How Great Was Bridge School 1999 Featuring Pearl Jam, The Who, Neil Young, etc. 20th Anniversary!?!

YourDirtisMyfood

I mean come on!

Neil Young
Pearl Jam
The Who
Smashing Pumpkins
Green Day
Lucinda Williams
Tom Waits
Sheryl Crow
Brian Wilson
Emmylou Harris

Just wow!  Who here on the Ten Club went to this fantastic lineup nearly twenty years ago?

https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=1999+Bridge+School

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Thirteenth-Annual-Bridge-School-Benefit-1999-shirt-Neil-Young-Pearl-Jam-The-Who/264457426824?hash=item3d92e41788:g:ZQwAAOSw3YxdcazV:sc:USPSFirstClass!02740!US!-1

mr bungle

Yes!! Wife and I drove down from Seattle for those shows. My first Bridge show and first time seeing The Who.  I still maintain it's the best top to bottom lineup that fest ever had.  We had a blast and met many cool fans.  Awesome memories!  Also the debut of NAIS and Thin air if I recall.

cp3iverson

Great lineup. Awful shirt. 

Brian Wilson is the biggest legend on that bill and he probably played early on. 

Spiritual_Chaos

cp3iverson said:

Brian Wilson is the biggest legend on that bill and he probably played early on. 

(Neil Young is)

cp3iverson

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cp3iverson said:

Brian Wilson is the biggest legend on that bill and he probably played early on. 

(Neil Young is)

When Paul McCartney and Tom Petty state that the only musician you can compare Brian Wilson to is Beethoven im going to tend to choose him in this debate

BH87446

Dude. It was f**king AMAZING. Severely, disturbingly, unbelievably amazing. I’m so glad I got to be there.

Steverthebeliever

I was there for night 2...green day arguably stole the show, brian wilson  was great...i believe the who played real early

YourDirtisMyfood

mr bungle said:

Yes!! Wife and I drove down from Seattle for those shows. My first Bridge show and first time seeing The Who.  I still maintain it's the best top to bottom lineup that fest ever had.  We had a blast and met many cool fans.  Awesome memories!  Also the debut of NAIS and Thin air if I recall.

awesome story and yes for NAIS and Thin Air per FM Setlist.  Must have been amazing.  If only I could sub Tom Petty in there or add him in somehow.

YourDirtisMyfood

BH87446 said:

Dude. It was f**king AMAZING. Severely, disturbingly, unbelievably amazing. I’m so glad I got to be there.

That is awesome.  Thanks for sharing.

YourDirtisMyfood

Steverthebeliever said:

I was there for night 2...green day arguably stole the show, brian wilson  was great...i believe the who played real early

I can see Green Day being kickass.  Would've loved to see the Pumpkins acoustic live.  I have some acoustic stuff from them including Landslide where they are quite good.

cp3iverson

My local record store has PJ Bridge 99 on vinyl.  Both shows

BH87446

cp3iverson said:

My local record store has PJ Bridge 99 on vinyl.  Both shows

No way! How much are they asking?

cp3iverson

BH87446 said:

cp3iverson said:

My local record store has PJ Bridge 99 on vinyl.  Both shows

No way! How much are they asking?

$32. Its a well known boot.  Never bought it because its sourced from mp3s im sure

BH87446

Huh, I’ve seen it on cd, just never on vinyl. Too bad if it’s the same mediocre quality boot I’ve already heard...

raindog80

PJ and Tom Waits on the same line up: stellar. 

PB11041

Was Great. Flew in from NYC, was living there at the time.  First time to San Fran (actually now only time).  The only bummer was, my wife was paranoid we would miss our flight how and we had to leave night 2 early.  I am not bitter, only twenty years later.  FUCK!  So missed debut of NAIS.  But overall I saw the Who acoustic twice, when they were still a core band with Ents.  Debut of Thin Air, Footsteps with harmonica, shortest appearances by PJ other than 1992 I think.

Waits was amazing, Who amazing, Lucinda Williams amazing, and it was a huge treat to hear Brian Wilson. This was Neil to me at the tail end of his second peak.  Nothing can beat Neil solo and Horse in the 1969 to 1978 period, but 1990 to 2000 was damn good and I was fortunate to see him do these shows, a solo show in NYC the next spring and a few shows with the Horse in 1996 and 1997.

They freaking soundchecked In Hiding! didnt play it sadly.  The betterman from night 2 and footsteps where on the b-side ot the NAIS international release.  The 12 inch is great for those.  I was a stubborn prick back then and did not care for betterman as much but listening back to it in these later years, exceptionally beautiful version.

YourDirtisMyfood

awesome stories, folks.  Great memories.  I have to keep an eye out for the boot.  Maybe 10C can release a professional sounding vinyl somehow commemorating 20 years with proceeds going to Bridge Benefit?  That'd be cool.

PB11041

YourDirtisMyfood said:

awesome stories, folks.  Great memories.  I have to keep an eye out for the boot.  Maybe 10C can release a professional sounding vinyl somehow commemorating 20 years with proceeds going to Bridge Benefit?  That'd be cool.

shoot me a pm, I can get you the board+audience mix 

shecky

1999 looks like a great lineup! 2014 stands out in my memory as possibly the best ever, though; Neil Young, Pegi Young and her band, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Florence + The Machine, Norah Jones and Puss N Boots and Band of Horses. Oh yeah, plus Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the highly anticipated reunion of Temple of The Dog! The excitement in the air was palpable and when the members all finally began assembling on stage the roof about blew off the place! (even though it was an outdoor amphitheatre and there was no roof...) Remember, this was two years before the 2016 reunion tour so it was very fresh and magical. People really went ape.

