Fuck It Friday (aka game time)
7Since I demurred at the last game @JonT posted to entertain us during work hours (even though I played it [on my phone]), I figure it’s my turn to start a different type of game. Also, it’s a leave-early Friday before a three-day weekend, so productivity is over.
Here’s my game. We share lists of our 5 favorite whatevers, in no particular order. We get bored with a list subject, we start another one.
We get to discover more things, and we get to learn a little more about each other, which is well timed because of all the new forum traffic.
First list: 5 favorite live concerts
- The Orwells, Bonnaroo ’14 (Fuck Miller Lite! Fuck Miller Lite!)
- Depeche Mode, ACL ’13 weekend 1 (finally got to see Martin Gore sing “Shake the Disease” live and I was right up at the barricade)
- Ghostland Observatory, ACL ’09 (I was muddy up to my thighs and stuck behind a bunch of bros talking thru a shit Dave Matthews Band set. As I was leaving, the lasers drew me to the other stage and I band I’d never heard of. Turned out they’re awesome. Made hanging out in the mud totally worth it.)
- Marilyn Manson, many years ago (can’t remember the show, do remember there were picketers outside, which made me so proud to be there)
- Muse 2nd Law tour (was so excellent when I saw them in Dallas, that I insisted my NYC friend see them and flew up to make her go, so I could go again too)
No need to be as chatty as I detailed as I just was, unless you want to.
- 35 comments, 81 replies
- Comment
I concede. Online games it is. Take your pick: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/25/online-gamers-solving-sciences-biggest-problems
Being a complete music freak, this is a tough one for me.
One of the best major concerts was Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live. It was one of my first concerts and the perfect mix of an amazing stage setup that perfectly complemented the music just blew me away.
My first concert ever: Amnesty Conspiracy Of Hope concert. I was 14 and had never experienced anything like it.
One of my most memorable was at a smaller festival a couple years ago in Florida. Some friends were playing a set which I was excited about but they were joined by some members of another band that had been plugging along without ever really going anywhere. The song they played was just spectactular, the energy was palpable and you could feel the magic happening. It was a truly amazing moment.
George Clinton and PFunk just because it was so cool to finally get to see him and he was ON. None of the drugged up messed up stuff I'd heard stories about.
Last would be any number of smaller shows I've been blessed to be around. Bar venues or sometimes even someone's backyard. Places where real music is happening and you can feel the energy and connection between people and music.
Like I said, I'm kind of a music freak though.
@Bingo awesome descriptions, as someone who also loves music I know exactly what you mean and I love those moments.
Aw, don't give up. I'll play:
@pitamuffin Love RT and Colvin as well. That would have been great to see that. Also, what REM show?
@Bingo The RT show was at The Vic, my most favorite venue. Very small and intimate, and every seat is a good seat.
@pitamuffin Glad it caught on. The internet has ruined me for instant gratification. I blame @marklog for my impatience. :)
@Bingo Darn it, didn't get the edit in in time. The REM show was May of '85, after Reckoning but before Fables of the Reconstruction. I think it was called the Pre-Construction tour. I was in college and it was finals week. A friend drove an hour and a half from Chicago to pick me up, then back to Chicago to see the concert. Then she did another round-trip to get me back to school and her home. That's a good friend!
@pitamuffin Wow. Freaking excellent time to catch them. Fables was the first record I ever got.
Weird Al was my favorite concert...haven't been to 5
Five of (these aren't "the five" but simply among my favorites, as determined by sitting here thinking about it) my favorite words:
- ostensibly (solid, fluid and recognizable but textured)
- fuck (what's not to like?)
- like (I know people hate "like," so there's that; but love is both overused and often a code word for "suffer, endure")
- coordinate (the verb mostly)
- words that start with or include the letter "p" when used in succession (or at least in relative proximity; sometimes a little spacing adds to the effect): pardon my propensity to punctuate and pepper with a plethora of p words. A hard "c" or sibilant (not silent) "s" is similarly satisfying. I confess, I can't quite contain myself.
@joelmw My five favorite words:
- fuck (verb)
- fuck (adjective)
- fuck (noun)
- surly (I often am)
- chicken (it's fun to say)
@bluedyn Well done. And kudos for getting me to say "chicken" repeatedly until I smiled real big. :-)
@joelmw More chickens for you to enjoy :)
Five expressions I hate:
- ASAP, in the sense of "whenever"
- ASAP, in the sense of "NOW, goddamnit!"
