Spokane Arena hosts phone-free Ghost concert. Is distraction-free viewing part of the future?
Among the strobes and pyrotechnics of a rock concert at the Numerica Veterans Arena, one mainstay of concerts will be absent: cellphones.
When Swedish rock band Ghost brings their “Skeletor World Tour” to the Lilac City on Thursday, Feb. 12, the use of cellphones or any recording device (including smart glasses) will not be permitted in the main performance space, according to the venue website.
Once concertgoers enter the venue, their cellphones and any recording device will be locked in a Yondr pouch and secured until the end of the concert. Audience members maintain possession of their phones (in pouch) at all times. During the event, attendees can access their devices at designated phone use areas.
Although phone-free concert experiences are a rarity, they have become more common in recent years, usually when artists don’t want their concert experience spoiled for other fans or in efforts to “force” concertgoers to embrace the show without distractions.
Multidiamond artist Bruno Mars is one of the most prominent performers to enforce the policy, doing so for nearly a decade at his Las Vegas residencies – including that of Silk Sonic, his collaborative project with Anderson .Paak.
Many students at Washington State University are part of a generation that have grown up with this technology not only being readily mobile, but a crucial part of day-to-day life. When asked about phone-free concert policies and how they would feel without having their phone on their person, students ranging from freshmen to seniors had similar reactions and concerns, particularly when it comes to safety.
“Imagine there’s some kind of bombing, God forbid, but this has happened before,” said junior Moses Henning, who brought up incidents such as a 2017 suicide bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, United Kingdom. “That’s on the news, my family is wondering if I’m OK, and they can’t hear from me because Bruno Mars didn’t want me to have my phone out during the event.”
Yondr assures safety on its website: “All venue staff and security have cell phones and radios. Should an emergency occur, they are trained to implement and execute safety and emergency procedures. Guests should follow all venue instructions and evacuate immediately in the case of an emergency.
“Yondr venue staff will have hand-held unlocking devices outside at a safe distance from the venue.”
Although most students discussed a sense of understanding around the policy and the concept of active engagement or simply “living in the moment,” most said that it lacked enough weight to swing them in the direction of agreement or that they disagree with the concept entirely.
“People have always taken keepsakes,” said sophomore Jasmyn Ramirez. “We like to remember things; I don’t think it makes us any less in the moment to capture it.”
Freshman Alycia Love, a classically trained violinist who plays with the WSU orchestra, viewed the decision from the perspective of a musician. She believes phones to not only be a distraction to the audience member, but to the performer on stage, as well.
“As a classical musician, the standard is you don’t have your phone on at all; you don’t record really,” Love said. “That’s just the tone of the setting, which helps us musicians, 100%. There’s no distractions, there’s no lights, you just get to feel more connected with the audience overall.”
When students were asked if they would be more willing to give up their phone if it was their favorite artist enforcing such a policy, they were much more inclined.
“I’d be more lenient giving up my phone than if it’s a concert I’m not particularly interested in,” said sophomore Charlie Stalnaker, whose favorite artist is Tame Impala, and half-jokingly added, “If it’s my favorite concert, I don’t care about anything else.”