Deadheads !!! ... & Fighting Illini Fans !!  Ha !  Offered here is the Vintage Original ( Genuine / Authentic ) Grateful Dead Backstage Pass ( sticker-patch / satin ) for the December 2, 1981 ( 12/2/81 ) University of Illinois Assembly Hall Show in Champagne-Urbana, Illinois !!!  This Tour Stop at the University of Illinois ( aka. The Proud Home of Chief Illiniwek ! & The Fighting Illini !! ) was the Third-Night on a short & brief ... but Hot ! Grateful Dead ' Winter ' Tour in '81 - with likely the greatest importance being ... " So Boys - How-Was that ' Europe Tour ' !!?! ".  Do you catch my drift on this one ?  There were only really around a half dozen ' immediate ' chances to hear how things were sounding for the Band in the Winter of '81 - after a fairly-sizable ( and significantly underrated ! ) " Europe '81 " Tour ! - a sort of " Home at ( instead of Winterland ... ) - Pittsburgh > University of Dayton > University of Illinois > Madison, Wisconsin > Market Square in Indiana > the Rosemont Horizon in Illinois > Des Moines, IA > University of Colorado - at Boulder ! ".  Well, you know - not quite ' Home ' -- but still definitely " back-home " in the U.S.A. ... with the U.S. Dead Fans !!!  I believe the 1st taste I ever scored of this '81 mini-Tour was from the 12/5/81 Market Square Show - and ... I kind of did a bit of a double-take - because I really was short on '81 G.D. following the Europe Tour ?!?  Well, I fixed that ... Fast ! - with the Dane County ( 12/3/81 ) Show being the next - and then the 12/9/81 Boulder Show ( now known today as " Dave's Picks 20 ! " ) - and then this 12/2/81 U of Illinois Show right-after.  As in the '80's - Soundboards from this run were indeed few & far between - as most Folks I knew at the time were circulating Audiences - and, very-nice ones at that.  Everybody seemed to want these Shows dialed - as the Band was So-Hot & Fiery !  Some of the Prime / Primary days of the " Lay-It-All-Out " '80's G.D. Attitude - with copious chances being taken ... Everywhere !  Another source of the popularity of this run - is that it indeed included a few " College Town Shows " - and, if the Show wasn't actually " at " the College - there was one not too far away ... usually right-around the corner !  With, this 12/2/1981 U of I Show being no exception.  These were still the days where a 12-Song 1st Set was a distinct possibility - and at this Show ... the Band delivered one ! - and a Huge !! one, at that ... with a Blistering !!! China > Rider !! in the 11/12 Set I Closer spot !  Bertha > Greatest Story ! right out of the starting gate ... with a heavy-duty ! mid/late set Passenger ... and a Cumberland ! smoking-out from the Good Times Blues !!!  An absolute Ripper ! of Stranger > Franklin's lights-up Set II from the start ... with Sailor > Saint > Terrapin ! to follow.  A Funky ! Garcia-driver NFA is uncorked straight out of Space ! ... and a Bobby Ace Good Lovin' Heater ! closes up this Red-Hot Illini Night !  A peppy Don't Ease Me In ensued as the Encore, and then ... the Good Ol' Grateful Dead would never-ever play the University of Illinois again ?!? > 2/21/1973 > 2/22/1973 > 12/2/1981 ... and that was all she wrote !  And, what a true-shame I say ... as we all know that Chief Illiniwek was surely inside Assembly Hall just Boogying-Down ! on this '81 Winter Tour Illinois Campus night !  A toe-to-toe '81 G.D. Heater indeed for all of the Fighting Illini ! & Dead Fan !! Faithful !!!  What a Fantastic-Show !! ... now close to 45-Years-Ago ! - on the Magical !! '81 G.D. Winter Tour !!! ... Enjoy !!!!!

Grateful Dead : 12/2/1981 : University of Illinois - Assembly Hall - Champagne-Urbana, Illinois ( IL ) : Setlist >>>

Set 1 :  Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Peggy-O, Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Passenger, Good Times Blues, Cumberland Blues, Looks Like Rain, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider

Set 2 :  Feel Like A Stranger > Fire On The Mountain, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Stella Blue > Around & Around > Good Lovin'

Encore :  Don't Ease

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