Oh hey! So remember how all of these singers and non-singers were assembling over the weekend as part of a big-deal happy birthday to the Virgin Prunes' Gavin Friday? All that revelry went down last night at Carnegie Hall, and even from the nosebleeds, one couldn't help but admire the bombshell demeanor of ScarJo or the delightfully sloppy all-over-the-placeness of Courtney Love (who, by the by, had three costume changes). Sure, even piss-drunk Shane McGowan, who got up to scream into the microphone and kick the air with unparalleled vigor and vim, brought a little something special to the night. But then, excellent things worth writing home happened, things that were only ambiguously classed under "with Special Guests" on the event programs.

Sure, in ways, it's an unlikely if disparate meshing of talent. But this concert, the latest in a series of events produced to fight the spread in AIDS in Africa as a part of (RED)NIGHTS, finds an anchor in celebrated singer-composer-painter Gavin Friday, a childhood friend of Bono. His band is among those performing. Other performers besides Johansson and Love include Antony Hegarty, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright (last seen celebrating Édith Piaf), Andrea Corr (yes, of those Corrs), Laurie Anderson, and perennial post-punk princess Lydia Lunch.

For one week (and one week only), New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg is renaming the stretch of street at 53rd and Broadway "U2 Way" in honor of the five-night gig the band is playing on the Late Show with David Letterman. The section in question is the area where wannabe audience members line up to wait for the green light to head inside for the show. U2 showed their support for this precious piece of real estate by shoveling snow off the sidewalk earlier this week (see video clip above). Despite the lads' good intentions, visitors should be advised that New York cabbies will recognize (or appreciate) passengers directing them to U2 Way.

● Warren Beatty has a new film project in the works -- his first in almost a decade -- and he wants Lindsay Lohan to act opposite him. The only catch is Lohan must live with Beatty during the filming ... I suppose as a way to monitor her partying ways. Sounds like a movie in itself. [FoxNews]
● Evidently Ben Stiller’s Joaquin Phoenix/Hasidic meth lab worker bit was a surprise to Oscar producers. Stiller created the bit and kept it a secret till he got on stage after he had a meltdown over the planned script. [P6]
● Kanye West was left embarrassed, for once, after fashion maven Vivienne Westwood had no idea who he was. West congratulated the designer on her show, and Westwood just stared at the "greatest rapper of our generation" blankly. Word is Kayne's head exploded Murakami-style from the diss. [NYDN]

● After almost two months out of the spotlight, Sarah Palin has regrouped and is taking shots at Tina Fey and Katie Couric. [CNN]
● Alex Rodriguez must have a thing for cougars. He was reportedly putting the moves on fashion maven Donna Karan over New Year's. [Stylelist]
● Irish rock legends U2 prove that you’re never too established to be influenced by others. Their new album, No Line on the Horizon, is inspired by Led Zeppelin and Jack White. [NME]

Leave it to the classicist lads in U2 to buck new trends and stick to old ones. There will be no flash record release and no pay-what-you-can plan like ones practiced by other bands so big they can afford it. Bono and cohorts have announced the release date and title of their next album, a full three months ahead of its debut. The band took time off from creating Spider-Man-induced hallucinations to record No Line on the Horizon, their 12th studio album and first in the Radiohead-restructured musical landscape. The album will include tracks "Unknown Caller" and "Moment of Surrender," and will feature production from regular U2 collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Will.i.am is curiously absent.