Brady rides with 'Best Buddy'

By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein  |  May 30, 2009

Tom Brady was joined by his wife, Gisele Bundchen, at last night's kickoff of the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port. The Pats QB is the honorary chairman of the 100-mile charity ride from Boston to Hyannis Port. Tom and Gi arrived at the Seaport World Trade Center in separate cars, and then No. 12 stepped into a gleaming black Audi R8 with his Best Buddy Katie Meade. "Hope I can drive this thing," said Brady behind the wheel. The QB later took part in a chef challenge, judging dishes prepared by famous Boston foodies, including Barbara Lynch and Michael Schlow. Among other celebs taking part in the weekend's activities are Maureen McCormick, Carl Lewis, Miss Teen USA 2008 Stevi Perry, and Verne Troyer.

Steven Tyler was by turns philosophical and sophomoric at the opening of BookExpo America in New York Thursday. The convention's keynote speaker, the Aerosmith screamer rambled vaguely about his forthcoming memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?," finally conceding that the book, like his band's new CD, isn't quite finished. Tyler reminisced about boyhood summers spent in Sunapee, N.H., where he met his Aerosmith bandmates, and earlier days in the Bronx, "growing up under the grand piano" of his father, band leader Vic Tallarico. "I heard something in Debussy and Beethoven and Bach, and I wanted to get my feelings out," said the singer, who wore alligator boots, snakeskin pants, and what can only be described as a black blouse to the event. Tyler politely mocked his interviewer, rock scribe Chuck Klosterman, who appeared as starstruck and tongue-tied as a teenaged stoner. Joining Tyler was Mark Hudson, who co-wrote "Livin' on the Edge," among other Aerosmith hits. Tyler isn't the only local at the BookExpo. "Bringing Down the House" author Ben Mezrich is scheduled to speak this morning. He'll be on a panel with "Hometown" writer Tracy Kidder, "The Glass Castle" writer Jeannette Walls, and late-night guy Craig Ferguson.

Suffolk Construction's John Fish did the business community a big favor this week, bringing ballyhooed consultant Jim Collins to town. Collins, a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, held a two-hour session with a roomful of suits at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Thursday. Gathered to hear the guru were Governor Deval Patrick, attorney Bob Popeo, Putnam's Robert Reynolds, Robert Smyth of Citizens Bank, Bank of America's Bob Gallery, Sox execs Sam Kennedy and Larry Lucchino, CWB's Robin Brown, Ralph de la Torre of Caritas Christi, the Chamber of Commerce's Paul Guzzi, architects Rick Kobus and David Manfredi, former Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston CEO Linda Whitlock, and flack George Regan, among others.

Mandy Moore has made some new friends at the Merrimack River Watershed Council. After hearing that Moore included a song on her new album called "Merrimack River," employees at the Lowell agency became insta-fans. Christine Tabak, the council's executive director, went so far as to say that Moore is welcome to stop by Watershed offices for VIP treatment. "We'd be happy to give her a boat tour," she said. Moore's song, which is on her new disc, "Amanda Leigh," isn't about the river, specifically - we're pretty sure the Merrimack is a metaphor - but odds are good the singer had local waters in mind. Moore, who recently married Ryan Adams, not only recorded "Amanda Leigh" in Medford, but she's originally from Nashua.

Long before Roger Miller was in the band Mission of Burma, he was an accompanist. "When I was in college, I accompanied dance classes," he told us. Makes sense then that he is so comfortable scoring films. One of the latest movies on his soundtrack resume is "The Reckoning," which screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Tomorrow night, Miller will be one of many musicians accompanying films at "Split/Signal: Silent Film/Scored Live," at the new Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville. Miller says his contribution will be experimental. "It's an avant-garde abstract film," he told us. If that sounds over your head, Miller promises there will be beer and food. Find more at: www.splitsignal.wordpress.com.

A couture-conscious crowd flocked to the Liberty Hotel Thursday for a fashion show featuring designs by Cynthia Rowley, who's opened a new store on the increasingly retail-challenged Newbury Street. As models strutted through the former jailhouse wearing her designs, guest-of-honor Rowley lounged and sipped drinks with her husband, "Tall Island" author Bill Powers. Rowley indulged us by dishing about her upcoming appearance on this season's "Project Runway." She told us that before her episode taped, she was treated to a haircut by Heidi Klum's hairdresser in the supermodel's dressing room. "It was like a fur rug on [Klum's] dressing-room floor," joked Rowley - who added that her "PR" episode will also feature Cindy Crawford. Other guests at Thursday's festivities included Channel manager Mary Nobile-King, event guru Bryan Rafanelli, restaurateur Christopher Myers, Channel 5's Kelly Tuthill, and designer Sam Mendoza.

Globe correspondent Rachel Zarrell contributed. Read the Names Blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.