The Gorge Amphitheatre
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| The Gorge Amphitheatre | |
|---|---|
 The Gorge Amphitheatre during the Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2006 |
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| Nickname(s) | "The Gorge" |
| Location | 754 Silica Road N.W. George, Washington |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Type | Outdoor amphitheatre |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Owner | House of Blues |
| Former name(s) | Champs de Brionne Music Theatre |
| Seating type | Reserved, lawn |
| Capacity | 20,000 |
The Gorge Amphitheatre is a 20,000 seat concert venue located above the Columbia River gorge in George, Washington. Administered by the House of Blues, it is considered [1] one of the premier and most scenic concert locations in North America and the world. The venue offers sweeping and majestic views of the Columbia River, as well as extreme eastern Kittitas County and extreme western Grant County.
The Gorge is known for its spectacular views, lawn-terrace seating, and concert-friendly weather. It has been the home of many historic concerts, from bands such as Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Van Halen, Rush, Radiohead, The Who, Aerosmith, Metallica, John Mayer, The Police, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson, The Allman Brothers Band, and Tool. It is home of the annual Sasquatch! Music Festival, the Vans Warped Tour, and the west edition of the Christian music festival Creation Fest.
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[edit] History
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The Gorge began in the early 1980s, when Dr. Vince Bryan and his wife Carol purchased land for a vineyard on the site. After seeing the spectacular view, he got the idea of holding concerts while serving wine. The Bryans created the Champs de Brionne Winery and what was then known as the Champs de Brionne Music Theatre. The Music Theatre opened in 1985; the first concert held there was by Jesse Colin Young. The Gorge was found and developed by Ken Kinnear. He flew his helicopter over potential sites before settling on the spot he choose due to its unusual warmth and incredible views.
The venue originally seated 2500, on terraces large enough to accommodate lawn chairs. The stage was simply a concrete slab, with no cover, and minimal electrical service. After the venue was sold, bleachers seating nearly 18,000 people were erected at the top of the slope, and the stage was expanded and a permanent cover built. Truck access was improved, allowing several semi-trailers to be parked next to the stage, and electrical service was improved to allow use of full size lighting rigs. After two seasons using the bleachers, extensive blasting was done to create a slope above the original terraces which could seat 18,000 people. The stage was moved back, so that the back side is overhanging a vertical drop of some 60 feet, and a flat, premium seating area was created immediately in front of the stage. A field nearby was purchased for use as an overnight camping area able to hold several thousand vehicles and campsites, due to the remote location of the venue.
The first major rock n’ roll event there was a 1988 show by rock legend Bob Dylan with Tracy Chapman as the opening act. The event was plagued by security snafus, excessive drinking and traffic problems. By the time Dylan played there again in 1990, the alcohol problems had improved and its modern development had commenced. Much has changed at the venue since Universal took over. The Gorge was recently voted by Pollstar (a top concert-industry trade magazine) as North America's best outdoor amphitheater for the third year in a row.
The venue was sold by the Bryans in 1993 so that they could fund a medical-research project; he sold the venue to the promoter that would eventually become the House of Blues. Since that time, it has become a favorite summer venue of performers and even hosted a triple bill of Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan in May 1998.
In 2004 Dave Matthews Band released the live concert DVD/CD The Gorge. The album captured the last three days of the band's 2002 summer tour. In 2007 American rock band Pearl Jam released a seven disc box set, titled Live at the Gorge 05/06.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Gorge Amphitheatre on the House of Blues website
