The Spectacular ! Grateful Dead 1977 Fall Tour Show in ' DeKalb ' Illinois ! inside the Chick Evans Field House at Northern Illinois University ( N.I.U. ! ).  A Crystal-Clean ! & Spot-On Tight ! " High-Energy " Live-Dead '77 Show ... played to the Sheer-Delight ! of the N.I.U. Huskies Fans ! - right-on Their Home-Court !!  An arguably " Legendary " Prime-Era Dead Show to many Dead Fans - and at times uncontrollable ' Feet-Mover ' & " Jaw-Dropper " to All ! Deadheads ... who are ' in-the-know ' on their 1977 " Huge-Dead-Nights !" - where ' All ' the Planets aligned & the Music ! Played-the-Band !!

Dead Fans !!!!!  Well, just ' Might As Well ' get this simple-fact out the way right here & now ... ' DeKalb '77 ! ' = " Must-Have !! ".  Because when you're a Grateful Dead Fan ( or, really ... Any ! Live-Music Fan ) - and you get your Ticket torn at the Turnstiles Gate ? ... " This ! " is undoubtedly the type of Live Concert that you initially walked in there to hear & see with your fingers eagerly-crossed - just Hoping ! for it.  High-Energy ! - In-Sync ! - the Tunes ! you were likely Hoping to Hear ! - and the Band ! " Delivering ! " them with that " Extra-Umphh ! " precision, style & fashion ... in which you were Hopeful ! & Dreamin'-Of !!  It's no secret & everybody knows that in the Post-Pigpen Era - when " Everyone " in the Band is playing on That-Night - at the Top ! of their Game ?! ... It-Is-ON !!!  And That ! my fellow Live-Music Lovers ! & Dead Fans !! - IS ! ... " DeKalb '77 !!! ".  As I - like many ( or, maybe even ' most ' ) life-long Deadheads have always held a special-place in my heart for " 1977 Dead ! " in the Increasingly-Incredible ' Ascension ' of Live-Dead from the very-beginning of the Mid-'70's ' Post-Hiatus ' Dead-Era.  This goes back obviously to the Glorious ! Taping/Tape-Trading Days of the '80's & '90's Era - where '77 Dead ( arguably even more-so than 1975-1976 Dead & 1978-1979 Dead ) could be compared to something like an " Instructional-Encyclopedia " where you didn't even think-twice about getting your hands on ' Every-Single-Volume ' of Vital-Moments & Vital-Shows !  Because, undoubtedly & without question ... there was Always something Critical & ' Crucial ' to Hear ! - which you absolutely ' needed ' to Learn-From !!  And yes ... This ! was just that-type of a ' Feeling of Accomplishment ! ' when I first got my hands on the " DeKalb '77 Tapes " - way-back some 30-years-ago here today.  And, just being straight forward, up front & honest - despite my " Huge-Praise ! " for this Show - I always really considered it a " Spots-Show " - basically meaning that all things considered & all-throughout the Show - it might not be a ' Top-10 ' Show from 1977 for the Band ( obviously ... ), or even a ' Top-20 ' 1977 Show for the Band - but, in " Spots " ... it has The Ways & Means ! - to be right up there at " The-Top ! ".  And, regardless of even that - I've got this Show ranked personally as an Easy ! " Top-20 " Show from the 1977 Touring-Year.  Right at the very bottom of this Top-20 - but, considering the " Tough-Competition !! " of '77 Live-Dead - that is still really one heck of an Accolade !  And, obviously here - you are talking about going up against " Spring '77 ! " - " May Tour '77 ! " - " Summer '77 ! " which obviously claim-rightfully to ' Tons ' of the " Top Head-To-Toe Shows " really - which simply don't give ' any-ground ' - really ' anywhere ' - and flat-out Hold " Their " Ground !  I mean ... come on ?!? - and just " Think ! " here ( real-easily ). >>> 2/26/77 San Bernardino ! - 3/18/77 Winterland ! - 4/23/77 Springfield Mass. ! - 4/27/77 Capitol Theatre ! - 5/5/77 New Haven !-5/7/77 Boston ! - 5/8/77 Ithaca ! - 5/9/77 Buffalo ! - 5/15/77 St. Louis ! - 5/18/77 Atlanta Fox ! - 5/22/77 Pembroke Pines ! - 6/7/77, 6/8/77 & 6/9/77 Winterland !!!  And, that's ' just ' the Spring, May & Summer '77 Tours ! ... and I didn't even come-close to naming Them-All ! here.  Which, brings my to my point about this Show being even More-Impressive ! in a different way & in its achievement - with that being just ' How It Ranks ! ' - within the 1977 " Fall Tour !! ".  I mean - no joke at all, as I've got it myself Ranking as a just ' almost ' ... " Top-5 ! ".  