BEST CONCERT OF THE YEAR - Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge

Was it the band, the venue or the three-day booking? We're thinking it had to have been a combination of all three that made the Dave Matthews Band gig at the Gorge such a champion in this race. Die-hard fans who attended all three nights appreciated the fact that Dave and the boys changed the set list for each show. Fresh from the birth of his twin daughters, Dave was in rare form that August weekend, and nobody, but nobody, does an encore like these guys, dipping into Willie Nelson's "Ain't it Funny How Time Slips Away" and John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" in addition to their own fine oeuvre. The Gorge is one of Dave's fave places to play, as much for the stunning cliffside sunsets as for the enormous throngs of fans it can contain. We'll be seeing more of Dave here in the Northwest; he moved to Seattle last year, and he will be ending his Summer 2002 tour in the Gorge on Sept. 6-8.

2nd: Barenaked Ladies at the Arena
3rd: (tie) Moody Blues, Trisha Yearwood, both at the Arena