The February 1, 1978 show was the last of a three-night run at the Uptown, beginning a long string of appearances at the venue over the following three years. This particular show, while very good, is just one of a strong bunch of shows over two weeks from the end of January through early February. In fact, the three dates following this one are similarly lights out (one of which is Dick’s Picks 18). In the case of the Uptown run, today’s show is fabulous, but the January 31 one might be the real the standout.

The Uptown Theater itself is a beautiful historic venue that has been closed since 1981. Thankfully, the building still stands, but is in need of a major renovation; even at the time of the ’78 show, Deadheads reported the balcony swayed throughout the night. Its history as a movie palace and then concert hall and the story of the ongoing preservation efforts are all cataloged in the documentary Uptown: Portrait of a Palace.

The best comment about the show from someone who was there comes from “Uncle Willy” on setlists.com who says there was a “guy out front cruising the line with the other ‘vendors’ yelling ‘lunchmeat’- had it all hanging from hooks inside his trenchcoat.”