- ASAP, in the sense of "at your earliest convenience" (which I also mostly hate), because . . .
- ASAP, in the sense of . . . well, I don't have a fucking clue what sense it is or makes, so thanks for nothing, asshole
- "how ya doin'?" when you don't give a flying (or earthbound or utterly sedentary) fuck how I'm doing, because as a matter of courtesy I feel obliged to answer, honestly, if briefly, but it quickly becomes clear that you probably don't want my answer, so, yeah, I'm damned if I don't and damned if I do. Again, thanks for that.
@joelmw "How are you?" is the worst possible sentence used by humanity, and the worst use is when I run into people in the bathroom who say it. Really? I'm in this room to do things we don't discuss in polite company. You really want to know how I am right now? Maroons.
@bluedyn I'm with you. And I like that you said "maroons." I work with engineers, half of whom are Aggies. Bless their hearts.
Five fingers:
- index
- middle (or fuck)
- thumb
- pinky
- ring
@joelmw Five Guys is the best.
@milujite They're pretty damn good, that's for sure.
@joelmw i don't get it. i find them quite meh. and i don't understand why they don't serve shakes. everyone knows red and white checker pattern means shakes.
@joelmw Had one in Spokane, WA but they closed it. =(
@katylava YES to the shakes. I've been asking this question for years.
How many more until 5 minutes to go?
(120; I'm ahead on hours this week).
But, hey, it's at least time for lunch.
God bless you, @meh.com My workweek is over. Fuckit we did. Go us.
I enjoyed catching late glory of some popular classic rock - a few of these I had low expectations for but came away impressed:
-The Who (1989 Busch Stadium St. Louis)
-Jethro Tull (1990 Fox Theater St. Louis)
-Rolling Stones (1994 Cotton Bowl Dallas)
-Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Crash Test Dummies (1994 Starplex Dallas)
-tie for 5th: Pearl Jam (2013), Edgefest 3 (1995), Edgefest 23 (2012), Paul McCartney (2002)
@snapster I have an really high quality soundboard bootleg from that Who tour. That had to have been excellent. The recording blew me away
@snapster I saw Tull in 91 and was much more impressed than I thought I'd be as well.
@snapster I would love to have seen the Stones live. I did see Pearl Jam once, with low expectations, and was wowed. They're great live.
@snapster My one great concert regret is never having seen The Who.
@snapster @pitamuffin : The Who in 82 or 83, had one of their many "farewell tours". They advertised it as "Who-lloween" since it was on Oct 31. , so we dressed for the occasion. When we got to the stadium, we found that out of many thousands of people, we were the only ones who did so. But it was a blast. I could write a book on the stories of that concert. Good times.
BTW, a very young John Cougar (don't remember if he was using the Mellencamp then or not) was one of the warm ups. Crowd was not nice --threw bottles and booed him off. I was bummed. He was pretty good live. Plus I don't like crowds that do that. Figures though, since they didn't even have the courtesy to get in the spirit of "Who-lloween".
Five best live bands (I've seen each of these bands multiple times)
- Metallica
- Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band
- Godsmack
- Halestorm
- Volbeat
All of them put on a great show, everytime. Personal favorites include any of the 6 times I was on the front-row rail for Metallica, or either of the 2 times I saw them play the small-venue Fillmore in San Francisco for a fan club members only show. Also, Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field was very memorable.
Springsteen w/ E Street Band, any tour. Doesn't matter if you're a fan or not: the guy is a showman, and you can't help liking someone who enjoys their work so much.
Split Lip Rayfield, Bluebird Theater, Jan. 28, 2006: Split Lip is a punk-influenced bluegrass trio that seems to play everything as fast as possible. The day before the show, guitarist Kirk Rundstrom was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer and given a fairly dire prognosis. He took the stage that night and played like a man possessed, absolutely determined to just stomp, windmill, and scream the cancer out of his body. He died 18 months later.
Steve Winwood, New Orleans Jazz Fest, 2004. Finished off an already great set with a searing "Dear Mr. Fantasy," just as an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in. Everybody stood rapt at Winwood's guitar solos, soaking up the bluesiest thing I've ever heard, in the rain, in the Mississippi delta.
Yonder Mountain String Band, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, 2005. A solid set to start with, but, as is typical in festivals, slowly turned into an all-star jam. John Luc Ponty and Darol Anger joined in on fiddle, Sam Bush and Bela Fleck on banjo, and Emmylou Harris just kind of hung out on the side of the stage and watched in amazement.
