The Gorge Amphitheatre

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View at Gorge Amphitheater

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 one of the premier concert locations in the Pacific Northwest.

The Gorge is known for its spectacular views, lawn-terrace seating, and nearly year-round clear weather. It has been played by the likes of Sting, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, Paul Simon, 311, Phish, Pearl Jam and many more. It is home of the annual Sasquatch! Music Festival.

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 was Jesse Collin Young.

The original Gorge amphitheater was just a small, grassy knoll attached to the now-defunct Champs de Brionne Winery. The amphitheater was relatively primitive at that time, with few of the amenities that concert-goers now enjoy. The original amphitheater was even without running water or paved walkways.

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 the Dave Matthews Band released the live concert DVD/CD The Gorge 2002. The album captured the last three days of the band's 2002 summer tour. The Gorge has always been one of the band's favorite venues for their live shows.