Pamela Anderson begins the new-year countdown just before Adam Lambert performs at the Gridlock during its fourth annual New Year’s Eve bash on the Paramount Pictures lot.
The crowd lights up at the start of a new year just before Adam Lambert’s performance. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
The “American Idol” runner-up had his work cut out for him at the Paramount Pictures lot Thursday night: executing his first full set of original music in front of about 4,500 revelers, each of whom had paid at least $150 to get in. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Lambert hit his groove with dance-floor-ready songs such as “For Your Entertainment” and “Fever.” (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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At one point during his performance, Lambert took a dramatic swig from a flask, offering this disclaimer: “I’m not promoting alcoholism by any means, but long live rock ‘n’ roll!” (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
“The show was thrown together last minute ... kind of fly by the seat of our pants,” said Lambert of the $50,000 nontelevised event. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Earlier in the night, Lambert reminisced about New Year’s Eve 2008, when he was also performing as part of a cabaret just down the road on La Cienega Boulevard. “I sang at midnight like I’m doing tonight. Only there’s a couple more people at this venue.” (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
The “American Idol” runner-up sang for 40 minutes and ended the performance with a grand finale: wailing Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