Steely Dan, 1993 tour. Not so much about the show, which was (as one would expect) technically flawless if lacking passion. But the idea of heremetic Steely Dan -- the band that did one abbreviated tour in the '70s and said "never again" -- going out on tour was impossible to believe. It's like if J.D. Sallinger suddenly decided to give a reading at your local public library. Now, they seem to tour every summer, so it doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore, but at the time, I couldn't believe I was actually seeing it.
@writdenied Damn. Every one of those sounds phenomenal. I have some friends who do a great cover of Fantasy (And Low Sparks too) but that sounds insane to have seen live
I've been to hundreds of concerts, but with the exception of a few, most have been smaller bands that never get a second bit of attention. However, a few of those bands would blow you away with their talent.
5: Planet Smashers
4: 311
3: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (Refreshments)
2: Mad Caddies
1: Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight never fails to amaze me. For a rock-ska band with 7 members, they never fail to sound as good as their amazing albums. Tomas Kalnoky is easily one of the most talented songwriters of this century, and an excellent performer (perhaps not the best singer though).
And then there is high fives. I really hate high fives. Your high fives are mid-fives to me. My high fives are out of reach for you
@capguncowboy Streetlight is great. I have some friends who play with them from time to time as well. Never fail to catch them when I can.
@Bingo I wish I was up in the Northeast so I could catch them more often. They rarely play in my area, and now that I have kids, I don't get to travel for stuff like that anymore :(. I'm glad that someone here at least knows who they are though
My favorite bowel movements:
@defibrillator Where is @PoopFeast420 when you need him?
@defibrillator ಠ_ಠ
@defibrillator don't tell us.. you wrote this on the crapper?
@snapster He's straight up poopin!
@defibrillator Sigh. Wishing I started that diary . . .
5 Favorite web sites (as of this moment) and the order that I check them in:
I don't think I've been to five.
1. Beach Boys - '65
2. Garth Brooks - late '90s
3. Beach Boys - late '80s
4. Beatles - '66
@pooflady ha 1 and 4 are all you need to win convincingly.
@snapster You're showing your age, old man!
@pooflady Yeah I'm with @snapster here, 1 & 4 are pretty much auto game winners
@pooflady I agree with @snapster and @Bingo, 1 and 4 are excellent. No need to have a 5th. I do hope your Beatles experience wasn't one of those all screaming all the time shows, and you got to hear them.
@bluedyn The stadium in D.C., so no, couldn't hear a thing. But I seriously doubt if you could hear them at many of their concerts.
I'm not sure I even remember all the concerts I've been to, but...
1: Rush - All of them. I've been to something like 25 Rush concerts. Needless to say, they're my favorite band. But even for the casual fan, they put on a hell of a concert.
2: Roger Waters: The Wall - I've seen him a few times, I've seen Pink Floyd a few times. But his last tour doing The Wall was epic.
3: David Bowie - The consummate showman. I've seen him 3 times, every show was spectacular.
4: Cher - Stop laughing! Bought the tix to take the gf, but it turned out she's an incredible performer. Her show was like concert meets Cirque du Soleil. Didn't hurt to have Cyndi Lauper open up for her.
5: Beastie Boys/Run DMC/Public Enemy - The Together Forever Tour. Those were the days.
But comedy concerts, a lot more than five, but here's the best in no particular order:
1. Jay Leno
2. Jeff Foxworthy
3. Kathleen Madigan
4. Jeanne Robertson
5. George Carlin
Five favorite concerts
Sensing a pattern here?
@jsh139 Yes, you stopped going to concerts in 1994.
@Cinoclav OR.... All the good music stopped being produced after '94 ;)
@jsh139 Nobody can every say jsh139 doesn't enjoy a diverse range of music. He likes the classic oldies going back as far as the summer of 1993 all the way up to the current modern sound from as recent as 1994.
@Starblind Lol, nah. I like just about everything. This is only my top 5!
@jsh139 I saw Tool in the late 90s. I remember thinking I either needed to be right in the middle of the pit or back in the seats. And on a LOT of drugs.
Marc Almond - 12 Years of Tears: Scott Walker is most people's favourite Jacques Brel surrogate, but Marc is mine. The energy when he transitioned from a beautiful, painfully intimate version of "There is a Bed" to a throbbing uptempo version of "Jacky" was breathtaking. And yes, he did play "Tainted Love" because there probably would have been a riot if he didn't.
