Saturday night saw a landmark moment, in more ways than one, for the meeting of the porn and the mainstream worlds, as a grandiose release party for Michael Ninn's newest epic, Sacred Sin, was held at the Hollywood Hills home of legendary rocker Eddie Van Halen, who contributed two music tracks to the title.
The party, officially named "The Gathering," was a rigorously invite-only affair, with attendees being checked in at a large Porn Valley parking lot and shuttled in droves up to the house - almost symbolically located midway between the Valley and Hollywood - where only-in-the-movies-like decadence greeted them.
In the cavernous front room, ballroom music was being played on a grand piano while an entertainer performed acrobatic choreography in a silky swing hanging from the ceiling.
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Outside, meanwhile, a live rock band performed hits from a full-on, floodlit concert stage while gatherers enjoyed complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and more acrobatics and dancers on stilts kept the scenery lively and surreal.
The highlight of the evening, incontestably, was when Van Halen himself took to the stage and performed some of his most well-known songs, including "Jump" and "Panama," as well as those of others for the crowd, to roaring approval.
Taking some subtle jabs at fellow rocker Billy Idol, who was supposed to perform at the party but backed out hours beforehand, Van Halen made light of the situation by playing Idol's "Rebel Yell."
He also treated the partiers to an extended and virtuoso guitar solo, and wrapped up his set with a classic, leaping, thunderous denouement.
Several of the porn starlets in attendance, including Gia Paloma, Roxy DeVille and Sarah Blake, indulged in dips in the large, outdoor swimming pool, some of them taking rides down the extensive, spiraling waterslide and swimming around in various states of undress.
Despite the elite guest list, it seemed as though the vast majority of major porn players were present. Here are some of the others spotted: co-master of ceremonies Michael Ninn, Ninn Worx contract girl Heather Vuur, Jessica Drake, Kirsten Price, Stormy Daniels, Kaylani Lei, Jassie, Jessica Jaymes, Angel Cassidy, Faith and Marcos Leon, Tiana Lynn, AVN president Paul Fishbein and CEO Darren Roberts, Wicked Pictures president Steve Orenstein, Vivid Entertainment Group co-chairman Steve Hirsch, Pulse Distribution co-owner Jim Kohls, Nautica Thorn, Mia Rose, Jasmine Byrne, Franchezca Valentina, Alaura Eden, Casey Parker, Gia Jordan, Sunny Lane, Tommy Gunn, Rita Faltoyano, Evan Stone, Nicole Sheridan, Voodoo, Taylor Rain, Jenna Presley, Marlie Moore, Zero Tolerance's Travis Nestor, Ben English, Barrett Blade, Ashley Steel, Acme Andersson, Scott Fayner, directors Mark Stone, JacktheZipper and Stoney Curtis, Rayveness, Paulina James, DCypher, Brad Armstrong, Michael Raven, Roy Karch, Lorraine Sisco, Robert "Payaso" Mora, publicists Harry Weiss and Jeff Mullen, and AVN's Dan Miller, Gary Miller, Jared Rutter, Nelson X, M.J. McMahon, Carlos Martinez and Thomas Stanton, plus scores more.
Gift bags included the two-disc collector's edition of Sacred Sin, a designer wristwatch and a sample bottle of vodka. Sacred Sin is on the street now.
