Bridge School Benefit

On Saturday, I traveled down to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View to hit up the 21st Annual Bridge School Benefit concert. It's an all-acoustic show that Neil Young puts on every year to raise money for his wife's school for autistic children. The awesome thing about these concerts is that Neil Young gathers a variety of big names that you'd never see together anywhere else. In addition to Neil Young, this year's lineup included Metallica, Tom Waits, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mayer and a handfull of others. It was an excellent 7 1/2 hours, fueled by an abundance of $8 beers. Here's a closer look at some of the finer acts-

Metallica

For my money, there's no better live band out there. I've been a fan of these guys since I was in middle school and have seen them several times. The majority of their acoustic set was made up of covers that they'd never played before, including Garbage's "Only Happy When it Rains" and Nazereth's "Please Don't Judas Me". Awesome.

Here's the acoustic version of their old school classic "Disposable Heroes":

Also, check out their cover of Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" here.

Neil Young

My dad was a big fan of Neil Young and, as a result, I grew up listening to his music. He mostly played songs from his new album, several of which turned into extended jams. He sounded great and played a fine set. I was also impressed by the fact that he billed himself third, below Metallica and Jerry Lee Lewis. If this had been my concert, I would have been the big finale. Guess that's why nobody buys tickets to my shows. Also, I can't play guitar, so that probably doesn't help either.

Here's a clip of "Spirit Road":

Good stuff.

Tom Waits

Tom Waits was awesome. His gravely voice and uniquely moody music sounded amazing live as he shook his hands and stomped his feet in a manner that, if attempted by anyone else, would look ridiculous. I hear that he rarely gives live performances, which is a shame, because I'd love to see him again. James Hetfield came out to introduce him before his set began, saying that he's a "personal favorite and one of the most original musicians out there". The audience welcomed him with a standing ovation, and he certainly didn't disappoint.

Here's a portion of his set, a song called "Little Drop of Poison":

Excellent.

Jerry Lee Lewis

That's right, the "Great Balls of Fire" guy is still alive and rockin. While the 72 year old doesn't quite "boogie woogie" like he used to, he played a mean set of classics. He sounded pretty good, but whenever they showed him on the screen, nothing was moving but his mouth and his fingertips on the piano keys. Not even a Ray Charles-style sway. However, that didn't deter the audience from dancing. In fact, his songs probably got a bigger reaction than any of the other acts.

Here's a portion of "Great Balls of Fire":

Good to see he's still going.

John Mayer

Am I a fan? Not really, but as far as acoustic guitar rock goes, he isn't bad. He played some good tunes, sounded just fine, and closed the set with an excellent rendition of "Free Fallin". I enjoyed his performance, although he's no Jerry Lee Lewis.

Here's his classic, "Waiting on the World to Change":

A fine addition to the lineup.

My Morning Jacket

Originally, Eddie Vedder and Flea were supposed to play together, but they canceled a few days before the show. I was really disappointed, as I was excited to see the two of them, especially playing together. As a last minute replacement, these guys were tossed into the mix. They played some fine acoustic rock, but damnit, they were no Eddie and Flea. Not exactly an equal trade, but hey, guess I can't complain.

Also at the show were Tegan & Sara and Regina Spektor. Not my cup of tea, but they were just fine anyway. Overall, it was an awesome evening of laid-back acoustic rock. I'll definitely make an effort to hit up these shows in the future.

Oh, and another highlight from the night was my brother Matt's new pal, a trashed, aging hippie who knew everything about every song, and was sure to let us know about it. At one point, he put his arm around Matt and said "Boy, I'm sure glad I got to sit next to you". He then pulled out a pipe and started partaking in illegal doings.

What a guy. And what a show.