I, too, thought the real point was simply to bring traditional music to people who normally wouldn't hear it otherwise (by choice, if you will)--not necessarily to surprise, but to reach them in their native environments in a way that draws in many spectators at once (unlike with a busker or three), creating a sort of communal experience, all the more memorable for being unannounced and fleeting. If you also want the "commando" or spontaneous element, you're adding unnecessary complications that obscure the intent. Anyway, any fool realizes that such "spontaneous" events only occur with great deliberation.

If it's hard to find venues where it wouldn't be "expected", then it sounds like the goal has already been achieved, and people are already getting a good exposure to traditional music! But I doubt that's really the case. You rarely hear that kind of music played even by mall buskers here. Mostly, it's pop covers or three-chord blues, maybe some bluegrass.

So good job, Les and co!

I've got a challenge for you--mob elevator music: imagine piped music all over the city suddenly breaking into a set of reels and ballads instead of Montovanni soft rock and Christmas carols. Now that would be "commando".