Music Biz’s Big Players Have a Bash

The Event: A bash to kick off big-wheel music consultant Jeff Pollack’s 10th anniversary Music & Media Conference. The yearly event brings together the people who make records with the people who play them. The soiree took place on the main concourse of the Pacific Design Center, allowing guests eyefuls of beautifully wrought furniture to ogle in case the conversation failed to enchant.

Who Was There: Just about everyone who was responsible for making FM the radio band of note. Most notably, David Crosby; members of the British prog-rock band YES; David Lee Roth’s guitarist, Steve Vai, and Cheap Trick lead singer Robin Zander. Also present were MTV chairman Tom Freston, MTV’s manic, chain-smoking VJ Dennis Leary and a host of other record-biz types and disc jockeys and the people who love them.

The Spread: Kebabs, pizza, pasta and other above-par Mediterranean fare catered by Ambrosia.

Newest Substance to Just Say No to: Calories. The predominantly ectomorphic gathering avoided the sumptuous dessert table in droves. Thus, the chocolate-dipped strawberries and apple cobbler a la mode were left to melt in a state of sad neglect.

Snazziest Fashion Statements: A toss-up between the glittery silver ponytails senior music industry execs seem to favor and the outrageously multicolored Rohde-Royce print ties worn by the Ambrosia staff. Against the background of service whites, the ties were definite eye-pleasers.

Quoted: “I didn’t used to get out much,” offered Age of Aquarius-era crooner David Crosby, who arrived fashionably late with wife, Janice. “In the ‘60s, I was a pure iconoclast, so I would never go to a party like this. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, I would’ve just been busy somewhere else. But, now, in the ‘90s, I started enjoying these again, and I actually have a lot of friends here.”

Entertainment: Jammin’ reggae tunes by the Magyk Band.

Overheard: “So I built them a recording studio,” complained one exasperated and overindulgent executive. “And then they never showed up.”