Photo by Wes Ellis (@atwes)

“And when I grow up, I'm gonna look up from my phone and see my life.” (Garden Song by Phoebe Bridgers)

Whether you're a frequent concertgoer or not, odds are you’ve likely found yourself in conversations about the ways in which our smartphones prevent us from 'living in the moment.' As a photographer myself, I recognize the reflex to photograph something striking in front of me quite well. While I’d like to say that this reflex is mostly an intention to document or express something artistically, I cannot say I am exempt from the machine that is social media and its association with status and validation. 

At this moment in time, there is a social pressure to visually broadcast experiences to others, which can interrupt a concerted effort to truly be present. This is one of the first sensations I noted upon entering TD Garden for Phoebe Bridgers' The Lost Tour on Tuesday night. Venue staff scanned our digital tickets and printed out individual receipts with our seat and section numbers. All recording devices were placed in Yondr pouches, only to be unlocked at the conclusion of the show, or in a few approved areas of the venue. With my hands free from technology, I had no choice but to look around me: bodies were angled towards each other, gazes shared, and hands occupied by drinks, concessions, and recently purchased merch. I noticed the size of the notepad I was using resembled that of a smartphone. The difference was my active reflection of my surroundings — not anything else that could arrest my attention. Everywhere I looked, there was a collective task at hand: to simply be. 

Before the start of the show, I approached two separate fans to ask them what they thought of Phoebe Bridgers’ decision to make The Lost Tour phone-free. 

Interview 1

ADRIANA ARGUIJO GUTIERREZ: How do you feel going into a no-phones concert tonight? 

ASHI JINDAL, 19: I’m really excited! The last show I went to at TD Garden was Lorde, and that was incredible. I made a point to not use my phone as much, so I really enjoyed it. And for Phoebe Bridgers, I really want to be in the moment because her music is very detailed and lyric-focused. 

I definitely texted my parents before, like, “I’m not gonna be reachable,” but it’s worth it because it's important to have less technology at events. I appreciate that Phoebe is having us stay off our phones. 

Interview 2

ADRIANA: How are you feeling about seeing Phoebe Bridgers tonight with a no-phones policy?   

KATE BACHMAN, 21: I’m excited! I feel like one of the best parts of seeing art live is getting to experience it with the people you’re coming with. It’s not often that we engage with music, painting, writing, or any type of art without being connected to technology. Having everyone be here for the sake of being fully present… that’s something I’m really excited for. 

ADRIANA: Do you think it’ll be easier to focus less on taking photos tonight, especially with our relationship to social media in this day and age? 

KATE: Yeah! I went to a different concert last night: I saw Snail Mail, and she was great. But during some of my favorite songs, I thought, “I really wanna take a video of this,” and I then spent like thirty seconds of a two-and-a-half-minute song on my phone trying to get the right angle. But tonight I’ll just be listening.

ADRIANA: Are there other parts of your life where you’d like to not use your phone so much and be more present? 

KATE: Gosh, like everything. I feel like there are some ways in which I love having my phone. I moved here three months ago, and getting to keep in close in touch with people from home is awesome. So there are times when I can call people that I like having my phone. But little things like trying to do work and taking five or ten minute breaks to go on Instagram… that’s time I’ll never get back. I think during moments like that I’d like to be on my phone less. 

ADRIANA: Any other thoughts you have about the show? Or songs you’d like to hear Phoebe play tonight? 

KATE: I’m excited to hear “I Can’t Wait,” and I hope she plays “Sidelines,” “Waiting Room,” or “Georgia” — any of those. 

The show itself was nothing short of magical.

I find myself using variations of that word quite a bit to describe what I saw: pure magic. 

Around 8:30 PM, smoke began to settle on the main stage. A glowing dome-shaped structure sat at its center, with static imagery projected onto the curtains in the background. During this half-hour before Phoebe came out, I noticed a man in the GA section holding binoculars to his eyes. A group sitting across from me in Loge 14 tried to start a wave. Someone seated near me asked another attendee, who was wearing a wristwatch, for the time. And a few people throughout the venue could be seen with sketchpads and pens in their hands, ready to document the night in a more traditional sense. 

At 9:00, the dome structure slowly rose to reveal Phoebe Bridgers and her 9-piece backing band standing beneath it. Phoebe’s face was projected onto either side of the background curtains — her image a ghostly one, with sparkling makeup mimicking tears on her cheeks. Eventually, the dome was repositioned vertically, with the underside facing the audience. Images of the moon, other celestial bodies, and abstract lights were projected onto its surface.

After about ten songs at the main stage, including “Motion Sickness,” “Lost Boys,” and “Moon Song,” the show wandered down to the B-stage on the farther end of the floor. A large ball of light lowered from the ceiling, with prismatic lasers emanating from it. The circular B-stage slowly rotated as well, granting Phoebe a balanced view of the audience. During “Lost Weekend,” a burst of mesmerizing static, reminiscent of a plasma lamp, covered the arena. If I had to pick my favorite visual moment of the night, it might be this one. 

During “Funeral,” “Graceland Too,” and “Haunted,” I could see a few fans raise lighters above their heads before ultimately having them confiscated by venue security. For a few brief moments, it felt like we’d been transported back to a time before the tradition was replaced with cellphones. 

Before “Still Standing,” Phoebe said to the crowd: “This album has been very intense to put out. My dad died… Thanks for putting your phones away. Thanks for making this easier for me.”