Depeche Mode - Touring the Angel: High-energy mix of Playing the Angel material and classic favourites. This tour was so good they released every show on CD, Pearl Jam style.
Pet Shop Boys - Performance: What do you do when you've firmly established yourself as being NOT a live act, and even been quoted as saying "We can't do it live" in the press? What else, come up with an insane, beautiful over-the-top live show with Expressionism-inspired sets by opera designers, and throw in everything from Mexican wrestlers to pumpkin-headed Stepford wives. The music was nice too.
The Residents - Cube-E: As a band, The Residents are all eyeball-shaped hat and no cattle, with their anonymity and weirdness overshadowing the music, which generally runs from (deliberately) annoying to almost unlistenable. For whatever reason though that doesn't apply to this single tour, which is based around the interesting concept that there are only 3 types of truly uniquely American music: cowboy songs, black worksongs, and of course Elvis. If that sounds like a slog through music history class, it isn't, with neon-bright sets and an ominous sense of rising dread that actually suits the singing Resident, who always sounds like he's desperately cornered by wolves. Not everybody can work "Bury Me Not", "44 Blues", and "Teddy Bear" into a single show without it sounding random, but for whatever reason it just works.
Various - 20th Century Blues: A Tribute to Noel Coward: Noel Coward lives again, well, for one night in this one-off charity performance. Drawing talent from across the spectrum with Sting, Elton John, Shola Ama, Texas and Vic Reeves (yes, THAT Vic Reeves), a lot of the performers put very much their own spin on songs you've heard a thousand times before. You haven't lives until you've heard The Divine Comedy turn "I've Been to a Marvellous Party" into a thumping club track. I couldn't have liked it more.
Just for fun, some of the WORST live shows from otherwise non-shitty artists:
DEVO - 3-DEVO: Technologically interesting but the sound went out of sync and they never really recovered. Good job trying to do something different though.
They Might Be Giants - late 90s, don't remember which tour: I don't know if they were just off or what, but when I saw TMBG in Philly circa 1999 or so they were way off and almost unrecognisable, like a garage band just messing around and making noise. Even as someone who had every album I had trouble telling what songs they were even trying to play most of the time, not sure they knew either. To be fair, I gave them another chance a couple of years later and they were much better.
Bruce Springsteen - Ghost of Tom Joad Tour: Talented guy but on this tour he came off as a massive prick by telling the audience at every show not to make noise or even clap (no, seriously). Yeah, sitting perfectly still in dead silence is definitely a fun gig. Would have been forgiven if the music was good, but it was a slow half-assed slog and every song sounded the same.
@Starblind Touring the Angel was exceptional. And when I realized that live shows are my religious experiences. So fleeting, but so much fun.
I envy you seeing the Pet Shop Boys. That sounds amazing.
I've only ever been to 4 live concerts, so I'll have to make a different list:
5 favorite current pets
... oh right... I only have 4 pets too. Oops.
@katylava Annie knows you like her least. SHE KNOWS.
@Starblind i wish she knew. maybe she'd get outta ma fayce.
@katylava They totally know. And that's precisely why she's in your face.
@bluedyn normally i would agree, but not this dog. she's too frickin' happy.
@katylava Aha, dog not cat. Then yes, that's just being sweet and enjoying your company. No catlike malice there. :)
Update, the order is now: (1) Roomba (2) Emilie (3) Spike (4) Annie (5) Milton.
@katylava Woah! What did Milton do to get knocked down from first to fifth? And after an appliance?!
@bluedyn @katylava I also need to know the answer to this.
@bluedyn @JonT he peed on something that was not in his litter box
@katylava Was it the Roomba? Sympathy points got it to the top.
@katylava I had a cat doing that, and it was because she was sick and had no other way to let me know. I had another cat doing that, and it was because he didn't approve of a leather chair. Was this a cry for help, or a screw you situation?
@JonT it was just a new pillow for the dogs. the roomba just did a really good job today.
@bluedyn it was a "this smells very interesting i want to roll around in it and pee on it" situation
@katylava Ahh, so not a screw you, but a screw the dogs.
