Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Nowadays, virtually every concert is documented in some way. Social media is full of fans recording live events on their phones. But a few decades ago, before smartphones, documenting a show was much rarer and far more difficult. For starters, it required sneaking in bulky equipment. That’s not to say it was never done, though. A Chicago man named Aadam Jacobs is among this rare group of sly documentarians, having recorded over 10,000 concerts in Chicago and nearby cities. Now, his archive is being digitized and shared for free with fans around the world.
Jacobs started taping shows since he attended his first concert in 1984, using a device similar to a dictaphone. He continued doing this for decades, improving both the equipment he worked with and his relationships with venue workers, who went from preventing him from taping to even allowing him to attend for free and plug into the soundboard for a flawless recording. His work earned him the nickname of “taper guy,” becoming a known figure in the local Chicago music scene.
This live music archive features mostly indie and punk rock acts, and includes some priceless jewels; that is, recordings of some of the most famous bands in music history before they broke out. Among the highlights is a recording of Nirvana from 1989, two years before the Seattle group released their breakthrough album Nevermind. Other big names documented before they reached superstar status include Depeche Mode, The Cure, and R.E.M.
Jacobs has never seen himself as an archivist; he just considers himself a music fan who thought it made sense to document the few shows he attended every week. After getting some press coverage and even being the subject of a documentary in 2023, a volunteer with the Internet Archive reached out to him to suggest digitizing his collection. “Before all the tapes started not working because of time, just disintegrating, I finally said yes,” he told AP.
Now, volunteers are taking the tapes from Jacobs’ place, which are then mixed, mastered, and uploaded to the Aadam Jacobs Collection. As of writing, it features 2,492 items, and volunteers say it will take another few years to complete the project. A lot of times goes into figuring out song titles, so the team has even reached out to the artists featured to correctly file every song on every setlist.
Jacobs shared that “one or two” acts have asked that their material be taken down, as they technically own the original compositions and live recordings due to anti-bootlegging laws. Still, most are happy to have a slice of their career documented for posterity; a noble labor given Jacobs has never profited from his work, and neither do the volunteers. The whole endeavor is done out of pure love for music.
Among the most popular recordings at the moment are a Reggie Watts show from 2013, a Phish show from 1990, and a performance by Television from 2005. The most recent recordings are from 2019, as Jacob’s’ health issues have kept him away from shows. If anything, his work has hopefully inspired others to document the shows they attend, giving him a shot at enjoying live music from the comfort of his home. In a way, both returning the favor and passing it forward.
You can browse all of the recordings on the Aadam Jacobs Collection online.
A Chicago man named Aadam Jacobs secretly recorded over 10,000 concerts in Chicago and nearby cities over four decades.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Now, his archive is being digitized and shared for free with fans around the world.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
You can browse the collection here.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Sources: From Early Nirvana To Phish, A Chicago Fan’s Secret Recordings Of 10,000 Shows Are Now Online
Related Articles:
Grocery Store Allows Local Latino Musicians To Perform on a “Tiny Desk Concert”-Style Stage
Artist Collaborates With Pigeons To Create Music You Might Sample on an EDM Track
Music Creator Rewrites Toto’s “Africa” Song to List Every African Country Instead
Conjure Rainbows While Making Your Own Music With These Fun Gadgets
