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, Prov. The HC has new black high back leather chairs to go with the new HD TV screens. One of the regulars pointed them out to me after I missed them in the dark. Russ and Renée visited the HC on a ‘date night’. It was good to see both of them. Russ revealed that his band, Gravity Bleeds, is no more. Bled out? The Sisto Kid was in town and visited the HC for the annual Sisto Fest. As luck would have it, there was a band playing that night, the Wippets. And in the band was mandolin player Sally Sisto, who is related (by marriage) to our San Franciscan friend (who grew up on Farm Street in Providence). The two swapped stories during a break. During the Sisto Fest, our friend Anthony Proc said the magic words to evoke an era - he talked about his ‘8 track and incense’. Adam said to check out an action movie called The Raid:Redemption. A group tries to take out a drug lord who has a penthouse suite. Each floor of the high rise harbors criminals. Reminds me of the contest held by the city of Providence to come up with a catchy phrase to promote La Prov and the winner (very briefly) was ‘We harbor the best’. I told Broc that I went to the Red Sox game that they won against the Yankees. Yankees fan Broc groaned. I told him that I expected the BoSox to lose. Said Broc, “I didn’t expect them to win either.” The Wizard (among others like Foot Joy, and most of the Western World) doesn’t want to re-sign Jacoby Ellsbury. I said what if he hits 30-30 next year (30 homers, 30 steals). He relented slightly and said “Maybe – for 3 years.” I told him that Scott Boras would never allow that. Boras would want 5-6 years. If Ellsbury goes 30-30 in 2013, sign him. I was the only one among many that I asked who was advocating for the BoSox to keep Ellsbury. So someone asked me what that meant – I said it must mean that I’m right. Upcoming birthdays are in store for Mike Module and Fleet Feet Pete. I won’t divulge the birthday number but it’s monumental. And they aren’t Jack Benny’s age. Best wishes to Bags, who is recovering from knee surgery. The Wizard said Valentine has to stay and Ellsbury has to go. Huh? Insert punchline.