Phoebe Bridgers’ Phone Ban Is Changing Concert Behavior — Fans Are Drawing the Light Show by Hand

The useful part

Phoebe Bridgers Banned Phones at Her Concerts and It's Creating a Beautiful and Mysterious Experience. Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella It's practically impossible these days to attend a concert without a flood of bright smartphone screens obscuring your view. This screen-filled nightmare has now caught the attention of Grammy-winning singer songwriter Phoebe Bridgers.

How it works

• For her latest tour, she implemented a strict phone ban — including smartwatches and Meta's " pervert glasses " — to put the music front and center.
• "Such a great concert, the lighting effects were so cool and also the way they used the dome thing on the main stage throughout." "Having no phones made all the lighting effects pop way more and people got...
• The result, so far, has been a far more memorable couple of hours that are inspiring a smartphone-obsessed generation to get creative in ways that have already been unexpectedly beautiful.
• Some fan have pulled out pencils and pens to physically sketch Bridgers' stage and lighting, a wholesome example of what we stand to gain by setting aside our ever-present depression rectangles.
• "Went by myself so figured I'd draw while I was there!" one fan wrote in a Reddit post, alongside other amateur artists doing their best.

What to take from it

Now, if only the industry wasn't being oppressed by a dystopian, monopolistic, and rent-seeking corporation that's making the average ticket price completely unaffordable … More on smartphone addiction: Educators have found that reading ability spikes after removing tech and that students are far more prone to talk to each other, connect, and make new friends. Some schools have seen students indulge in other analog past times, like games of dominoes during lunch breaks.

Details worth keeping

A growing contingent of artists are forcing audience members to lock up their valuables in Yondr pouches, which are secure, lockable fabric bags intended for smartphone-free spaces that have cropped up in event halls, schools, and even court rooms.

Related coverage

• Cleveland: Phoebe Bridgers delivered a powerful, phone-free arena show in Columbus, drawing on her new album about grief and loss.
• Crosswalk: Phoebe Bridgers' phone-free concerts and Lost Weekend planetarium events reflect a growing desire for experiences that feel less curated and more real.
• Digitalmusicnews: As phone-free events increase exponentially, MILA Lounge in Miami announces a monthly No-Phone Night, a recurring Thursday night ritual.