TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Elizabeth Snead

VIVA SPRINGSTEEN: When the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas throws a party, everyone who is anyone shows up. Especially if the entertainment sandwiched between the early dinner and the late-night party is Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band.

Springsteen buffs Lara Flynn Boyle, Robert Downey Jr., Rose McGowan, ``Saturday Night Live's'' Chris Kattan, Juliette Lewis, Christina Applegate and her husband, Johnathon Schaech, and Cindy Crawford and her husband, Rande Gerber, were just some of the stars who spent last weekend at the rock-'n'-roll-themed hot spot.

First the celebs showed up for a preconcert group feast of sushi, sashimi and salad at Nobu in the Hard Rock. After dinner, the stars hopped into buses (seriously), and headed to the Thomas and Mack Center to rock out to Springsteen's performance, which included vintage tunes like ``Born to Run'' and ``Darkness on the Edge of Town,'' a ``Viva Las Vegas'' tribute to Elvis along with poignant new ballads from his new album ``The Rising.''

After the two-plus hour show, the famous folks fled back to the Hard Rock for a private bash at A.J.'s Steakhouse. Lewis, wearing a red tank, pink bra and black mini, huddled in a corner booth devouring french fries and steamed asparagus with Downey, Hollywood's rehab poster boy, who actually looked quite sane and sober in a snug black T and jeans. Attached to Downey's hip for the night was a burly bald buddy he called ``Jimmy.''

Applegate, who looked like a ``Fistful of Dollars'' extra in a striped one-shoulder serape and jeans, daintily shared a shrimp cocktail with Schaech, who kept passing ciggies to a chain-smoking Downey and his crew. A flying-solo Boyle, looking luscious in a sheer black top and hipbone-hugger jeans, sipped a Scotch and chatted with Frances Fisher, who pronounced Springsteen's show ``amazing!''

Bob Sagat shared a booth with Jonathan Silverman, always surrounded by a bevy of blond fans. An auburn-haired McGowan, in a gray one-shouldered top and jeans, made the rounds, and Gerber stopped by sans wife Crawford, who must have gone to the room to change her hot black leather pants. (It was still a sizzling 100 degrees in Vegas at midnight!)

The Boss himself was there only in spirit (the sound system blared out his music) but E Street Band members Nils Lofgren and Steven ``Little Stevie'' Van Zandt, (known to most as Silvio Dante on HBO's ``The Sopranos'') were the night's heroes, hanging until the bitter end of the night with Van Zandt's ``Sopranos'' co-stars Vincent Pastore (``Big Pussy'') and Steve Schirripa (Bobby Baccilieri). Schirripa sang his pal's praises.

''It's great to see Stevie on stage. He's the greatest, and the more I know him, the more I enjoy seeing him up there. But he's a totally different guy on stage and off.''

What does Van Zandt like best, ``Sopranos'' or E Street? ``I like them both. They're both very different but also complementary.''

So, is his ``Sopranos'' role still strong this season or should we worry about him being rubbed out? ``Oh, no. God forbid!'' Van Zandt exclaimed.

Some of the die-hard Springsteen fans were surprised at how well the new songs went over. Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch on ``Sex and the City'') has seen the Boss play 75 to 100 times. ``I grew up in New Brunswick, N.J., and as kids we used to drive around Asbury Park and look for Bruce's Camaro because it was always parked outside the after-hours clubs he was playing. But this show was more introspective than any I've seen. It's astonishing that the new album has only been out a week and everyone knows the lyrics already. His 9/11 songs are classic American anthems.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1) LEWIS: French fries and asparagus?

(2) APPLEGATE (left), BOYLE: In a Vegas state of mind

Denise Truscello/WireImage.com