Thousands of rare concert recordings are landing on the Internet Archive — listen now

Aadam Jacobs, a devoted music enthusiast from Chicago, has been capturing the essence of live concerts since the 1980s, resulting in a remarkable collection of over 10,000 tapes. Now at 59, Jacobs recognizes the inevitable deterioration of these cassettes and has taken a significant step by partnering with volunteers from the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library dedicated to preserving cultural artifacts. Currently, approximately 2,500 of Jacobs' recordings have been digitized and made available on the Internet Archive. Among these treasures is a rare performance by Nirvana from 1989, a time before they rose to fame with their iconic hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991. The collection also boasts previously unheard recordings from a variety of influential artists, including Sonic Youth, R.E.M., Phish, Liz Phair, Pavement, and Neutral Milk Hotel, alongside numerous punk bands. Although Jacobs originally recorded these performances with basic equipment, the dedicated volunteer audio engineers at the Internet Archive have worked diligently to enhance the sound quality. One such volunteer, Brian Emerick, makes monthly trips to Jacobs' home to collect more boxes of cassettes. Using vintage cassette decks, he plays the tapes to convert them into digital files. Following this, a team of volunteers meticulously cleans, organizes, and labels the recordings, even searching for song titles from obscure punk bands. This initiative highlights the positive side of the internet, making it possible for music lovers to experience these hidden gems, including a captivating Tracy Chapman recording from 1988.