Quentin Reynoldsa 26 year old who had been playing for almost a year, was also on the bill that evening.
When Bridges told his first joke, “the whole room erupted,” he said.
“I was feeling sorry for myself too, but I also breathed a sigh of relief because the new boy had laughed a lot and I knew he would probably be okay.”
Bridges then spoke about the “trials and tribulations” of being 17 years old.
“Most of it was pretty clever stuff, rather than the hack material you might expect from someone so young, and every gag elicited a big laugh (again, which is also very unusual for a beginner).”
As he walked away to a round of loud applause, Sutherland brought him back on stage and told the crowd, “That was his very first concert.”
Expect more cheers from the audience, which included Bridges’ father and chaperone, Andy.
“He was an incredibly proud father,” said Reynolds, who met him during intermission.
“Like a father watching his son win a medal at school. But I think we can all agree that it was way cooler than any school medal or token book prize.”