Thom Yorke made a rare solo appearance at this year's Bridge School benefit concert in the US. This year's concerts take place at the Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 26-27 (the 16th annual event)

The shows are aimed to raise funds for the non-profit school co-founded by Neil Young, which works with children with speech and physical difficulties.

Tonight was the first gig with old tracks, two new ones from the recent tour (there, there & sail to the moon) and a Neil Young cover (after the gold rush).

So rather than wasting time I'll just get right to Thom's performance. He was greeted with loud applause and cheer, and was drapped in black, with a nice black jacket. The crew setup a small piano (not a grand piano like the one Vanessa Carlton played) and also fitted him with an acoustic guitar.

Thom sat down behind the small piano and launched into a killer rendition of Everything In Its Right Place. The piano sounded very unusual...can't really describe the sound but it doesn't have that grand piano sound for sure. I was surprised to hear him play and open with this.

Next he got up, picked up the acoustic which was tuned in drop-D. Ahhh...Follow Me Around? Fat chance. He started playing the riff to I Might Be Wrong. Doesn't have that blues rock oooomph, but in its stripped down form
it's also quite beautiful. For those who have the Milan 2000 bootleg 2nd night, it sounds similar to that version.

Next he introduced a new song, and went back to the piano for Sail To The Moon. Haven't heard the new songs too many times even though I have most of the 2002 recordings already, but this was done very well, and also very well received.

Like Spinning Plates followed, and although the way it was played is similiar to the IMBW EP, the way the piano sounded was different.

Then he got up again and went into "There There" and he played mostly chords (not possible to do riffs) and it was quite amazing! Then he sat back down for Lucky and it was a very emotional moment.

He unfortunately ended the short 35 ish minute set with a Neil Young cover "After the Gold Rush". He commented on how the piano he was playing belonged to Neil Young. When he finished he got up and just said "good night".

Although the gig was stellar, I was still a bit disappointed. No Street Spirit and no True Love Waits or Fake Plastic Trees! Hopefully that will saved for night 2. Watch out for my review tomorrow night. Cheers!