Roofless rock: Let the Gorge season begin with Tom Petty and The Wallflowers
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Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers head into the great wide open of the Gorge tomorrow night, opening what promises to be one of the most successful seasons in the amphitheater's history. The Petty show is already sold out, as are three shows by The Dave Matthews Band, which will close out the season Aug. 24-26.
In between is an array of country, blues, hip-hop, contemporary Christian and rock shows, with more to be announced, according to House of Blues concerts, which runs the spectacular outdoor venue perched high above the Columbia Gorge in George, Grant County, near the middle of the state.
The Gorge is one of the best outdoor venues in America. Not only is the site breathtakingly beautiful, the natural amphitheater has unusually good acoustics for the outdoors, outstanding facilities from food booths to private box suites, easy parking and full-service camping, with 24-hour store, hot showers and security. It's a three-hour drive from Seattle, but is basically a straight shot on I-90 (except for the six miles from the highway to the parking lot). Many concertgoers make a mini-vacation of the experience, arriving early to set up a campsite, enjoying the concert, then spending the night under the stars (which are especially bright out in the middle of nowhere).
The Gorge is also a favorite of many acts, because of the quality of the venue and the potential of a high payday --the capacity is a comfortable 20,000 (it could hold twice that), and most shows sell out or come close to it. The Gorge draws fans from throughout the state, as well as the region.
Petty also opened the Gorge season in 1995, and his last show here in the Northwest was at the Gorge in '99.
The singer-guitarist with the often-parodied singing voice - he has a distinctive, pinched, nasal sound - has one of the finest bands in rock, highlighted by Mike Campbell on guitar and Bemont Tench on keyboards. Petty has been writing new songs for an album to be recorded later this summer, and may include a few of the songs in his set. The band has reportedly been practicing some songs it hasn't played live in more than a decade, including "Even the Losers" and "Here Comes My Girl," as well as many of the hits of its nearly 30-year career, which include "I Won't Back Down," "I Need to Know," "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Free Fallin'."
The show is opened by The Wallflowers, headed by Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, who play a mix of melodic and hard-driving rock, similar to that of Petty.
Among other highlights of the Gorge year are the superstar teaming of Paul Simon and Brian Wilson, two legends who co-headline June 9; the hot British band Radiohead, playing June 23 (tickets go on sale tomorrow); the return of Black Sabbath at "Ozzfest," which also features popular newcomers Crazy Town and Linkin Park, June 25; country superstar Tim McGraw July 1; a strong lineup of electronica and hip-hop stars, featuring Moby and Outkast, Aug. 3; and rock legends Aerosmith Aug. 10 and John Mellencamp Aug. 11.