``Where was the MVP tonight?'' asked Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley, from the Paradise stage Saturday night.

``He's out being the MVP,'' responded her husband, guitarist Michael Eisenstein.

Hanley adopted a fake pout. ``I wore extra lip gloss tonight because I thought I'd meet the MVP,'' she said.

The occasion was the ninth annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity fund-raiser at the Paradise, launched in 2000 by ESPN sports guru Peter Gammons and former Herald sportswriter Jeff Horrigan. It's evolved into a benefit for the Foundation to be Named Later, created by Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and his brother, Paul. It allocates money to 10 Boston youth groups.

Previously, Red Sox players have shown up and had fun. - Johnny Damon prancing about, Bronson Arroyo singing like Scott Weiland, Lenny DiNardo playing guitar. But none of the Red Sox made this year's gig. (The MVP, Dustin Pedroia did appear at the afternoon Sports Roundtable with Gammons and others at Fenway Park.) The only major leaguer to make the night gig was Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Fernando Perez, who was also on the afternoon panel because he was a Gammons fan and supporter of youth charities.

``I was honored to be involved,'' he said. ``I'm a huge music fan. And it's an opportunity to use our status to trick people who don't care into caring.'' He was semi-joking, but people do love jocks and rockers. Put 'em together and as Gammons said, ``it reflects the passion of the city.''

The two events raised about $200,000, much of it through corporate support. About 475 people braved the weather for the rock show and auction, both silent and live. The emcee, comic Mike O'Malley, cheerfully baited bidders: ``Put it on the credit card! The bank's gonna be out of business anyway!''

The rock, though, was solid - and loud. The Peter Gammons' Hot Stove All-Stars, with Gammons and Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz on guitar and vocals, focused on standards. For Neil Young's ``Powderfinger,'' rhythm guitarist Epstein joined them.

The Figgs, American Hi-Fi and Cleo churned out high-energy power pop.

- jim@jimsullivanink.com