Pink Floyd - Cyclone Stadium, Ames, Iowa, June 16th 1994 |
Written by Eric Jokinen | |
Thursday, 09 July 2009 | |
I'll never forget that afternoon in February or early March. Steve O'Rourke had a press conference and the local rock radio station in my hometown played it live; I bet if I look hard I can find the cassette tape that has the recording. "Pink Floyd will be doing a world tour starting in the spring of 1994". The bummer out of this was that they were not coming to my home state of Minnesota (at least not at the time of the press conference). Ames Iowa would be my venue, time would be my enemy as the months felt like years... I reserved a hotel room in Ames 4 months before the show; I'm sure the lady I talked to thought I was nuts for booking a room on a week night that far in advance, but sometime in the near future I'm sure she understood that Pink Floyd would be coming to Ames! I started listening to Pink Floyd in 1989, my friends at school knew some of their music, and until that day in 1994 all I kept being told was "too bad they will never tour again". Some of these same people sat with me June 22, 1994 at the HHH Metrodome.
Got into the stadium, stage right about half way down the stadium, good seats to see the band and take in the effects. About 30 minutes before showtime, the PA announcer came over head and paged for a guy to take a phone call. This was '94, what was a cell phone? About 5 minutes later the PA announcer pages again this time adding "you have an emergency telephone call." A guy about 2 rows up from me stood up and yelled "Leave him alone he's at the Floyd show!" What seemed like an eternity still, the stadium lights dimmed some and sound effects began to play, similar to the opening of Division Bell and the buzz began. From our seats, we could see two roads that led into the stadium, shortly a huge bus was seen approaching closer and closer, the roar began as this bus pulled in with police escort and drove right under the stage!! Huge roar of the crowd as we knew the show was about to start.
We got the same set list as the Foxboro report except for Great Day for Freedom substitued for poles apart. One of these days was a blast and though we were a fair ways from the stage you could feel the heat from the pyros! Time flew by and before I knew it we were standing and calling them back for an encore, at the conclusion of Run Like Hell David introduced the band and said he'd "hope to see us again". We did not get to see the Airship, later learning about the accident or storm damage that occurred earlier on the tour. I have to smile at the Foxboro report as I too have my trophy concert T-shirt that cannot be worn except for special occasions, most recently the 15th anniversary of the concert and my program sealed away as well. Glad I am not the only one like that! |