Polling Place DJ Unveils 11-Hour ‘Democracy Playlist’; First Track Is Just a Metronome

RIVERSIDE — Polling place DJ Marcus “Spin Cycle” Webb unveiled his 11-hour “Democracy Playlist” Tuesday, opening with a four-minute metronome track he described as “setting the civic tempo.”

“Voting is rhythmic. You walk in, you sign, you vote, you leave. Tick, tick, tick,” said Webb, whose official title is Minister of the Queue Groove. “The metronome honors that. Also, I needed four minutes to untangle my cables.”

The playlist — 147 tracks curated over three weeks — progresses through what Webb calls “the five movements of democracy”: Anticipation (acoustic folk), Determination (classic rock), Contemplation (jazz), Celebration (Motown), and the 7 p.m. “Final Push” (songs with the word “tonight” in the title).

“At 6:58 p.m., we play ‘Tonight’s the Night’ into ‘Tonight, Tonight’ into a song I found called ‘Tonight We Vote (Remix),’ which may not be a real song,” Webb admitted. “The voters don’t care. By 7 p.m., everyone’s just happy to be sitting down.”

Volume is capped at what Webb calls “library with a pulse,” per the county’s noise guidelines. Requests are accepted but “subject to thematic review.” A voter’s request for death metal at 8 a.m. was denied. “Wrong movement,” Webb said. “Come back at 5 p.m. during Determination.”

Poll worker Sandra Okafor called the music “surprisingly effective.” “The line moves better with a beat. People hum. A man did a little shuffle step while waiting for his ballot. Democracy has never had this much groove.”

The “Final Push” medley leaked early when a voter requested it at 9 a.m. and Webb “accidentally played eight seconds.” The voter called it “electrifying” and returned at noon asking for it again. “I redirected him to Contemplation,” Webb said. “Rules are rules. The Final Push is for the final push.” Okafor has since requested the full playlist for the office holiday party. “Same five movements,” Webb said. “But the holiday version. More jingle. Less metronome.”

Webb has released the playlist on a limited-run cassette — 50 copies, “for the purists.” Side A is movements one through three. Side B is “the Final Push, extended, for the truly committed.” All fifty sold out in a day. “Democracy,” Webb said, “sounds great on tape.”

The cassette’s success has spawned a vinyl petition — 200 signatures and counting. “Vinyl would be warmer,” Webb said. “But the metronome was made for tape.” Okafor has requested a holiday remix. “Working title,” Webb said, “‘Jingle Bell Rock the Vote.'”

Webb’s contract includes one encore performance at the vote-counting center. “Same playlist,” he said. “But slower. Counting is a different tempo. Counting is a ballad.”