On October 3rd, I attended Phoebe Bridgers’ show in Detroit with one of my best friends. We’ve been close since elementary school, and we’re undoubtedly Phoebe super-fans – we saw her with Boygenius in 2023. We knew we had to go together again when she announced the tour dates after listening to Lost Weekend on repeat. I never considered myself a skeptic of the “phone-free” policy she decided to implement, supplying Yondr pouches to all concert-goers, but I was curious about how it would play out. Would fans refuse to buy tickets because they couldn’t film their favorite songs? Would people disrespect the policy and release tour content? I couldn’t help but wonder about all the possibilities of this largely unprecedented decision as I secured our tickets during presale.
The day of the concert, vibes were high. I was prepared to cry, dance, and everything in between as I drove from Ann Arbor to Detroit. Upon arrival at the venue, we were met with a super long line to put our phones in the Yondr pouches, which could only be unlocked by staff members. Luckily, the line moved fast, and I said bye to my phone and got into the merch line as the opener, Alex G, played. Our view of the stage in the lower bowl was great. We were closer to the B Stage, where Phoebe performed some of her most heart-wrenching songs, and I’ll always remember singing along to “Funeral” and “Still Standing” through tears.
For her surprise song, Phoebe performed “Emily I’m Sorry” from Boygenius’s, The Record. I apologize to everyone sitting around me when this happened, because both my friend and I freaked out, not knowing this was an option. The last time I heard this song live was the summer before I started college, and I was filled with nervous excitement as I began a new chapter of my life. Now, as I apply to graduate school and am met with even more uncertainty, hearing it again feels full circle.
My favorite part of the show was during Phoebe’s encore, “Scott Street.” During a moment when most people would have been filming, the lights came on after a pretty dark concert, and everyone could be seen singing along. Phoebe took a second to turn around and look at the entire crowd, and her happiness was palpable. She has mentioned in interviews that having a phone-free show wasn’t meant to deprive anyone of taking videos, but rather to allow all fans to be fully “in the moment”, enjoying every lyric with friends and family.
After immersing myself in a phone-free concert experience, I would definitely do it again. With lights and visuals as engaging as Phoebe’s, there was never a moment I was bored. I also felt as if my friend and I shared moments we wouldn’t have been able to if we filmed half the concert, which I oftentimes fall victim to. Someone I know recently attended a Billy Joel phone-free concert, and she said the lack of visuals and production made the experience a bit rough without a phone. I’m not sure how I would feel about not having access to my phone while seeing an artist I listen to only occasionally, but I certainly don’t think it would have the same effect as Phoebe’s concert.
Unfortunately, I have seen leaked videos of the tour on TikTok and X, and although this gives fans who weren’t able to secure or afford tickets a chance to see Phoebe performing her new album, I consider it disrespectful. Fans knew before buying tickets that they wouldn’t be allowed to take videos per Phoebe’s wishes, and posting them ruins the “magic” of the tour for fans who were there. In a different vein, one of the coolest things to come out of the Lost Tour so far is fan drawings of the concert. Seeing the lights and colors from so many different perspectives in a form other than photos is so unique, and when I see anything like this on social media, it’s impossible to scroll past without comparing it to my own memories.
I’m excited for Yondr pouches to be implemented at more shows in the future, but I don’t think this will come without controversy. There are a few fanbases I can think of that wouldn’t be super happy with their favorite artists requiring them to lock their phones away for two hours. Regardless, I think an artist as big as Phoebe using this rule will be highly influential, and I’m curious to see how this trend manifests.