Been a long-time Chris Smither fan. When I first heard his cover of Friend Of The Devil I was so unaware of the Dead that I just assumed he'd written it.
Fast-forward a couple years to the look of horror on a Dead-obsessed co-worker's face when I let my ignorance slip. Sorry, Karen, wherever you are!
In the early 2000s a company I co-ran managed to get Chris to do a short private gig in-between scheduled shows. He seemed kinda bemused at first by the whole thing but warmed up once presented with a sack full of mirlitons* (as an "inside" joke) by a native Louisianan who worked for us at the time.
-Dave-
*See the lyrics to No Love Today