Mountain View, CA
Bridge School Benefit
After performances by Neil Young (solo) and Jill Sobule, Ben Harper played a solo acoustic set to a packed house. Making his way on stage, he high-fived all the Bridge kids sitting behind him. Then he opened the set for the first time with "I Shall Not Walk Alone." Following "Burn One Down / My Own Two Hands", he switched his acoustic guitar with a lap slide guitar. Unfortunately his finger slide came up missing and he exclaimed, "This is what I get for not having my own crew with me!" A few moments later a replacement was found... He ended the 40-minute set with a stellar version of "The Woman in You"... Later during Pearl Jam's set, lead singer Eddie Vedder invited Ben to the stage. On his way out, Harper high-fived the band and carefully positioned his chair next to Vedder's. Anticipation grew heavy amongst the crowd. Like three years before at Madison Square Garden and earlier this year in Sydney, Eddie and Ben captivated the crowd as they traded verses on "Indifference."