Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
Two shocking incidents. One legendary band. The same venue.
In this episode of Audio Mover, Robert John Hadfield uncovers the incredible story of two separate onstage attacks that sent Aerosmith to the hospital just one year apart at Philadelphia's Spectrum. Using original Circus magazine coverage, newspaper reports from 1977 and 1978, and Joe Perry's autobiography, we piece together exactly what happened when an M-80 nearly blinded Steven Tyler and a flying bottle later cut his face, ending another concert.
Along the way, we explore the story behind Live Bootleg, why Aerosmith intentionally made it sound raw and imperfect, and how one album unexpectedly became a time machine back to being a teenager discovering rock music. It's a conversation about history, vinyl, nostalgia, and the memories that live inside the music we grew up with.
Chapters
00:00 – The bottle that stopped an Aerosmith concert
00:00:56 – Audio Mover Rock Trivia Challenge
00:01:59 – The 1977 Spectrum firecracker incident
00:03:19 – Joe Perry remembers the explosion
00:04:00 – The Lynyrd Skynyrd connection almost nobody knows
00:04:37 – Live Bootleg and the hidden message in the liner notes
00:05:03 – Aerosmith returns to Philadelphia in 1978
00:05:19 – The flying bottle that ended the show
00:06:35 – Newspaper coverage from the following day
00:09:12 – Joe Perry's account of the second attack
00:10:54 – The investigation and fans react
00:11:55 – The "Sweet Emotion" performance and vibraslap story
00:13:01 – Why Live Bootleg sounded so different
00:16:26 – Why old records become containers of memories
00:19:07 – Trivia answers revealed
00:20:39 – Join me in Thailand this year or next
Two shocking incidents. One legendary band. The same venue.
In this episode of Audio Mover, Robert John Hadfield uncovers the incredible story of two separate onstage attacks that sent Aerosmith to the hospital just one year apart at Philadelphia's Spectrum. Using original Circus magazine coverage, newspaper reports from 1977 and 1978, and Joe Perry's autobiography, we piece together exactly what happened when an M-80 nearly blinded Steven Tyler and a flying bottle later cut his face, ending another concert.
Along the way, we explore the story behind Live Bootleg, why Aerosmith intentionally made it sound raw and imperfect, and how one album unexpectedly became a time machine back to being a teenager discovering rock music. It's a conversation about history, vinyl, nostalgia, and the memories that live inside the music we grew up with.
Chapters
00:00 – The bottle that stopped an Aerosmith concert
00:00:56 – Audio Mover Rock Trivia Challenge
00:01:59 – The 1977 Spectrum firecracker incident
00:03:19 – Joe Perry remembers the explosion
00:04:00 – The Lynyrd Skynyrd connection almost nobody knows
00:04:37 – Live Bootleg and the hidden message in the liner notes
00:05:03 – Aerosmith returns to Philadelphia in 1978
00:05:19 – The flying bottle that ended the show
00:06:35 – Newspaper coverage from the following day
00:09:12 – Joe Perry's account of the second attack
00:10:54 – The investigation and fans react
00:11:55 – The "Sweet Emotion" performance and vibraslap story
00:13:01 – Why Live Bootleg sounded so different
00:16:26 – Why old records become containers of memories
00:19:07 – Trivia answers revealed
00:20:39 – Join me in Thailand this year or next
