Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Dates

UPDATE 4/5/10:
Tue May 18 Palace Theatre Albany, NY
Wed May 19 Shea's Performing Arts Center Buffalo, NY
Fri May 21 Hanover Theatre Worcester, MA
Sun May 23 Oakdale Theatre Wallingford, CT
Mon May 24 Constitution Hall Washington, DC
Wed May 26 Palace Theatre Louisville, KY
Thu May 27 Knoxville Civic Auditorium Knoxville, TN
Sat May 29 Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA
Sun May 30 Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium Spartanburg, SC
Tue June 1 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
Wed June 2 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
Fri June 4 Jones Hall Houston, TX
Sat June 5 Bass Performance Hall Austin, TX
Mon June 7 Meyerson Symphony Center Dallas, TX

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Neil Young's "Twisted Road" concert tour dates. Opening act: Bert Jansch

Tickets on sale tomorrow, Saturday, March 27.

- May 19 - Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, New York
- May 23- Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, Connecticut
- May 26 - Louisville Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY (2,600 seats)
- May 29 - Atlanta's Fox Theatre (4,600 seats)
- May 30 - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, SC (3,200 seats)
- June 1 - Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium (2,300 seats)
- June 2 – Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

Don't be denied!

Also, see Sugar Mountain for tour date updates.

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Thoughts on Bridge School Benefit Weekend 2009

Pegi & Neil Young
Photo frame Video Highlights of Bridge School Benefit Concerts - 2009

There are many, many things which strike us after attending the Bridge School Benefit shows this past weekend.

There's the friends. There's the music. And then there's the kids.

First, our friends.

- Scott "Surfer Joe" - a real thrill to meet the editor of NYAS's Broken Arrow. Truly enjoyed catching up.
- Tom on "Sugar Mountain" - a bit brief but good to finally meet up
- Roel of "Rust Radio" - great meeting you as well. Sorry on your luggage and hope it turns up eventually.
- Sheila "Lookout Mama" - thanks for making Rust Row happen and all of your hard work. In Rust we Trust.
- The IRF Organizers - Thanks for all you do each year. A lot of hard is appreciated by all.
- Kathy "Hippie Girl Smile" - good to see you coming along and not letting anything keep you from BSB. Thanks to you & Raffle Crew.
- Kathy "Summer of Love" - so nice to see you again. Thanks for all the IRF work!
- Mike "Expecting To Fly" & Pat "She who shall remain handle-less" - what a fun weekend together. Thanks for flying us out and giving us the 1st Class treatment.
- Chris "CW Cannoneer" & Paula - thanks for bringing the Bruce book. Winterland stories live on.
- Mary Marr - we're so sorry on the loss of your husband Johnny this year. Johnny's spirit was at Bridge. You're so strong and anything we can ever do for you and your family,please don't hesitate to ask.
- Archives Guy - It was great to finally meet up and put the face with the handle. ;) Thanks for the tour. Way cool.
- HarryO - thanks for the Seattle newspaper. We'll try and get up on TW soon.
- Miron "Stub Man" - your mission to ensure that everyone is in the 100's for Neil is truly heroic. Thank you.
- Karen "loveandaffection" & Tim the Roadie - "Drifter" by request?! Wow. Nice.
- Jim B - nice to see you & your puppy.
- Laurie from Long Island - thanks again for the MSG, NYC pix.
- Paulette - as always, it was too brief.
- All IRF Musicians - you guys kicked out the jams. KORITFW
- Jeff `Hip Drag Queen' - great music
- Jules "Neil Jagger" - now which era does Neil sing like that?!
- Andy "Cutlass Supreme" - "Cannons don't sink ships, Pirates with cannons sink ships" Arggggh.
- Jill "Sweet Sweet Smile" - your donation to BSB was generous beyond words
- Kathy Dx3 - again, too brief
- Deb "Rewriting Rules" - now I know why you have your handle. Just kidding.
- Chuck "Mo the Sleaze" - You were so right on Neil playing with Sandler! You must have contacts.... ;)
- Chuck "Fireman" - good to see you again. been a long time
- Guy "Volume Drinker #1" - there's a Motel of Lost Companions t-shirt somewhere in Japan with your name on it.
- Paul "Volume Drinker #2" - it takes bullocks to make unscheduled pitstops. Cheers.
- Marilyn - you, my friend, need yourself your own band to lead. You rocked sister.
- Bill "Tired Eyes"- why are you at every concert I go to?
- Rick "Rockin' on the Porch" - you sir, are very funny. Thanks for the patch!
- Nan - Great jams! Hoping for no ice storms this season. See you in Kansas.
- Trish - again, too brief
- Paul & Meleya - nice to see you again paul and meet your fiance after hearing so much about your legendary courtship to a Neil soundtrack. have a happy wedding!
- Robert "Stringman" & Kaz - thanks for your kind words of support. It's appreciated. Hope to see you both down under someday.
- Paul T - So NoCal weather beat's Seattle's?!
- Brad "More Barn" - enjoyed catching up at IRF dinner and hearing the story on the making of the immortal t-shirts
- Glenn G - enjoyed the jams
- Robert S. from France - Merci for all of the hard work making videos of the weekend. Hope you managed to have some fun between filming. Bon jour!
- Linda N. - again, all too brief
- MikeVolt - cool shirt
- Mary & Rick - you guys are a great couple
- Cyril from London - great Maz stories! Thanks for sharing.
- Christina "Little Wing" - thanks for convincing Julia to attend. Wouldn't be the same without the alter egos. Too unbalanced.
- Julia "We're Not Helpless" - Sorry about your folks. Hopefully, the weekend helped. Bummer on backpack but cool on Warren
- Jackie - congrats on MB mirror!

