When THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND played their 12/31/78 show at The Warehouse in New Orleans, it was simulcast on over 150 radio stations nationwide, making it the most widely-heard rock concert of its time. Now, RAMBLIN' RECORDS is releasing the concert on gatefold double LP and CD for the first time. The album will first be available at independent record stores only on November 29 as a "RSD First" in conjunction with Record Store Day's Black Friday event. It will then be available online and everywhere else in late January.

In 1978, the Marshall Tucker Band (Tommy Caldwell, Toy Caldwell, Jerry Eubanks, Doug Gray, George McCorkle and Paul Riddle) were one of the biggest groups around and one of the best live acts in the business having toured non-stop for years supporting a string of six gold and platinum records with huge hits like "Heard It In A Love Song" and "Can't You See."

In a live review of their Madison Square Garden show just six weeks prior, the New York Times' Robert Palmer wrote, "The Marshall Tucker Band does not play conventional southern rock, although by now the group is successful enough to be setting conventions of its own...So, unlike many southern bands, which tend to get locked into narrow blues grooves, the Marshall Tucker Band soars. Most of the tunes turn into more or less extended jams led by Toy Caldwell, whose lead guitar work builds from short, cleanly articulated phrases into high note barrages with a sure sense of pacing. Thursday night's show was crisp and energetic. It was the kind of show the band used to give at the Palladium or in Central Park...the music worked handsomely, and the crowd was on its feet through most of the show. The Marshall Tucker Band has managed to become a major group without compromising its original stylistic integrity and without resorting to theatrical staging or other tricks of the trade." (11/12/1978)

New Year's In New Orleans: Roll Up '78 And Light Up '79 was sourced from the original 24 track tapes which were placed in good hands and given the white-glove experience. Executive Producer Ron Rainey called upon the band's original producer Paul Hornsby-who also played keys, piano and organ on their early records-to mix the record. The double live album set also includes original photos of the band at The Warehouse by the venue's official photographer, Sidney Smith.