It was nighttime, but the singer on stage was wearing sunglasses. It was cool enough for people to see their breath in the air, but the funky band behind the singer was setting the place on fire. The bass guitar player laid down a thumpin' line of rhythm that made your feet move involuntarily. The sax man in the slick blue suit flickered like a candle flame as he poured out hot notes.
It was a political rally for Democratic presidential contender Bill Clinton outside the Municipal Opera in Forest Park, but for the 2,500 to 5,000 people swaying to the music under a full moon, it might as well have been a giant outdoor disco.
The rally followed the historic, three-way presidential debate from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Washington University Field House. Much of the Forest Park crowd, including hundreds of Washington students, had watched the verbal spectacle on a giant television screen at the site. Afterward, while they waited for Clinton's arrival, the band kept the people hopping. In between songs, a voice would come on the public address system with teasing progress reports on Clinton's exact whereabouts on the face of the earth: "The governor has left the Field House and he is on his way here!" A volcano of cheers would erupt and people would wave and shake their Clinton-Gore signs.
For Michelle Warren, Becki Jones and four other occupational therapy students from the School of Medicine, the rally turned into a long vigil. They had arrived at 5 p.m., they hadn't had supper, and they were pulling their hands up into the sleeves of their Washington University sweaters to beat the chill. But they were still bouncy enough to boogie.
Warren and Jones had never voted for a U.S. president before. Jones, a senior from Parsons, Tenn., and Warren, a senior from Dexter, Mo.,both plan to vote by absentee ballot.
Dagian Liu, a post-doctoral researcher in the medical school's Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, couldn't vote because he wasn't a U.S. citizen. This native of the People's Republic of China attended the Clinton wingding more as a student of American politics.
"There is really a big difference from China," said Liu. "It's pretty exciting here. This type of rally is more of a party." Liu added, however, that the political party animals in Forest Park, despite their revery, harbored serious convictions.
The Clinton motorcade finally arrived at the rally around 8:15 p.m. The crowd started chanting, "We want Bill! We want Bill!" Someone put the raucous song "Shout!" on the public address system: "Wellllll, I feeeeeeel alllright. ... It makes me want to shout. ..."
When Clinton and his wife, Hillary, appeared on stage, the crowd hooted and hollered for all it was worth. A phalanx of television and 35mm cameras on the press platform focused on the walking, talking Main Event. As Clinton began to speak, someone released a small orange balloon, and it floated toward the stars.
"Tonight I say, if Missouri is the Show-Me State," a hoarse Bill Clinton said, "We sure tried to show them."
The speech was only about five minutes long. Clinton said he needed to save his voice for upcoming debates. But he and Hillary stuck around long enough to watch the fireworks that blazed in the night sky. And they clapped along with the crowd as the loudspeakers blared the relentlessly rhythmic song "Louie, Louie."
And then, like that, the political party was over. The Clinton motorcade sped off, television camera crews packed up their gear, and the throng headed for cars and buses. Becky Hankin, a Washington University junior from Philadelphia, said she was going home, too.
"My toes are frozen," said Hankin. "I'm going to go back and get some hot chocolate."