And Hi to everyone else that we missed this weekend!

And all the Bridge kids & parents who are so strong

Of course, Thrashette - Couldn't do this without you. Loved hearing Harvest Moon with you.

And then there's the music.

It's not a Neil Young concert, but a celebration of a diverse range of bands of up and comers like Wolfmother, edgy experiments like Monsters of Folk, to established veterans like Jimmy Buffett. Much has been made of how "weak" this year's lineup was. So we would just like to call bullshit when we see it. Frankly, we see some elitist musical snobbery going on here.

We'll admit at first glance the names Buffett, Adam Sandler, & No Doubt didn't exactly send us into an orbit of anticipation. It seemed to be a pretty widespread consensus that this year wasn't going to be up to par. No Pearl Jam, McCartney/Springsteen/Dylan/Bono type superstars.

And judging from some of the negative reviews like San Jose Mercury News by critic Jim Harrington, it was as if since Paul McCartney didn't appear and duet with Tony Bennett than it was a boring, ho-hum affair.

But you know what? Just about every act thanked Neil & Pegi and said something to the effect that it was an honor, a career highlight, their favorite gig or something of that sentiment. So who are we to complain when we hear a world class professional musician say they are humbled to be on the stage while we gripe about the quality of the acts?

As Gwen Stefani said after performing, “I can’t believe this is my life.”

But that's OK we didn't have "top caliber acts" because these high profile superstars so overshadow everything else that it becomes hard to appreciate all the other acts. We found something to enjoy in virtually every set.

Gavin Rossdale trying to be known as something more than Gwen's husband and former Bush front man. Wolfmother's acoustic assault that really got things going each day and their cover of "Don't Let it Bring you Down" was quite respectable. Fleet Foxes soaring harmonies reminded us of some other group we can't recall. ;) Monsters of Folk trading off each others solos in supporting each members' songs. Chris Martin's absolutely charming silliness and incredible piano chops. Sheryl Crow who plays for the heart and takes your soul.

And then the heavy hitters. Jimmy Buffett of Margaritaville drinking songs fame. OK, so definitely not everyone's cup of beer, but folks just love to sing his songs at the top of their lungs. That's cool. It's all about having fun. We always love it when the audience singing drowns out the performer. Buffett did a Grateful Dead cover that seemed to be worthy and "Come Monday"'s ode to the Bay area was quite sentimental.


Adam Sandler & Neil Young perform "Powderfinger"
Photo Gallery by Tim Mosenfelder

Adam Sandler. Talk about low expectations. Jeez. What's this guy doing here? Which is exactly what Adam said when he walked on, clearly awed by the whole experience. And you know what? It was freakin' hilarious. yeah, bizarre and lewd. Did seem to be pretty inappropriate with a bunch of children onstage. But then Neil comes onstage for "Powderfinger". While certainly not music history in the making or one of the all time great moments in rock history, it was still pretty memorable and something that we're sure folks will talk about for years to come.

Which leaves us with No Doubt. Again, wasn't sure quite what to expect. You could hear the 'tweens on the lawn just squealing in delight for Gwen between every quiet moment. Say what you will about Gwen Stefani and her music, but we'll challenge anyone who saw her perform "Just a Girl" on Sunday to not admit it was pure magic.


