Gorge: Back In The Act

After a silent spring, with no word from the promoters who historically have brought music to the Champs de Brionne Summer Music Theater, it was beginning to look as though it would be a silent summer as well for Washington's largest outdoor venue.

But don't throw out your Eastern Washington road map quite yet.

A new promoter in town, MCA Concerts, announced yesterday it will take over booking for the 19,000-seat amphitheater near George, in Grant County.

MCA will announce the summer lineup May 10, said Jeff Trisler. Tickets will go on sale May 15.

"It will be as good or better than any season we've ever had," Trisler said. "The lineup will be much more diverse than anything we've ever done."

In the past, Champs de Brionne has drawn such performers as Bob Dylan, Sting, Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Situated on the lip of the Columbia River Gorge, 140 miles east of Seattle, the amphitheater offers dramatic views of the surrounding terrain.

Since Champs de Brionne was opened as a 3,000-seat venue in 1987, booking was handled by Bauer-Kinnear Enterprises.

As recently as a year ago, Bauer-Kinnear was the largest concert promoter in the Northwest. In addition, Ken Kinnear, one of its principals, was a part-owner of the Power Station, which sold tickets to shows at Champs de Brionne and concerts promoted by Bauer-Kinnear at other venues.

But in recent months Bauer-Kinnear has been absent from the local promoting scene, and phones at the Power Station have gone dead, raising questions about the fate of the summer series at the Gorge.