Hot Gig Alert (4/12): Hot Stove Cool Music Heats Up Saturday Night (Interview)
If you like baseball and/or music, the Paradise Rock Club is the place to be on Saturday night. The legendary Hot Stove Cool Music event celebrates a milestone 25 years of ‘baseball, music and giving’ with legends Cheap Trick plus Greg Hawkes (keyboardist and founding member of the Cars) with Eddie Japan performing the music of the Cars. Previous headliners have included Pearl Jam, Tom Morello, John Legend, Liz Phair and Smashing Pumpkins.
As always, the Hot Stove All-Stars— which includes Peter Gammons, Kay Hanley, Theo Epstein, Bill Janovitz, Will Dailey, Hilken Mancini, Ed Valauskas, Mike Gent, Jen Trynin and former MLB legends —will be onstage. It’s always fun to see local musicians and former baseball players jamming and grooving onstage. Of his involvement with the Hot Stove All-Stars Will Dailey told me: “I was lurking around the edges and wondering, ‘How do I become a part of this?’ By 2015 I was onstage with Eddie Vedder. Bill Janovitz gave me a kiss on the cheek once. I was in! Being from Boston, my mentors in music are Tanya Donelly, Kay Hanley, Juliana Hatfield, Hilken Mancini. They’re just powerhouses. I feel like every woman that’s part of the Hot Stove community are powerhouse creators.
They’ve always been there for me for artistic guidance and encouragement.” Hot Stove provides Dailey not only with a unique opportunity to play with local icons but to perform songs he probably wouldn’t play with his own band, like ‘Synchronicity II’ by the Police or ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ by INXS. “I never thought I’d have a band that would dedicate itself to doing it authentically. Hot Stove really rides the wave of that song. This year I’m doing something special from the 90s.” While there’s plenty of fun and camaraderie, Dailey enthused: “The real gold is that you are strengthening your community with the programs we know humanity needs now more than ever. You get to see this thing grow for 25 years. It feels really powerful to have that through-line, this legacy to keep going when it’s sometimes hard to keep going.”
Hot Stove Cool Music is the signature event for the Foundation to Be Named Later (FTBNL)—the charitable non-profit established by former Boston Red Sox GM (and current part owner and senior advisor) Theo Epstein and his brother Paul. It’s a cool concept that combines music and baseball to raise money for the Peter Gammons Scholarships. Former sportswriter and analyst Gammons co-founded the Hot Stove fundraiser with singer Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and several others in 2000. He passed it along to FTBNL in 2005.
The Gammons scholarships cover the tuition gap left from financial aid by awarding anywhere from 1,000- 20,000 dollars to deserving high school seniors. The students participate in an internship prep program and many sponsor organizations provide them with direct opportunities.
FTBNL CEO Allyce Najimy said that throughout the years they’ve helped about 350 scholars with an impressive 99% college graduation rate. Many of the recipients are immigrants who’ve had insecure living situations or come from public housing and through the foundation’s assistance they land amazing jobs with top salaries that enable them to buy their own homes.
Everyone involved in Hot Stove volunteers their talent and time and local establishments donate the food and beverages. Expect plenty of surprises and 25th anniversary decorations including event posters throughout the years. There will be live auction items like Pearl Jam guitars and tickets and an opportunity to golf with Bill Murray and his brother.
“It’s a small intimate venue and place to see Cheap Trick,” Najimy said. “For so many fans it’s a real treat to be so up close and personal with Cheap Trick. Greg Hawkes from the Cars with Eddie Japan— that’ll be really special. We haven’t done that before. We are so blessed. We have some diehard fans that as soon as we announce it buy their tickets. A number of things draw them: they love Peter, they love baseball, they love music, they love Janovitz, they love Cheap Trick, they love The Cars. It’s just a really fun night.”
:: Hot Stove Cool Music takes place on April 12th at 6:30pm at Paradise Rock Club (967 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215) the event is 18+ and limited resale tickets are available HERE. ::
