Forget the hail! It's party time at the Gorge

GEORGE, Grant County — After a sunny day of nonstop partying, nearly 20,000 music lovers dashed for cover late Saturday afternoon as thunder, lightning, rain and pea-sized hail hit the outdoor Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre.

The crowd made an exodus out the gates, and it began to look as if the rest of the three-day event would fizzle. But as the storm waned, the hardy fans learned the music would resume after the storms had passed. By 7 p.m., music was in the air again.

It was the first time in the festival's five-year history that the weather had turned ugly.

The same blanket-bearing warriors had arrived at the Gorge earlier in the weekend, leaping over myriad hurdles along the way.

They disregarded high prices, erratic weather and the prospect of interminable lines to head for the gathering of indie bands that this year has exploded from a one-day affair to a three-day, sold-out extravaganza. (Latecomers, beware: promoters say no tickets will be available at the door.)

Seattleites, unfazed by gas prices that have soared beyond $3 a gallon, hopped into their sedans, SUVs and RVs for the 150-mile drive, while others road-tripped from neighboring states and beyond.

Friday's crowd strolled in, shoving their bare hands into their pockets to ward off the wind. The occasional rain threatened to further dampen the seats of those who'd already parked their jeans-clad bottoms on grass. But when the clouds parted, the early birds frolicked in the sun — dancing, playing and embracing the first beats of the summer concert season.

Sitting beside each other, siblings Joseph Ciok and Alicia Faye flew a cardboard sign that read "Poor and Sober."

Ciok wore a black sweatshirt with a skull and crossbones emblazoned on the hood, and a trio of nose and lip rings accentuated Faye's black attire.

This was his first time at the Gorge, Ciok said. "It's uncommon for us to go to festivals like this because you have to pay."

But this year, he shelled out $55 to see Deadboy & the Elephantmen — just one of the 40-plus bands on tap. "It was kind of a spiritual experience," Faye said, adding that they'd been following the lead singer of this indie band for four years.

They joked with strangers who stopped to chat, while sipping the rest of the three beers that passers-by had given them money to buy.

They'd see a few other bands before hightailing it back to Seattle.

"We're going to go back to our teenage years and see Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails," Faye said.

The first of Saturday's 20,000 ticket-holders arrived despite the "No Fuel" signs at each of the pumps at the Shell Station in Ellensburg, the last major pit stop for most.

After the morning rain subsided, determined concertgoers poured down into the terraced amphitheater like settlers staking out their claims.

They'd already endured several long lines — to pick up their tickets, have their bags checked and to get through the gate. More opportunities to wait loomed before them — for a chance to step into a Honey Bucket or grab an I.D. bracelet for a beer.

Nevertheless, toothy smiles blossomed under dark sunglasses, proving that fans refused to let anything put a damper on their groove. Because this Memorial Day weekend, they could get away from the rigid schedule of everyday life. They're hanging out with friends and, with enough patience, will be listening to their beloved bands while admiring the undulating hills and rugged cliffs surrounding the Columbia River.

"Man, this is so nice," Sasquatch employee Alysha Martinez said of the landscape. "This is what makes it worthwhile to come to the Gorge every day."

Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315 or jhsu@seattletimes.com