LAS VEGAS—I had just put my ALL ACCESS pass around my neck and started making conversation with AVN's editor when she asked me to do a color story. I opened my red notebook to a fresh page and went out to the Red Carpet to start making notes.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has built a Red Carpet Gauntlet from the HRH tower through the casino and around the circular bar in the casino, with military-precise 90-degree turns. Three hours before the scheduled 9:00 start, the Gauntlet is jammed with people, although there are spaces where you can get in ... fortunately.
First person I see is Lily Cade, uncharacteristically glammed up in a red one-shoulder number. She cleans up good. ... At the corner where the new casino and old casino meet, a Wicked Pictures contingent passes through. At the same time, Stormy Daniels and Brendon Miller, and jessica drake and Brad Armstrong, take selfies. When they see what the other couple is doing, they laugh and turn the phones around to take pictures of each other. ... A woman in a leopard print top holds her phone at the ready, framing pictures of the empty red carpet between stars. She tells me she wants to see Girlfriends Films contract performer Mindi Mink, and helpfully spells the name for me. ... The crossovers between the Red Carpet traffic and casino traffic are executed efficiently and professionally by the Hard Rock security people. Just like at Disneyland but the parade is WAY different. ...
Near the bar, the Red Carpet passes close to the craps tables as the $25 players indifferently play with their backs to the action. C'mon, nine! ... An apparent shortcut between two craps tables is actually a pedestrian-prohibited pit, and a smiling security guy is stationed between the tables to re-route traffic. ... I take a new position by the craps tables. That’s where I wind up at a casino anyway. ... The security personnel at the Red Carpet also keep their backs to the action, scanning the crowd, eyes always in motion, politely but quickly answering questions. ... Chad White. ... A girl walks down the Red Carpet wearing a bikini bottom, body paint and pasties. Can't be too careful. ... Nina Hartley, elegant in a long-sleeved black floor-length gown. "She's, like, a classic porn star. What's her name?" a spectator asks. Nina Hartley. "Yeah, that's it." ... A wall on the outside of the bar has logos for the AVN Awards and ImLive.com on it. Nicely played. ... Kevin Moore and August Ames. ... A spectator is quietly surrounded by security guards and led away from the Red Carpet ...
6:15. Two hours 45 minutes before the scheduled start of the show. The Red Carpet leads directly to The Joint, where the Awards will take place, but a detour has been established through the adjacent Vinyl club for show presenters and other high-profile guests to parade before the press cameras under a blinding amount of light. ... First position is held by Robin Leach, who has reinvented himself as a man-about-town reporter in Las Vegas. ... Back at the Gauntlet, howls and cheers greet a woman in a low-cut gown. An aide splays the train of a black dress for a performer. ... Fellow reporter Steve Nelson joins me just as Allie Haze walks by, elegant in a black-and-gold floor-length number with thigh-high slits for walking ease. ... A crew-cut guy in a T-shirt groans, "I'm pissed that I didn't get tickets for the Awards, but I saw who I wanted to see at Expo. I'm in the Navy in D.C. and I came here for this." On questioning, he tells me that he almost bought Awards tickets in July when he bought Expo tickets and made his hotel plans, but couldn’t get somebody to go with him to the Awards. I advise him to just buy the tickets next year and tell his friends he has them. They'll come to him. He grins and agrees. Maybe he'll be walking the Red Carpet next year ...
I spot Dana DeArmond avoiding the Red Carpet entirely, on the perimeter walkway with the people indifferent to the show going on on the casino floor. Nicely done ... Bonnie Rotten in red lace ... A very aggressive photographer has interposed himself between Steve and me, and I think he has seen Blow Up too many times: every time he wants a picture, he lunges over the elastic between the stanchion poles. Only thing missing is a karate-like "HA!" as he trips the shutter. I get the hell away from him as quick as I can. ... Evan Stone stops to tell Steve and me about the unexpected result of putting his penis in the cement at Legends of Erotica on Friday night. He was warned that the cement should be washed right off, but he didn't want to risk soiling his white suit for the LATATA White Party later that night so he wiped up with paper towels. "Cement has got lime in it. It burns!" he exclaims as he joins us in laughter now that it's all over. ...
