Who's Going to Bridge School Benefit 10/24 (Mt. View CA)

[TropicalTroubador]

...because someone had to start the thread.

I've been meaning to get to the BSB for years; maybe this year I'll go. Tickets are on sale this Sunday through LiveNation, apparently.

[mason]

i was going to go one year, but it rained heavily all day, and i had lawn tix. i bailed on that and have not tried to go again. but that could change.



"yes we have been here before"

member of the parrothead nation

[looking4OPH]

Will RM broadcast this?

[joefunalways]

Greetings, We'll be there! (w/guitar of course)...have a good one

[beachmusic]

Will be there. Bridge is always a great event for a great cause!

[TropicalTroubador]

(*bump*)

[Harbour Shark]

I'll be there in Sec 103, Row F - second year in a row for the BSB, third time seeing Jimmy at Shoreline. Hope we get a larger contingent from the Parrothead Nation than this thread would indicate!

[redwinemaker]

Jeepgirl and I will be there with PoolboyBob and JoJo. Gonna be on the lawn this year.

[Congobill]

I'll be there. Managed to get section 203 seats about halfway back so I won't be stuck on the cavernous (and crowded) lawn. I'm really interested to know if Jimmy is going to be playing solo acoustic or if he's bringing any Coral Reefers with him. Should be an interesting show and perhaps a chance to see some rarities rather than the same old standards he plays at every show.

[mason]

...speaking of jake shimabakuro...(ya know somebody had to bring up at some point)....he will be on the k f o g morning show, tuesday morning around 8:30 am.
seems he has a gig somewhere in the city. do you suppose he might stick around until saturday to play with jimmy?

"yes we have been here before"

member of the parrothead nation

concord, ca. april 2009

[mason]

I'll be there. Managed to get section 203 seats about halfway back so I won't be stuck on the cavernous (and crowded) lawn. I'm really interested to know if Jimmy is going to be playing solo acoustic or if he's bringing any Coral Reefers with him. Should be an interesting show and perhaps a chance to see some rarities rather than the same old standards he plays at every show.

my guess is that mac will be with him.

"yes we have been here before"

member of the parrothead nation

concord, ca. april 2009

[Harbour Shark]

I'll be there. Managed to get section 203 seats about halfway back so I won't be stuck on the cavernous (and crowded) lawn. I'm really interested to know if Jimmy is going to be playing solo acoustic or if he's bringing any Coral Reefers with him. Should be an interesting show and perhaps a chance to see some rarities rather than the same old standards he plays at every show.

I'm hoping to hear a duet with Neil on 'Heart of Gold'... now that would be epic!

[redwinemaker]

Thats it? Ah well we will have fun. It's gonna be a long day, Leave home at noon, pick up PoolBoyBob and JoJo at 2:00, gates open at 3:00 and the show has been known to go until 1:00 am. Then back to PBB's for some (after) midnight cheeseburgers. Dunno what time Jimmy plays, be on the lookout for some DD's (or DT's)

[Nighthawk]

Looks like my friend scored us 6 tickets in the 5th row.

Though my friend got us tickets for Saturday.... still looking for tickets for sunday.

If anyone wants to work out some kind of trade

Maybe like 2 tickets for the Saturday show for 2 for Sunday in good seats. We really want to see Adam Sandler and also Sheryl

[Karacal]

Have a great time everybody!!

[flipflopgirl]

Have a great time today everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

[bixxx]

next year for sure cant swing sbh and ca in the same month enjoy my 2 favorite artists hope it is taped

[dnw]

Safe travels to all BNers going to the benefit. Enjoy!!!

[Snowparrot]

Will we get a report soon, or are you all still asleep?
(inquiring minds...)

[beachmusic]

Snow Parrot,

It was a late night. Posted the set list earlier with a few comments in the 2009 set list section. Anyway, Jimmy rocked. Most of the band was there, Robert, Jim, Peter, Nadira, Mike, Roger, and Mac. Opened with I will play for Gumbo. Then came Scarlet Begonias, Come Monday, One Particular Harbor, Volcano, Pirate and Margaritaville. This was largely not your typical parrothead crowd, but Jimmy has the ability to connect with the audience which he again demonstrated last night. Following is a complete review from last night. I think the crowd was larger than noted.

Review: Bridge School Benefit 2009
POSTED BY JHARRINGTON ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2009 AT 3:54 AM | CATEGORIZED AS CONCERTS | TAGGED AS BRIDGE SCHOOL, BRIDGE SCHOOL BENEFIT, BRIGHT EYES, CHRIS MARTIN, COLDPLAY, CONOR OBERST, FLEET FOXES, GAVIN ROSSDALE, GWEN STEFANI, JIM JAMES, JIMMY BUFFETT, M. WARD, MONSTERS OF FOLK, MY MORNING JACKET, NEIL YOUNG, NO DOUBT, SHERYL CROW, SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, WOLFMOTHER

By Jim Harrington

Neil Young just can’t please everybody – not that pleasing the masses has ever been the 63-year-old Woodside rocker’s top priority.