Steverthebeliever

I went to over 20 bridge benefits, some were better than others but all were special shows,  there was nothing like them...an entire collection of pearl jam at the bridge benefit would be a great idea

YourDirtisMyfood

Steverthebeliever said:

I went to over 20 bridge benefits, some were better than others but all were special shows,  there was nothing like them...an entire collection of pearl jam at the bridge benefit would be a great idea

Great Idea, I'd listen to it.

NEweather

 I was blown away by Green Day at BSB in 1999. I also liked 2010 both days of that BSB ( especially PJ day 2 of 2010) and 2014's BSB - 1994 BSB was my first time and 1st time I saw Pearl Jam live. Was really glad cuz I was a new fan of PJ-and a big fan of Neil-so glad that someone told me about those-cuz I hadn't heard about it until that year. 

walkunafraid

shecky said:

1999 looks like a great lineup! 2014 stands out in my memory as possibly the best ever, though; Neil Young, Pegi Young and her band, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Florence + The Machine, Norah Jones and Puss N Boots and Band of Horses. Oh yeah, plus Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the highly anticipated reunion of Temple of The Dog! The excitement in the air was palpable and when the members all finally began assembling on stage the roof about blew off the place! (even though it was an outdoor amphitheatre and there was no roof...) Remember, this was two years before the 2016 reunion tour so it was very fresh and magical. People really went ape.

I was there both days that year. Exceptional lineup. Another great one (for me, at least) was 2011 - Eddie, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, Beck, Carlos Santana, Mumford & Sons, Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Neil, etc. Just about any of those bands have been the headliner at other fests, yet they were all on the same bill that weekend. Incredible.

Still breaks my heart to know that between Neil/Pegi's divorce and Pegi's subsequent death, this benefit will probably never happen again. It was such a unique way to see these artists perform -- all acoustic and with the kids on stage -- and nothing can really replicate or replace it.

I have so many favorite performances from BSB, but one that stands out is Trent Reznor in 2006. If I remember correctly, he said something about not even knowing he was supposed to perform acoustically until a week before the show. Got together a string quartet, performed a handful of NIN songs and it was absolutely beautiful. Still feel so privileged to have been able to witness that.

NEweather

walkunafraid said:

shecky said:

1999 looks like a great lineup! 2014 stands out in my memory as possibly the best ever, though; Neil Young, Pegi Young and her band, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Florence + The Machine, Norah Jones and Puss N Boots and Band of Horses. Oh yeah, plus Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the highly anticipated reunion of Temple of The Dog! The excitement in the air was palpable and when the members all finally began assembling on stage the roof about blew off the place! (even though it was an outdoor amphitheatre and there was no roof...) Remember, this was two years before the 2016 reunion tour so it was very fresh and magical. People really went ape.

I was there both days that year. Exceptional lineup. Another great one (for me, at least) was 2011 - Eddie, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, Beck, Carlos Santana, Mumford & Sons, Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Neil, etc. Just about any of those bands have been the headliner at other fests, yet they were all on the same bill that weekend. Incredible.

Still breaks my heart to know that between Neil/Pegi's divorce and Pegi's subsequent death, this benefit will probably never happen again. It was such a unique way to see these artists perform -- all acoustic and with the kids on stage -- and nothing can really replicate or replace it.

I have so many favorite performances from BSB, but one that stands out is Trent Reznor in 2006. If I remember correctly, he said something about not even knowing he was supposed to perform acoustically until a week before the show. Got together a string quartet, performed a handful of NIN songs and it was absolutely beautiful. Still feel so privileged to have been able to witness that.

All of you say so many great things I agree with! So many great performances! Alot of people were thrilled with Trent Reznor's performance-it was a standout. Always liked Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds when they were on the bill. I even thought Cage The Elephant did a great job for 1st timers(@BSB) at  the last BSB. David Bowie with-sitting on stools with their Parker Fly guitars?  In my experience-it seemed to me when Pearl Jam were announced on the bill-the BSB seemed to sell-out so fast...maybe that was just me thinking that-BSB would announce, and then a couple of weeks/or so-go on sale, and sell so fast-then be so glad if I was able to get seats for atleast one of the 2 day BSB offers. I really miss the BSB.

YourDirtisMyfood

Corduroy is on now from BSB 96 on Vitalogy 25 special channel 22 on Sirius.

YourDirtisMyfood

this sound is so awesome which I was there for this.

NEweather

YourDirtisMyfood said:

this sound is so awesome which I was there for this.                                             

    By this BSB(96) - I was really into Pearl Jam- and it was the only time I happened to get (imo) really good seats while attending those benefit shows. We were basically head-level w/ those on stage-maybe row k -it was a long time ago-but I thought it was great! So excited when they did " Off He Goes" also...

YourDirtisMyfood

NEweather said:

YourDirtisMyfood said:

this sound is so awesome which I was there for this.                                             

    By this BSB(96) - I was really into Pearl Jam- and it was the only time I happened to get (imo) really good seats while attending those benefit shows. We were basically head-level w/ those on stage-maybe row k -it was a long time ago-but I thought it was great! So excited when they did " Off He Goes" also...

Love Off He Goes.  Top 20 PJ song.

mdgsolo

So incredible.  Those of us who were there were truly blessed to experience that

NEweather

YourDirtisMyfood said:

NEweather said:

YourDirtisMyfood said:

this sound is so awesome which I was there for this.                                             

    By this BSB(96) - I was really into Pearl Jam- and it was the only time I happened to get (imo) really good seats while attending those benefit shows. We were basically head-level w/ those on stage-maybe row k -it was a long time ago-but I thought it was great! So excited when they did " Off He Goes" also...

Love Off He Goes.  Top 20 PJ song.

  I agree- love it too

NEweather

mdgsolo said:

So incredible.  Those of us who were there were truly blessed to experience that

yes!