Neil Young, Tom Waits, Metallica Highlight Annual Bridge School Benefit

Although it lacked the all-star collaborations of years' past, Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit was still full of surprises. Featuring sets by the likes of Young, John Mayer, Tegan and Sara and Jerry Lee Lewis, this year's event (which took place Saturday and Sunday at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, California) did not disappoint, despite a last-minute cancellation by Eddie Vedder, who was replaced by perennial Bonnaroo heroes My Morning Jacket. The undisputed highlight of the concert was Tom Waits, who was backed by the Kronos Quartet during his half-hour set. Headliners Metallica took a break from working on their next LP to frustrate/confuse/entertain the audience with odd covers of Rare Earth ("I Just Want to Celebrate"!), Nazareth and Dire Straits songs, while interspersing some selections from their own albums. To revisit the Bridge School event yourself, check out our photo gallery.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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