The Bridge School Benefit is an annual charity concert held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concert lasts the entire weekend and is organized by musicians Neil Young and Pegi Young.
Proceeds benefit the Bridge School, which assists children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs. One of the thrusts of the program is the use of advanced augmentative and alternative communication and assistive technology.
The first concert was in October 1986, and, with the exception of 1987, the concert has been held every year since. It is known for having a relatively high-profile lineup and strong performances, primarily due to Young's extensive connections within the music industry. He performs every year, multiple times throughout the weekend. At times he will bring another artist on stage and do a collaboration of one of his songs with them. Young is known to play "Old Man" and "Heart of Gold" at some point during the concert. Generally, the performers use acoustic instruments.
On November 18, 1997, The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1, a compilation CD containing 15 songs, was released by Reprise Records through Amazon.
In 2006, a six-volume set entitled The Bridge School Collection, Vol.1 was released through iTunes. The set contains 80 recordings from the concerts and a digital booklet. Additional volumes from the concerts were released on iTunes annually through 2011.
On October 24, 2011, Reprise Records released The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition, a compilation CD containing 25 songs, with critical acclaim.
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