favorite favorite favorite favorite

When I first heard this show a couple months ago I pegged it at three stars: I loved the second set, but thought the first set and the show in general was a bit uneven. Revisiting this show, jumping around it the other night, listening to the LLR, Peggy-O, Deal, and Estimated, I've reconsidered my rating. Gotta go with four.This is the first of a three-night run at the Uptown Theater. Evidently an "agreed upon truth, 'There was never a bad show played at the Uptown.' The band always went over the top. And they played here over and over and over again in 78 and 79." Read more: http://www.deadlistening.com/2008/02/1978-may-16-17-uptown-theater-chicago.html#ixzz5EsBWJqXp. Indeed! And while I think there's some rust in this opening night, this is a great show and start to an excellent three-night run and 17-night string of shows until the theater's closing in '81.More about that rust: For some reason, there's over a week between Eugene and the first night in Chicago. Perhaps a couple mid-west shows were cancelled due to weather. Who knows? But that's at least the thinking of one head. See "Long Live Dead" (blog): http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/04/january-15-1978-selland-arena-fresno-ca.html. Why else play Chicago on a Monday through Wednesday when you could have made it there for the weekend?At any rate, it must have been a treat seeing the dead in this ornate theater that seated 4,381. From 1978 to its closing in 1981, as I mentioned, they would play there 17 times (8x in '78, 3x in '79, 3x in '80, and 3 x in '81). This first run is also unique for being part of a rare winter tour. Rather than taking the usual January and February off (with the obvious exception of Jerry- think JGB), the band toured in '78 and '79. 17 shows in winter '78 and 20 in '79. Jan. 30 is the next stop after the phenomenal Eugene '78 show on Jan. 22, featured on Dave's Picks 23. From Eugene to Cedar Falls, marking the end of the winter run on Feb. 5, the band sounded great. Dick's Picks 18 features tracks from 2/3-2/5/78. So the only shows from this string of seven shows missing the official GD release treatment is this run at the Uptown. (Got that, Dave? Bonus/filler might even include what's missing on D18.)Highlight in my book is the second set, especially the approximately 60 minutes of jamming that follows the Ship of Fools (Estimated->Eyes->Stella->Franklin's Tower->Around and Around). Check out the rare triple-dose of Jerry, yeah! Apparently, re: the unique Stella->Franklin's pairing, "the Dead never did this before and they aren't going to do it again." Read more on "Today in Grateful Dead History," Daily Does of The Dead: https://dailydoseofdead.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/today-in-grateful-dead-history-january-30-1978-uptown-theater-chicago-il/. No doubt, they kill it.