Bridge School Benefit Concert - Day #1

Reports are starting to roll in from the first night of the Bridge School Benefit concerts. I've been on the phone with several long time friends getting eyewitness accounts. Expecting to Fly, Locator and Shakey have provided tidbits on a few of the many highlights including:

photo by Tim Mosenfelder

- Paul McCartney performing "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" with Neil joining in on acoustic guitar. The pairing of the legends builds on last weekend's joint performance at the Adopt A Minefield Benefit concert.

photo by Tim Mosenfelder

Other highlights included Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder joining Neil & Pegi Young on "Harvest Moon". This arrangement is similar to their performance together earlier this month in in Toldeo at the Vote for Change concert.

And if that's not enough, Neil performed for the first time live in concert "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It" from the Buffalo Springfield era. Wow! (Coincidentally, Charlie posted on Rust about Neil playing "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It" as tribute to Bruce Palmer's recent passing. And now Charlie is requesting "Little Wing". Neil, if you're reading...)

Thanks to Roel and a very generous Rustie, last night's "Do I Have To
Come Right Out And Say It?" is available on Rust Radio in both FLAC and MP3 download. So it takes over 35 years for Neil to perform it live and we can listen to it in less than 24 hours?!

Neil introduces DIHTCROASI this way:

"Since that's such an old song, I think I'll do another one. Here's one I've never sung before. I wrote it. But I didn't sing it on the record. This is the first occasion I've had to do this -- except on the car ride on the way over here. So it might not be my usual perfect. [Takes a few strums and stops] It's already messed up."

The Red Hot Chili Peppers covered Young's "Lotta Love" with their brand of gusto. The RHCP introduced the song by saying something to the effect that it wouldn't sound like the version folks are familiar with. And it wasn't!

Everyone reports being highly impressed by Tony Bennett's set. Tony was joined by Paul on "The Very Thought of You." Tony's performance of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was adored by the hometown crowd.

After McCartney sang "Let It Be", he commented "Let it be can mean a lot of things, this year let it be Kerry!". A positive crowd reaction seemed to agree.

From Tom's Sugar Mountain setlist archive, here's Neil's set from the Saturday concert:

10-23-2004, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
Annual Bridge School Benefit 18
Solo
Sugar Mountain
Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It
Field Of Opportunity
---
Pocahontas
Harvest Moon w/ Eddie Vedder

Journey Through The Past
On The Way Home
Human Highway w/ Pegi on vocals
Old King w/ Pegi on vocals
Comes A Time w/ Pegi on vocals
Four Strong Winds w/ Pegi on vocals
---
Only Love Can Break Your Heart w/ Paul McCartney and Band
Hey Jude (w/ everyone)

Also, see Expecting To Fly's review on 2004 Bridge School Benefit Concert page with more coming soon! Eddie Vedder's setlist just added.

On to Day #2!