When I started this insane effort on April 28, 2024, I never thought I’d be typing these words. Frankly, I didn’t foresee the scale this project would grow to, and perhaps might not have even started had I known.
The project was started with the loose goal of taking the collection I built over the past six years and uploading it to Archive.org. My target was to compile something for Bruce similar to what has been done by the Grateful Dead community over the decades. Nearly all of the 2000+ shows they’ve performed are available for listening and downloading on Archive.org.
I had always hoped that someone would do the same for Bruce, maybe one of the bigger collectors with terabytes upon terabytes of bootlegs. It never happened, and I guess if you want something done (and done right), you have to do it yourself.
Over the past two and a half years, I’ve managed to source at least one bootleg of every show Bruce has performed (well those in circulation and not hoarded anyway, although if this applies to something you have, my DMs are open).
The goal of this wasn’t just to build a massive collection, but to do so and create it as a publicly available resource. One that attempted to do for Bruce what the Dead community has managed to do.
The Final Shows
The past few months, with a ton of shows sitting in my “to tag/upload” queue, I resolved to get this project finished. The issue with getting a ton of shows in bulk is then having to go through and tag/upload them.
As the list of “unrepresented” shows shrunk, they became harder to track down. Once I finished my queue, the remaining 7 shows were all officially released (6 River ‘16 and one Broadway). Many sites block these from being uploaded out of a fear that they’ll be confused for official releases and the site will be shut down by Bruce Co if word got out. A decision I understand but very much disagree with. They were also Periscope rips, a now-defunct audio streaming site. I wasn’t even 100% if they were out there or not.
I checked all the places I could, reached out to those who helped out a ton again, and even put out a few feelers, to no avail. With every other avenue exhausted, I threw up a Hail Mary, and dropped a message into a Facebook group message comprised of some collector friends. This was a last-ditch effort, if they didn’t have these, I’d be writing this as an admission of defeat of sorts. Yes, what has been accomplished is great don’t get me wrong, but I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t sting just a little bit to get so close and be stopped at the one yard line on fourth down.
To my surprise, Bosstrade responded. He is a prolific collector/sharer of Bruce bootlegs, and the tapes he’s had a hand in make up well over a tenth of the Radio Nowhere archive. He had them, and would send them over. I shot him an email, and waited.
This morning, my inbox lit up, and I had the final missing shows. A two-and-a-half year quest was finally finished.
A Final Tally
Radio Nowhere (at time of writing) contains 2,272 bootlegs. The main goal was “one bootleg from every show that circulates”, which has been met. That goal was chosen because most people only need one copy of each show, and many shows only have one recording anyway. Some shows are represented a few times because I already had multiple bootlegs for it (typically an audience tape and a IEM/SBD/FM recording). There’s far too many bootlegs out there for me to get every source of every show. Simply having each show being represented once is enough.
Thanks/Credits
This was not done alone, not even close. Many helped make this a reality, and they deserve thanks.
My initial collection at time of starting was built from uploads on the GreasyLake Bootleg Collectors Corner thread. Uploaders like Badlands89, Twink, MickB and TillyWilly (among many others) who shared their shows on that thread.
With my collection uploaded, and the change was made uptown to fill in the missing gaps and complete the collection. Those bootlegs had to come from somewhere. Starting on Guitars101 as it was the only place with tons available for easy downloading, the FileFactory shares by The Accountant and EDGE filled in a ton.
In early 2025, I received a DM from Carolyn over on BTX. Initially helping by reporting bad files on archive, this turned into a lifeline of sorts. She started sending over a TON of shows, many of which I didn’t even have on my initial list. Even helping out with some odder requests like the long missing 24bit JEMS PNW 2008 masters, which haven’t been available online since being uploaded in 2008.
Another big help was Randolph over on the Bruce Discord server. Who (unprompted), sent me nearly all of 2003 to 2008. He was a big help, and between him and Carolyn the once crazy idea of “completing” the collection suddenly became less crazy.
The last is Bosstrade, who helped me get over the finish line with the final few 2016-17 shows. Like previously stated, I was fully ready to put this to bed and just have to accept missing those last few shows. But thanks to him, I didn’t have to go through with that.
I’m certain I am likely forgetting some people who’ve helped out. To any of them, thank you a ton for your help in seeing this insane project to it’s conclusion.