Gwen Stefani & Bridge Kids
Photo frame Video Highlights of Bridge School Benefit Concerts - 2009

You had to be there to really get it. But what she did was quite wonderful as she strolled amongst each and every kid onstage and sang to them. Watching the kids faces just burst into joy was worth every penny of the trip. It really was that great. And besides, all you could think about was how in the hell wearing those crazy shoes can she even move without toppling over? But she hopped from riser to riser and wheelchair to wheelchair with out missing a beat or breaking leg. After No Doubt's set, we overheard what appeared to be a die-hard Gwen fan say that it was the most awesome thing in her life. Which we guess is lofty praise.

So that brings us to Neil Young. You never really know what to expect with Neil and these annual benefits like Farm Aid. Some years Neil definitely plays things safe and you get the "Sugar Mountain", "I Am A Child", etc. kid/family friendly type sets.

While this year certainly wasn't a risky adventure, it was richly rewarding. This was the first time we've ever made it down into the 100's for a BSB so that was cool thanks to some of the hard working Stub Crew who epitomize the spirit of the Neil community by sharing that which brings others pleasure in such an unselfish fashion.

Back to Neil's sets. How about "Harvest Moon"? We have to say that we called this the year of the "Harvest Moon" and this weekend we got the super grand HM treatment. Pegi & Sheryl Crow on backup vocals just absolutely soared. Larry Cragg on broom. What can you say? Well fuck U2 & Bono and their spaceship laser 3D special effects and give me Larry on short bristle broom handle any day. It just blows the mind that 8 hours into a star studded concert with the hippest VIPs in the San Francisco music industry being treated to some guitar tech support dude with a broom doing a sweeping solo.


Sheryl Crow, Pegi & Neil on "Harvest Moon"
Photo by Randi Lynn Beach/LA Times

So as we listened to a magical version of "Harvest Moon" on warm evening by the San Francisco Bay, we squeezed the hand of the one we love and thought about our friends Gavin, Liza, Steve & Danielle and Mary who all lost loved ones this year. (And we feel very sorry for folks who just don't get the whole Neil & Pegi thing.)

Thank you Neil & Pegi. You made Thrasher & Thrashette's weekend dream come true.

And -- lastly -- the kids. We all say that it's all about the Bridge kids every year. Not the music but the cause. And you just can not come away from the weekend just totally in awe of the spirit and strength of these kids and their families. The struggles they face make our problems meaningless, although that don't make them go away. Which is why we try and take a portion of this sites revenue and donate to the Bridge School.

Wrapping things up here, we really were touched by all of the folks who thanked us for what we do here at Thrasher's Wheat. As we said, it's really not us that makes TW what it is but you -- the readers of this blog. It's your stories, reviews, videos, photos, links, etc that make this Neil community what it is.

So thanks everyone for a truly beautiful uplifting weekend. We love you all.

peace
btr, btc, btw,
thrasher & thrashette

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Also, see photos, reviews, videos of 2009 Bridge School Benefit Concert.

2009 Bridge School Benefit Concert Reviews

UPDATE - 10/29/09: Video Highlights of Bridge School Benefit Concerts - 2009 and Thoughts on Bridge School Benefit Weekend 2009




"Comes A Time" - All Bridge Performers Finale:
Neil Young, No Doubt, Jimmy Buffett, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Monsters of Folk, Wolfmother, Gavin Rossdale


Photo by Steve Jennings/WireImage


Neil Young performs "Daddy Went Walking" with Sheryl Crow at the Bridge School Benefit 10/25/09

Thanks Tweet, tweet, tweet!


Photo Gallery by John Shearer on Getty Images


"Powderfinger" - Adam Sandler and Neil Young
Photo by Christopher Victorio


No Doubt's Gwen Stefani


Coldplay's Chris Martin
Photo Gallery by Tim Mosenfelder/LiveDaily


Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother
Photo by John Shearer/WireImage


Photo by John Shearer/WireImage


The Great Pumpkin








Photos by Thrasher

Setlist 10/24/09

Comes A Time
(break)
I Am A Child
Sugar Mountain
Out On The Weekend
Already One
From Hank To Hendrix
Old King
Harvest Moon
Comes A Time

Reviews

From Review: Bridge School Benefit 2009 | A+E Interactive By Jim Harrington:

"What those at Shoreline saw was, by far, one of the most adventurous and eclectic lineups in recent Bridge history. It boasted a mix of hip young bands (indie-folk acts the Fleet Foxes and Monsters of Folk) and mega-star acts (Chris Martin of Coldplay, Jimmy Buffett and No Doubt), most of which were making their Bridge debuts. To go with that influx of new blood, these shows featured a few Bridge vets, notably Sheryl Crow, Monsters of Folk’s Conor Oberst and, of course, Young."