My 5 favorite ways to waste 5 minutes (give or take 5 minutes)
1. zombo.com
2. puzzlefarter.com/
3. Cards Against Humanity Online - http://pyz.socialgamer.net/index.php
4. type "zerg rush" in to Google (I got up to 50 in 5 minutes)
5. Rejected -
@rrapnek isn't Rejected like... 10 minutes? do you just watch half or waste 5 minutes and then waste 5 minutes again?
@rrapnek i have a car named Fassy... because she's Fat & Sassy.
@rrapnek also I AM A BANANA
@katylava Yes, that's why you were warned about the +/- 5 minute window.
@rrapnek you put that in parentheses so i didn't think it was important to read.
@rrapnek MY ANUS IS BLEEDING
I would mention my five concerts but you all would laugh and chide me so I will change topic for my top five.
Top five - novelties, candies, candy bars
1. Snow Caps
2. Whatchamacallit OR 100 Grand (it's a tie)
3. Sour Patch Kids
4. Milky Way Midnight
5. Any cookie dipped in chocolate (front runners are Oreo Strawberry Milkshake and Nutter Butter)
@jimmyd103 Watchamacallit FTW!!! I loved those things. Hard to find now.
@jimmyd103 Wunderbars are the best (only available in Canada, eh).
@bluedyn Amazon.com my friend. 87 cents a piece for a 36 bar package
@jsh139 ebay has 'em but they are a little bit pricey. Next trip to Niagara Falls, I will have to pick one up.
@jimmyd103 Damn, that's tempting. I've been thinking I need to stop buying bulk desserts, since I live alone. But I live alone so no one can stop me. :)
Five favorite desserts I can eat and not die (i.e., they're gluten-free):
@joelmw My favourite dessert is Chef Glutini's 3-layer triple-gluten glutencake with gluten-flavoured gluten frosting, gluten sprinkles, and extra gluten. I always ask for a tub of liquid gluten on the side, for dipping.
@Starblind I know your type.
Foo Fighters - Seen them lots of times but seeing them early right after the Colour and the Shape came out in a small club was epic. So was seeing them Headline at ACL
Roger Waters Dark Side of the Moon on his 2007 tour. He played the entire Album.
Roger Waters The Wall, I have seen it twice now.
Pink Floyd Momentary Lapse of Reason. Just remember a bunch of lights and colors. Nuff said.
Justin Timberlake - yeah ok, that one doesn't quite match but my wife wanted to go so we went. Turns out the man puts on a hell of a show.
@mdrcoast I'm not a JT fan either, but I seriously considered seeing him for that reason. I figured he was a showman. Hell, I saw Barry Manilow last year and that was excellent. Why not, right?
@mdrcoast Somewhat similar to my list above. Being that Rush and Foo Fighters have an awesome relationship, I've easily become a FF fan. I also saw The Wall twice on his last tour. One indoors, one at Citizens Bank Park. I thought the indoor show was better. I originally saw Roger on the Radio Kaos tour. And well... I kind of want to see JT for the same reasons. Guess he's the Cher of my list.
My 5 favorite tastes
@chibisara ya got sumtin against umami, or is it just not in your top 5?
@3XP IIRC, umami == savory. Right? Otherwise, umami definitely beats out savory.
@chibisara umami is more earthy, mushrooms being the easiest and best example
My top 5 dessert type items:
- Mrs. Baird's Cinnamon Donuts, I could (and do) eat these daily
- Blue Bunny Vanilla Mini Swirls (so small, so easy to eat 2 at a time)
- oatmeal raisin cookies when they're soft and warm (no nuts or coconut, dammit!)
- pumpkin pie, cold so it's tastier and portable
- cinnamon bagel with cinnamon sugar butter (don't recall where I used to get these but damn they were good)
Probably my best concert experience was TSO at the AA Center in 2011. The show itself is a great spectacle, but on top of that, my friend was on the road crew. When we couldn't meet up on his downtime, he told me just to show up at the security gate later that evening and my name would be on "the list." I wound up having VIP parking at the loading dock next to the tour buses and an all-access crew pass. I had an amazing dinner backstage with the crew, met some of the band, watched the whole show from the floor, and still got to hang out with my friend between cues.
Other top shows that come to mind:
NIN & A Perfect Circle at Starplex in '99 or 2000. I was in the pit and it was a blast for my younger, Doc Marten-wearing self.
