http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20101123_Dr__J__Clarke__Parent_speak__then_wrecking_ball_bangs_the_Spectru.html


Springsteen sings "Wrecking Ball" at Spectrum



http://www.philly.com/philly/video/bruce_wrecking_ball.html


http://www.philly.com/philly/marketplace/Spectrum_Music.html

saw some amazing shows there... my first was a Kinks show... saw U2 in 1984, amazing... saw Metallica open for someone, can't remember who it even was... never saw The Stones there, was too young for those days. fllod of memories, lots of flyers games, circus and other events.
I think U2 may have been the best show out all of them... I saw alot of prog shows, Rush a few times, Genesis (who were really good in 1983) and a bunch of Yes concerts... The Kinks were really fun... I'm missing some, I feel like there's some real blank spots!!!

All my PA friends called it "The Rectum".

I saw a handful of Grateful Dead Shows there...including the first performance of "Unbroken Chain"

I had never heard of this venue, but it appears that many fine acts performed there. It's Wikipedia entry is fairly informative.

Using another Springsteen line. RIP to a dump that jumped. :warhorse

I won't miss the place at all.

Steel Wheels wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 6:18am:

I won't miss the place at all.

AGREED

Paranoid Android wrote on Nov 25^th, 2010 at 9:45pm:

All my PA friends called it "The Rectum". I saw a handful of Grateful Dead Shows there...including the first performance of "Unbroken Chain"

Yes indeed "Rectum" was a common term of endearment for the place in the Delaware Valley lexicon during my youth.  

My first Dead show ever there, fall 82.  Satisfaction encore.

But where else do you hear "Pretzels, fucking pretzels!"  after a show?

" I won't miss the place at all. "



This makes young Joey sad .


www.rememberthespectrum.com

I hated the Flyers so much in the 70's that on Christmas day I was driving to Atlantic City with a buddy to gamble. We stopped a minute in Philly so I could piss on the Spectrum. Luckily Schultz didnt see me.

gimmekeef wrote on Nov 27^th, 2010 at 10:41am:

I hated the Flyers so much in the 70's that on Christmas day I was driving to Atlantic City with a buddy to gamble. We stopped a minute in Philly so I could piss on the Spectrum. Luckily Schultz didnt see me.

my father in law had season tickets, my wife had a huge crush on bobby!!!

---

Pdog wrote on Nov 25^th, 2010 at 9:25pm:

... saw U2 in 1984, amazing...

Pdog, was that on the Unforgettable Fire tour with Lone Justice warming up?  If so, that was THE BEST SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!  We were up on the 2nd level, and I'll never forget Bono saying, "it doesn't matter how close your are to the stage, it's how close you are to the music"... I think he also said something about the audience being the best ever... truly a phenomenal show.

Phil Spectrum died?  
:Youmakeagrownmancrylikejoey

The Spectrum was good because every top act played there and it always sold out. I think it was just a bit smaller than MSG, around 20,000 seats. They are replacing it with a larger venue.  I always had a great time there, they had a decent bar and lots of TV's with all the games on. I have no complaints, except for the cops who would arrest people for buying/selling tickets. Gotta be careful in Philly, it's a brutal police force!

:( :solongsucker

The Spectrum has been replaced since 1996.  I'm suprised it wasn't razed years ago.

Paranoid Android wrote on Nov 25^th, 2010 at 9:45pm:

All my PA friends called it "The Rectum". I saw a handful of Grateful Dead Shows there...including the first performance of "Unbroken Chain"

With 53 Rectal performances, the Dead hold the record for most by a rock band by a country mile.