LED ZEPPELIN BAND BACKSTAGE MOMENTS BEFORE THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THE SPECTRUM (1975)

Led Zeppelin walks along the backstage hallway of the Spectrum moments before their performance in Philadelphia. © ROGER BARONE 1975

LED ZEPPELIN: THE SPECTRUM (FEBRUARY 8, 1975)

ED SNIDER, CHAIRMAN OF COMCAST-SPECTACORE, SIGNED COPIES OF “GOD BLESS THE SPECTRUM” AT PHILLY BARNES & NOBLE

Comcast-Spectacore Chairman Ed Snider is elated as he shares memories with fans and Spectrum employees (past and present) during a book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Philadelphia. Several members of the Philadelphia Flyers made guest appearances, and free tickets to an upcoming Kiss concert were distributed as Mr. Snider signed copies of the "GOD BLESS THE SPECTRUM" commemorative book © ROGER BARONE 2009

COMCAST-SPECTACORE CHAIRMAN ED SNIDER: BARNES & NOBLE  (OCTOBER 7, 2009)

SPECTRUM ARENA IN THE SHADOWS OF LOLLAPALOOZA LAND: THE FUTURE SITE OF THE HISTORIC VENUE’S REPLACEMENT

The Spectrum Arena hovers over the ground where its replacement venue would be erected. The July 18, 1993, Lollapalooza concert was held on the open land where JFK Stadium once stood. © ROGER BARONE 1993

LOLLAPALOOZA CONCERT: JFK STADIUM (July 18, 1993)

ED SNIDER BOOK SIGNING IN PHILLY BARNES & NOBLE OCTOBER 7

Ed Snider book signing event at Philadelphia Barnes and Noble on October 7 advertisement in Philly Daily News.

FRANK SINATRA DURING FINAL APPEARANCES AT THE SPECTRUM ARENA IN PHILLY

Frank Sinatra performing at the Spectrum during one of his last Philadelphia performances. © ROGER BARONE 1994

FRANK SINATRA: THE SPECTRUM (NOVEMBER 9, 1991)

ROLLING STONES DRESSING ROOM SIGN FROM PHILLY SPECTRUM 1975–WIN A COPY OF SPECTRUM ARENA COMMEMORATIVE BOOK at “MY SPECTRUM MEMORIES” OCTOBER TRIVIA CONTEST NO. 2

"Stagecrew" sign from the Rolling Stones' dressing room door during their Philly concerts at the Spectrum in 1975. The tour logo, designed by Charlie Watts and Mick Jagger, was constructed by combining images of an eagle and a jet. © ROGER BARONE 2009

ROLLING STONES: THE SPECTRUM (JUNE 29-30, 1975)

While performing at the Spectrum in 1975, the Rolling Stones combined the visiting hockey players’ dressing room  and the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team’s dressing room to form one large room.

This larger room was accessible by both locker-room entrances. The “STAGECREW” sign (above) was affixed to the visiting hockey players’ room. A similar sign, sans the tour logo,  was placed on the 76ers’ door, located down the hall, south, about 30 feet away.

To win a copy of  “GOD BLESS THE SPECTRUM” a coffee-table book commemorating the history of the Spectrum, answer the following question:

What was printed on the Rolling Stones’ sign affixed to the  76ers’ dressing room door, which also provided access to the Stones’ room?

Eric Enghom from Hagersten, Sweden won September’s contest: a copy of “God Bless the Spectrum” and an archival print of Mick Jagger from the 1981 press conference at Philadelphia’s  JFK Stadium.

Fred Hardin of Savannah, Georgia won the  second prize: a copy of “God Bless The Spectrum.”

Every month until The Spectrum Arena is demolished, I will be awarding a copy of  “God Bless The Spectrum” commemorative book to the “My Spectrum Memories” trivia contest winner.

