At the show at which the Bridge School Benefit became old enough to drink, it was only fitting that the show was stolen by a singer who sounds like how swallowing a shot of Jack Daniels feels.
Tom Waits and the Kronos Quartet, who paired for a digital single, "Diamond in Your Mind," earlier this year, captivated the audience at Saturday's first night of the 21st annual Bridge School Benefit. Saying Waits has a gravelly voice is like saying Courtney Love has issues — not exactly news.
He was flailing his arms, lit from below in a sinister manner as he croaked out the opener, "Way Down in the Hole," and the Kronos roared with unsettling fervor behind him.
Waits countered with "Cold, Cold Ground," which sounded peaceful with the quartet's assistance. Later in the set came "Day After Tomorrow," which was memorable, as was "Little Drop of Poison." This collaboration worked because the Kronos are versatile and skilled, and they found the right way to both power and sweeten the Waits tunes.
Metallica, meanwhile, took the headliner spot and shocked fans by playing only three originals in its eight-song set, two of which were the lesser-known "Disposable Heroes" and "All Within My Hands."
This was easily the biggest surprise of the night. Even singer James Hetfield joked about the choice, asking fans what they wanted to hear and replying to their yells of song titles with, "Nah. Too obvious." Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate" wasn't nearly as funky as the original, but seemed like a fitting statement for Metallica at this point in their careers emotionally.
All of the covers were well done. The band did its homework, even if it needed the sheet music in front of its players. Guitarist Kirk Hammett made nice work of Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and added the signature notes on Nazareth's "Please Don't Judas Me."
The move was respectable in a Metallica sort of way — defying expectations and having the gumption to try something new and unexpected. I suppose they were doing that, too, with 2003's St. Anger, which was received with a love-it-or-hate-it feeling by fans.
Curiously, for as punishing and brutal as that album is, its closing track, "All Within My Hands" — which finds Hetfield losing his voice as he screams "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" near its conclusion — was much more somber in the acoustic setting. "Love is control / I'll die if I let go," sings Hetfield, and after watching the Some Kind of Monster documentary, you sort of felt sorry for the guy because you knew the song's inspiration.
Metallica's sets from Saturday and Sunday will be available here for purchase as digital downloads.
Neil Young's set was a bit of a surprise, too, as he relied on multiple cuts from his latest, Chrome Dreams II, and ignored his hits. The lengthy closer, "No Hidden Path," was the highlight as Young showcased his guitar work.
Jerry Lee Lewis proved he still has the piano chops, although at 72, his voice is beginning to crack and quiver a little. Still, he got the crowd standing and singing along to classics "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
John Mayer's short set — under 30 minutes — touched on hits "Waiting on the World to Change" and "Gravity" before closing with a cover of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'."
Tegan & Sara have improved their craft since I saw them open for Ryan Adams five years ago. They were also the most talkative act of the night, as the two bantered about Sara's previous Bridge show appearance in shorts and sandals in the cool Bay night.
Regina Spektor, one of two acts making its debut on the Bridge Benefit stage, earned the gold star for raw performance. Performing her entire set alone, she danced and sung her "Ain't No Cover" acapella, tapping the microphone to mimic a drum beat. Next, she sat at the piano and belted out six more tunes, including her hit "Fidelity." I closed my eyes and thought her voice sounded like a dead ringer for Fiona Apple a few times, but that stuttered croak that she does in "Fidelity" — "And it breaks my hea-ah-uh-ah, ah-uh-ah, ah-uh-oh-oh-art" — is her signature move.
The only act I've failed to mention was the other act making its Bridge debut, My Morning Jacket, a late addition to the lineup when Eddie Vedder, Flea and Jack Irons dropped out for personal reasons. I was very excited to see the Kentucky fivesome and they did not disappoint. There's a mystical air to their work and their performances, whether its the rocker "Anytime" or the quiet outer space country of "Golden," both of which were delivered well Saturday. "Gideon" found them soaring to new heights and Jim James' solo take on "Bermuda Highway" was delicate and sincere.