How Come The Grateful Dead Never Played At The Gorge?

Because the venue was owned by MCA and the Grateful Dead were on Arista (a direct competitor)?

Or because Jerry was boycotting Live Nation venues since before it was cool?

Live Nation didn't exist in '93, and I doubt Jerry was ever too aware of or cared about what faceless venue he was in from one day to the next.

It's an interesting question, like most things it was probably a money/logistical situation. I believe in those days the northwest GD shows (and pretty much all western states GD shows) were produced by BGP, they probably already had agreements with other venues and/or it was cheaper in other venues.

...because Jerry wasn't allowed to hear the word "Gorge" for health reasons?

i saw whatever with popi and jr.

that was a trip.

Probably a few different reasons:  if they didnt expand it to 19,000 until 1993 it wouldn't have really worked as a venue until at least 1995 or later as the GD were planning tours out years in advance.  Neil Young and Lolapalooza both played there in 1993 so the venue was on the rise and no doubt the GD would have played their eventually but they just ran out of time.

The Seattle Center Memorial Coliseum was also larger - Jerrybase puts it at 22,000 - and it felt even larger to me at the time.  And extra ticket sales would've been a consideration. 

That said, the rural locale and picturesque venue seems like something the GD would've loved to do so the answer to the original question of why the GD never played there is "Jerry died before they got the chance."

The Dead

The Gorge Amphitheater

George, Washington

July 3, 2003

Set 1
1. Crowd
2. Shakedown Street>
3. Strange World>
4. Jack Straw
5. Mississippi 1/2 Step>
6. Jam>
7. No More Do I>
8. Jam>
9. Hard To Handle>
10. Jam>
11. Cumberland Blues
12. Casey Jones

Set 2
1. Jam>
2. Playin' In The Band>
3. Night Of 1000 Stars>
4. He's Gone>
5. Jam>
6. Cryptical Envelopment>
7. The Other One>
8. Terrapin Station>
9. Drumz>
10, Space>*
11. The Wheel>*
12. Playin' Reprise>*
13. Turn On Your Lovelight *
14. Donor Rap/Headcount Rap

Encore:
15. After Midnight *
16. Mickey brings the crew out to take bow

 Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, Jeff Chimenti, Warren Haynes

*with Derek Trucks

 Robert Hunter opened the show followed by the Allman Brothers Band 

https://archive.org/details/dead2004-07-03.akg483.flac16

^that looks like a hoot!!

When was the last Dead show that allowed overnight camping in the parking lot? 

I've always loved that Annie Leibovitz photo of Jerry pigging out at the IHOP.

It just looks like he's ordered the entire menu. And at an IHOP, of all places.

"What the hell, Rolling Stone is paying for it."

Good ol' Jerry.

Instead, they played at the Seattle Center Memorial Stadium in the latter years instead, with a capacity of 12,000.<<<<

That may have been capacity for a soccer game but there were at least 25,000 inside the stadium for these shows.

Remember the Escher T-shirt guy back when?

Saw the first Furthur Fest up there in 1996 (my first Gorge show) so I imagine it was already on the band's radar.   Also saw the "Dead" there in 2003, when Joan Osborne crushed Caution:

Tuning/Jam
Truckin' ->
Tomorrow Never Knows ->
Cryptical Envelopment ->
Loser
Alligator ->
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
It Must Have Been The Roses
West LA Fadeaway
Fire On The Mountain

Set 2 (begins)
Loose Lucy
Brown Eyed Women
Eyes Of The World ->
Night Of A Thousand Stars ->
Estimated Prophet ->
Drums ->
Space (with Joan vocalizing) ->
Standing On The Moon ->
Cassidy
Sugaree
Phil's Donor Rap

E: Sampson & Delilah
E: Brokedown Palace  

The set list posted above should be 7/3/2004   Didnt go to that one, but saw the Warren/Jimmy lineup the night before at Columbia Meadows outside of St. Helens.

Seen plenty of other shows at the Gorge (Black Sabbath and many Phish shows) and always a good time.  Nicest large outdoor venue in the country IMHO:

Have two sites reserved at the nearby Wildhorse Campground for Dead and Co.  That's where we stay almost every time.  Green grass, sprinklers, spacious campsites, clean porto johns, and a party bus that rolls right up to the gate.   Sure beats the dusty chaotic Mad Max world of the main lot and you don't have that long slog to and from the venue.  Still need tickets for the actual show.

>>>>When was the last Dead show that allowed overnight camping in the parking lot? 

Probably Autzen.  Those shows were so fun as were the Seattle shows.  The 95 run were some of the last really good GD shows for me.

"The set list posted above should be 7/3/2004"

Thanks for that correction.