“GOD BLESS THE SPECTRUM” TRIBUTE BOOK CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED

Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards leads the band's entourage through the back hallways of the Spectrum arena moments before taking the stage. © ROGER BARONE 1975

ROLLNG STONES: THE SPECTRUM (June 22, 1975)

Erik Engholm, from Sweden, a member of Doug Potash’s  “Shidoobee” Rolling Stones Web site, is the first-prize winner of this month’s “My Spectrum Memories” trivia contest. Engholm identified the man immediately to the left of Keith Richards in this photo as Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence was  a saxophone player and member of the “Butterfield Blues Band.” He also played with various artists including, Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers and Stevie Wonder.

Read the hilarious and creative responses to the “My Spectrum Memories” trivia contest, posted to Doug Potash’s  Rolling Stones Web site.

First prize was a copy of the “God Bless The Spectrum” tribute book, accompanied by an archivally processed 8 x 10, black and white, selenium toned print of Mick Jagger during his 1981 JFK Stadium Press Conference in Philadelphia.

Fred Hardin, of  Savannah, Georgia, won the consolation second-prize: a copy of “God Bless The Spectrum.”

STEPHEN STILLS LOOSENS UP BACKSTAGE BEFORE SPECTRUM CONCERT WITH NEIL YOUNG 1976

Stephen Stills releases nervous tension by whirling around in circles backstage at the Spectrum before Stills/Young concert in Philly 1976. © ROGER BARONE 1976

STILLS/YOUNG: THE SPECTRUM (JUNE 29, 1976)

A wide-eyed Stephen Stills spun and whirled in circles while waiting backstage before his Spectrum concert with Neil Young. Stills arrived wearing white shoes, and quickly changed into the brown leather cowboy boots he would wear during the show. Stills was oblivious to the onlookers who witnessed his unusual pre-concert warmup. He’s pictured here beginning another revolution, anchored by his right foot.

Neil Young left the Stills/Young tour a couple of weeks after this show, obligating Stills to complete the tour as a solo act with the same backup musicians.

ROGER DALTRY SINGING WITH THE WHO AT THE SPECTRUM 1975

Roger Daltry, lead singer with The Who, displays emotion as he performs at The Spectrum in 1975. © ROGER BARONE 1975

THE WHO: THE SPECTRUM (1975)

STEPHEN STILLS POSES BACKSTAGE WITH SPECTRUM CHANGEOVER CREW EMPLOYEE ROGER BARONE

Stephen Stills poses for a photo with me after the second CSN show in Philly. I'm wearing a Spectrum T-shirt and Stills has a CSN shirt. The shirts tell the story. © PERRY CAMPAGNA 1977

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH: THE SPECTRUM (JUNE 1977)

When I met Stills during his Spectrum arrival, he was carrying clothes and a suit over his shoulder. I asked him if I take a photo with him. As we stood chatting, the flash didn’t fire. “You should have charged the battery, man,” he said, with a smile. I gave him a red Spectrum T-shirt, like the one I am wearing in the photo. I also gave Spectrum shirts to Crosby and Nash.

After the second show, I met up with Stillls again, asking, “Steve, can I finally get this picture with you?”

“Sure, man.” My friend and co-worker Perry Campagnia took the shot. He did a great job under the fluorescent lights and the focus was sharp. I was lucky, although the shadows were heavy under our eyes. Earlier in the day, I had asked Joel Bernstein (the CSN photographer and longtime CSN friend) if I could take a photo holding one of Stills’ guitars. He smiled and said, “I don’t think he’d like that.”

Bernstein was from Cheltenham, a suburb of Philadelphia. He was invited onstage to play acoustic guitar during the Whale Song and a spotlight was on him. The second night, Bernstein was left in the shadows without a spotlight.

Meeting Stills was one of my Spectrum highlights. He was very nice to me. There is another story about Stills from the rehearsal that’s worth reading.

Working on the changeover crew was a very physically demanding job. As a co-wroker, Bob Leone, described in a comment  on a previous blog page, “We were always pulling, pushing or lifting something heavy.”

The arena was either freezing cold or uncomfortably hot, humid and stinky, except a few weeks in May and September. The stench of day-old beer and peanuts hung in the air. Pepsi stains burned into the floor, and the pay was minimal at best, sometimes, below minimum (we were never paid overtime, no matter how many hours in a week we worked.) But, moments like the one pictured above made it all worth it. Once-in-a-lifetime moments with memories lasting just sa long as those lives.