My Bridge School Experience

chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
edited October 2007 in Other Music
Well, I'm just back from Cali and Bridge School 2007. It's something I had wanted to go to for years and I couldn't be happier I made the trip this time around.

I grew up with John Mayer and he told me that he got the invite to play a few months ago before the show was announced and that I should definitely come out. I went home that night, booked my flight and got set to go. He totally hooked it up for me out there, I got to join him and his band at Neil's house for his pre-show bbq and had all access for the entire festival.

As a big music fan I have to say that the whole weekend was kind of surreal. I mean, it's not everyday you're sitting next to James Hetfield or get to hang with Neil Young. The My Morning Jacket guys were awesome, I loved their sets and they're a cool group of guys. Really enjoyed Tegan and Sara, put on a good set and the whole band is really nice. Regina Spektor's voice is amazing live, and she might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, a total sweetheart. Tom Waits is really damn intense on stage but one of the most unique acts I've ever seen, very cool. Jerry Lee Lewis was really damn fun, kind of suprised me to be honest but I had a blast during his set. Metallica closing with Nothing Else Matters the first night kind of put the icing on the cake for me, just great stuff.

I thought John was great too, loved his cover of "Free Fallin'". He's been such a great friend over the years, done some amazing things for me. I'm one damn lucky guy.

I'll be downloading my pics tonight, some cool ones in there and I'll have them up this week on my myspace page. I've got a bit of everyone so check them out if you want.

PS- Only bummer was that Eddie couldn't make it. Hope everything's okay with him, but I would have loved to meet him seeing as PJ has been my favorite band since I was 16. Oh well, maybe next time......at least MMJ did a GREAT job filling in.

Be well,

PT
"This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


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Comments

  • mookie9999mookie9999 Posts: 4,677
    chimpat wrote:
    Well, I'm just back from Cali and Bridge School 2007. It's something I had wanted to go to for years and I couldn't be happier I made the trip this time around.

    I grew up with John Mayer and he told me that he got the invite to play a few months ago before the show was announced and that I should definitely come out. I went home that night, booked my flight and got set to go. He totally hooked it up for me out there, I got to join him and his band at Neil's house for his pre-show bbq and had all access for the entire festival.

    As a big music fan I have to say that the whole weekend was kind of surreal. I mean, it's not everyday you're sitting next to James Hetfield or get to hang with Neil Young. The My Morning Jacket guys were awesome, I loved their sets and they're a cool group of guys. Really enjoyed Tegan and Sara, put on a good set and the whole band is really nice. Regina Spektor's voice is amazing live, and she might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, a total sweetheart. Tom Waits is really damn intense on stage but one of the most unique acts I've ever seen, very cool. Jerry Lee Lewis was really damn fun, kind of suprised me to be honest but I had a blast during his set. Metallica closing with Nothing Else Matters the first night kind of put the icing on the cake for me, just great stuff.

    I thought John was great too, loved his cover of "Free Fallin'". He's been such a great friend over the years, done some amazing things for me. I'm one damn lucky guy.

    I'll be downloading my pics tonight, some cool ones in there and I'll have them up this week on my myspace page. I've got a bit of everyone so check them out if you want.

    PS- Only bummer was that Eddie couldn't make it. Hope everything's okay with him, but I would have loved to meet him seeing as PJ has been my favorite band since I was 16. Oh well, maybe next time......at least MMJ did a GREAT job filling in.

    Be well,

    PT
    Great story! Sounds like you had a blast! Can't wait to see the pictures. A bbq at Neil's house with some of the performers has to be one of the coolest things imaginable!
    "The leads are weak!"

    "The leads are weak? Fuckin' leads are weak? You're Weak! I've Been in this business 15 years"

    "What's your name?"

    "FUCK YOU! THAT"S MY NAME!"
  • memememe Posts: 4,695
    good for you!

    :)

    You didn't happen to find out why Ed had to cancel, did you? :(
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
    meme wrote:
    good for you!

    :)

    You didn't happen to find out why Ed had to cancel, did you? :(

    I did not. To be honest, I just tried to blend in most of the weekend, didn't want to be the guy asking a million questions to everyone, I was just happy and honored to be there.
    "This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


  • meme wrote:

    You didn't happen to find out why Ed had to cancel, did you? :(


    I understand people here are concerned but what is the infatuation with knowing what was wrong with Ed? If he wanted us to know the 10 Club would have said something. I think people need to know when to mind their own business.


