From Nirvana to Phish: A Chicago taper's 10,000-show archive goes online

Aadam Jacobs secretly recorded more than 10,000 concerts since 1989 in Chicago and beyond. Volunteers are digitizing and uploading the tapes to Internet Archive, preserving indie, punk and landmark live performances (including Nirvana’s 1989 Chicago debut and a 1990 Phish show) for free streaming, with meticulous metadata and audio cleanup. Some artists have requested takedowns, but most are supportive; the project continues with a growing team of volunteer engineers.