2003 Bridge School Benefit Concerts
Nov 11 '03 (Updated Nov 17 '03)
The Bottom Line The Bridge Benefit concerts are a beautiful reminder of the good that humans can do.
Like most children, the students of the Bridge School were all smiles, dancing and enjoying themselves like any ordinary child would if they were onstage with some of music’s most popular acts. However, the Bridge School children are anything but ordinary. In fact, they are just as phenomenal and extraordinary as their onstage, musical counterparts.
Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26 marked the 17th Annual Bridge School Benefit. Mountain View, California's Shoreline Amphitheater is the site of the yearly concert, which serves to raise awareness and money for the school.
Founded in 1986 by Pegi Young (Neil Young’s wife), James Forderer, and speech pathologist Dr. Marilyn Buzolich, the institute has utilized emerging technologies to improve the quality of life for those with severe communication impairments. The Bridge School prides itself on being merely a stepping stone for kids; graduation from the school means the kids are prepared to return to their original school to continue their education.
Such a wonderful cause warrants a line up that boasts acts ranging from emo-bleeding hearts Dashboard Confessional to country-blues legend Willie Nelson. Each act on the star-studded lineup performed a stripped down, acoustic set. To begin both nights, Pegi Young introduced the students and alumni of the Bridge School that were seated at the back of the stage. Then she brought out her husband.
Neil Young has been organizing the incredible lineups for the Bridge Benefit shows for the past 17 years. He begins each night with a few songs from his seemingly endless catalog before bringing out the first act. With eight worthy acts scheduled to play, each group was only allotted roughly 35 minutes.
One of the most wonderful aspects of these benefit shows is the diversity of the artists involved. Bridge Benefit first-timers Dashboard Confessional and Wilco lead the way each night, starting the concerts off with percussive emo-rock and achingly deliberate alt-country respectively. The Indigo Girls and the legendary Willie Nelson provided simple, barebones acoustic songs, while on the other end of the spectrum Incubus incorporated a DJ into their set (acoustic turntables?) and Counting Crows had a veritable jam fest with 7 members on stage, including an accordion player.
Pearl Jam played the roll of showstopper on this, their 6th Bridge Benefit appearance. The Seattle rock legends brought a majority of the quietly appreciative crowd to their feet. During their two sets, Pearl Jam strummed out classics like “Daughter” and “Better Man”, cover songs like Johnny Cash’s 㦅 Minutes to Go”, as well as a new song, “Man of the Hour”, which will appear in an upcoming Tim Burton film.
Most seasoned acts on the bill resorted to covers and the lighter side of the repertoire. Incubus turned to their acoustic hit “Drive”, as well as a mesmerizing, phenomenal interpretation of “Teardrop” by electronic pioneers Massive Attack. Counting Crows paid tribute to San Francisco’s own Grateful Dead with a slowed version of “Friend of the Devil”. The aforementioned Pearl Jam gave a bloodcurdling rendition of Bob Dylan's sociopolitical “Masters of War”, while Willie Nelson blending his own country and blues songs with covers of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash tunes. The night was capped off by classic rock crooners Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. With their turbulent past in mind, seeing CSNY perform is certainly like watching history being made.
The children of the Bridge School made these concerts so special. Most of the artists involved get to spend time with the children before and after the show. Some acts take the time out of their set to acknowledge the kids. Incubus singer Brandon Boyd excused himself one song into the band’s set in order to ‘get a kiss’ from one of the young female students. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder dedicated “Last Kiss” to Maricor, a graduate of the Bridge School and third year student at the University of California. The artists have a wonderful relationship with the kids, and that makes these shows so enjoyable.
In a world full of war and hate, greed and deceit, it is a joy to witness people helping people. The Bridge Benefit concerts are a beautiful reminder of the good that humans can do.
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Member: Mike Assenzio
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