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Philadelphia's Spectrum arena goes out in style

(Reuters, Saturday November 7, 11:54 AM) NASHVILLE (Billboard) - This is how you close a building.

The venerable Philadelphia Spectrum, one of the arenas that built arena rock, will be demolished early next year to give way to Philly Live, a retail and entertainment complex being developed by the Cordish Cos. and Comcast-Spectacor, the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Wachovia Spectrum and the adjacent, more modern Wachovia Center.

But the Spectrum didn't go down without a party -- a yearlong commemoration that included send-off concerts by acts like Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen, final games by the Philadelphia Flyers and the 76ers, and innumerable trips down memory lane.

Among the highlights of the valedictory campaign were the creation of the RememberTheSpectrum.com Web site, a commemorative book in partnership with the Philadelphia Daily News and the TV documentary "Building a Memory," which aired on Comcast SportsNet.

Comcast-Spectacor vice president of PR Ike Richman and his team also partnered with local radio stations to create unique closing events like the "Your Band Can Perform on a Concert Stage" contest, "Final Basketball Game" and the "Last Floor Hockey Game." In late October, the Spectrum opened its doors to the public for a free "Last Stroll" tour of the facility. Every day on the calendar had a corresponding significant event that matched up with the building's history, and Richman and his team made sure the local media new about them.

Live Nation Philadelphia chairman Larry Magid produced the Spectrum's Final Farewell concert series with Neil Young, Tina Turner, Green Day, Hall & Oates, two shows by the Dead, four by Pearl Jam and six performances by Springsteen. The series also included Kings of Leon and Dane Cook's "The Last Laugh."

"Larry really led the charge that it would be really cool to play the Spectrum again," Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko said.

Cool, yes, but not as profitable. "We all make more money at the center," Luukko said, "which shows you really how special the Spectrum was to these artists, because they were certainly willing to take a little less money to play there again."

RISE OF THE NEW

The Spectrum had long ago passed the torch to the Wachovia Center, just as legendary arenas like Chicago Stadium; the "Fabulous" Forum in Inglewood, California; and the Boston Garden have passed from the scene or become overshadowed by shinier showplaces. The same dynamic led to the demolition of Shea Stadium in New York and the pending demise of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which closed out their runs with concerts by Billy Joel and Springsteen, respectively.

The closing of these historic rock venues affects the artists that made their bones at these locations. "Obviously, the end of the Spectrum, with its narrow backstage corridors, shortage of space and wonderful feel and great audiences, is filled with emotion," Springsteen's longtime manager, Jon Landau, said. "And tearing down Giants Stadium is so symbolic for us that Bruce wrote his recent song, 'Wrecking Ball,' about his feelings about the end of his neighborhood football field, where he has played 24 times."

Comcast-Spectacor and Global Spectrum owned and operated the Spectrum and the Wachovia Center for 13 years and decided to shutter the Spectrum only when the Philly Live project arose. Without major sports tenants and with most big tours opting for the center, the Spectrum wasn't self-sustaining anymore and would have required millions of dollars in capital improvements in coming years, Luukko said.

"Frankly, if we didn't have this (Philly Live) development, we would have thought of a million excuses to keep the building open because of the emotion involved."

Pearl Jam's Halloween show was the last event at the Spectrum.

"We'll start gutting the building from the inside out, then start selling seats and various memorabilia for charity and to offset demolition costs," Luukko said. The bulldozers won't arrive until next spring.

For all the fond tributes paid to the Spectrum, the Wachovia Center is a more comfortable, fan-friendly building. "The general experience at the center is so much better," Luukko said. "But the memories of the past can never be replaced."

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters) (please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)