A rockin' good time

By Mark Shanahan & Paysha Rhone  |  January 12, 2009

"Breaking news," barked Mike O'Malley from the stage at Saturday's Hot Stove Cool Music concert. "The Sox just signed Manny Ramirez." Relax, it was just a joke, one of many O'Malley made as the entertaining host and huckster of the annual fund-raiser for Theo and Paul Epstein 's Foundation To Be Named Later. (During the live auction, O'Malley at one point tried to entice bidders by offering "a night of love with Peter Gammons at the Marriott.") Perhaps more subdued than in previous years, the show nonetheless packed a rock 'n' roll wallop, thanks to musical guests Letters to Cleo, American Hi-Fi, Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz, and The Figgs, whose frontman Mike Gent wasn't fooling around, treating the crowd to the Small Faces's "Song of a Baker" and Ron Wood's "I Can Feel the Fire." Schmoozing were ESPN's John Walsh, WBZ-TV's Lisa Hughes, flack Joe Baerlein, Paul Epstein's bride, Saskia, Peter and Bobby Farrelly's producing partner Kris Meyer, Greenberg Traurig's Gary Greenberg and Robert Sherman, NESN's Heidi Watney, and Tampa Bay Ray Fernando Perez, the fleet-footed pinch runner who scored the winning run in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Pats poster boy Tom Brady is apparently looking to add art collector to his already impressive resume. There are whispers in the art world that Brady and his girlfriend Gisele Bundchen recently sat down with a few dealers and are preparing to drop serious dough on select paintings. In particular, we're told, the pair is interested in buying a piece by the 19th-century Spanish artist Eugenio Lucas y Padilla, a gifted follower of Goya who's relatively unknown outside expert circles. The provenance of the painting, thought to be called "A Scene From Carnival," is unclear, but it's believed to be in private hands in South America. Although Brady and Bundchen have a mountain of money between them, word is they're not alone in looking for the painting. Billionaire Eli Broad, casino owner Steve Wynn, French businessman Bernard Arnault, actor Steve Martin, and financier Theodore Forstmann are just some of the ultra-rich A-list collectors who are believed to also be in pursuit of the painting. That Brady and Bundchen are looking for something super expensive to hang on the wall may suggest that the signal-caller and the supermodel are, if not getting married, at least moving in together. The couple remain mum on reports that they got engaged on Christmas Eve.

Antique autos and C-list celebs drew a huge crowd to the Bayside Expo for the Town Fair Tire World of Wheels. In addition to classic cars, fans could meet and greet "Hannah Montana" actor Jason Earles, "American Gladiators" Wolf and Venom, KayCee Stroh of "High School Musical" fame, "American Graffiti" alum Candy Clark, and Sox pitcher Justin Masterson.

There was a bench-clearing bash at The Estate after Saturday's Bruins game. B's P.J. Axelsson, David Krejci, Marc Savard, Shawn Thornton, Blake Wheeler, Shane Hnidy, Mark Stuart, Aaron Ward, and Dennis Wideman hung out with Hurricanes Wade Brookbank, Matt Cullen, Patrick Eaves, Chad LaRose, Tuomo Ruutu, Scott Walker, Brandon Sutter, Frantisek Kaberle, and Michael Leighton.

Kevin White couldn't make it, but his wife, Kathryn, attended a surprise 95th birthday party yesterday for White's onetime vice mayor Edward Sullivan. Guests included Kathy Kane, Mintz Levin's Robert Ryan, Dick Flavin, flack George Regan, and Dick Dray.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or 617-929-8253.