From the department of “and they called me Zelig”…

Last night found me at the super swank Forbes magazine SXSW 30 Under 30 party on the scenic Lake Austin estate of billionaire John Paul DeJoria.

That’s John Paul (center) with Freya Estreller (left) and Natasha Case (right, a 30 Under 30), partners in life and partners in CoolHaus ice cream. John Paul and his wife Eloise are super nice, down-to-earth folks.

Check out Governor Rick Perry laying low and getting his Patrón on (John Paul owns both the Paul Mitchell hair products and Patrón brands).

Shaquille O’Neal stands out in any crowd.

I was invited to the party with Chef Grant Gordon (second from right), executive chef at Tony’s in Houston (my client) and a 30 Under 30.

The 30 Under 30 award covers fifteen categories, including science, economics, education, media etc.

From left, that’s Patrick Walsh (solar energy pioneer), Sam Chaudhary (education and technology guru), Grant, and Mat Morgan (a media innovator and policy wonk). It was fascinating to chat with these guys — each of them brilliant in his own right — and hear about their varied endeavors. Cool stuff…

One of the dishes that Grant created for the event was this foie gras cotton candy.

One of the highlights for me was hearing Delta Rae sound check. Every member of the band was named a 30 Under 30 this year. They were awesome.

How I end up at events like this… I’ll never know.

And they called me Zelig…