    AWESOME story about the Bridge show though. Both metallica sets are available at livemetallica.com. The covers sound awesome.
  • Awesome story...I'm sure it was absolutely surreal being that close to NY and especially to get invited to a preshow bbq at his home...omg!

    John M did Free Fallin...wow I would have like to seen/heard that

    Kudos to JM...he's a damn good singer/songwriter/geetar player, and, as it appears, a good friend to have :)
    ************************************************************************
    For Those About To Rock !

    Art changes people. People change the world.
  • chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
    Awesome story...I'm sure it was absolutely surreal being that close to NY and especially to get invited to a preshow bbq at his home...omg!

    John M did Free Fallin...wow I would have like to seen/heard that

    Kudos to JM...he's a damn good singer/songwriter/geetar player, and, as it appears, a good friend to have :)

    Here you go.....

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=sUuRPNYqr90
    "This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


  • rriversrrivers Posts: 3,696
    I went on Sunday and had a good time. I got there in the middle of Tegan and Sara. John Mayer might have been the best of everyone. I was really surprised by him.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."
  • I can't say I'm a big fan of John Mayer's but his set was really good on saturday night. It seemed really short though. sounds like you had a great weekend, I would like to meet tom waits someday.
    Take time to see the sky,
    Find shapes in the clouds.
    Hear the murmur of the wind
    and touch the cool water.
    Walk softly,
    we are intruders,
    tolerated briefly
    In an infinite universe.
  • memememe Posts: 4,695
    I understand people here are concerned

    good.

    And chimpat... I completely understand. I probably would not have asked myself.
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • meme wrote:
    good.

    And chimpat... I completely understand. I probably would not have asked myself.

    I didn't ask either, and I had the 'same' weekend as chipmat. This was not my first time though, I've been to many parties over the years with a lot of these same people. I'll tell you they were NOT very forthcoming with the information, which is fine, but I get the feeling not many people even in the inner circle know what's up.

    Anyway! Yes- it's all totally surreal when you're running around with All Access. I also had seats that blew away any I've had for any other show ever in my entire life, and I've been to thousands of shows (ok maybe A thousand).
    I was very surprised by My Morning Jacket. I really really liked their set. So much so that I returned to my seat 2 songs in because I liked the way it sounded so much. It was most definitely not an even swap, taking Ed, et al., out and putting them in, but overall they were great.

    Best on the bill for me was Tom Waits. Period. I was even moved to tears when he played "The Day After Tomorrow" with the Kronos Quartet. Having Hetfield come out and introduce him was a super-cool element to the show. I also kinda liked Metallica's set, although I did notice the throngs heading towards the exit when they decided to cover Garbage. I was hoping no cars would be set fire, to be honest.
    Overall? I've been to seven in a row, and seen the really fun years ('06) and the shitty years ('02) this one would have to qualify as the Coolest one yet.

    chipmat- here's hoping you find your way back to earth pretty soon, for I know what you must be going through right now. It's all sooo cool, gets cooler the more you think about it. My advice? Don't tell too many people. Unless they've been there, they won't get it.

    xo
    "If you're looking for someone to pull you out of that ditch, you're out of luck."
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    wow how cool! i was curious how the weekend went since i didn't go...glad you had such a wonderful time :)
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 12,851
    GREAT STORY
    and Im sure you had a great time

    but

    I would have been thinking, man the one year I get to go, I get backstage, get to the BBQ

    and no PJ.
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    set lists?
  • wasnt this supposed to be the same lineup as Hullabaloo (eddie, flea, jack irons)? there's a good chance that it wasn't eddie who couldnt make it, im going to go ahead and guess it was jack.
    Stage College 03, Philly 05, Camden 06, Los Angeles 06, Los Angeles 07 (Ed solo w/ Flea and Jack Irons), MSG I & II 08, Beacon 08, Ed NYC II
  • chimpat wrote:
    Well, I'm just back from Cali and Bridge School 2007. It's something I had wanted to go to for years and I couldn't be happier I made the trip this time around.

    I grew up with John Mayer and he told me that he got the invite to play a few months ago before the show was announced and that I should definitely come out. I went home that night, booked my flight and got set to go. He totally hooked it up for me out there, I got to join him and his band at Neil's house for his pre-show bbq and had all access for the entire festival.

    As a big music fan I have to say that the whole weekend was kind of surreal. I mean, it's not everyday you're sitting next to James Hetfield or get to hang with Neil Young. The My Morning Jacket guys were awesome, I loved their sets and they're a cool group of guys. Really enjoyed Tegan and Sara, put on a good set and the whole band is really nice. Regina Spektor's voice is amazing live, and she might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, a total sweetheart. Tom Waits is really damn intense on stage but one of the most unique acts I've ever seen, very cool. Jerry Lee Lewis was really damn fun, kind of suprised me to be honest but I had a blast during his set. Metallica closing with Nothing Else Matters the first night kind of put the icing on the cake for me, just great stuff.

    I thought John was great too, loved his cover of "Free Fallin'". He's been such a great friend over the years, done some amazing things for me. I'm one damn lucky guy.

    I'll be downloading my pics tonight, some cool ones in there and I'll have them up this week on my myspace page. I've got a bit of everyone so check them out if you want.

    PS- Only bummer was that Eddie couldn't make it. Hope everything's okay with him, but I would have loved to meet him seeing as PJ has been my favorite band since I was 16. Oh well, maybe next time......at least MMJ did a GREAT job filling in.

    Be well,

    PT
    You are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo lucky! What was Neil like?
  • chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
    You are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo lucky! What was Neil like?

    Neil was very cool, low key and nice.....he was pretty much just as I'd imagine him. I didn't spend a ton of time talking to him but just kind of thanked him for having us, it was really surreal to be honest.
    "This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


  • chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
    SOLAT319 wrote:
    Good for you, but...really..I am not friends with John Mayer or any of the other acts that took the stage for Bridge last weekend and yet, I just might have had a better seat than you did. YOu couldn't watch the gig from the side of the stage or something?

    Mayer did such a great job with that cover by the way. Say hi to him for me.
    There was a stampede in the ladies bathroom right before he went on :-P

    Haha, I didn't film that, just found it online. I watched pretty much the whole concert from the side of the stage. Great times.
    "This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


  • SENROCKSENROCK Posts: 10,736
    thats a damn good story there. i especially appreciate that u said u tried to blend in. most people love to brag & its annoying! but your story was really good chimpat!!!
    ~~~~~~ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME~~~~~~
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    EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!

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  • glasshouseglasshouse Posts: 1,762
    chimpat wrote:
    Well, I'm just back from Cali and Bridge School 2007. It's something I had wanted to go to for years and I couldn't be happier I made the trip this time around.

    I grew up with John Mayer and he told me that he got the invite to play a few months ago before the show was announced and that I should definitely come out. I went home that night, booked my flight and got set to go. He totally hooked it up for me out there, I got to join him and his band at Neil's house for his pre-show bbq and had all access for the entire festival.

    As a big music fan I have to say that the whole weekend was kind of surreal. I mean, it's not everyday you're sitting next to James Hetfield or get to hang with Neil Young. The My Morning Jacket guys were awesome, I loved their sets and they're a cool group of guys. Really enjoyed Tegan and Sara, put on a good set and the whole band is really nice. Regina Spektor's voice is amazing live, and she might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, a total sweetheart. Tom Waits is really damn intense on stage but one of the most unique acts I've ever seen, very cool. Jerry Lee Lewis was really damn fun, kind of suprised me to be honest but I had a blast during his set. Metallica closing with Nothing Else Matters the first night kind of put the icing on the cake for me, just great stuff.

    I thought John was great too, loved his cover of "Free Fallin'". He's been such a great friend over the years, done some amazing things for me. I'm one damn lucky guy.

    I'll be downloading my pics tonight, some cool ones in there and I'll have them up this week on my myspace page. I've got a bit of everyone so check them out if you want.

    PS- Only bummer was that Eddie couldn't make it. Hope everything's okay with him, but I would have loved to meet him seeing as PJ has been my favorite band since I was 16. Oh well, maybe next time......at least MMJ did a GREAT job filling in.

    Be well,

    PT

    holy shit i'm jealous :eek:
    Athens, Greece: 2006/09/30

    "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
  • chimpatchimpat Posts: 590
    Took awhile but finally got my pics up, take a look on my myspace page if you want.

    PT
    "This is about as perfect a crowd as you can get. I hate to placate, I ain't placating...." - EV, 9/29/96


  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    Are you going to make it public, or should we add you as a friend? Or are they hosted on photobucket somewhere?

    I liked your writeup - I went to the Shoreline for the first time a few weeks prior (Download festival)- while it wasn't for Bridge School, I kept thinking of how Pearl Jam played so many times there - did you see all those different pictures on the fences of bands that played for Bridge? It was like church, walking past all of them, and gave the place quite a sense of history.
    R.i.p. Rigoberto Alpizar.
    R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
    R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
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