Styx/REO Speedwagon/Jefferson Starship/Eddie Money at Starplex in 2000. It was an amphitheater in Texas in the Summer, but tickets were cheap and it was a lot of fun once the sun went down
I caught Kim Lenz and the Jaguars at a little dive bar in STL in '08 or '09 and even in the middle of a raging thunderstorm they put on a fantastic (outdoor) show.
Boys Named Sue I've seen at several bars all over Dallas and their shows were always tons of fun.
@medz Chair, Reverse Cowgirl
@medz Top 5 school dance themes is such a good idea! I'd definitely add "50s sock hop" though.
Ok, I'll bite since I don't see my #1 on here, although @mdrcoast has the tour prior and an impressive Floydian list to envy.
@denboy I saw part of the Division Bell concert. It was in an outdoor stadium and had a bunch of technical issues. Then a huge storm blew in, lighting was very cool on the storms approach. The rain started and a canopy above the stage filled with water and busted, just drenching the backup singers and the band wisely fled. THEN a tornado came through, the power went out with about 50,000 people trying to get out of the stadium in complete darkness. The reaction of the crowd was just as you would expect. “Dude! The lights went out! Let’s go to Taco Bell!”
@mdrcoast Holy shnikeys. It was quite the apocalyptic show. Was waters doing voodoo on them?
I have a terrible memory but after thinking for about 10 minutes this is what I came up with in no particular order:
@JonT Small shows are some of the best. I've seen Davíd Garza several times, and he takes requests and chats with the audience afterward. One time I loitered to ask him for an autograph, and he signed whatever it was I found on me to give him. But then he also gave me his guitar capo, and told me he'd had it with him for every show for the last several years. I'll remember that forever.
In no particular order:
1) Claudia Schmidt in Santa Cruz at the Pacific Cultural Center, early 80's. She had one of those moments where she ends a song with the audience completely spellbound; nobody moved for 15 seconds.
2) The US Festival. The first one. I saw everything except for Jimmy Buffett. First Dead concert for me. Also, I noticed the audience was changing as Sunday went along, including someone who managed to get his Harley onto the bowl and drive it very slowly right down the center line until he ended up at the rail. Turns out all the bikers had shown up for Stevie Nicks.
3) Billy Joel in the San Francisco area, late 80's? We were so late at getting tickets we were behind the stage. Turns out the stage sloped up towards the back, they had set up several keyboards on swivel stands right on the rear stage corners, and Joel would come on back and play to us. We were closer to him than people in the front row could get (which, IIRC, included Christie Brinkley).
4) John Sebastian. Yeah, I know who he is now, and he was super famous for one song, but I hadn't made the connection. The man could play a guitar and make it sound like two guitars. And then he played his hit, and the penny dropped. Bonus? He was the opener for Robin Williams, who rocked his own show!
5) Laurie Anderson at the Hammersmith Odeon in early 80's. Talk about mind blowing...
6) Leonard Cohen a couple of years ago in San Jose, CA. I had no idea who the man was. I got dragged to the concert by my lady. Amazing experience. I now know who he is.
7) Pink Martini, at the Mountain Winery, front row seats. Mean horn section, great music, and they ended up (after the obligatory "Brazil") with "Bitty Boppy Betty".
8) Any concert with Arturo Sandoval. Sing, play keyboards, drums and some of the best trumpet out there; the guy kills it all.
@SIMBM I'm totally jealous of #5, Laurie Anderson. That's an amazing artist at a legendary venue.
1) Your mom.
2) Scott's mom from high school.
3) That hot teenage mom on the bus.
4) Halle Berry (she has kids).
5) Your mom again!
My aunt lived in New Orleans for many years, and we used to go down to visit for Thanksgiving. She worked for one of the major funeral homes there.
One year when we were visiting a street musician had died. Now, New Orleans street musicians are a breed unto themselves; they do know their stuff, and are in general a pretty close knit community. The funeral arrangements and wake were handled by my aunt's employer, and she knew from past experience what was going to go down at the wake. She managed to get me in as funeral home staff to bear witness.
What occurred that evening was one of the most intense musical experiences I have ever witnessed. All the street musicians were there, to celebrate a life and to mourn a death, and they all brought their instruments and played. Not many words were said, all emotions and feelings and memories were conveyed through the music. And the only reason they had to play was for the decedent; no audience to pander to, and people played because they cared. The urn was set in the middle of the floor, and they all played to it, mostly solo.
I do not remember what was played, only how it was played, and that was with feeling.
@JOATMON That's an amazing, and I would guess, pretty exclusive experience to have.