By Christopher David<\/p>\n
Anytime one can rock for a good cause, it’s time well spent, and the fifth annual installment of Hot Stove, Cool Music\u2014a fundraiser event at Metro benefitting Theo Epstein\u2019s \u201cFoundation to Be Named Later\u201d\u2014was indeed a night to remember.<\/p>\n
Epstein\u2019s foundation, aimed at disadvantaged youth in the Chicago (and Boston) area, played host to the likes of Chicago darling Liz Phair, up-and-comers J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound, as well as some all-star moments that had to be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n
Starting the night off with an alt-rock supergroup, \u201cA Band of Their Own\u201d bounced through a half-dozen rock and pop covers, including Runaways\u2019 classic \u201cCherry Bomb\u201d and Til Tuesday\u2019s \u201cVoices Carry.\u201d Consisting of Kay Hayley on vocals (Letters to Cleo), Gail Greenwood on bass (Belly, L7), Freda Love Smith on drums, and Jen Trynin on guitar, BOTO was a great start to an evening that would see everything from Bob Seger covers to alternative rock anthems.<\/p>\n
The born-to-be-a-star J.C. Brooks and his band, the Uptown Sound, were up next, offering a brief but smooth set that ended with a flamboyant bang: a soul-infused, upbeat cover of Wilco\u2019s \u201cI Am Trying to Break Your Heart\u201d that had the entire place moving to a song that normally invites a more melancholy mood. The cover was a testament to Brooks\u2019 ability to command a stage; there\u2019s no way on earth we won\u2019t see him and his killer five-piece playing bigger and bigger places down the line.<\/p>\n
Fresh off of a months-long jaunt around the country with The Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago\u2019s own Liz Phair took the stage (with the Pumpkins\u2019 Jimmy Chamberlin on drums, no less) to a room that she had in the palm of her hand from the opening chords of \u201cPolyester Bride.\u201d Phair has never been as confident and comfortable on stage as she has of late, and the performances, consisting mostly of hits like \u201cNever Said,\u201d \u201cSupernova,\u201d and all-time classic \u201cFuck & Run,\u201d showcased a renewed sense of purpose as though she has something to prove again, and with Kay Hanley returning for backing vocals on the last few tunes (including the rarely played \u201cLazy Dreamer\u201d from 2005\u2019s underrated Somebody\u2019s Miracle<\/em>), it was clear that Phair has returned after something of a hiatus, true to form and ready to rock.<\/p>\n Interspersed between the bands was a live auction, MCed by WXRT\u2019s Len Brehmer and co-host Joel Murray, featuring such items as concert tickets, signed memorabilia, and more to benefit Epstein\u2019s foundation, and Brehmer\u2019s night-long tease of an amazing \u2018special guest\u2019 came to pass when none other than Eddie Vedder walked onstage, leading a barnburner of a band featuring Chamberlin on drums and Theo Epstein on guitar. Watching a concert that was so clearly a celebration of the Chicago Cubs really highlighted what a unique position this team is in for a ball club, and Vedder took every opportunity to name check the greats during a breakdown in \u201cCorduroy\u201d and his own solo tune about the team, \u201cAll the Way.\u201d (Given the team\u2019s record this year, \u201cAll the Way\u201d was a particularly exciting singalong.) Closing out with \u201cHard Sun\u201d and a cover of \u201cRockin\u2019 in the Free World\u201d that saw just about everyone of note in the house onstage singing and dancing, it was impossible not to feel something special in the air, with Wrigley Field just a block away and numerous members of the organization in the house. As the show rolled on with sets from the Hot Stove All-Stars, it was clear that, at least for a night, the Metro and Wrigley Field\u2014two of the most iconic locales in all of Chicago\u2014embodied more than just the spirit of a neighborhood: they embodied the spirit of charity and celebration. Can\u2019t wait for next year.<\/p>\n For more info on Liz Phair, click here<\/a><\/p>\n For photos from the show, click here<\/a><\/p>\n