Random cries of "Victory!" and "Drama!" rang out amid a packed house Friday night at Bootleggers, 1023 N Old World 3rd St.
Kevin Dillon was in the house.
The actor, who plays the character Johnny "Drama" Chase on the popular HBO series "Entourage," made a paid appearance at the bar, shaking hands, posing for pictures and chatting with a throng of the show's fans.
For $100, fans could secure a table in the V.I.P section upstairs, where they were guaranteed a meet-and-greet with Dillon (who also wandered the premises), and table service that included a bottle of liquor and mixers or 30 bottles of beer.
Comedian Pauly Shore, who was headlining at Jokerz Comedy Club, dropped in briefly to visit with Dillon, who dined at Molly Cools Seafood Tavern, 1110 N. Old World 3rd St., before venturing to Bootleggers. Shore and Dillon shared a memorable scene at the Playboy Mansion during a previous season of the show.
Fans who met Dillon described him as "cool" and "very down to earth." After speaking to him for about 2 minutes -- mostly about the travails of his beloved New York Mets -- I'd have to concur.
Given the success of this outing, and a recent visit by Paris Hilton, you have to wonder if celebrity appearances like this one will become more common as local establishments compete for customers in a tough economy.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
