Pearl Jam celebrates 20 years at Bridge School Benefit

Grunge mainstays Pearl Jam are coming up on the 20th anniversary of their first gig, but don't look for them to mark the occasion with a lot of fanfare.

Instead, the group plans play what's become a semi-regular slot: Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concert, set for Oct. 23-24 at Mountain View, CA's Shoreline Amphitheater.

"The only thing we've got going on in October is Bridge School, which is really special," guitarist Stone Gossard told Billboard. "So that's our 20th anniversary, which is fitting. It's perfect: not too blown up. It's not about us, it about all those kids that are on stage with you and about Neil Young and his commitment, his influence."

Pearl Jam -- then billed as Mookie Blaylock (named for a former professional basketball player) -- played its first gig on Oct. 22, 1990 at the Seattle club Off Ramp.

"I think we've just stayed on course in a way that's maybe encouraged people and surprised people, and I think there's more that we can do," Gossard said of the band's longevity.

Bridge School organizers haven't announced an official lineup for this year's event, which is anchored by Young and raises money for a school he co-founded for children with severe disabilities. Pearl Jam has played the Bridge School Benefit seven times previously.