Tickets go on sale Friday, May 6 at Noon; Event benefits Foundation To Be Named Later,
serving youth & families from disadvantaged neighborhoods
Chicago, IL – Music and baseball share the stage at Wrigleyville’s Metro Friday, June 17, when Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons and Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper join an All-Star lineup of musicians and personalities for the Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago benefit concert. Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Liz Phair will headline the show, which will be emceed by “Mad Men” actor Joel Murray and WXRT-FM’s Lin Brehmer. The fifth annual event is presented by Chicago Trading Company with proceeds benefiting youth and families from disadvantaged neighborhoods through Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL).
The fundraiser also will feature musical acts JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Avid Dancer, and ensemble performances by Chicago and Boston rockers, Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), Jennifer Hall, Max Crawford (Poi Dog Pondering), Dag Juhlin (Poi Dog Pondering), Gerald Dowd (Robbie Fulks), Scott Stevenson (Robbie Fulks), Gail Greenwood (Belly, L7), Freda Love Smith (Blake Babies, Mysteries of Life), Hilken Mancini (Fuzzy), Liam Davis (Justin Roberts), Steve Frisbie (Frisbie), Curt Morrison (Tributosaurus), Matt Spiegel (Tributosaurus), Will Dailey, Chris Cote (Upper Crust), Jen D’Angora (Downbeat Five, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents), Ed Valauskas (Gravel Pit), Paul Ahlstrand, Phil Aiken, Gerald Dowd, Jen Trynin and more. Gammons and Kasper will perform with the bands.
“It’s been gratifying to see Hot Stove Cool Music take root in Chicago and this year’s line-up of talented musicians will ensure we continue the tradition with another great night of music, baseball and giving back,” said Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations/FTBNL Co-Founder Theo Epstein. “We’re humbled by the generosity of all the musicians, sponsors, fans and volunteers who come together to help us raise funds to support Chicago youth and families.”
General admission tickets go on sale Friday, May 6, at noon CDT and can be purchased online at www.metrochicago.com, etix.com, or in person at the Metro Box Office located at 3730 N. Clark St. VIP tickets, which include entry to a pre-concert reception, are on sale now at www.ftbnl.org.
The evening also will include several special guests, along with live and silent auctions featuring signed sports memorabilia and priceless entertainment experiences.
As part of the weekend’s Hot Stove Cool Music events, Foundation To Be Named Later will host The Summer City Urban Baseball Classic June 18 at 11 a.m. at Jackie Robinson Park located at 10700 S. Morgan St. The event, which shines a light on the importance of youth baseball and the role it plays in the development of successful young leaders, features urban youth playing exciting baseball as Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West, Garfield Park Baseball and The Boston Astros face-off. The event is free and open to the public.
Hot Stove Cool Music was founded in 2000 by Gammons and former Boston Herald sports writer Jeff Horrigan. The biannual event has raised more than $8 million for the Foundation To Be Named Later, the Jimmy Fund and other causes. FTBNL was founded in 2005 by Epstein and his brother, Paul Epstein, as a means to create positive opportunities for disadvantaged youth and families.
Hot Stove Cool Music, Chicago is presented by Chicago Trading Co. and sponsored by CBRE, Atlantis Cars & Limos, Cars.com, Chicago Cubs, Citi, elevate, Ella & Scott Goldstein, Rebecca & Craig Huffman, Freedom Boat Club, Grosvenor Capital Mgmt., KPMG, Metro, The Alter Group, Victory Park Capital, Walmart, etix, WGN-TV and WXRT-FM and Lettuce Entertain You, Stanley’s Tap & Restaurant, Vienna Beef, Hope Family Wines & Budweiser.
Foundation To Be Named Later’s nonprofit beneficiaries in Chicago include Chicago Children’s Choir, Intonation Music, Marwen, Wapiti Youth, City Year Chicago, Garfield Park Little League, Girls in the Game, SkyART, Family Reach at Lurie Children Hospital, Special Olympics IL, Jackie Robinson West, Flying Kites, Cubs Charities and more.
About Liz Phair
Liz has sold nearly three million records worldwide and has had two Grammy nominations. More than two decades after the release of her debut, Exile in Guyville, in 1993, Phair’s influence over female voices in alternative music can still be felt today. Exile in Guyville has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. This spring, Liz has been touring with Smashing Pumpkins on their North American “In Plainsong” tour.
About Hot Stove Cool Music
Hot Stove Cool Music is a biannual charity concert and musical variety show held in Boston in the winter and in Chicago in the summer months, making its debut in Chicago in summer 2012. The event was created in December of 2000 by Hall of Fame baseball journalist Peter Gammons and former Boston Herald sports writer Jeff Horrigan. Over the past 15 years, Hot Stove Cool Music has become a staple on Boston’s entertainment calendar and has raised more than $8 million for Theo and Paul Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later, the Jimmy Fund and other beneficiaries.
About Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL)
Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL) was launched in 2005 by Paul Epstein, a social worker in Boston, MA area and his twin brother, former Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager and current Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein. Named after the MLB trade term, player to be named later, the mission of FTBNL is to raise funds and awareness for nonprofit agencies, working on the front lines, serving youth and families from disadvantaged neighborhoods in Boston & Chicago. FTBNL invests in programs that teach leadership, education and healthy development of families.
FTBNL has given $8 million in grants and in-kind donations to more than 220 nonprofit organizations in Chicago and Boston and has sent approximately 6,000 children, who would not otherwise have the chance to attend a Cubs or Red Sox home game. The Peter Gammons/FTBNL College Scholarship (named in honor of Hall of Famer and FTBNL champion, Peter Gammons) is the signature program of FTBNL and has sent more than 60 young people with high financial needs and high educational potential to the college of their choice. Each Gammons Scholar gets an adult mentor and a laptop computer to ensure college success.
For more information on Foundation To Be Named Later programs and events, or to make a donation, please visit www.foundationtobenamedlater.org.
About Cubs Charities
Cubs Charities harnesses the passion of Cubs fans to improve the lives of children and families across Chicago and beyond. Cubs Charities’ goal is to provide increased access to sports opportunities and target improvements in health, fitness and education for those at risk. Through grants to quality nonprofit programs, development of parks and baseball fields, and other community initiatives, the Cubs and Cubs Charities help fulfill a commitment to be the best in the game, on and off the field. For more information, visit www.cubscharities.org.
About Metro
Metro is one of the country’s most renowned independent concert venues. Established in July 1982, Metro has become a hub for new and developing local, regional and national artists, as well as showcasing the best cutting edge bands from around the globe for more than thirty years. For more information, visit www.metrochicago.com.
Media Contacts
Nicole Pare, Metro: 773-549-4140, ext., 212, Nicole@metrochicago.com
Alyson Cohen, Chicago Cubs: 773-404-4128, acohen@cubs.com
Keith Gainsboro, Elevate Communications: Keith@elevatecom.com
