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The Gorge Amphitheatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 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[attribution needed] one of the premier and most scenic concert locations in North America and the world.
The Gorge is known for its spectacular views, lawn-terrace seating, and nearly year-round clear weather[citation needed]. It has been played by the likes of Van Halen, Metallica, Sting, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, Paul Simon, 311, Phish, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Nickelback, and many more. It is home of the annual Sasquatch! Music Festival and the Vans Warped Tour and Ozzfest.
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
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 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.
- The Gorge Amphitheatre on the House of Blues website
Categories: All pages needing cleanup | Wikipedia articles needing factual verification since September 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Articles needing additional references from September 2007 | Amphitheaters | Columbia River Gorge | Landmarks in Washington | Washington culture