2017 Bridge School benefit concert cancelled

goldrushgoldrush Posts: 7,542

Letter from Pegi Young


Dear Friends of Bridge School:

The Bridge School Benefit Concert, traditionally held at Shoreline Amphitheatre, will not be held in 2017. We want to express our sincere and profound thanks to all of you for your love and support, demonstrated by way of your attendance at 30 years of Bridge School Benefit Concerts. They have been truly memorable events and we have great appreciation for everyone who has been involved beginning, of course, with Neil Young and including all the many artists who have been so generous with their time and talent; the production people who have made it all possible; Elliot Roberts and the team at Lookout Management as well as Marsha Vlasic, who have been so instrumental in booking the shows all these years; the Bridge School staff and families and last, but certainly not least, the audience to whom the show has brought such enjoyment over these many years.

Because our mission is of such great importance to so many, we proceed onward with optimism into the future. Stay tuned for updates as we begin to shape what the next steps will be in reaching our endowment goals.

On behalf of the Bridge School family, I wish to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your love and support as we work to bring opportunities and "participation through communication" to our student population here at home and around the world.

With peace, love, and sincere gratitude.

Pegi Young

Co-Founder and President of the Board of Directors, Bridge School

“Do not postpone happiness”
(Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

“Put yer good money on the sunrise”
(Tim Rogers)

Comments

  • goldrushgoldrush Posts: 7,542
    Message from Neil Young

    After thirty years of hosting the Bridge School Concerts, I would like to say thanks to everyone involved. Of course, I love the students most of all because the light in their eyes tells me we have been doing the right thing for the last thirty years. We have earned millions of dollars and the school is stable financially, able to go forward although we still need an endowment and would welcome one.

    Thanks to Pegi Young for coming up with the idea and pursuing it with such great dedication, working for the kids like our child Ben, young children with disabilities who needed more than our education system offered. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to the artists who have been so generous with their time and great performances. Certainly, my love and appreciation go to Executive Director Vicki Casella, who has given 100% to skillfully support and guide the school over the years. Thank you to our wonderful staff, made up of the finest educators I have ever known. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors for their dedicated efforts on behalf of our students and Bridge School mission.

    My long-time friends, manager Elliot Roberts and agent Marsha Vlasic have been putting these concerts together and gathering the incredible artist line ups year after year. Thanks to you both and to Frank Gironda for all the work you've put into the event. I would also like to thank Tim Foster and the crews he has ably led while handling production of the concerts and making everything so easy for us. Great job Tim.

    The Bridge School Concerts would never have been possible without Bill Graham and BGP, as well as Another Planet Productions. Thanks to Jerry Pompili and all the people who worked for these production organizations and made our wonderful concerts so easy for everyone.

    To the Bridge School Community, the folks who attend the concerts year after year bringing their wonderful enthusiasm and love, I say thanks and lots of love to every one of you. You are the soul that kept everything happening for all these years. I know the concerts have become part of the Bay Area Landscape and we were all there together. I appreciate being part of it.

    Although I will continue in fund raising efforts, for personal reasons beginning this year I will no longer be hosting The Bridge School Concert. I wish everyone the best as the school heads into the future. My heart is with each and every child we have had the honor to serve and those we will continue to serve, and your parents, siblings, and extended families. Thanks to you all for the honor of serving such a great mission. Thanks to my incredible son Ben Young for being there at my side throughout these many Bridge School years. I love you buddy. The Bridge School would not have been possible without you.

    Neil Young

    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • perfectlefts14perfectlefts14 Posts: 2,037
    That's a huge bummer, I absolutely loved going to these shows over the years. 
    Tell the captain
    'This boats not safe
    And we're drowning.'
  • 30 yrs is a great run. 
    www.cluthelee.com
  • ledveddermanledvedderman Posts: 7,761
    I know I'm stating the obvious here, but after this news and Neil pulling out of the Hall of Fame induction- is he okay? 
  • goldrushgoldrush Posts: 7,542
    I know I'm stating the obvious here, but after this news and Neil pulling out of the Hall of Fame induction- is he okay? 
    He's scheduled to headline FarmAid in September so let's hope so.
    Initially I read this as being more about the difficulties of Pegi and Neil working together after they broke up, but who knows? Maybe there's more to it.

    It will be interesting to see what they do from here. Will Pegi host benefit concerts of her own, or will they try and do something different? 
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • ledveddermanledvedderman Posts: 7,761
    Oh man. I didn't know that about Neil and Peg. Here's to happiness to both of them in the future in their own endeavors. 
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,051
    goldrush said:
    I know I'm stating the obvious here, but after this news and Neil pulling out of the Hall of Fame induction- is he okay? 
    He's scheduled to headline FarmAid in September so let's hope so.
    Initially I read this as being more about the difficulties of Pegi and Neil working together after they broke up, but who knows? Maybe there's more to it.

    It will be interesting to see what they do from here. Will Pegi host benefit concerts of her own, or will they try and do something different? 
    That was my first thought as well but it's been a few years since they broke up so maybe not.  It could just be the fatigue of rocking hard for 57 years (starting with The Shadows in 1960).  I hope Neil's doing OK so hopefully this is just about kicking back in old age.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,946
    Pearl Jam - Please host an Evening with Pearl jam at Shoreline benefiting the Bridge School this October.  I dare you!
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,529
    Pearl Jam - Please host an Evening with Pearl jam at Shoreline benefiting the Bridge School this October.  I dare you!
    Benaroya Hall mark 2
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,957
    edited July 2017
    I know I'm stating the obvious here, but after this news and Neil pulling out of the Hall of Fame induction- is he okay? 
    He seems okay. He posted a video lately and he looks and seems healthy and happy and alert and mobile, so at the very least, he's not on his death bed or anything. And he's still putting out music. I'm thinking he was actually just sick - like normal sick - for the RRHOF. Not hosting Bridge School anymore, though, is obviously a bigger decision. I'm thinking it is most likely to do with the fact that he got divorced from Pegy and has now moved onto a new era in his life, and he thought 30 years of doing the Bridge School benefit is long enough for him. Obviously Pegy is still at it, if she's on the board. Things like this tend to happen after divorce, right? They are going down different paths now.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 8,076
    If he drops out of Farm Aid, then I'll get concerned. But until then Its a coincidence. This may be due to divorce shit or whatever. 
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