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I practiced a variation of this tactic years ago at the Town Tavern in Port Townsend, Washington. The tavern and deli there by the old ferry dock was for several years the revenue generating part of an “intentional community” (hippie commune) of some notoriety on the Olympic Peninsula. Tending bar was my least favorite duty and on weekend nights it was nearly impossible to clear the place out at 2am as required by law. But we had an extensive record library (actual vinyl LPs) and we could also bring in our own records to help pass the time. A recent fugitive from music school, I had acquired an interest in some of the modern 20th century composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen, and musique concrete by Edgar Varese. So when 2am rolled around, ZZ Top and The Eagles were put away and out came the strange dissonant tonalities of string music from Sirius, the Dog Star, or a montage of appliances being turned on and off and played backwards with reverb, with occassional passages of technical manuals being read in French. It worked like a charm. I could empty the bar out faster than anyone working there! - T.M.
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