'Family Guy' celebrates Emmy nomination with large quantities of liquor

Friday night, the party people came out to play at the "Family Guy" pre-Emmy extravaganza at Avalon in Hollywood. A dapper Seth MacFarlane hosted the bash, accompanied by Ron Jones and his 44-piece orchestra, and the many open bars were well stocked with Belvedere and Jack Daniel's. 

The night was especially raucous (and remarkably drunken), perhaps because of the fact that "Family Guy" was celebrating its nomination in the best comedy category, making it the first animated series in more than 50 years to receive that nod. Nobody seems to expect that it will actually win, but a significant crack has been made in the animation barrier.

While MacFarlane, in a dark suit with a fedora, sang with the orchestra (a cigarette and tumbler of whiskey in one hand), B.J. Novak from "The Office" looked on. Also present were Rachelle Lefevre, Shannon Elizabeth, and David Zayas and C.S. Lee from "Dexter." Lee was talking to Rex Lee from "Entourage." By the bar, at the heart of the happening, was Brent Bolthouse, shaking hands with admirers and acting, as always, the gentleman.

The evening's most memorable moment came when MacFarlane performed a duet with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and a young woman in a black dress rushed the stage to dance between them. She flailed and twisted around as they sang a spirited rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It." A few moments later, she stepped on the leg of a mic stand, causing it to hit her in the head. She then fell down briefly. Undeterred by the tragedy, another woman hopped onstage and was politely removed by security.

"Train wreck, this is a train wreck," sang MacFarlane and Levine amiably. It was a fitting ending for a night celebrating a show that was anything but.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Adam Levine and Seth MacFarlane perform. Credit: Terry Case