Neil Young has hosted the annual Bridge School benefit concert for 25 years now, turning it into a web-trend-topping phenomenon in the process. So maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that this year’s anniversary show was as much about the man himself as the cause he’s been championing for all this time.
With a lineup featuring a lot of Bridge School vets like Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Norah Jones and Beck, there was a feeling that this year’s event was almost a retrospective, and artist after artist paid tribute to Young in his or her own way.
Even first-timers Arcade Fire seemed almost speechless on Saturday when attempting to articulate what fellow Canadian Young means to them, finally launching into “Month of May,” which features Win Butler’s most Young-like vocal.
Here are three highlights from each day:
Saturday
Beck, “Pocohantas”: First, when else does this underrated Neil Young song ever get covered? Second, Young jumped out on stage to accompany him, much to the shock of Beck himself, who said afterward: “If I’d known he was going to do that, I’d have played that song last.”
Eddie Vedder & Regine Chassagne, “Tonight You Belong to Me”: It almost seemed like the crowd was waiting for the moment when Vedder would break out his ukulele. He played it on “Without You,” but that was nothing compared to his rendition of this ballad, on which Arcade Fire’s Chassagne more than ably replaced Cat Power, who sang on the album’s duet.
Neil Young, “Heart of Gold”: Leave it to Young to put the whole reason for the show back in perspective. He and his wife Pegi founded Bridge School 25 years ago for severely disabled children, and the way he sang to the students gathered on the stage showed that despite getting on in years he’s lost none of his passion for them, or for music.
Sunday
Beck, “Two Turntables and a Microphone”: In addition to a repeat performance with Young on “”Pocohantas,” Beck broke from his sedate set list” mostly songs from Sea Change-with a rousing acoustic version of his hit “Two Turntables and a Microphone.” The crowd responded, clapping and rapping along, as Beck’s young son Cosimo stood next to him with a tambourine.
Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds and Marcus Mumford, “All Along the Watchtower”: An already impressive performance with intricate picking from Matthews and Reynolds peaked with an appearance by Mumford. Three guitars morphed into one as Matthews and Mumford traded verses on this Bob Dylan classic.
Neil Young and Arcade Fire, “Helpless”: Mid-way through the Arcade Fire’s set, Young joined the band-perhaps, Canada’s most successful rock export since Young”for a rendition of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young classic “Helpless.” Win Butler nailed the vocals during one of the more moving moments of the night.
