Aadam Jacobs' Chicago music archive gets digitized
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Aadam Jacobs stands before his vast record collection at his home in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Seven years ago, I interviewed Aadam Jacobs about his astonishing collection of 10,000 local concert recordings that spanned four decades and filled large swaths of his Northwest Side home.
- At the time, this trove of music history had no clear purpose or destination, but that all changed this year.
The latest: Volunteers at the Internet Archive have already uploaded 2,500 shows from Jacobs' collection for free listening, bringing back moments many fans thought were lost.
Zoom in: Jacobs recorded thousands of acts — from Nirvana and Tracy Chapman to local favorites like The Flat Five and Jon Langford — between 1985 and 2025.
- The shows are now neatly cataloged online with artist, venue, dates and even song names.
What he's saying: "Once I got over my separation [from the tapes], I've been able to enjoy seeing how much people are absolutely loving it and how many bands are thrilled that these moments in their career were captured somewhere," he tells Axios.
The intrigue: Sometimes Jacobs didn't get explicit permission to record.
- So, as the public archive grows, he's reaching out to certain acts to get the OK. But for many recordings, "the archivists will be asking for forgiveness rather than permission," he says.
- As reporters from the AP and the New York Times continue to cover the archive, Jacobs expects more artists to take notice.
Payment in karma: You'll see a donation button on the Internet Archive page, but the money goes to site maintenance, not individual contributors like Jacobs. He's cool with that because he derives other benefits from the archive.
- "I feel like this has given me a lot of good karma," Jacobs said in his living room, surrounded by used records that he sells at fairs for a living.
- "Like if I ever ended up in the hospital with like a $100,000 bill, I feel like people would be there for me, I'd be saved if I ever needed it. As long as I make enough to get by [with used records], that's all that I need."
💬 Justin's thought bubble: I remember seeing Jacobs recording sets at shows in the mid-'90s. I went down the rabbit hole with his archive and found the Blake Babies performing at Double Door in 2001.
- Sold.
💬 Monica's thought bubble: I was thrilled to find the most magical show I've ever attended— Jonathan Richman at Lounge Ax in 1996 — in the archive. I can even hear myself singing along, for better or worse. Other faves include:
- Flat Five at the Hideout in 2014.
- Jeff Tweedy at the Abbey Pub in 2002.
- Loudon Wainwright at Old Town School of Folk Music in 2012.
- New Order at the Bismarck Theater in 1985.
What's next: Later this year, Jacobs plans to relaunch his Dead Bird record label and collaborate with artists to release LPs of live shows he taped. Stay tuned.
Feedback: Email us with the best concerts you found on the archive and why at [email protected].