This year's 23rd annual The Bridge School Benefit concert fund-raiser held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mt. View, California, definitely had a more energetic, youth-oriented line-up than Neil Young's usual selections of classic rock and singer and songwriter that he relied on in years past. Saturday's seven-hour show included Wolfmother, Sheryl Crow, Chris Martin (Coldplay), No Doubt, Fleet Foxes, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett and Neil Young as the closer.

Along with his wife, Pegi, Young has been organizing the benefit concert since 1986. The cause is a great one, and makes purchasing a ticket more meaningful than most music concerts and festivals I go to. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Bridge School for children with severe physical impairments.

Following a set from ex-Bush member Gavin Rossdale (husband of Gwen Stefani), Wolfmother rocked out strummer-style with an all acoustic (three guitars), and one drummer, band, creating an incredibly big rock sound. No wonder why Aussie lead singer Andrew Stockdale is often compared to Robert Plant and his music like that of Led Zeppelin meets Black Sabbath. The band ripped into their classic "Woman" from their 2006 self-titled debut and treated the crowd to the title track, "Cosmic Egg," from their new album, out today on Interscope Records.

"Cosmic Egg" - Wolfmother from Cosmic Egg (2009)

Fleet Foxes were in their usual top form, but unfortuntately during their set, one of the big speakers was tripping out; thankfully, the technicians fixed the problem in time for the crowd to enjoy songs like "White Winter Hymnal" and "Mykonos." The recently formed super group Monsters of Folk, consisting of indie heroes like Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward (Matt & Him) and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), played a riveting set of Americana rock punctured by fericious piano and guitar jams of songs off their debut album.

When Sheryl Crow took the stage, the crowd began to get more lively. Crow played a number of predictable songs and then covered The Beatles "Hide Your Love Away." Chris Martin added an intimate twist to a number of Coldplay songs, relying only on a piano and a violinist to deliver alternative versions of "Lost," "Clocks" and "Yellow." Martin also performed a semi-sloppy cover of the 1950s classic "Blue Angel" to close out his set.

By the time Jimmy Buffett got on stage to play for thousands of older margarita-drinking, grass-smoking fans, the place was bouncing. From all accounts, it was No Doubt, Chris Martin and Buffett that seemed to draw a huge slice of the crowd. Indie rock and folk still seems to escape the "mainstream"; but hey, that's OK, it makes it all the more special to those who love 'indie' and alternative music.

By the time the legendary Neil Young came on to close out the concert marathon, he proved he can still make his classics like "Sugar Mountain" and "I Am a Child." Clearly, Young's influence on much of the music we love today is all over indie rock and folk music. The set up for Young's performance took an unusually long time, and as the clock ticked towards midnight, people started to pack up and head out. But that didn't stop the large majority of the crowd who stayed to have a good time right to the end.

Unlike years past, there were no big collaborations on stage where members from bands in the lineup would normally join other bands and artists performing on stage. Not sure why that tradition of past Bridge School benefit concerts was largely missing, but it was a common observation among other concert reviewers. Many artists and bands in the lineup did join together for the finale to close out the first day of the two-day event.

Labels: 2009 Concerts