STAGECOACH 2013: Jeff Bridges lights up the crowd

Jeff Bridges at the 2013 Stagecoach Country Music Festival. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Before Jeff Bridges took the stage with the Abiders at the opening day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, a guy behind me in the crowd just kept going “Where’s the Duuuuude?,” referencing Bridges’ famed slacker leading man in cult classic “The Big Lebowski.”

I’m sure most of the people who flocked to the Palomino Stage to make it the most crowded it has been since it was the Sahara Tent at Coachella last weekend were going to get a glimpse of the actor in hopes that he, like The Dude, would abide.

Bridges did, with a set list that included music from “Crazy Heart,” the film for which he won an Oscar for portraying country singer Bad Blake, his own music and some select covers, including songs from “The Big Lebowski.”

Bridges said the band was made up of friends from Santa Barbara and explained that lot of his music buddies were made on the film “Heaven’s Gate,” which he made more than 35 years ago, rattling off names like T-Bone Burnett and Kris Kristofferson.

“We jammed hard between shots,” he said.

In addition to the music, Bridges did talk about a project to end hunger and encouraged the crowd to pledge to end children’s hunger.

“Feeding our kids is not complex,” he said.

Then, there were a few moments for the “Lebowski” fans in the crowd.

“A little Creedence for the Dude!” Bridges exclaimed before launching into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” which is in the film.

(It should be noted that Bridges did NOT play any Eagles songs, although the Eagles played Stagecoach in 2008.)

He also did another “Lebowski” soundtrack favorite–a cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me.”

The set ended with Bridges telling a story about thinking of ditching a class in high school but hearing The Byrds on the radio and that he met one of his heroes, Roger McGuinn, earlier today. McGuinn, founder of the Byrds, played before Bridges did.

Both ended up playing “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star” in their sets.