Returning to the main stage, fans got to hear “On Video,” Phoebe's song from Lance Oppenheim’s latest film Primetime. Shortly after, Phoebe’s brother, Jackson Bridgers, joined her on stage for “I Can’t Wait” as well.

Some highlights before the encore include: “ICU” (tour debut), “Kyoto,” and “I Know The End.” The latter was accompanied by powerful tornado imagery projected on the underside of the dome structure. 

For the final ten minutes, Phoebe changed into a white dress that glowed from UV light on the B-stage. Her sparkle-stained cheeks glowed just the same as the show closed out with “Lost Weekend (Reprise),” “Scott Street,” and “Never Going Back!” 

A few days later, I spoke with a couple more fans who attended the second night at TD Garden.

Interview 3

ADRIANA: How did you feel being at the concert? What feelings did you notice about not using your phone and being able to pay more attention? 

SOPHIA RIVIELLO, 27: I felt so present during the entire concert. More present than I’ve been at any concert that I can remember, or at least since I became a teenager and got a smartphone. 

ADRIANA: Do you feel like your phone prevents you from fully enjoying meaningful moments? 

SOPHIA: I rarely ever bring my phone out during concerts. But it was so nice being able to focus on Phoebe and not a thousand glowing screens. I went to a concert in Boston just the week before, and I remember watching someone FaceTime a friend during the set. It definitely made me a little more self-aware and self-conscious. It was so nice knowing that wasn’t going to happen at this concert. 

ADRIANA: How do the feelings of this concert compare to others you’ve attended?

SOPHIA: Compared to other shows, I felt like I could just show up and focus on the artist and the music. I didn’t feel any pressure to post proof that I was there. It feels so silly saying that. After the show, there was a rush of concert-goers trying to take photos of their outfits or shots of the marquee. I thought about it, but then I wondered… who would that be for? Not for myself. Showing up to the concert was what I did for myself. Personally, I felt a lot less performative than I did at the other shows I’ve attended. I wish it were always this way.

AUDREY STRAW, 25: From the moment I walked into the venue, after putting my phone in the yonder pouch, I noticed there was a buzz about the stadium. People were talking to each other. No one was looking down at their phones. There was less of a focus on capturing the moment. Rather, people were just living it. While waiting for Phoebe to enter the stage, the crowd did 13 complete rounds of the wave. Everyone was engaged in a joint goal. Rather than seeking entertainment on our phones, we looked towards each other. 

ADRIANA: How did you feel about not having immediate access to your phone? 

AUDREY: This was the longest period I have gone without having access to the exact time. At first, I felt a lot of anxiety about this, but soon, instead of constantly looking at my Apple Watch or phone, which I often do at concerts, I was able to just be present. I was not worried about what would happen after the show or what time it would end. I was able to be grounded in the moment I was in without worrying about the passage of time. 

ADRIANA: Are there ways in which your phone prevents you from enjoying meaningful moments? (For example: feeling tempted to check notifications, replying to non-urgent texts, etc.) 

AUDREY: A habit I have during a show, from my favorite artists to those I don’t know as well, is to follow the setlist as the show is happening. I want to know when to expect it to end. I typically anticipate the show rather than really enjoying it. 

ADRIANA: How did this experience compare to other concerts you’ve been to? 

AUDREY: During other shows, I find myself wanting to capture the perfect moment to post on social media. I was able to be free of that during Phoebe’s show. When you see everyone on their phone during the show, trying to capture every moment, I feel a sense of missing out if I don’t do so. By losing access to my phone, I was able to immerse myself in what was going on onstage without distractions from the world outside the arena. 

I sat in the nosebleeds… nowhere close enough to distinguish any features of the artist. At other shows, in those same seats, I felt much further from the artist. Perhaps it was the absence of the phone or the brilliant lighting design, but I felt closer to the artist. The show was intimate, and the venue was smaller, as Phoebe talked about her personal life in a way she probably wouldn’t have if it were broadcast on the internet.

ADRIANA: How did you feel coming out of the concert? 

AUDREY: Post-show, I have found myself wanting to capture what I saw in other ways. By looking at the art people have produced. By writing down what I saw and how I felt, to understand the experience. I also look back at the show fondly. It is uniquely mine. The only people to see the same show as me were in the stadium. It won’t be shown in clips online. Instead, it is almost like a secret shared amongst 20,000 people. 

If asked if I would go to another no-phones show, I would say yes, 100%.

Setlist

Main Stage

  1. The Outside (First verse only)
  2. Motion Sickness
  3. Kill Me
  4. The Governor's Waltz
  5. Lost Boys
  6. DVD Menu
  7. Garden Song
  8. Moon Song
  9. Liberty Tree
  10. Panorama

B Stage

  1. Lost Weekend
  2. Funeral
  3. Graceland Too
  4. Haunted
  5. Still Standing (including a pre-song monologue about Phoebe's father)
  6. As Above

Main Stage

  1. Bobby
  2. Georgia
  3. On Video
  4. I Can't Wait (with Jackson Bridgers)
  5. ICU
  6. Kyoto
  7. I Know the End

Encore:

  1. Lost Weekend (Reprise)
  2. Scott Street
  3. Never Going Back! (band only)

Check out the official Phoebe Bridgers website for upcoming tour dates, music videos, and more. Listen to her third studio album, Lost Weekend — a project about death, change, and atmosphere.

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