Jan. 10--Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein joined Plain White T's on stage to cover Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" during the Kerry Wood-hosted Woody's Winter Warm-Up fundraiser in 2012. And if Epstein is up for it, Plain White T's would welcome him back when the "Hey There Delilah" and "1, 2, 3, 4" band performs at this year's event Friday at Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch.
"The stage is open," said Plain White T's guitarist and Cubs fan Dave Tirio over the phone Wednesday. "We welcome any players and executives. We plan a set list, but if it goes off the train tracks, we're OK with that."
Epstein plays guitar regularly at Hot Stove Cool Music -- the benefit concert he hosts with baseball writer Peter Gammons in Boston and Chicago -- but had been with the Cubs less than three months when he performed unexpectedly with Plain White T's in front of fans and past and present Cubs players in 2012.
"He's been on such a big stage before but stepped onto our little stage and got nervous," said Tirio, whose band expects to release its next album, "American Nights," March 31. "He made a comment to us like 'I'm not nearly drunk enough for this.'"
As has become custom at Woody's Winter Warm-Up, celebrity guests and local media will bar-tend during the fourth-annual event with tips going toward the Wood Family Foundation. The benefit raised over $100,000 in 2014, according to a foundation spokesperson.
Besides Epstein and Plain White T's, other notables expected to attend this year include Cubs manager Joe Maddon and players Jon Lester, Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler.
Woody's Winter Warm-Up
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch and Chicago Sports Museum; 835 N. Michigan Avenue
Tickets: $125; mlb.com/players/woodfamilyfoundation
lgomez@tribpub.com -- Twitter @TribLuis -- Instagram @TribLuis -- Facebook @TribLuis
