Interview with Historian, Author and "When We Rocked" Co-Author Antonio Aloia

August 04, 2025

Interview with Historian, Author and "When We Rocked" Co-Author Antonio Aloia

The Cosmick View: Hello, Antonio, and welcome back to The Cosmick View! We greatly appreciate you taking the time to talk with us.

Antonio Aloia: It's great to be back to talk with you folks!

CV: How did you get involved with working on the book, "When We Rocked?"

AA: How I got involved was happenstance. I didn't set out to do a book on the Philadelphia music scene; I was recruited. Mick Michaels had the original idea and started to put things together. He reached out to me, having a history background and publishing two historical works previously, Mick thought I was the right person for the job! He pitched the idea to me and everything else he had done at the time, and I thought it had potential. Being a musician myself, having played in some of the Philadelphia venues covered in the book, and hearing how the city used to be this haven for musicians, it was also an excuse to dive into that history everyone reminisced about. The rest was history!

CV: With being a historian, how did writing on this book differ from your previous published works? Does the subject matter matter for you?

AA: One of the major things that was different was working with another author and researcher. I'm used to going at my own speed and taking the necessary time to uncover what I'm looking for - that's why I take so long to publish my own books! There wasn't much downtime between drafts or research sessions. Mick had his plan and I was along for the ride! But it felt like I was Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, trying to finish a piece before the deadline. That's not a bad thing, especially when you have a co-author putting in the same time as you. It really made me be on the same page, literally and figuratively, as Mick.

As I mentioned previously, the subject matter does matter to me. Being a Philadelphia-based musician, I heard all of these stories from former band members and other musicians at all of these shows, talking about the golden days of the Philadelphia scene. I wanted to know more - what it looked like from the trenches. I wanted to see what this Golden Age was that everyone discussed so fondly... and here was an excuse and opportunity rolled into one!

CV: What do you feel the relevance of history is in the modern world? How is this book relevant?

AA: History is a window into the past to see what worked and what didn't. While we can never truly recreate the past - I'm looking at you, Jay Gatsby! - it can be a source of inspiration to tackling a "modern" problem. Or, history can be the explanation as to why we live the way we do today. It also demonstrates that human history is filled with human problems - problems that are relevant today as they were in the past - because we are all human!

To lasso "When We Rocked" into this conversation, it tells the story - or multiple stories - of Philadelphia musicians trying to play music within the city and nationwide, and make music their livings. These young musicians wanted to make it big with their music! Where does that sound familiar? The 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and the 2020s! That's the goal today as it was in this golden age in Philadelphia's history. Not only is that something relatable, it also provides insight into how these bands and musicians achieved their respective levels of success.

While we cannot recreate this era in history, we can learn from it and see how we can apply the successes to our current ambitions.

CV: History can sometimes be dry and rock and roll is anything but dry. Is this more than just a history book, in your opinion?

AA: It really depends on the topic. If you're researching the financial growth of an area by going through the treasury accounts and ledgers, then that's dry; if you're researching guerilla tactics and how effective were they against enemies via mock simulations, then that's not dry. Then again, it's whatever one enjoys that makes it engaging. We already know that rock n' roll is never boring - its filled with too much drama and stories that would fill a portion of the internet!

This is more than a history book, yes. With each of my previous releases, I try to bring something to life or something that is relatable to the reader. With "When We Rocked," there are a plethora of people who lived that era and talk highly about it. This book not only brings that era to life, but it encapsulates everything they loved about that time. It's like a family album that a stranger gave to them and they're surprised that the stranger is related to them, somehow. It's a book for people who remember how things were in Philadelphia back then.

CV: What do you think separates "When We Rocked" from other similar titles on the subject?

AA: That it uses a lot - and I mean a lot - of personal recollections and memories to tell the story, but they're contextualized into the larger musical history of Philadelphia. The book does not solely focus on this golden era - though the bulk of the book does - it bookends the time period with what helped shape the era and what the era helped shape after itself. It's not insular.

And it's told from the perspectives of the artists themselves. With that in mind, "When We Rocked" helps to set the record of the Philadelphia music scene so that others may participate and voice their recollections. It's an ice breaker to get others talking about what made Philadelphia music something worth going out every night for.

CV: What's one thing from “When We Rocked” that stands out for you? What did you take away from it?

AA: One thing that stood out was how many bands did not have a fall back plan or an idea what would come next when the music industry they worked with turned on them. Actually, that's two things: the bands not knowing the industry would turn on them and the industry itself turning on the bands that made them money. It's a wake up call that the creative industries are havens for capitalism to go almost unchecked or unregulated because people's tastes and likes change with the wind and whoever was at the top is now replaced by someone else - newer, younger, exotic acts, or just forced reinventions of themselves. It's a merciless industry.

CV: Where can people get the book?

AA: You can find "When We Rocked" on Amazon. Get your copy today! Also, don't forget to leave a review!

CV: Thank you again Antonio for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success!

Check out "When We Rocked" at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGFBHNB5
Official: www.WhenWeRockedPhilly.com

Find out more about Antonio at:
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: www.martialarthistory.com
Official: www.antonioaloia.com