From Bridge benefit: No Doubt's Gwen Stefani tears up; Neil Young wraps up | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times by Randy Lewis:

During No Doubt's set, singer Gwen Stefani had to reach for a tissue after singing "Simple Kind of Life," the song she wrote shortly before having the first of her two kids with husband Gavin Rossdale, who played his own set earlier in the evening. In that song, she wrestled with conflicting drives of career and motherhood, and looking into the faces of the children for whom the yearly fundraiser was launched back in 1986 -- right about the time No Doubt got started -- Stefani choked up.

"This is very emotional," she said. The acoustic arrangements the band used -- including a string quartet for about half the set -- brought out the sweetness and vulnerability of that song, "Don't Speak" and even the usually feisty "Just a Girl." Apparently big girls do cry.

The all-star encore finale performance was 'Comes a Time' -- sort of Neil's version of the 'a time for everything' passage in Ecclesiastes that Pete Seeger long ago transformed into 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' The performance spoke to the genuine sense of community Neil and wife Pegi have created in their efforts to provide help where it's needed.

It's not that Neil is planning to ride off into the sunset anytime soon. But he seems to be taking the requisite steps so that, when he does, he can feel secure in knowing that the work he's begun will continue on.

From Last Night: Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit - San Francisco Music - All Shook Down by Anna McCarthy:

Only the die-hard Young fans stuck around for his set, the final act of the night. But they were rewarded with an impressive show by a performer who proved he can still rock in the free world like no other. Although Young veered away from the song everyone in the crowd was shouting out for him to play ('Old Man'), he has a big enough repertoire of hits to please nearly every fan out there. From 'Daddy Went Walkin' to 'Harvest Moon' to 'Down by the River,' Young had fans out of their seats and stomping out the tunes in unison.

From Rolling Stone: Neil Young Brings Chris Martin, No Doubt to Bridge School Benefit by Marc Hawthorne:

Despite a couple of flubs, Chris Martin from Coldplay sat behind a piano and knocked out what was arguably the finest 30 minutes of the night. Along with a joke about hiding the balloon boy in his cap and getting violinist Davide Rossi (who did the strings on Coldplay’s latest album) to impersonate a horse with his instrument, Martin delivered excellent versions of “Clocks,” “Lost!” (technically called “Lost?” when performed on solo piano), and, most notably, “Viva La Vida,” which swelled the way it was intended despite only having two instruments backing it up. The reason for the “arguably” caveat is because No Doubt fans wouldn’t be wrong in pointing out that Stefani—who, following a day of dudes dressed for comfort, looked stunning in her little black dress—and her men (not to mention the string quartet) had the entire place transfixed. “Don’t Speak,” “It’s My Life,” and “Magic’s In The Makeup” sounded great, and when Stefani mingled with the excited students during “Just A Girl,” it looked like everyone was having the best time ever. Stefani confirmed the suspicion at the end of the song by stating, “I can’t believe this is my life,” and later talked about how inspiring the entire weekend had been and how it was good timing since No Doubt is about to write their next record.

Not surprisingly, things died down quite a bit by the time Neil Young closed the show, but he and Pegi plowed through and ended the show where it began, with “Comes A Time,” though this time it got a triumphant, we’re-all-in-this-together boost from most of the day’s participants.

From San Francisco Chronicle - Edgy lineup energizes Bridge School concertby Aidin Vaziri:

"Still, it was hard to complain when Young finally appeared onstage again some seven hours after his welcoming tune. 'I'd be surprised if most of us onstage didn't get into what we're doing because of Neil Young,' Crow said earlier. Watching Young clench his eyes shut, drop his shoulder down and dig into majestic ballads like 'I Am a Child' and 'Sugar Mountain,' it was easy to see why. Even on an all-star bill like this, the host remained untouchable, if slightly aloof.

With wife Pegi at his side, Young played for a little over 40 minutes before closing the night out the same way he started the day - another rendition of 'Comes a Time,' only this time with all his disciples.

Live Show Review: Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheater, 10/25/09

Thanks J-E on Purple Words on a Grey Background!

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This weekend is the annual benefit concert for the Bridge School at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2009.

Here's the lineup listing of performers for this year's Bridge School Concert Lineup for 2009:

* Neil Young
* No Doubt
* Jimmy Buffett (Saturday only)
* Chris Martin
* Sheryl Crow
* Fleet Foxes
* Monsters of Folk
* Wolfmother
* Gavin Rossdale
* Adam Sandler (Sunday only)

Bridge School Twitter Feed



Neil Young Twitter Feed

Feed above is delayed. Real time Twitter feed is here.

