Pearl Jam at The Spectrum | photo by John Vettese On Halloween in 2009, a clip reel of highlights from The Spectrum’s past - Julius Erving to Billy Joel - rolled on a big screen, and then Pearl Jam walked onstage to Bill Conti’s Rocky theme, Vedder donning a pair of boxing mitts. Over the course of four nights, the band reportedly performed 103 different songs. And in that regard, Pearl Jam was the best possible band to sum up The Spectrum’s four-plus decades of history. They were unifiers, cross-generational titans spanning the 60s through the 90s and further into the 21st century.
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Their music, while distinctly modern, was unapologetic about its dalliances in timeless classic rock throwbacks, whether that meant covers of The Who and Neil Young or riffs of their own unapologetically indebted to the same. There was no way this was going to be anything short of incredible.Įddie Vedder and his band of amplified merrymakers held a unique distinction in 2009 – they were one of the first rock bands of the 90s to reach arena status, and one of the only bands to maintain it throughout the course of their career, all the way to present day. The announcement went out in July of 2009, and it was perfect: following a pair of performances by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, The Spectrum would shut down in late October with a four-night stand by Seattle rockers Pearl Jam – with the final show landing on Halloween.
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The storied venue had been on the chopping block since June of 2008, and curiosity was strong among the local music community about who would be the last to play its stage. The year was 2009, and the scene was South Philadelphia arena The Spectrum - a space that, since opening its doors in 1967, was the site of hundreds upon hundreds of concerts and home to various pieces of local rock and roll lore…as well as, you know, sports and whatnot. You’ve got to hand it to Pearl Jam: when they throw a party, they go all in.