Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on December 20, 2025
Looking forward to much more music coming in 2026
As the calendar turns toward 2026, the Grateful Dead are once again opening the vault with a new chapter in their long-running archival series. The band has officially announced the first two releases in the Dave’s Picks 2026 subscription, delivering a pair of historically rich performances that span two distinct and celebrated eras of Dead history.
Dave’s Picks Volume 57 arrives first, spotlighting the band’s February 1, 1978 performance at Chicago’s Uptown Theatre. Captured during a transitional moment between the precision of fall 1977 and the more expansive feel of spring 1978, the Uptown show showcases a confident, road-hardened Grateful Dead leaning into both polish and spontaneity. The release is further enhanced by select bonus material from the previous night, rounding out a standout two-night stand that marked the band’s first run at the historic Chicago venue.
The second release of the year, Dave’s Picks Volume 58, reaches further back into the tape-trading canon with the long-anticipated unveiling of the complete December 18, 1973 performance at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, Florida. For decades, this show circulated as a prized audience and soundboard recording, often paired in spirit with the following night’s December 19, 1973 performance, which became the inaugural Dick’s Picks release in 1993.
Where the following night closed the book on 1973, the Tampa performance offers a different kind of depth — one that explores contrast rather than culmination. The second set ventures deep into improvisational territory, anchored by a sweeping “Dark Star > Eyes of the World” sequence that reflects the exploratory spirit of the era. Elsewhere, definitive 1973 readings of “Weather Report Suite,” “Wharf Rat,” and a powerful “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” highlight a band operating at full creative confidence.
Subscribers to the 2026 series will also receive an exclusive bonus disc packaged with Volume 58. Drawn from the Grateful Dead’s December 12, 1973 appearance at the Omni in Atlanta — their first performance at the venue — the bonus material adds another layer to an already exceptional period. Highlights include the band’s first-ever performance of “Peggy-O” and an expansive “Playing in the Band,” offering further insight into one of the most fertile stretches of the Dead’s live evolution.
The Dave’s Picks 2026 subscription includes four numbered, limited-edition releases across the year, totaling a minimum of 13 CDs, along with the annual subscriber-only bonus disc. Each volume is capped at 25,000 copies, making the subscription the only guaranteed way to secure the full series as it ships quarterly throughout the year.
With Volumes 57 and 58 now revealed — and additional releases still to come — the 2026 Dave’s Picks series promises another deep dive into the Grateful Dead’s live legacy, balancing iconic performances with long-requested archival gems.
For subscription details, gift options, and ordering information, visit dead.net.
