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

10/29/07, 12:48 pm EST

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.

Rolling Stone

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Comments

Tim | 2/18/2008, 12:17 pm EST

does anyone know what neil’s set list was?

johnny | 11/21/2007, 1:52 am EST

Metallica doesn’t deserve to share a stage with Tom Waits. The have much more “success” than Waits, but not nearly as much soul. Metallica simply pounds you into submission, while Waits’ work takes you to corners of the world that are rare and precious.

AnDrE hUnT | 10/30/2007, 1:39 pm EST

I’m reading these comments while the classic Waits Foreign Affairs song is playing in my room, and hearing those strings I realize that Tom and Kronos would be sublime playing this together. (The albums arrangement for this song is already impeccable). The fact that Tom does not use Kronos to play over his earlier string material, does tell me that he is probably pretty much done with using strings in that matter…(At 2:54 into the Foreign Affairs song, you will hear a tone produced about one second before the strings come in…listen to it and see how it opens the heart up….pure magic…Andre in S.F.

metalli-cough | 10/29/2007, 10:21 pm EST

I was at the show Saturday night, and I’ve never seen a band clear out a stadium as quickly as when Metallica started playing. The exodus was rapid and increased with each song. They are so full of themselves.

Tom Waits definitely stole the show.

HC Bukowski Jr. | 10/29/2007, 8:59 pm EST

Wow, he I knew he sucked as a singer, writer, and guitar player. I didn’t know he sucked at the keyboard as well!!!

He’s versatile.

You can take that country western slop and shove it, Neil!

Lori Meyer | 10/29/2007, 7:35 pm EST

I was at the Sunday event and Tom Waits was in rare form, the Kronos Quartet was amazing. He opend with Way down in the Hole then Cold Cold Ground, it was like I was at the Big Time Concert I was too young to attend. I was with my brother who introduced Tom to me 17 years ago when I was just 15. Seeing Tom play at the Bridge School benefit was the perfect first concert for me, Thank You Tom and Neil for a great show!!!

R. Tickle | 10/29/2007, 5:49 pm EST

One of these days I am going to bust open my piggy bank and get the flock out to Cali so I can be at one of the Bridge School Concerts….They are always the coolest.

Doofus | 10/29/2007, 2:12 pm EST

Cool. Neil Young dyed his hair and painted his hands blue for ths concert. It goes to show that Neil is really a punk at hear. Way to go Neil!

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