Maintenance workers at Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre made an interesting discovery in a freight elevator during the Christmas holidays. While they were removing a protective panel called a bumper from the elevator, they found a well-preserved signature of Steven Tyler, the lead vocalist of the famous rock band Aerosmith.
Aerosmith, known for hits like “Love in an Elevator” and “Sweet Emotion,” had performed at least two concerts at the Halifax venue, with the most recent one taking place on December 28, 1993, when tickets were sold for $32.50.
Adria Young, a representative for Events East, the organization managing Scotiabank Centre and Halifax Convention Centre, expressed excitement about the discovery, calling it a unique piece of rock history within their facility. Aerosmith, a band with over 150 million album sales worldwide, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
According to Young, performers and bands started a tradition in the late 1980s of signing the walls of the elevator as they used it to move equipment from the loading area to the arena. Notable signatures from artists like Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses and Bryan Adams have been remembered by long-term staff members.
Although the wall with signatures was painted over in the late 1990s, Steven Tyler’s autograph was one of the few preserved. Young mentioned that it had been around 20 years since the Tyler signature was last seen, making its recent rediscovery a surprise to many.
While the autograph can no longer be easily viewed due to the protective panel being put back in place after maintenance, Young hinted at the possibility of uncovering more hidden treasures from various artists, athletes, and personalities who have graced the venue over the past five decades.
Additionally, the article mentioned an incident related to counterfeit T-shirts being sold at the 1993 Aerosmith concert, leading to fines for individuals violating copyright laws. The article concluded with links to other news stories from the Halifax Regional Municipality.