Feelin' nostalgic for a time & a Bridge
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Lance minimum goad Newberry
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For a very long time the final weekend in October in the Bay Area meant The Bridge School Benefit would be happening at Shoreline Amphitheatre.
I never missed a single one, and I was lucky to get to see it all from many different angles and was honored to get to be a very small piece of that great event.
In some ways I suppose it could be argued that it was over-rated, as some performers didn't succeed as well as others playing acoustically to 22,000 people, and freezing on the lawn for eight hours listening to all acoustic music could get dull even when the music was sharp, but in so many ways those events were special, and sitting at home tonight watching the ballgame I realized that this would have been the weekend.
I sure do miss those shows, I sure do miss that time.
There were many great performances and many great lineups, but it happens that 20 years ago was my personal favorite from start to finish.
On it goes.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Localcountyline
Did you see/work the first
Did you see/work the first one in Oakland in '88? Quite the lineup there, was really sorry I couldn't come down for that.
I only went to a handful, but the one I was really crushed to miss was when Simon and Garfunkel played in '93.
Of course it wasn't the best thing played at the Bridge by a long shot, but I never was able to see them and they played a nice little set there.
Good thread, good shows, good Neil and family.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
I was at the one in ‘88 in
I was at the one in ‘88 in Oakland, the only one I ever went to. That was a hell of a show!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
I'm right there with you my
I'm right there with you my brother. The only one I ever missed was Oakland
magic / music / honoring kids w challenges / musicians being very human/ some utterly amazing sets and shoes, and combos
Tradition
in retrospect it's truly amazing that it lasted as long as it did, and was destined, like all things, to pass
god bless Neil and Peggy and all the tireless volunteers
NEIL is in the upper pantheons of rock And his greatness cannot be overstated
So damn grateful to have been so blessed
LONG LIVE NEIL YOUNG (and all of his cars too)
Bring back the horse!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
LLNY
LLNY
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I was at the one in Oakland
I was at the one in Oakland too, up in the rafters, and honestly I remember it being long and tedious at times, but there were some amazing moments as well.
My memory of the Simon & Garfunkel set is always marred by the blunder of Eddie Van Halen sitting in. THAT didn't work, at least for me.
So many brilliant, unique sets, and also so many missteps and failures, but every time Neil & Peggy would say goodnight at the end of the Sunday show every one of those weekends were memorable. 30 years of shows; it's amazing to think it went that long.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
The best time if the year,
The best time if the year, eagerly waiting, for months, with palpable anticipation
acts either fell on their face
or soared to the heavens
magic happened, and it was good
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Good for you, lance. That’s a
Good for you, lance. That’s a great run! Never went. Always told myself I’d go next year though.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
Has anybody seen the bridge?
Has anybody seen the bridge?
Where is that confounded bridge?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: |-|/-\|_|_
I didn't see every one, not
I didn't see every one, not even close, but the ones I did see were memorable.
The only time I got to see CNSY was at a BSB, and I'll never forget it!
I also met Zang, Doogs, Emily, Buncombe and some other Zoners for the first time at one. Paul McCartney headlined, it rained all day, and we were freezing up on the lawn, but we had a blast.
Another year I was stressed out of my mind over a having just purchased our current house. It was a little out of our price range, but we got it thanks to shady lenders (just before the housing bubble burst). In order for us to not start bleeding money very soon, we would have to sell our old house quickly, but the market had started to drop and the one buyer we got into escrow, bailed, which further delayed the sale. I remember going to the show early on Sunday and moving down to the soundboard area of the 2nd section for Neil's opening set... It was sunny and mellow and those songs I grew up hearing on AM radio turned out to be just what I needed to calm my frazzled nerves. I also remember feeling humbled and even a little ashamed about being stressed over my little "problems" when here were these kids with very real, very serious issues lining the stage and rocking out with such joy and abandon.
More recently I made a friend through one of my cycling circles who's son attended the Bridge School. At what turned out to be the final Bridge Benefit show, he scored over a dozen sec 102 tix for our crew through his connection with the school. It's bitter sweet looking back at those pictures remembering how much fun we had, but that it'll never happen quite like that again.
And just this past Tuesday I went with my old high school friend to see that Neil movie Mountain Top. We have seen many Neil shows as well as few Bridge shows together. We also saw the Rust Never Sleeps movie in the theater when it first came out ('79?) so this felt like we've kind of come full circle in a way... there's no more BSB, and while Neil looks full of energy, the Horse (at least a couple of 'em) is looking real tired.
Of course if Neil Young and Crazy
HorseGlue does tour, I'll be there!Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mike Dalton
Lance - I agree with you
Lance - I agree with you about Van Halen sitting in with S&G, but seeing EVH perform his set on piano instead of guitar personified what was special about the Bridge shows. That and acoustic Billy Idol in Oakland!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I thought Billy Idol stole
I thought Billy Idol stole the show in Oakland, a show that had Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tom Petty & The Heatbreakers, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir (and who else?) and many others I can't remember now.
Idol was hysterical, and clearly drunk, and he rocked!
He was also at one of the Shoreline events a few years later, and he ripped it up that year as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U35dwqrLEuo
And this song is one of the greatest moments I ever saw at a Bridge, the day Lou Reed passed six years ago yesterday. Elvis Costello grabbing Neil's guitar when the strap breaks because Neil is ROCKING is just classic. I could watch this every day and never get tired of it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ndPIymi24
And good to see you posting Googly! How 'bout those Niners!!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
Thanks for the link to Oh
Thanks for the link to Oh Sweet Nuthin, Lance - beautiful. Yeah, tears.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: |-|/-\|_|_
Hey Lance, how ya been man?
Hey Lance, how ya been man? Yeah, those Niners are playin' some solid D! And their offense is pretty explosive, thought I don't know if they're ready to stop making dumb mistakes on that side of the ball when games start to really count. Either way, this should be a fun team to watch for the foreseeable future. Been thinking about going to a game one of these Sundays... maybe we can meet up.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
Tears are sweet
Tears
are sweet