Eddie Vedder to rock the Metro at Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago benefit concert July 9

CHICAGO - Pearl Jam frontman and rock icon Eddie Vedder will take the stage at the fourth annual Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago benefit concert, July 9, at Wrigleyville's Metro. Vedder will join Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons and Chicago Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper as part of the all-star music lineup at the annual event celebrating music, baseball and giving back.

"We are thrilled and honored Eddie Vedder has volunteered to play the show and help raise money for deserving nonprofits in Chicago," said Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations and Foundation To Be Named Later co-founder Theo Epstein. "Hot Stove Cool Music revolves around the power of music, baseball and community involvement. There's no better person to represent that spirit than Eddie. He's a rock legend, a tried-and-true Cubs fan and he has a tremendous heart. It will be a memorable night for everyone."

The fundraiser will feature ensemble performances by Chicago and Boston rockers including John Stirratt (Wilco), Daxx Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Jennifer Hall, Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison (Tributosaurus), Freda Love Smith (Blake Babies, Mysteries of Life), Jake Smith (Mysteries of Life), Gerald Dowd, Jason Narducy (Split Single, Bob Mould), Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey's McGee), Will Dailey, Chris Cote, Phil Aiken, Paul Ahlstrand and more. WXRT's Lin Brehmer, actor Joel Murray and actor/comedian Mike O'Malley will serve as the evening's emcees.

A limited amount of general admission tickets will be released today at noon. Tickets will be available for $75, online at www.metrochicago.com or in person at the Metro Box Office located at 3730 N. Clark St. There will be no service fees for cash purchases at the Metro Box Office. VIP tickets can also be purchased online at www.metrochicago.com.

Proceeds benefit Cubs Charities and Epstein's Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL). Both nonprofit organizations share the same mission to help underserved youth in Chicago.

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 $6 million for Theo and Paul Epstein's Foundation To Be Named Later.

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 FOUNDATION TO BE NAMED LATER (FTBNL)

Named after the MLB trade term, player to be named later, the FTBNL was launched in Spring of 2005 by Paul Epstein, a social worker in the Brookline, Massachusetts, public school system, and his twin brother, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein.

The mission of the foundation is to raise funds and awareness for nonprofit agencies, working on the front lines, serving disadvantaged youth and families. FTBNL invests in programs that teach leadership, education and healthy development of families.

FTBNL has given more than $6 million in grants and in-kind donations to more than 200 nonprofit organizations in Chicago and Boston and has sent approximately 4,000 children, who would not otherwise get the chance to go to 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 46 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.