Director Ivan takes pictures of the crowd as he walks by in black fur hat, black T-shirt and shorts, a gold medal around his neck. ... AVN's Sherri Shaulis walks by, points out that the ALL ACCESS pass lets me walk on the red carpet. I decide to stay put. I like it here. ... Nobody is playing craps now, but the dealers are there at the ready just in case. ... I've lost track of time by now. ... Mick Blue and Anikka Albrite walk by. She looks beautiful, and when Steve offers to take my picture with them I jump at it. ... Karmen Karma ... Aiden Starr in a bright red bra and skirt that shows off her pale skin ... Colin Rowntree with Chauntelle Tibbals ... Julia Ann in gold brocade. She has got that Grace Kelly elegance. ... Frida Sante. We spent a few days together on a location shoot over the summer. That's a bonding experience. ... Joanna Angel and I talk about a deck of cards she wants me to give a magician I know. ...
7:00. Two hours to go. Mark Wood and Francesca Lé. Lily Cade has made it to the Red Carpet. Steve takes a picture of us as she leans on my shoulder and looks at me in profile. ... Agent Mark Spiegler in a blue suit. "I wear this every year. Same thing." ... Spiegler talent Yhivi, whose name is pronounced "E-V," grins at being recognized. ... Riley Reid is wearing about 50 yards of red rope and black X-shaped pasties. "What is Kelly Shibari wearing?" I ask her. She doesn't hear me. I repeat it, louder. She frowns, confused. ... They're coming faster now. Riley Steele, Tyler Nixon ... Karen Summer, back after a long hiatus, smiles at the hoopla. "Back in the day, we had this in a dining room. And nobody cared." ... MimeFeak and Tori Black ... Kendra Lust: "Let the show begin." ... Marie McCray ... Ron Jeremy, casual as usual in a black T-shirt ... Dan O'Connell and Moose from Girlfriends Films. Prinzzess, looking elegant as usual. She looks like she lives on a cloud and just visits down here. ...
Jenna Ivory is channeling Marliyn Monroe, I swear it. ... Kelly Shibari cracks up when I tell her about Riley Reid, the first time I didn’t have to explain that obscure joke. ... Nikki Benz walks right by, unrecognizable under her new dark hair. Steve spotted her at once. ... April Flores ... Chanell Heart, smiling broadly and enjoying the attention ... Maitresse Madeline in a trés décolleté black number that looks like it's going to fall off any second. "It won't. It's taped securely." ... Veteran and returning performer Ruby, grinning, "I'm getting too old for this shit." ... Claudia Marie in a red velvet rhinestoned strapless bustier somehow keeping her 50-J boobs from making a break for daylight. "Let me see your profile," Steve says, and she doesn't hear him and leans forward to listen closer. "Perfect!" Steve exclaims and flashes away. ... Xander Corvus ... Katie St. Ives almost unrecognizable in a short-short-way-short haircut that wouldn't be out of place on a Little Leaguer. When did you get the haircut? "I've had it since November." ... Amber Lynn in a leather jacket and sheer skirt. Black panties ... Sparky Sin Claire, with practically a shaved head, coming in with Lily LaBeau ... Sean Michaels with three people who were interesting enough to write their names down but not legibly. ... Chad White, Hey, wait a minute. Weren't you just here? "Yeah. I came around again." ...
Richie Calhoun strolls by with a casual, "We're closing it up," and I look behind him to see Hard Rock personnel gathering the stanchions as two guys roll up the Red Carpet, removing all traces of the parade that riveted the attention of the whole building for several hours.
Let the show begin.
Above, the media room; photograph by EMMReport.com.