When he fills the Bridge School Benefit lineup with ringers – guys like Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews and Willie Nelson, all of whom are Bridge vets – he gets knocked for playing it safe. When Young heads the other direction – as he did during this past weekend’s two Bridge concerts – people ask, “Where’s Vedder, Matthews and Nelson?”

The chatter on the Internet was far from favorable about the 2009 Bridge bill. That certainly factored into the less-than-stellar turnout – some 15,000 attended the first show, Saturday at the 22,000-capacity Shoreline Amphitheatre, while a smaller number was expected on Sunday.

What those at Shoreline saw was, by far, one of the most adventurous and eclectic lineups in recent Bridge history. It boasted a mix of hip young bands (indie-folk acts the Fleet Foxes and Monsters of Folk) and mega-star acts (Chris Martin of Coldplay, Jimmy Buffett and No Doubt), most of which were making their Bridge debuts. To go with that influx of new blood, these shows featured a few Bridge vets, notably Sheryl Crow, Monsters of Folk’s Conor Oberst and, of course, Young.

Unfortunately, that lineup, so exciting on paper, did not translate on Saturday to one of the better concerts in Bridge history. The 23rd annual acoustic music fundraiser, which supports the Hillsborough school for students with severe learning disabilities, was, at best, middle of the pack.

Two things kept Saturday’s show from being truly memorable. Most apparently, the first third of the seven-hour-plus show produced few musical highlights, as fans had to sit through a steady succession of acts that most knew nothing about. Even more troubling, however, was that the kind of star-studded collaborations that have made the Bridge such a legendary event were almost entirely missing.

Following Young’s traditional short opening set – which was really short on Saturday, consisting of just one song, “Comes a Time” – Gavin Rossdale took the stage for a 20-minute performance. Rossdale used to be famous for fronting the ‘90s Pearl Jam-wannabe Bush, but now is primarily known for being the husband of No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani – which likely explains why he was on the bill. Yet, Rossdale provided the only real highlights of the first third of the show as he delivered fine cover versions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Prince’s “Sometimes It Snows in April.”

After that came Wolfmother, doing its blues-rock White Stripes impersonation, and then Fleet Foxes, providing no clues as to why the band’s brand of indie-folk is currently so popular. The Foxes were followed by the Monsters of Folk, an all-star indie singer-songwriter group consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward. Sadly, these Monsters came across as far less than the sum of their parts.

The way those acts were bundled together meant that most fans went more than two hours without hearing one familiar song. Of course, Young could’ve helped matters by making a guest appearance or two – in particular, it would have been nice for him to add some “Y” to the Foxes’ “CSN”-style vocal harmonies.

After all that, Sheryl Crow was perfectly positioned to deliver a fan-friendly set, yet she disappointed by only dishing out a handful of hits. It would be up to Jimmy Buffett, the mayor of “Margaritaville,” to really get the party started.

The 62-year-old singer-songwriter, in his long-overdue Bridge debut, accomplished that task in fine fashion as he and his seven-piece Coral Reefer Band rolled out tender versions of “A Pirate Looks at Forty” and “Come Monday” as well as the tropical anthems “Volcano” and “Margaritaville.” They also played a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias” – which the most-famous Deadhead in attendance, basketball great Bill Walton, dubbed as “excellent.” (Buffett performed only on Saturday, while comedian Adam Sandler filled that time slot on Sunday.)

The good times kept on rolling as Chris Martin took the stage and, taking his place at the piano, proceeded to knock out mesmerizing takes on the Coldplay hits “Yellow,” “Clocks” and “Viva la Vida.” Yet, he faltered as he approached the finish line, closing his set with a questionable cover of the doo-wop ditty “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine).”

Next up was the newly reunited No Doubt – which, as a ska-pop band, seemingly faced the biggest challenge in trying to translate its music to the acoustic setting. As it turned out, however, Gwen and the guys would provide Bridge School ’09 with its signature set, one that many fans agreed was even stronger than No Doubt’s own electrified headlining shows in the Bay Area back in July. Going the unplugged route, Orange County’s finest somehow managed to make “Spiderwebs,” “Just a Girl” and other classics sound even more poignant and powerful than they did in their original incarnations.

As expected, many flocked for the exits after No Doubt left the stage – the pop-rock crowd had seen what it had come for, Stefani and Martin, and wasn’t about to wait until midnight for Young’s closing set. Those fans missed a predictably fine performance by the host, who juggled such favorites as “Sugar Mountain” and “I am a Child.”

Coming full circle, Young also played a repeat of “Comes a Time,” which brought the majority of the Bridge cast back to the stage. It was a nice all-star moment, but one that underscored what was sorely missing from the rest of the show.