Copyright Mr.Showbiz
August 7, 2000

Gladiator star Russell Crowe slayed the ladies Friday when his rock band played to a mostly female crowd of about 2,000 in Austin, Texas.

Crowe and his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, performed a very sold-out concert at rustic watering hole, Stubb's BBQ. He'll be playing the next two Fridays as well, but before taking a road trip to Texas, beware: tickets were allegedly going for as much as $500 a pop on eBay last month.

USA Today compared 30 Odd's well-known frontman to an "Aussie John Mellencamp" and reported that Crowe slugged down a whole lotta beer throughout his sweaty set. The tough-as-nails actor also apparently stripped down to a tank top for his encore, no doubt eliciting a flurry of howls from the audience.

Though Crowe acknowledged that many of his tunes were inspired by his four-year relationship with his ex, Down Under singer-actress Danielle Spencer, he did not speak a word about supposed flame Meg Ryan.

He did, however, dedicate the show's opening number, "Other Ways of Speaking," to his Flora Plum director, Jodie Foster � who's also been romantically linked to the beefy actor.

30 Odd Foot of Grunts is in Austin, squeezing in some recording time before Crowe heads to Florida to begin shooting Flora Plum.