Watch unearthed footage of ’90s punk/emo Chicago shows: Braid, Alkaline Trio, Unwound, Mineral, more - Pop It Records

Ben Geier of the '90s/'00s-era Chicago emo band Mt. St. Helens has has begun digitizing old tapes of punk and emo shows that he and other videographers (like Elliott Porter) shot at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago in the late '90s, and releasing them on his new YouTube channel The Fireside Tapes. "I've been wanting to do it for years," Ben told Chicago Reader. "With the pandemic, it was a perfect time to do it, because nobody's getting to see live music."

So far, he's put out videos of Braid, The Promise Ring, Mineral, Rainer Maria, The Get Up Kids, Alkaline Trio, Unwound, Los Crudos, Joan of Arc, Very Secretary, Traluma, Chisel Drill Hammer, and The Sky Corvair, and he says he has about 30 shows in his archives. He also will edit and upload footage that other people send him via Instagram.

As you'd probably expect from footage shot on a Sony Handycam in the '90s, it's a little grainy, but that only adds to the nostalgic charm. It's a real treat that this moment in history has been preserved and is finally being released for all of us to watch and rewatch. Check out some of the videos below...