The Bridge School Concerts

ニール・ヤングが妻のペギィとともに提唱し、25年にわたって続けてきたベネフィット・コンサート『 The Bridge School Benefits 』のこれまでの歴史を振り返る集大成となったＤＶＤとＣＤが10月24日に米国で発売されることとなった。

まずはその様子が収められている予告編的な映像を



最初に結婚した女性キャリーとの間に生まれた子供が軽度の脳性小児マヒにかかった経験を持つニール・ヤング（ちなみにこの子のほうは軽度で済んだようです）でしたが、あろうことか再婚した女性、ペギィとの間に出来た息子ベンもまた脳性小児マヒで生まれた。

そんな絶望の淵からツアーはおろか、アルバム制作もままならなかったことはニールファンのみならず多くのロックファンの知るところのはず。
そしてそんな彼が何とか子供を育てようと奮闘した過程から見出した希望、それが妻のペギィを中心に脳性麻痺障がい児のためのスクール「ザ・ブリッジ・スクール」の設立だった。



そして1985年の設立以降その学校をダイレクトに支援しようと設立された翌年から開催されているのがこの『 The Bridge School Concert 』。
ニール・ヤングの幅広い人脈から多くの賛同ミュージシャンたちが参加していて、ちょっと長くなりますがその出演者一覧を改めてみると、ある意味ロックの歴史すら感じることが出来ます。

List of concerts

Bridge I October 13, 1986
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Nils Lofgren, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Robin Williams, and Bruce Springsteen.

Bridge II December 4, 1988
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Nils Lofgren, Billy Idol, Bob Dylan, G. E. Smith, Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Tracy Chapman.

Bridge III October 28, 1989
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty, and Sammy Hagar.

Bridge IV October 26, 1990
Neil Young, Cheech Marin, Gene LaFond and Larry Kegan, Jackson Browne, Edie Brickell, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller, and Crazy Horse.

Bridge V November 2, 1991
Gene LaFond & Larry Kegan, Neil Young, Don Henley, Nils Lofgren, Tracy Chapman, John Lee Hooker, Sonic Youth, and Willie Nelson.

Bridge VI November 1, 1992
Neil Young, Sammy Hagar, Elton John, Pearl Jam, James Taylor, and Shawn Colvin.

Bridge VII November 6, 1993
Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, Warren Zevon, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Sammy Hagar & Eddie Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, and Simon & Garfunkel.

Bridge VIII October 1 & October 2, 1994
Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam, Pete Droge, Mazzy Star, Ministry, and Indigo Girls.

Bridge IX October 28, 1995
Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Beck, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, The Pretenders, and Hootie & The Blowfish. after the death of Shannon Hoon one week before.

Bridge X October 19 & October 20, 1996
Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Idol (Day 2 only), Pete Townshend (Day 1 only), David Bowie, Patti Smith, Cowboy Junkies, and Hayden.

Bridge XI October 18 & October 19, 1997
Neil Young, Metallica, Lou Reed, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler, and Kacy Crowley.

Bridge XII October 17 & October 18, 1998
Neil Young, R.E.M., Phish, The Wallflowers, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Jonathan Richman, Eels, and Pete Droge & Mike McCready (Day 2 only).

Bridge XIII October 30 & October 31, 1999
Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Emmylou Harris (Day 2 only), The Who, Sheryl Crow, Green Day, Billy Corgan & James Iha, Tom Waits (Day 1 only), Lucinda Williams, and Brian Wilson.

Bridge XIV October 28 & October 29, 2000
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Robin Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, and Tegan and Sara.

Bridge XV October 20 & October 21, 2001
Neil Young and Crazy Horse, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Tracy Chapman, Billy Idol, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, and Jill Sobule.

Bridge XVI October 26 & October 27, 2002
Performers included: Neil Young, James Taylor, Foo Fighters (Day 1 only), The Other Ones (Day 2 only), Ryan Adams, Tenacious D, Thom Yorke, LeAnn Rimes, Jack Johnson, and Vanessa Carlton.

Bridge XVII October 25 & October 26, 2003
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Indigo Girls, Wilco, Counting Crows, Incubus, and Dashboard Confessional.

Bridge XVIII October 23 & October 24, 2004
Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Eddie Vedder, Tegan and Sara, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and Los Lonely Boys.

Bridge XIX October 29 & October 30, 2005
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds (Day 2 only), John Mellencamp (Day 1 only), Los Lobos, Norah Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bright Eyes, and Good Charlotte.

Bridge XX October 21 & October 22, 2006
Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Brian Wilson, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor), Death Cab for Cutie, Gillian Welch, and Devendra Banhart featuring Bert
Jansch.

Bridge XXI October 27 & October 28, 2007
Neil Young, Metallica, Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet, My Morning Jacket, Tegan and Sara, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mayer, and Regina Spektor.

Bridge XXII October 25 & October 26, 2008
Neil Young, The Smashing Pumpkins (Day 2 only), Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, Sarah McLachlan (Day 1 only), Band of Horses (Day 1 only), Josh Groban (Day 2 only) and Cat Power.

Bridge XXIII October 24 & October 25, 2009
Neil Young, No Doubt, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Gavin Rossdale, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett (Day 1 only), and Adam Sandler (Day 2 only).

Bridge XXIV October 23 & October 24, 2010
[1] Buffalo Springfield, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello (Solo Day 1 only), Merle Haggard (canceled due to health)[2] & Kris Kristofferson, Modest Mouse, Grizzly Bear, Lucinda Williams (Day 1 only),

Billy Idol (Day 1 only), Jackson Browne & David Lindley (Day 1 only), T-Bone Burnett's Speaking Clock Revue featuring: Elton John, Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Ralph Stanley, Neko Case, & Jeff

Bridges (Day 2 Only), and guest appearances by Emmylou Harris (day 1 only) and Ramblin' Jack Elliott (day 2 finale only).

Bridge XXV October 22 & October 23, 2011
Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Arcade Fire, Los Invisibles featuring Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman Santana & Guests, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters (Day 2 only), Mumford & Sons, Tony Bennett (Day 2 only), Beck, Diana Krall (Day 1 only), and Jenny Lewis.



自身も３年前に脳動脈瘤で入院した経験を持つニール・ヤング、そんな彼を長年寄り添って支えてきた妻のペギィなくしては今の彼は存在しなかったかも知れません。
そういった意味でもこうして踊る二人の姿を見ると、やはり心動かされるものがあるのであります。


※ちなみに彼の子供の病気のことに関してはコチラ→ http://p.tl/u195 で詳しく書かれているので、もし良ければご一読を