Free and Legal Music

The musical answer to “if you build it, they will come” is the brainchild of Brewster Kahle known as Archive.org. Under the site’s live music archive is nearly 60,000 musical files from thousands of bands including The Greatful Dead, Jack JohnsonJack Johnson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Warren Zevon, whose tapes were donated by his son Jordan.

The archived live shows are all free and legal. The show footage has been donated by fans with private collections that were shot while at the show or by the artists themselves. The site contains no commercial concert footage. Jerry Garcia often told fans that, “once we’re done with the music you can have it.” Long before attending a Jimmy BuffettJimmy Buffett concert became a cultural experience fans of the Greatful Dead – known as Dead Heads – would travel all over the country following the Dead as they toured. Ice Cream greats Ben and Jerry’s got their start by selling ice cream in the parking lots in order to have money to travel for the next show. Along with the massive caravan of fans partying and offering wears outside the concert venue, Dead Heads habitually taped the concerts and then shared them with other fans afterwards.

Thanks to Archive.org Dead Heads can relive the old days, new fans can discover what the phenomena was all about, or discover some new music from the thousands of music files.

Music fans who have private (no commercial footage allowed) can also upload their music to enhance the archives and share with others in the spirit of Jerry Garcia.

Music is the best drug in the world and best all it isn’t bad for you; and with Archive.org’s live music archives it’s also free!