Chris Martin to perform solo at 2009 Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, CA

Chris Martin will take the stage during the 2009 Bridge School Benefit concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Mercury News are reporting online today. More on this at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks strawberryfields]

Stefani will perform with her platinum-selling band No Doubt, which recently came through the Bay Area on a highly successful reunion tour, while Martin will leave his mates in Coldplay behind to play rare solo sets. The concerts are set for 5 p.m. Oct. 24 and 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Tickets are $39.50-$150 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Sunday through 877-598-6659 and livenation.com.

Other top names scheduled to perform at both concerts include pop-rocker Sheryl Crow, indie-folk act Fleet Foxes, Australian hard-rockers Wolfmother, alt-rock icon Gavin Rossdale (Stefani’s husband) and, of course, the event’s organizer, Neil Young. The Monsters of Folk, the indie-pop dream team of Conor Oberst, Yim Yames, M Ward and Mike Mogis, will also appear on both days.

Each concert, however, boosts individual appeal. Notably, Parrotheads will want to purchase tickets for Saturday’s affair, which is when their leader, Jimmy Buffett, will make his long-awaited Bridge School debut. On Sunday, Buffett’s spot will be filled by popular comedian Adam Sandler, who recently starred in the Judd Apatow-directed film “Funny People.” Sandler is best known for such films as “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore,” but he’s also a platinum-selling recording artist.

In all, the lineup should be taken as a breath of fresh air by Bridge regulars, who have long complained that Young relies too heavily on the same cast of performers, such as Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews. Of all the acts on the bill, only Crow and Young have performed at past Bridge benefits. That number could change, however, since Young commonly adds more acts to the lineup as the dates draw closer.

These concerts are fundraisers for Hillsborough’s Bridge School, which aids students with severe learning disabilities.

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