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The Gorge at George

© Jerri Brooker

If you live in Washington State, no doubt you have heard of the Gorge. Not the Columbia Gorge, but the Gorge Amphitheatre in George on the side of the Columbia Gorge cliff. It's the "hot" concert spot in the state.

For years I have been driving past the exit off Interstate 90 to the Gorge Amphitheatre at George, heading east or west. A lifetime resident of western Washington, the thought of seeing a concert overlooking the Columbia River Gorge has always intrigued me, but has never pulled me in the direction of going there yet.

Experience the Crowd

Last summer we stopped at a couple of places within 50 miles of the Gorge on a concert weekend out in the middle of nowhere and entangled ourselves in the mysterious web of concertgoers. An eye opener, for sure.

This particular weekend trek in August with concertgoers taking over and spilling out of gas stations, restaurants, corner groceries, etc. was educational, not in the positive sense, though. The air was electric. The concertgoers were into the weekend featured alternative, hip hop music scene and were not normally in my-corner-of-the-world environment.

I love music, but this crowd was invasive, taking over everywhere they lit - you couldn't even get to the gas pumps for the crowds. Hey, the economy around the Gorge rocked on this particular weekend, but that's all I could see benefiting from the experience. I do have to say, though, for the most part they were courteous in the stores. But I also have to wonder when I saw a "for sale" sign on one of the Vantage gas stations just a week after we witnessed the crowds. Did this experience generate the decision to sell?

Dark Side

I wonder what the local folks think on a concert weekend when the solitary country environment is deluged with partygoers, field campers outside the designated area, people not much respecting other peoples' property - throw a tent here, a sleeping bag there, take over the landscape. With due respect, I have to think the majority of folks are not as pictured, but there was a dark side to this crowd.

This particular weekend, the first murder in the concert scene at George became a reality. Last I heard they had witnesses and were on the trail of the perpetrator, but it seems nobody wants to talk. The thought sends chills down my spine.

Countryside without the Crowd

I can think of better places to spend my time. But wait; there is a better place - the environment on a non-concert weekend.

How now black cow?

The concert area from the road

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