The Hot Club

THE HOT CLUB
WHERE HEARTS ARE ON FIRE

BUT IT’S NEVER TOO HOT
FOR THE DEVIL MAY CARE

575 South Water Street

Providence, RI


The first member of the family Mr. D. and I met at the Hot Club was Bernard, who worked the grill. Then after Bernard left, we met his brother Obasi, who also stoked the coals. When Obasi got an IT job and began studies at Brown, we met his sister Maye, who also did a stint grilling and then bartending before leaving to direct a movie. Most recently we have been well served at the hearth by Maye’s sister Mary. They are all bright and articulate people. Last week their mother, Dr. Celeste Sullivan, age 54, was struck and killed by a bus in New Bedford. Our sincere condolences to them and their families. This writer did not know Dr. Sullivan, but I did get to meet her children. They are a great testament to their mom. Her memory will live on with them and through them.



Frankie Lee’s band Foreverly Brothers recently played a 40th wedding anniversary celebration for Trinity Rep mainstay Richard Jenkins and his wife. Imagine that – an actor married 40 years.



I was talking about the fight in the South Korean Parliament in which men were fighting with men and women were even battling each other. Mr. D. said that in the English Parliament, they have to be two sword lengths apart.



Last week there was a Cisco Kid Fest at the Hot Club. I told the Cisco Kid that he always brings something to the experience. Cisco said “Usually drunkenness.” I meant experiences like Cisco playing Lady GaGa’s Poker Face.



Cisco went to California back in 1976 despite just passing a state test for a job with the Department of Unemployment. However the Proc invited Cisco to go cross country with him (in a yellow VW, ‘the Lemon’). “Take a ride”, said Proc.



We were talking about the age of Stevie Winwood. I noted that he was about 17 (actually 15 after a Google check) when he was in the Spencer Davis Group. Cisco said “1966.” How did Cisco know when it was? Said Cisco, “I have an abacus in my head.”



My thanks to Eric Gustafson, the Lovely Lisa and Patti for their assistance last week helping a member of the Cisco Kid Fest who wasn’t feeling well.



I thought that Eric was a percussionist. Chuck D. pointed out that he is a perfusionist. Mike Module said, “He maintains the rhythm.”



The Consigliere told me that he has a friend that owns car washes. The friend told the Consigliere that it has rained 29 out of the last 40 days. The car wash guy would know.



Jen Riley told me that Desi gave birth to a baby girl. The child’s name is Delilah.

The Hot Club

THE HOT CLUB
WHERE HEARTS ARE ON FIRE

BUT IT’S NEVER TOO HOT
FOR THE DEVIL MAY CARE

575 South Water Street

Providence, RI

A patron last Wednesday night on the marina side of the Hot Club threw an empty beer bottle into the water. Buffalo Steve and Mike Module saw this transgression and were none too happy. I asked Buffalo Steve what an appropriate penalty would be – “Joining it”, said Steve.

Mike Module pointed out that the guy who littered the water was wearing a Yankees cap. Mike said, “I thought that explained the whole thing.”

Overheard at the Hot Club: Bags is about to turn 50 (Wed.). However the consensus is that Wise looks younger than Bags. Well the consensus was 4 out of 5 with one person abstaining. And that’s with Bags looking younger since he got rid of the ‘porn moustache’.

Wise said that it was a great career move for Michael Jackson to die. Well for his estate.

Our condolences to Fleet Feet Pete whose father recently passed away. Fleet Feet’s father favorite bar was Lewis’ and since he couldn’t drink a lot of beer, the bar created a special half draft called a ‘Romeo draft’ in honor of Pete’s dad. After the funeral, Fleet Feet Pete and company went into Lewis’ and ordered 14 ‘Romeo drafts’.

Wild Bill told me that the most famous grad of RPI in his year (modestly he excluded himself) was Bobby Farrelly. Wild Bill said that Farrelly majored in geology.

I saw the Farrelly Brothers one time on Gene Lavanchy’s late night sports program (Ch. 7 I think). They bemoaned all the negativity in sports writing, wondering how you could turn something that was fun into a downer. That appearance inspired me to write Sportzine.

According to my spies, Mark Bellhorn was at the Hot Club the night that the Red Sox released him. I remembered his homerun to win Game #1 of the 2004 World Series against St. Louis. The Wakefield start.

Hooks’ cousin just opened a restaurant with David Ortiz on Route 9 in Framingham, Mass. It’s called Big Papi’s. Naturally.

A woman on the deck yelled “Firefighters! They have big hoses.”

The Hot Club

THE HOT CLUB
WHERE HEARTS ARE ON FIRE

BUT IT’S NEVER TOO HOT
FOR THE DEVIL MAY CARE

575 South Water Street

Providence, RI



In Game 4 of the Yankees- Red Sox 2004 AL championship, Bags left the Hot Club when Mariano Rivera came in for the 9th inning. The only ones who stayed at the Hot Club were Wise and Foot Joy. “Foot Joy to keep me company”, Wise said. “To keep you awake,” said Bags.

There was a Scott McKay sighting at the Hot Club. Scott retired last fall from the Providence Journal and is working the political round table for WRI, the public radio station. Hooks called the current Providence Journal ‘The Pamphlet’.

Wise and Bags thought that Jason Bay became a US citizen for tax purposes. Taxes are cheaper in the US than they are in Canada.

I was talking about seeing ‘ticky tacky little boxes’ (condos) while taking a ride into Water Place Park on Tom McGinn’s boat. Pete Seeger once did a song about ticky tacky little boxes (cookie cutter houses). Patti pointed out that Pete Seeger’s song is the theme music of the TV show Weeds.

Big Papi hit a homerun to put the Red Sox ahead 4-1. The blast went into the RF bullpen. Someone started up the cry, “Big Papi! Big Papi! Where’s Foot Joy? Where’s Foot Joy?”

Jack of Fire calls for an inside fast ball ‘so Cust can’t extend his arms’. So Papelbon throws an inside fastball to strike out Jack Cust, and the Sox win the rubber game against the A’s. “Manager of the Year! I should be Manager of the Year!” said the Jack of Fire.

Citizen Caroline’s fashion tips: “Women should not go commando with white shorts!” Caroline objected to women not wearing anything under their white shorts. It’s a little too obvious. The dead giveaway per Caroline – their asses shake. There’s nothing to hold them in.

Buffalo Steve revealed to me that Connie Mack once played for the Buffalo Bisons, who recently visited McCoy Stadium. I knew that Connie (Cornelius) Mack’s name was shortened from McGillicuddy.

Recently I was at McCoy Stadium for a PawSox game and Francis’ friend Louise was reading Sportzine. She remarked on the item that Brittan Bates had just gotten married. Seems that Louise (Smeraldo) had worked with Brittan at the Donley Center. So she learned about Brittan Bates’ nuptials from reading Sportzine. The power of the Zine!