More on 2008 Bridge School 22nd Annual Benefit Concert.

And here's a look back at previous year's Bridge School Benefit Concert Reviews.

Bridge School Concert Lineup for 2009 Announced: No Doubt, Chris Martin, Jimmy Buffett

UPDATE 10/24/09: 2009 Bridge School Benefit Concert Reviews




Bridge Kids Announce Lineup

From Mercury News Blog by Jim Harrington:

Two of pop music’s brightest stars _ Gwen Stefani and Chris Martin _ will take the stage during the 2009 Bridge School Benefit concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. Stefani will perform with her platinum-selling band No Doubt, which recently came through the Bay Area on a highly successful reunion tour, while Martin will leave his mates in Coldplay behind to play rare solo sets.

The concerts are set for 5 p.m. Oct. 24 and 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Tickets are $39.50-$150 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Sunday through 877-598-6659 and www.livenation.com.

Other top names scheduled to perform at both concerts include pop-rocker Sheryl Crow, indie-folk act Fleet Foxes, Australian hard-rockers Wolfmother, alt-rock icon Gavin Rossdale (Stefani’s husband) and, of course, the event’s organizer, Neil Young. The Monsters of Folk, the indie-pop dream team of Conor Oberst, Yim Yames, M Ward and Mike Mogis, will also appear on both days.

Also, Jimmy Buffett is Saturday only and Adam Sandler is Sunday only.

And here's a look back at previous year's Bridge School Benefit Concert Reviews.

UPDATE: Win Free Bridge School tickets from theowlmag.com.

Europe Concert Tour Dates for Neil Young Summer 2009

Neil Young summer concert tour dates and concert reviews:

- 2009-05-30, Primavera Sound 2009 Festival, Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain
- 2009-05-31, Velodromo de Anoeta, San Sebastian, Spain
- 2009-06-03, Le Zénith Nantes Metropole, Nantes, France
- 2009-06-04, Le Zénith de Paris, Paris, France
- 2009-06-06, Sportpaleis, Antwerpen, Belgium
- 2009-06-07, Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 2009-06-09, Messehalle, Erfurt, Germany
- 2009-06-11, Norwegian Wood Festival, Frognerbadet, Oslo, Norway
- 2009-06-12, Where The Action Is, Stora Skuggan, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2009-06-14, Isle Of Wight Festival, Newport, Isle of Wight, England
- 2009-06-16, O2 World, Berlin, Germany
- 2009-06-17, Olympiahalle, München, Germany
- 2009-06-19, Tanzbrunnen, Köln (Cologne), Germany
- 2009-06-21, O2 Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 2009-06-23, Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, England
- 2009-06-24, Aberdeen Exhibition Centre, Aberdeen, Scotland
- 2009-06-26, Glastonbury Festival, Glastonbury, England
- 2009-06-27, Hard Rock Calling Festival, Hyde Park, London, England

Thanks Tom on Sugar Mountain, Daniel, John, Davie from Scotland, John C., Liza, Roel & BNGuy!

Also, unconfirmed dates for Montreux Jazz Festival (July 3-18).

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Neil Young Map of Tour Cities - Canada 2009

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Here are confirmed Neil Young Spring Canada 2009 concert tour dates and all Neil Young Concert Reviews.

Bridge School 22nd Annual Benefit Concert

UPDATE 10/1/09: Bridge School Concert Lineup for 2009 Announced.


Cat Power and Neil Young on "Fortunate Son"


Wilco


Neil Young - Photos by Inside Bay Area


Close-up of "Hippies for Obama" Button Neil is Wearing


Neil Young "Day In The Life"

Beatles cover highlights low-key Bridge benefit by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle

Bridge School Benefit hits low point by Jim Harrington, Oakland Tribune

Photo Gallery - Inside Bay Area

Also, more 2008 Bridge School Concert Highlights.

Also, official Bridge School Photo Gallery.

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This weekend is the 22nd annual Bridge School Benefit Concert. Starting on Saturday, October 25th (5pm) and October 26th (2pm), 2008 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

The 2008 lineup:

• Neil Young
• Wilco
• Jack Johnson
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Norah Jones
• Cat Power
• Sarah McLachlan (Saturday only)
• Band of Horses (Saturday only)
• Josh Groban (Sunday only)
• Smashing Pumpkins (Sunday only)

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.


Neil & Pegi Say "Goodnight" - 10-28-2007
Photo by Roel van Dijk - Rust Radio

More on last year's 2007 Bridge School Benefit Concerts and previous years Bridge School Benefit Concert Reviews.

And here are a bunch of wonderful interviews with The Bridge School kids.