THE NET SET
Jon Lovitz and Jeremy Piven were out raising a racket at UCLA the other night. The two local hot shots donned their tennis duds to help The Grammy Foundation’s MusiCares program at the annual Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net benefit.
To get in the swing of things, casually clad guests hit the green for a VIP cocktail party. They lined up for frosty margaritas and spicy fish tacos while being serenaded by an acoustic group playing folksy tunes.
With temps hitting the high 90s, this crowd dressed to beat the heat, minis, capris, polo shirts and tanks were essential. While the rest of us were wilting, lovely Linda Thompson was a vision of cool looking super sexy in summer white and not a bead of sweat to be found. “I love this event,” gushed tennis-loving Linda. “It’s always so much fun.”
Celebs like Reno 911’s Wendy McLendon-Covey were busy checking out the silent auction items. Must-have goodies included a Gibson Flying V Guitar personalized by All American Rejects and a classic Les Paul signed by the music legend himself. “This is a real find,” said one admirer. “Exotic wood, mother of pearl inlayed frets, perfect sound-now that’s a thing of beauty.” In the art department, Grace Slick showed off her creative side with a pair of stylish white rabbits. Despite those Woodstock daze, the ’60s icon is an excellent illustrator. Go ask Alice.
Soon it was game time and we made our way to the courts. Retiring champ Andre Agassi was given a standing ovation by the fans in the stands followed by dynamic doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan. They were already at the warm-up stage when Piven rushed in straight from the set of “Entourage.” “Sorry, I’m late,” he said, “but I’ve got to pay the rent. Now I’m ready for my public humiliation.”
With Piven paired up with Agassi, how humiliating could it possibly be? Lovitz suffered a series of double faults before getting his groove back mid match. While Jon is a Night at the Net vet, the players took it easy on newcomer JP who managed get in a good smash here and there with a flock of female fans cheering him on.
After Piven-Agassi took the first round, it was time for Ari to rush back to the set. Next Lovitz took his turn with the world champ and went on to a 9-10 victory.
Although both celebs came out on top, the real winner was MusiCares. Chairman Les Bider was presented with a check of $5K by the US Tennis Association, plus another $75,000 from Gibson. Now that’s smashing!