Morgantown proves it's a good market for metal

By Pamela Cyphert
Dominion Post Staff Writer
published August 30, 1989

With no evil stepsisters in sight, Cinderella found it easy to rock through the night Tuesday at the WVU Coliseum. The heavy metal band made a stop in Morgantown during its "Long Cold Winter" tour, its first headline tour in the U.S.

While the music was deafeningly loud and the singers screamed out their lyrics, teenagers and college-aged fans shoulted, stomped, clapped and made as much noise as they possibly could. At times, the fans were almost able to drown out the band.

More than 5,000 of the 9,000 tickets available were sold by Tuesday afternoon for the 7:30 p.m. concert. As late as 8:30 p.m., however, young teens could be seen scraping their last dollars together for a chance to see and hear Cinderella on stage.

Final figures were not available; however, it appeared most of the 9,000 seats were filled. Many people who did not have tickets stood listening from outside the hot, stuffy Coliseum.

"There is more of a market for the country shows in this region," said Jeff Dickens, a graduate assistant for marketing with Student Activities at the university. "You tend not to have very many adults at these rock shows, but this is a good opportunity to see what the market is for this type of band."

In a way it's testing the field, but we felt there was already a big market for it and there is because we've done pretty well with sales."

Although country music bands have been more successful in Morgantown in the past, the success of Cinderella and its opening acts, White Lion and Tangier, may mean more rock bands will visit the Coliseum in the future.

"It's already a success," Dickens said prior to the concert. "We are past the break-even point and into the profit stage. You're always a success if you manage to make money."

Dickens said Student Activities is trying to get several groups to perform in Morgantown, and named two that had already made a commitment. The Call will be at the Mountainlair Ballroom Oct. 2, and Hank Williams Jr. will return to the Coliseum Oct. 14

Williams has been successful in Morgantown on two other occasions and is expected to bring in a large crowd once again. Tickets for both shows go on sale Sept. 10.

An official of the office of West Virginia University security said a "few" arrests were made, but details were unavailable because the officers had not yet returned to the office.