Dave's Picks Vol. 57: Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL 2/1/78

We're confident that when you listen to DAVE'S PICKS VOL. 57: UPTOWN THEATRE, CHICAGO, IL (2/1/78), the first complete unreleased show in the 2026 Dave's Picks series, you'll ask why the heck did this take so long? On a short list for both Dick's Picks and an early Dave's Picks release, 2/1/78 exhibits countless examples of the very best of both 1977 and 1978, bridging two distinct yet complementary eras of the Grateful Dead’s music.

This very first Dead run at the Uptown is infused with bold exploration from the monster first set of classics ("Jack Straw, "Friend Of The Devil," "Me And My Uncle") with a "Sugaree" reminiscent of May '77 to close things out, from Bobby's powerful delivery of "Samson and Delilah," to the Rhythm Devils' spacey psychedelic improvisations beyond "Drums>Space" to Jerry's over-the-top notes filling in every nook and cranny of the second set. Was it worth the wait? You betcha! Also, not to be missed? The 2nd set from 1/31/78. We've laid that out on this one as well.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOL. 57: UPTOWN THEATRE, CHICAGO, IL (2/1/78) was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering.