"Omigod! Omigod!" a blond woman screamed as she ran toward the stretch limo that had just pulled up to Aqua.

It was 11:30 last Saturday night and a long line had formed outside the downtown Minneapolis nightclub. Shivering clubgoers were quick to whip out their cellphone cameras, ready to capture the cause of this excitement.

Kim Kardashian had arrived.

Who the hell is Kim Kardashian? She's a buxom noncelebrity who became a celebrity by way of 1) her Paris Hilton affiliation, 2) her own sex-tape scandal and 3) a starring role in a reality TV show, E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." In that order, too.

Saturday night, she was at Aqua for two hours, but not because Minnesota is any cooler than Beverly Hills. Nope, she was being paid to party. Why? Because it brings in clubgoers who get a rush out of saying they partied with a celebrity, even if "partied" means not getting within 20 feet of his/her roped-off VIP cocoon. This somewhat ridiculous but strangely exciting phenomenon has been popular for some time in Las Vegas and L.A. clubs.

"I had never heard of her before, but she's friends with Paris, right?" wide-eyed twentysomething Mike Schoder said. "It would be the first celebrity I've seen in my life."

The club's staff quickly ushered Kardashian inside. She was brought up to the second-level VIP balcony where she could preside over the packed dance floor. Her knee-length dress seemed modest, but couldn't hide her curves. Below her, clubgoers snapped photos as they jumped up and down, gesturing at her, hoping for a crumb of acknowledgement.

We just watched. We watched her dance around. We watched her wave to the crowd below. We watched her eat from a tray of hors d'oeuvres and then pull out a pocket mirror to check her smile. While she did venture downstairs a few times to mingle with us common folk, she often was on her phone, texting.

Because of my press badge, I was given a quick word with Kardashian from her VIP perch. Over the vibration of the club's booming music, she told me that:

Then she walked downstairs, once again disappearing into a tsunami of camera flashes and fawning clubgoers.

Twin Cities film lovers will be busy for the next two weeks with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. If you're looking to give your eyes a rest, two of Minneapolis' hottest new restaurants are hosting festival parties this week. After Friday's documentary on hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy, head over to Nick and Eddie for a post-party with DJ Lori Barbero. The Loring Park restaurant/bar has gotten raves for its gourmet comfort food and hip bar scene. (10 p.m. Fri., 1612 Harmon Place, Mpls. 612-486-5800.) On Wednesday, the Red Stag Supperclub will host a party dedicated to "Mondo Bondo," a Minnesota-made film about erotic bondage. Expect free appetizers, $3 drinks and a performance by burlesque troupe Le Cirque Rouge. (9:30 p.m. Wed., 509 1st Av. NE., Mpls. 612-767-7766.) T.H. Slug uncorks a 'Lemon' Local hip-hop group Atmosphere's "When Life Gives You Lemons ..." comes out Tuesday. Rhymesayers Entertainment is hosting a midnight-release party Monday night at Fifth Element record store (2411 Hennepin Av. S.). Both Slug and Ant are expected to be there signing away. Not so coincidental timing: Rhymesayers just announced details of its big Soundset '08 festival, planned for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 25, outside in the Metrodome parking lot with Atmosphere and most of the label's other acts performing, plus Dilated Peoples, Aesop Rock and more.

Foundation, the downtown Minneapolis haven for electronic music and underground hip-hop, has closed for good. Since opening in July 2006, it stood in stark contrast to the glut of Top 40 clubs that populate downtown. But financially, going against the grain isn't always a good thing.

A new nightspot called Element will open this summer in the club's basement space in the Lumber Exchange Building at 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue S. You can view its website at www.elementmpls.com. Stay tuned for more details.

Vaillancourt, 27, is now handling concert bookings at Epic (formerly Quest). Khutoretsky, 31 -- a veteran DJ also known as the Devious One -- said he'll continue doing sound system work and will DJ and promote underground shows.

They said they have few regrets about Foundation. For a year and a half, the club booked a variety of dream shows, including Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Justice, Slick Rick, Mark Farina and DJ Qbert. Sometimes it was too many, Vaillancourt said.

"We were kind of like kids in a candy store," he said.

Khutoretsky added: "Ultimately, what we were doing probably couldn't have survived in that space in downtown. We gave it a good run and I think people enjoyed our venue."