Knocking right on the Door too, in all sincerity - in pretty-much the 7th or 8th spot !!  As just like the actual Calendar Year of " 1977 " ... Grateful Dead 1977 " Magic !! " couldn't Live-Forever then ( like it Still ! can here Today On-Tape !! ) - but, it's always an interesting study to hunt, scour & ultimately-determine the ' actual ' ( & obviously-arguable ) " decline " & all of that.  Simply because ... All ! of this Spring/May/Summer " Dead-Magic ! " was Delivered ! to the Sheer-Caliber ! that it was - but, and then ... Came the time to " Remember, Remember ! ... the 1st-Week ! - of November !! " ( Hah ! ).  And yeah ... WOW!!!?!!!?!!! >>> 11/1/77 Cobo Detroit ! - 11/2/77 Toronto ! - 11/4/77 Colgate ! - 11/5/77 Rochester ! - and last, but most-definitely not-least - and, more like-it ' The-Best ! ' = " 11/6/77 Binghamton !! ".  Truly one of the Finest ! " Weeks " Ever by the Live Grateful Dead !  I mean ... Whoa ?!? -- just simply " Unloading ! " on the Tour-Closer !?!???  I mean ?? - just What-Band out there ' Ever ' does That ! - Like-This !!?!!  Damn ..... Jerry~Garcia !!!!!  So, I don't know - you tell me ? ... where does " DeKalb '77 " fit in the pecking order of the '77 Dead ' Fall Tour ' ??  Sure-can't forget 9/3/77 Englishtown ! - right ? - can't really forget 10/1/77 & 10/2/77 Portland - right ? - and you " Cannot ! " forget 10/12/77 Manor Downs ! - or, heck ... even 10/11/77 " Lloyd Noble " OK ! - right ? - 10/28/77 Baton Rouge ? - 10/29/77 Kansas City ? - and then ( just-before 10/30/77 Bloomington ! ) ... you've got " DeKalb !!! " - 10/29/77 - with the Band throwing an Absolutely-Amazing ... Illinois College Town Party !!  With Might As Well ! & Jack Straw ! just really starting-off on this " Dead-Classic-Night !! " in arguably maybe even 4th gear ?!?  The Loser is ' Choice ! '.  And, even though this '77 DeKalb Show could quite easily be considered a " Bob & Phil Show " - Garcia flat-out takes in Over ! & Burns-It-Up !! ... in the 8 & 10 spots of Set I - with Absolutely-Sizzling !!! versions of not only Minglewood !! - but also on ... Let It Grow !!!  As essentially ... there are indeed some Smoldering ! MXR D+ ( Script ! ) " Clinics !! " on-here courtesy of Garcia ! that might even make some of the other Future " Boss(es?) " a bit-nervous ??! - Mmmm ... nahh. ( Ha !! ).  And these ' Alone ' are why every Garcia-phile out there has to have This-Show ! in Their Very-Own !! " Jerry~Wheelhouse !!! ".  The Bertha > Good Lovin' are impressively-remarkable " Boogie-Down " Moments ! - with Phil ! Thumpin'-Away ! & Weir ! On-Fire !!  And then ... from here-on-out ' Everywhere ' it is just literally ' Perfect ! ' BK & Mick Percussion Hits & Timing ! ( like ... " Stinging !! " ) - with the Good Ol' Grateful Dead 3-Headed String-Instrument " Monster !!! " also in Pure-Attack-Position !!  Jerry is clearly ' hearing ' Phil - playing right-off ( & on ! ) Weir with Precision-Accuracy ! ... and These-Boys " Cannot-Be-Stopped ! " >>> Estimated ! > Eyes !! ... Drums/Space > St. Stephen !!! > N.F.A. !!! > Black Peter !! > Sugar Mag !!!  With One More Saturday Night ! as the Encore - as, it really just ' had ' to be though - Right ?? - Ha !  But, heck & my-oh-my ... as I sure bet they were so-tempted to possibly just kick it aside ? - just go with the flow -- and deliver the Uncle John's > Johnny B. " Double !! " -- Ha !!!  But, yeah ... and with all seriousness here really ... ' This ! ' was indeed the type of " Fine-Live-Dead-Night !!! " that ' This-Was !! '.  And, now Thanks to this G.D. DP #33 ... it will ' Always-Be ! ' & " For-All !! " -- Cheers !!! & Enjoy !!!! ... and Plug-In Those " Headphones !!!!! ".

TRACK LISTING >>>

Grateful Dead Recorded ' Live ' at Northern Illinois University ( N.I.U. ) - Chick Evans Field House - DeKalb, Illinois ( IL ) : October 29, 1977 ( 10/29/1977 ) :

Disc 1 :
Might As Well
Jack Straw
Dire Wolf
Looks Like Rain
Loser
El Paso
Ramble On Rose
New Minglewood Blues
It Must Have Been The Roses
Let It Grow

Disc 2 :
Bertha >
Good Lovin'
Friend Of The Devil

Disc 3 :
Estimated Prophet >
Eyes Of The World >
Space >
St. Stephen >
Not Fade Away >
Black Peter >
Sugar Magnolia

Encore :  One More Saturday Night