Maintenance staff at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax made an interesting find during the Christmas holidays in a freight elevator. While working on removing a bumper that shields the elevator walls, they stumbled upon a pristine autograph belonging to Steven Tyler, the lead vocalist of the renowned rock band Aerosmith.
Aerosmith, known for hits like “Love in an Elevator” and “Sweet Emotion,” had performed at least two shows at the Halifax venue, with the latest one taking place on Dec. 28, 1993, when tickets were priced at $32.50.
Adria Young, a representative for Events East, the organization overseeing the Scotiabank Centre and Halifax Convention Centre, expressed excitement about the discovery, calling it a valuable piece of rock history within their facility. The band Aerosmith has achieved global success, selling over 150 million albums and earning a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Young mentioned that since the late 1980s, various performers and bands would use this particular freight elevator to access the arena. As a tradition, people began signing the walls, with notable names such as Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses and Bryan Adams being remembered by long-time staff members.
While the wall with signatures was eventually painted over in the late 1990s, the autograph of Steven Tyler remained preserved. Young highlighted that it had been approximately two decades since the Tyler signature was last visible, making its recent unearthing a surprise to many in the building.
Although the autograph is now shielded again by protective paneling following the maintenance work, Young hinted at the possibility of more hidden treasures within the facility from various artists, athletes, and personalities over the past five decades.
Furthermore, beyond the excitement of the autograph discovery, the article recalls an incident related to the Aerosmith concert on Dec. 28, 1993. Counterfeit band T-shirts were being sold by bootleggers at the venue, causing a stir in the news. Three individuals from Montreal faced fines for breaching the federal Copyright Act by vending counterfeit shirts, with one of them repeating the offense at a Bon Jovi concert in Halifax in 1995.
Overall, the Scotiabank Centre’s legacy as a hub for sports and entertainment in the Atlantic region for nearly 50 years is further enriched by these intriguing finds, leaving room for anticipation of more remarkable discoveries in the future.