Historic Foundation on the Move with Plans for 1,000-plus Seat Venue
Rick Langbert
With the growing success of the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace project, inspired by the artist James Turrell, construction is expected to start soon on an adjacent “Moonspace” venture, with part of the area to include a 1,000—plus seat special events venue.
A grand opening is slated for early July, in conjunction with the Green Box Arts Festival.
And this opening will also feature a reunion of the remaining members of Pink Floyd, whose songs often mesh with the theme of the GMF Skyspace, at least according to visitors of the Skyspace.
Photos of an initial Skyspace media tour, published in the Pikes Peak Coureer depict the TMC editor looking like he was listening to a song from Dark Side of the Moon, and then got lost in a meditative trance while viewing the accompanying light show. In addition, the other participants joining the tour, including members of the Coureer, looked the same way.
The forthcoming festivities will showcase the first time former Floyd stars and often foes, David Gilmoure and Roger Walters, will play together after a lingering several-decade feud. The last time they performed together in public was during a special charity event in England. Of course, feuds among prog-rock veterans aren’t unusual these days, especially when many of these once rock ‘n’ roll legends start aging and getting quite moody. The late David Crosby and Graham Nash feud wasn’t too much better.
But the Gilmoure and Walters fight has taken on a level that has shattered previous musical disagreements in rock ‘n’ roll circles, with social media clashes still occurring between the two camps.
However, the ongoing political turmoil in the Teller County high country, may have been the turning point, playing a definite role in contributing to the surprising reunion.
According to TMC reports, several Pink Floyd insiders witnessed footage from a Woodland Park RE-2 School Board meeting and parent-teacher protest online, which went viral, and came to the conclusion they could mend their ways in order to help an area featuring obvious dysfunctional behavior. Then, they observed a Woodland Park Council five-hour marathon session, and knew Colorado was the prime chance for a needed reunion. It almost amounted to a musical emergency and a chance to mend past internal bickering.
Anticipation is running high for the event, as Green Box celebrates the new Moonspace venture, offering an unobstructive view of the moon and adjacent planets.
“This will be a great way to celebrate our new Moonspace venture, which will continue our reputation as a great art destination,” said Jesse Strope, of the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation. “It is a great meditative experience. We are glad Pink Floyd has accepted our invitation to perform for the opening of the Green Mountain Falls Moonspace. We have had people from 35 states and 15 different countries visiting the Skyspace.
It is still not clear how many songs the Pink Floyd performers will play at the Moonspace opening.
“We look at this as a great tribute to promote the arts. We sure don’t want any of our records banned in local schools in Teller County,” said Walters, in a prepared statement.
Some of the light displays, showcased by the Green Box Arts festival group in recent years, have conjured up memories of previous pyrotechnical displays at Floyd concerts. “It will be a good mix,” added Strope, when describing the Moonspace festivities, with Green Box and Floyd light displays.
The GMF Skyspace has already attracted visitors from across the country. It marked the first Skyspace built on a mountainside.
The invitation-only concert will also coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Dark Side of the Moon. At this time, other entertainment acts are being planned for the grand opening, along with transportation to the special event venue.
Details will be announced shortly.
For ticket information, visit www.TMC.com. Or just send a check to our editorial office.
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