Seen: ESPN’s Chris Berman + More Celebrities in the 401

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Leah MIchaels, GoLocalProv Contributor

ESPN sportscaster and icon Chris Berman was seen in Providence, giving a talk at his alma mater, Brown University. He got his start in broadcasting at 95.5 WBRU, where he was sports director, and he talked about his time there, including when he got into a fight with a Harvard radio broadcaster when Brown beat them in football. He honored Michael Goldberger, who is leaving as Brown's athletic director after almost 40 years, and spoke generally about his time in the industry. He was always ready with a funny line or story, proving how he became one of the biggest announcers in sports. Berman also made sure to mention that Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning, which is obviously true, but still good to hear from a sports professional...

Newport is no stranger to celebrities, and it entertained a reality show star about a week ago. Real Housewife of New York, model and designer Kelly Bensimon came to the city by the sea for a weekend getaway with her daughter, staying at the elegant Vanderbilt Grace hotel, shopping at Sole Desire, enjoying some massages at the hotel spa, and eating at Muse, The Landing, and The Black Pearl. She Tweeted about her experience as well, saying “The last time I was in Newport, I was modeling for Elle magazine on America’s Cup Stars and Stripes." Glad the nautical hotspot made her feel welcome...

One of Providence's own returned home on Saturday for a special occasion. Musician, songwriter, and lyricist Jeffery Osborne of L.T.D. was back in his hometown for the naming of Jeffrey Osborne Way, a section of Olney Street where the music legend grew up, and the naming of April 21 as Jeffrey Osborne day. He sang some of his hit songs like "On the Wings of Love" and enjoyed a block party in his honor, at which Mayor Angel Taveras was also in attendance. Osborne has worked other celebrities like Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick, but he was still awed by the gesture. "This means so much to me," he said, "It's even more than my dream. This today, I guess I have to go back and dream this one up, because this is really special."

Brown University's annual Spring Weekend concerts took place this weekend on the university's Main Green, and as usual some big names were in tow. On Friday night rapper Childish Gambino, real name Donald Glover, hyped up the crowd with his clever wordplay and stage presence. Some may know him better as Troy Barnes from NBC's comedy Community, and considering he also performed at Coachella this weekend, it was nice of him to stop by Providence. On Saturday, electro-rockers Twin Shadow opened the show, followed by the chill sounds of The Walkmen. Then, Grammy-nominated rapper Cam'ron got everyone bouncing with his hits "Hey Ma" and "Oh Boy," and finally electronic trio The Glitch Mob took the stage to finish of the day. The Glitch Mob were also spotted making surprise DJ appearances various after-parties around the campus...

This was a huge weekend for the Mohegan Sun. Drita D'Avanzo from the VH1's Mob Wives greeted adoring fans at Mohegan's Signings and Sightings event, autographing photos and taking pictures with admirers. Later she hit the casino and put in an appearance at the club Ultra 88. Next, Corey and Chumlee from the History Channel show Pawn Stars appeared on the main concourse. Fans had started lining up starting at 9:30 AM for the event, which included a signing and public Q&A. The two also got a special chance to meet the band Creed, who were headlining the Mohegan Sun Arena. And finally, Boston Red Sox pitchers Jon Lester and Felix Doubront had a signing event as well. They came in right after the 100th Anniversary game straight from Fenway Park, and Lester's wife even got a picture with the Mob Wife. Talk about a star-studded few days...

Grammy-nominated alt-rockers Death Cab for Cutie played at The Vets in Providence on Monday evening in a unique performance. They played with members of the Magik*Magik Orchestra, who they collaborated with on some tracks from their latest album Codes and Keys. They avoided playing many of their big hits, instead choosing to perform some of their older, lesser-well known tracks that meshed well with the orchestral sound. Frontman Ben Gibbard (ex-husband of Zooey Deschanel) seemed to be in a good mood, talking about walking around the city during the day and other things. The band also played a long encore, of which half the songs were played acoustically. Because it was an Earth Day show, $1 from each ticket went to Save the Bay, so the crowd got to enjoy great music and help the environment...

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