Patient Petty fans get floor tickets
By Mike Bruscell
The Independent Florida Alligator - Friday, January 12, 1990

More than 80 Tom Petty fans who didn't back down from long lines Wednesday were able to buy floor tickets from the University Box Office, but they may have to move for Petty's equipment, O'Connell Center director Lionel Dubay said.

Dubay said 84 extra seats went on sale about 2 p.m. Wednesday. The seats were reserved for Petty's sound-mixing board, but were made available because of the demand for tickets, he said. Since Petty's production staff didn't specify what seats would be reserved for the equipment, O'Dome personnel set aside six rows on the floor in front of the stage, then releasd half of them for sale.

"We, as a precaution, killed more seats than had to be done," Dubay said.

The 84 seats may have to be moved depending on where the equipment is set up. If that happens, the seats will not be moved off the floor, Dubay said.

Many who waited in line for tickets Wednesday were surprised they got floor seats. UF sophomore Eric Brown got in line at about 10:30 a.m., hours after the line had formed. By 2:30 p.m., Brown had a floor seat.

"I was nervous about even getting a ticket," he said.