Spectrum Arena: The House That Rock Built

Above: Audience after a Neil Young concert, The Spectrum, Philadelphia. Neil chose a cropped and faded version of this shot for the “Time Fades Away” album cover.

A few years ago, when Villanova’s Lou Scheinfeld began thinking about writing a book on his time operating, promoting, closing and doing just about anything else at the dearly departed Spectrum, he had one condition: “I need some more people to die first.”

There was a lot of great college basketball played at the Spectrum, including the Duke vs. Kentucky 1992 East Regional Final Game where “The Shot” of all shots was taken.

Well, it seems the necessary actors in the Spectrum’s wild 42-year ride have gone to their great rewards. This month sees the release of Blades, Bands and Ballers: How “Flash and Cash” Rescued the Flyers and Created Philadelphia’s Greatest Showplace (Camino Books, 259 pages), Scheinfeld’s ode to the arena he helped animate and turn into one of the nation’s most unique (if not comfortable) buildings. Scheinfeld was present at its creation, when Ed Snider and Jerry Wolman conjured a building at the outer reaches of South Philadelphia. The city’s NHL expansion team needed a home, and the 76ers were willing to leave their Convention Hall digs for the new building. Read more >