Red Rocks, the Gorge, both are magical venues

Sitting there watching the sunset at The Gorge recently with the Dead & Company in the foreground and the Columbia River in all its glory in the background, got me to thinking.

Red Rocks or The Gorge?

Both made Rolling Stone’s top 10 Venues that Rock list. Both earn rave reviews from the musicians. Both have been the site of legendary recordings, bring out legendary performances. Both are in fact, venues that rock.

The Gorge Amphitheatre is a 27,500-seater in a spectacular setting with tremendous views of the Columbia River. It’s a nine-time winner of Pollstar Magazine’s award for Best Outdoor Music Venue. It was also voted as one of the Best Outdoor Concert Venues in America by ConcertBoom.

Red Rocks seats right at 9,450 people in the Colorado foothills with views of the Denver skyline as a backdrop. After Pollstar named Red Rocks the best small outdoor venue for the 11th time, the concert industry’s leading magazine decided to name the national coveted honor The Red Rocks Award, and take The Rock out of the running.

The Gorge is the new kid on the block (1985), but quickly built a name for itself. Pearl Jam released a box set featuring its entire performances from 2005 and 2006 called “Live at the Gorge,” which included covers of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” and Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down.”

The Dave Matthews Band Caravan is a series of concert festivals. Dave plays the Gorge every year, but his four-festival swing in 2011 turned heads toward central Washington in a big way.

Red Rocks (1941) has the history with legendary performances by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Simon & Garfunkel in an endless list of musical superstars. In 1983, U2’s “Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky” was called one of the 50 moments that changed rock ‘n’ roll by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Musicians from all genres love to make their magic at these venues. Lindsay Ell, who will be at the Watershed Festival at the Gorge this weekend, said she was captivated by the views from the backstage area. “You can see for miles, and miles, and miles of this just beautiful country with the river I’ve heard so much about growing up. It’s one of those magical places.”

I had a chance to talk with Big Head Todd & The Monsters bassist Rob Squires, who along with bandmates Todd Park Mohr and Brian Nevin, grew up in Colorado. To grow up in Colorado is to grow up at Red Rocks. So what was playing Red Rocks for the first time like?

“I stood in the same spot that Hendrix did. Hendrix, man.”

Red Rocks and the Gorge are two legendary venues that bring out the best in those making the magic. That’s good enough for me.

Rodney Harwood covers sports and business for the Columbia Basin Herald.