Bridge School Benefit Concert capitalizes on fans’ love of music to help kids.
By Peter Celauro
A&E Editor
Toss a duffle bag of clothes, some munchies, a couple of close friends and a map into the back of a car and you’ve got the makings of a great road trip.
Add a blanket and a set of tickets to the Bridge School Benefit Concert, however, and you’ve got the makings of an unforgettable, emotionally fulfilling weekend.
I should know. Last Friday, I tossed the aforementioned ingredients into my Blazer and – knowing full well that getting on the 101 freeway at 3 p.m. Friday is a surefire way to not get anywhere — began the long trip North toward Mountain View, Calif. Within 48 hours I’d learned two very valuable lessons: 1) “see if you can hold it for 10 more minutes” is not a statement a wise driver makes, and 2) when Neil Young is in charge, even giving to charity can be fun.
By charity, I mean “an educational program dedicated to ensuring that children with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications,” according to the Bridge School’s Web site, www.bridgeschool.org.
This basically means that since its founding in 1986, the Hillsborough, Calif.-based Bridge School has helped countless handicapped children gain access to education, relationships and experiences they probably would never have had otherwise.
Since the very first year of its inception, the Bridge School’s primary source of funding has been the Bridge School Benefit Concert. Thanks greatly to the efforts of Neil Young in orchestrating and performing in them, the concerts rake in thousands of dollars for the school annually and feature some of the most important recording artists of the decade.
Thankfully, this year was no exception. Stellar acoustic performances by Dashboard Confessional; Wilco; Counting Crows; Incubus; Pearl Jam; the Dixie Chicks; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Willie Nelson and Neil Young (solo) lured fans to the Shoreline Amphitheatre and kept them enraptured for hours.
After a few opening words from Young’s wife and a few opening songs from Young himself, Dashboard Confessional took the stage and reminded everyone why they grow more popular by the day. Chris Carrabba’s honest, easy-to-relate-to lyrics and irresistible melodies charmed the West Coasts’ hippies and yuppies just as easily as they charm the screaming, pubescent girls of MTV’s New York studio.
Another highlight was Incubus’ set. My feelings for them had never gone far beyond lukewarm indifference, but seeing them perform live made me appreciate them in a whole new light. Their impressive stage presence gave the songs power and importance that I’d never noticed before when hearing them on the radio or T.V., particularly on a compelling performance of “Warning” (from 2001’s “Morning View”).
Counting Crows also delivered a great live performance. Though they weren’t necessarily the most seasoned veterans on the roster, their expertise onstage reminded the crowd that they’d definitely put in their time in the studio and on the road since 1993’s “August and Everything After,” particularly on old hits like “Rain King” and “Long December.”
Then, of course, there was Pearl Jam. No matter how old these godfathers of grunge get, they always succeed in confusing the audience about whether or not it’s really them onstage. Almost every performance finds front man Eddie Vedder sporting a different hair color and look; sometimes he looks old, as though he’s ready to sit in his leather chair with a pipe and read “Moby Dick” by the fire. Other times he seems crazed, as though he’s about to jump into the crowd and get the mosh pit started.
At this particular show, Vedder offered a happy medium. Pearl Jam’s acoustic set was pleasing to the ear, yet packed every bit of intensity the fans have come to expect, particularly on “Black” (from 1991’s “Ten”).
Perhaps the most exciting parts of the concert, however, weren’t the countless musically inspiring moments. What proved even more fascinating and heartwarming were the reactions of the Bridge School students lined up onstage behind the bands. As is the tradition at each Bridge School Benefit Concert, the kids got the ultimate front-row seats for the entire show and were privy to smiles, handshakes and hugs from the artists, even as they performed.
Consistent coverage of the kids’ faces on the jumbo screens enabled even those of us in the very back to see how excited these kids were to know that they were being sung to … that this concert was indeed for them. Seeing the kids’ smiles and cheers was a great reminder to fans and artists alike that the Bridge School Benefit Concert is more than just a show; it’s a deliberate effort to make the lives of these kids better, and, for two nights a year, to let them know that, both onstage and off, they’re loved.
October 30, 2003