New Wave Outpost Forum

I am a sportswriter who spends a lot of time covering high school football this time of year. Tonight, I had the startling (and amusing) experience of watching the local high school band perform "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes.

Which leads to me ask this board: Are there any NW / alternative songs from the 80s that you've been surprise to hear being performed by a marching band? Something written by the Cure? R.E.M.? Skinny Puppy?

And as a corollary to that question: Have you ever had the experience of hearing on an elevator or dentist office "Safety Dance," "In a Big Country," "Smalltown Boy" or some other 80s alternative song performed by 101 Strings or some other Muzak group?

I'm looking forward to some amusing answers…

Just heard a schmaltzy "Allison" in the grocery store the other day . . .

And I'm sure a marching band somewhere is playing "Whip It" at halftime.

In my local pharmacy I've heard a muzak version of "Here Comes The Rain Again". Very bizarre and amusing.

I was on hold on the telephone and I heard an instrumental of "Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC, followed by an instrumental of "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan, and then a song I didn't recognize.