Founded in 1986 by Pegi Young and Jim Forderer, with help from Dr. Marilyn Buzolich, the Bridge School develops and uses advanced technologies to aid in the instruction of children with disabilities. Young's involvement stems, at least partially, from the fact that both of his sons have cerebral palsy and his daughter, like Young himself, has epilepsy.
The first benefit concert, in 1986, raised the money necessary to start the school, which opened in ’87. The annual event takes place each October; the 24th Annual concert happened last weekend.
You can help support the Bridge School with your donation here.
David Bowie went “Outside” in 1995, reuniting with producer Brian Eno for an industrial-sounding album that led to a co-headlining tour with Nine Inch Nails.
Live shows started in the fall of ’95 and carried through the first couple of months of ’96, this time with Morrissey opening; in the middle of the tour, Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 17, 1996. He later did the “Outside Summer Festivals Tour,” which was a two-month summer European festival trek that wrapped up with a final show in Switzerland in late July.
In September 1996, Bowie took a scaled-down version of his touring band – now consisting of Reeves Gabrels (guitars,vocals, and synthesizers), Zachory Alford (drums and electronic percussion), Mike Garson (piano and keyboards), and Gail Ann Dorsey (bass and vocals) into the Looking Glass studios in New York City to record the follow-up to “Outside,” for release the next year (the resulting album would be “Earthling” – led by the single, “I’m Afraid Of Americans.”)
The following month, Bowie, Gabrels and Dorsey played both Bridge School benefit shows, with Bowie enthusiastically telling the crowd, “We’re having a ball…we haven’t done an acoustic gig, ever” (Tom Petty made a similar comment at the inaugural BSB show in ’86; you can check out his performances here: part 1 and part 2).
The setlists for the shows varied slightly; since neither complete 7-song set is available online in video form, I’ve pulled together a bit of a ‘combo set’ featuring tracks from the two performances. A couple of songs aren’t available to be shared, so I’ve included links so you can check them out directly.
David Bowie David Bowie – Alladin Sane
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 19, 1996
David Bowie – Jean Genie / Hog For You
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 19, 1996
Link
David Bowie - I Can’t Read
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 19, 1996
Link
David Bowie – The Man Who Sold The World
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 20, 1996
David Bowie - Heroes
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 19, 1996
David Bowie – China Girl
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 20, 1996
Link
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 19, 1996
David Bowie – White Light, White Heat
Bridge School Benefit 10
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 20, 1996
Link
Tomorrow: Van Halen rock The Bridge School
