What's even better is this isn't just a site for Boomers looking to relive their youth by downloading a Grateful Dead concert. Concert Vault also has wide variety of independent bands and you can listen to everybody from The Cowboy Junkies and R.E.M. to The Old 97's. Or check out some of the newer bands you might not have heard of before like Allah-Las, Alabama Shakes or Winter Sounds.
However, what makes Concert Vault special is the depth and breadth of historical recordings it puts at your disposal. To make a full inventory of what's available on the site would take weeks, but judging by the couple of skims I've made of its content I doubt you'll find a more complete collection of popular music in all its myriad forms anywhere else on the Internet. While some of the rarer selections might not be as pristine as we're used to when it comes to audio or video quality, a great many of them pre-date the digital era. Some of them, like a video recording of The Mink DeVille Band from 1978 in San Francisco, make up for their drawbacks in quality simply because of the opportunity they represent to see favoured artists at the height of their abilities when no other records of them exist.
I'm not an aficionado of online music sites, but from what I've seen of what's out there, Concert Vault is definitely one of the best. In terms of organization, ease of use and diversity of content it would be hard for any site to compete. If you love music and want the opportunity to hear your favourite artists in concert without having to leave the comfort of your living room, this site will be a dream come true.
Article comments
1 - Bob
Two points that I would add to the review. 1) An additional medium where you could see and hear your favorite music was in film. From A Hard Day's Night to Woodstock, from TAMI Show to Wattstax, rocumentaries helped fill a big gap. 2) I believe that Concert Vault, unlike a lot of download sites, pays some kind of royalty to the artists. One additional point, over the past year, members have had access to free weekly downloads (and during the holidays they had 12 days straight of free downloads for members. A great source for music fans!