Through The Years: 27 Years Of Bridge School Benefit Concerts

Nearly every year since 1986 Neil and Pegi Young have called upon their musical friends to perform at an annual benefit concert to raise funds for the Bridge School, an innovative organization educating children with severe speech and physical impairments. The Youngs ask their invited guests to cut the cords and perform on acoustics for the Bridge School Benefit Concerts. Over the years, Neil and Pegi have recruited a who’s who of acts to play the concerts including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Phish, Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir, Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Metallica, Foo Fighters and R.E.M. The tradition continues on this weekend at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA.

This year’s lineup features CSNY, Queens Of The Stone Age, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire (Saturday Only), Tom Waits (Sunday Only), Jack Johnson (Saturday Only), Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, fun., Jenny Lewis and Heart. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT via Live Nation (Night One, Night Two). On the eve of the onsale we want to look back at each and every lineup from Bridge School Benefit Concerts past. In nearly every case we’ve found video from the event for your viewing pleasure and audio of few gems including Sonic Youth getting booed in 1991. Let’s dig in:

Bridge I October 13, 1986 in Mountain View, California at the Shoreline Amphitheater
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Nils Lofgren, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Robin Williams and Bruce Springsteen

Bridge II December 4, 1988 in Oakland, California at the Oakland Coliseum
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Nils Lofgren, Billy Idol, Bob Dylan, G. E. Smith, Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Tracy Chapman

Bridge III October 28, 1989
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty and Sammy Hagar

Bridge IV October 26, 1990
Performers included: Neil Young, Cheech Marin, Gene LaFond and Larry Kegan, Jackson Browne, Edie Brickell, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller and Crazy Horse

Bridge V November 2, 1991
Performers included: Gene LaFond & Larry Kegan, Neil Young, Don Henley, Nils Lofgren, Tracy Chapman, John Lee Hooker, Sonic Youth and Willie Nelson

Bridge VI November 1, 1992
Performers included: Neil Young, Sammy Hagar, Elton John, Pearl Jam, James Taylor and Shawn Colvin

Bridge VII November 6, 1993
Performers included: Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, Warren Zevon, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Sammy Hagar & Eddie Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt and Simon & Garfunkel

Bridge VIII October 1 & October 2, 1994
Performers included: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam, Pete Droge, Mazzy Star, Ministry and Indigo Girls

Bridge IX October 28, 1995
Performers included: Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Beck, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, The Pretenders and Hootie & The Blowfish -Blind Melon were originally scheduled to perform, but canceled after the death of Shannon Hoon one week before.

Bridge X October 19 & October 20, 1996
Performers included: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Idol (Day 2 only), Pete Townshend (Day 1 only), David Bowie, Patti Smith, Cowboy Junkies and Hayden

Bridge XI October 18 & October 19, 1997
Performers included: Neil Young, Metallica, Lou Reed, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler and Kacy Crowley

Bridge XII October 17 & October 18, 1998
Performers included: Neil Young, R.E.M., Phish, The Wallflowers, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Jonathan Richman, Eels and Pete Droge & Mike McCready (Day 2 only)

 

Bridge XIII October 30 & October 31, 1999
Performers included: Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Emmylou Harris (Day 2 only), The Who, Sheryl Crow, Green Day, Billy Corgan & James Iha, Tom Waits (Day 1 only), Lucinda Williams and Brian Wilson

Bridge XIV October 28 & October 29, 2000
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Robin Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Tegan and Sara

Bridge XV October 20 & October 21, 2001
Performers included: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Tracy Chapman, Billy Idol, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper and Jill Sobule

Bridge XVI October 26 & October 27, 2002
Performers included: Neil Young, James Taylor, Foo Fighters (Day 1 only), The Other Ones (Day 2 only), Ryan Adams, Tenacious D, Thom Yorke, LeAnn Rimes, Jack Johnson and Vanessa Carlton

Bridge XVII October 25 & October 26, 2003
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Indigo Girls, Wilco, Counting Crows, Incubus and Dashboard Confessional

Bridge XVIII October 23 & October 24, 2004
Performers included: Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Eddie Vedder, Tegan and Sara, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett and Los Lonely Boys

Bridge XIX October 29 & October 30, 2005
Performers included: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds (Day 2 only), John Mellencamp (Day 1 only), Los Lobos, Norah Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bright Eyes and Good Charlotte

Bridge XX October 21 & October 22, 2006
Performers included: Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Brian Wilson, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor), Death Cab for Cutie, Gillian Welch and Devendra Banhart featuring Bert Jansch

Bridge XXI October 27 & October 28, 2007
Performers included: Neil Young, Metallica, Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet, My Morning Jacket, Tegan and Sara, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mayer and Regina Spektor -Eddie Vedder with Flea & Jack Irons were scheduled to perform but canceled due to a private family matter.

Bridge XXII October 25 & October 26, 2008
Performers included: Neil Young, The Smashing Pumpkins (Day 2 only), Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, Sarah McLachlan (Day 1 only), Band of Horses (Day 1 only), Josh Groban (Day 2 only) and Cat Power -ZZ Top had been scheduled to perform on Day 1 but were dropped from the bill “due to a scheduling conflict.” Band of Horses replaced ZZ Top in the lineup.

Bridge XXIII October 24 & October 25, 2009
Performers included: Neil Young, No Doubt, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Gavin Rossdale, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett (Day 1 only) and Adam Sandler (Day 2 only)

Bridge XXIV October 23 & October 24, 2010
Buffalo Springfield, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello (Solo Day 1 only), Merle Haggard (canceled due to health) & Kris Kristofferson, Modest Mouse, Grizzly Bear, Lucinda Williams (Day 1 only), Billy Idol (Day 1 only), Jackson Browne & David Lindley (Day 1 only), T-Bone Burnett’s Speaking Clock Revue featuring: Elton John, Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Ralph Stanley, Neko Case, & Jeff Bridges (Day 2 Only) and guest appearances by Emmylou Harris (day 1 only) and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (day 2 finale only)

Bridge XXV October 22 & October 23, 2011
Performers included: Neil Young, Arcade Fire, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Tony Bennett (Day 2 only), Foo Fighters (Day 2 only), Eddie Vedder, Mumford & Sons, Los Invisibles featuring Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman Santana & Guests, Beck, Norah Jones and The Little Willies and Devendra Banhart. Jimmy Fallon (MC for Saturday only (missed flight)), Diana Krall and Jenny Lewis were scheduled to perform but canceled.

Bridge XXVI October 20 & October 21, 2012
Performers included: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Guns N’ Roses, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, The Flaming Lips, Sarah McLachlan, Foster the People, Lucinda Williams, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang, Gary Clark Jr. and Ray LaMontagne

Bridge XXVII October 26 & October 27, 2013
Performers include (tentatively): Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Queens of the Stone Age, My Morning Jacket, the Killers (Day 1 only), Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Fun., Heart and Jenny Lewis

[Lineups via Wikipedia]