I was sitting on the car’s hood drinking a Budweiser as Jim crept us down US-Route 20 towards Buffalo’s Rich Stadium to see the Grateful Dead during the Summer 1990 tour. Each dilapidated vehicle in the sloth-like motorcade around us had the windows rolled down and music sprouting from a local station playing a steady stream of Dead. We moved slow enough that I had conversations from my perch with other drivers as we passed, and those on foot were making as much ground as we were, maybe more. As I was irreverently soaking in the scene, the sounds, and the sun, I heard Man Smart, Woman Smarter for the first time. At that moment, I had two thoughts: 

1. This is a fun Summer party song
2. They’re right; I don’t see any women risking life and limb atop their automobile. 

A few hours later, we were treated to the same song for real, and the party was in full swing.

7-16-90 Rich Stadium

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On that July day in Buffalo, The Dead’s rendition of the 1930s calypso song had the Heads in a frenzy. Bobby takes the lead on the vocal … until Brent does, and the crowd loves it! His vocals added rock power to the band, and you can hear the drums lift to match his energy. I imagine this rhythm is a blast to play on drums, and at this point in the Dead’s history, Mickey and Billy had about a thousand drums on stage to generate sound from. It’s fun to hear how they work off each other in this setting. We also hear Jerry’s MIDI synth guitar rig on the solos, which first made its debut a year prior. Phil’s bass is driving, and Brent’s Hammond B3 radiates through the stadium’s summer air.

On this night all’s right with the world. Unfortunately that feeling was short lived as Brent passed away ten days later.

8-7-82 Alpine Valley Music Theater

Man Smart, Woman Smarter was added to the Dead’s repertoire in 1981, just a hint over halfway through their career with Jerry at the helm. While it isn’t a song that comes to mind first for most Heads, it was played over 200 times between ’81 and ’95, probably because it has the kind of swing that makes everyone want to dance.

This funky version from ’82 boogies with spicy interplay between Brent’s keys and Jerry’s guitar. I can get behind this. If this doesn’t make you look forward to Summer, I don’t know what will.

9-18-1987 Madison Square Garden

This is a party. But if you’ve ever seen a rock show at MSG, then you won’t be surprised. It has a big arena feel from the start. This version get’s props for the vocal breakdown at the end. Without Brent, I don’t believe they would have been able to pull it off. For the new guy, he was pretty good!