Forget the Oscars and Party Down to Buzz Awards

In next week’s Calendar Weekend, we’re presenting the first “Club Buzz” awards, and one thing’s for certain, unlike Sunday’s trillion-dollar festival o’ snooze, you won’t sleep through this party ‘cause la-dee-da-dee, we likes to pah-ty and that’s why we’re rewarding the clubs and promoters who really know how to throw down. . . .

One guy who knows how to orchestrate an affair, Jeffrey Best (his company threw over 200 events last year), doubled up for the Oscars, arranging the Miramax party at the Beverly Hills Hotel and helping Andre Balazs with a private bash at the Standard on Sunset Boulevard. Among those who partied at the hotelier’s hot spot were Drew Barrymore, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn and Matt Dillon. New York DJ Mark Ronson supplied the mood-altering music. Among those reportedly turned away was Monica Lewinsky. . . .

The last of the great “213” clubs, Al’s Bar, celebrates 20 years of rockin’ in the free world on Easter, April 4, and Al’s is gonna kick out the jams starting at 3 p.m. Scheduled to perform are the Jimbonairres, Midget Hand Job (the new naughty-named band from Circle Jerks’ Keith Morris), and the legendary Pop Defect, who first played Al’s 17 years ago on a “No Talent” night. Mike Watt, Sylvia Juncosa and other special guests will grab the mike throughout the night. . . . Speaking of special guests, usually when you see that phrase on an invitation it don’t mean much, but at the Hollywood Stock Exchange Oscar party at the House of Blues it meant Beck. Now isn’t that special? . . . Madonna was among the special at the Sugar Ray/Everlast doubleheader at the Palladium on Friday. Apparently, the singer enjoyed meeting Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath the night before at Atlantic, the site of her pre-Oscar party. . . . Now, forget about the Oscars and check out a real awards show next week: no Celine, no Whitney, no Whoopie. Thank God.