into eight figure territory. Among the talent assembled and performing were Aerosmith, Tom Petty, a combo composed of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Stevie Nicks, along with soft jazz sax extraordinaire Kenny G. Aerosmith reportedly cost Brooks $2 million for their gig while Kenny G had to settle for $250,000 as his fee. Of course, those figures didn't include the costs of flying the talent into New York for the party.
  Added to the talent list was the rap powerhouse that is 50 Cent. "Fitty" doesn't come cheap for personal appearances, earning something along the lines of $500,000 for performing four or five songs. He did alter the lyrics of one of his songs in tribute to the occasion: "Go shorty, it's your bat miztvah, we gonna party like it's your bat mitzvah." Uh huh. 50 Cent's appearance is probably a neat fit for the occasion because one of DHB's subsidiaries is heavy into making bulletproof vests.
  Brooks himself disputes the estimates on the cost of the party — "All dollar figures vastly exaggerated" — but the talent doesn't come cheap and the 300 guests (including 150 of Elizabeth's closest friends) received gift bags filled with booty worth about $1,000 apiece. Which leads to a question — If you're invited to a party with a reported total tab like that, what sort of gift would you give to the guest of honor? One guesses Brooks is trying to downplay the exercise in wretched excess because, hey he's got a public company, and nothing good generally comes from unwanted publicity about expensive parties.

Exclusive Photos! Mitzvahpalooza!

November 29, 2005

Big news over the weekend, when "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 Don Henley to Stevie Nicks to Aerosmith..."

Brooks got better talent than the NBC Katrina relief benefit.

It’s the little secret of pop music.

Be they rockin’ rebel, gangsta rapper, tabloid witch, or hifalutin’ media-bashing prick who hasn’t been allowed near a 13-year-old girl since one turned up comatose in his hot tub, you pay them enough money and they’ll play at your little girl’s bat mitzvah.



Steven and Joe, we give you a pass because of Honkin’ on Bobo and Mark Hudson.



And because you’ve been refreshingly candid about rock ‘n’ roll whoredom.


Ciara, you’re cool because we never heard of you.


But 50 Cent? Oy! (Isn't this from that James Toback flick, "Get Rich or Die Shrayen"?)


And Don Henley? Live this one down!

Scary reality
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