Live: James Murphy And Pat Mahoney Spin For James Franco And Other Beautiful People

Better than: Watching James Franco's "Actors Acting" clip over and over (and over and over) again.

It wasn't too long ago that James Murphy said his goodbyes as the frontman of LCD Soundsystem. According to him, it was time to move on before "we're all too fucking old"--at least that was how he put it during band's string of farewell shows. Murphy is likely too classy (and stubborn) to put together a reunion show in the next decade, but the dance outfit's remnants are still around. Last night, Murphy and former LCD drummer Pat Mahoney (together they're Special Disco Version) helmed a set of turntables on the edge of MoMA's sculpture garden during a cocktail party celebrating the museum's newly contracted two-year partnership with Volkswagen. Judging by the suit he wore and the never-empty champagne glass he toted, semi-retirement is suitng Murphy just fine.

Unfortunately, the night was less about music and more about mingling. An all-vinyl selection of disco and funk poured over a room of immaculately dressed people (all of whom were, presumably, Very Important), bars that doled out endless amounts of champagne, and a vintage Beetle that was roped off and protected by at least three bodyguards. Celebrities straggling out from a pre-party dinner at the museum--at which violinist Hahn-Bin and golden-voiced Antony Hegarty performed--roamed about, including James Franco and Kim Cattrall. The former amicably entertained those who gushed, "We loved your work in [insert just about everything]," while lingering bystanders knowingly recited his résumé as if they knew the star personally. "Oh, we went to NYU together," noted one very tipsy man sloshing a martini. "Well, I don't know him or anything, but we did both study film." he later conceded. Can't blame him for his enthusiasm, though--it was difficult to keep the gawking to a minimum.

The two-hour soirée ended as a fresh burst of rain battered down on the sculpture garden, and at least thirty obscenely attractive men re-formed to create a walkway of umbrellas for the evening's guests to scurry under. (No, really, that happened.) Inside, Mahoney put on an unlabeled boogie 45 while a noticeably frenzied MoMA rep hovered above, asking him to cut off the sound. "What track is this?" a girl asked the nearby Murphy while peering over the turntables. "No idea," he replied before turning to ask his DJ partner. "He doesn't know either," Murphy reported back, laughing. "I love that man," he jovially declared to himself. And then he poured another round of champagne.

Critical bias: A night at the MoMA with my two favorite Jameses. What more could a girl ask for?

Overheard: "My job is really important."--10th umbrella man from the front.

Random notebook dump: OMG JAMES FRANCO.