Before Phoebe Bridger’s announced her latest album, she began the rollout by performing surprise pop-up shows in various random locations. For any fan of hers, it was the most exhilarating and exciting experience. There was no advance information about when or where these shows would be, you just had to be lucky enough to be in town when the flyers went up. These were small, intimate shows in little venues that made it so she was able to meet every single person there once the set was over. So now not only were the fans pining for a chance to get into the show, meet her(!), but the stakes were even higher because she was playing new, unreleased songs! The catch was, the only way to hear these unreleased songs was to physically be at the show… because it was a technology free event! Fans started websites to track her shows and figured out that the common denominator to every location was that they had some connection to space (we’d later find out was a hint at her then upcoming album); we were really working overtime to anticipate her next moves! Travel arrangements were made on just assumptions, but all became worth it when the assumptions proved right. The grand finale was a show at Madison Square Garden; it sold out. 

Part of why this was so exciting was because Bridger’s last solo album came out in June of 2020. We weren’t technically left waiting for new music for six years, though, because her band “boygenius” released two albums in 2023, one in March and one in October. (We won’t talk about how the wait between “boygenius” albums was 5 years, too, though). Regardless of release dates and solo music droughts, the fact that she was playing new songs at these surprise shows was an excitement like no other. An invigorating anticipation, too, because the lack of social media meant the show was a completely concealed secret. What happened in those rooms was for the fans there alone, and that was the most jealousy-inducing yet exciting feeling of them all. 

Her album Lost Weekend was announced shortly after these shows concluded. A collection of 16 songs, 52m 42s in total. She wasn’t done making this the most memorable album rollout for her fans, though, because the week leading up to the release, she announced a custom planetarium show with an advanced listening experience attached that would be played in planetariums all around the world! I unfortunately didn’t make it to one of the pop-up shows, but I was for sure at the planetarium, and it was spectacular. This hour-long show was created by Babak Tafreshi, a National Geographic night sky explorer, with additional help from Bridgers herself. That was, again, a device-free experience. The album officially came out once the planetarium shows concluded, and it was incredible. Then came the official arena tour announcement, but guess what? It was still marketed as device free. I was curious for a while about how she was going to pull this off as brave people will search for loopholes to break rules anywhere they can. I was questioning how we’d really get by spoiler-free and have a genuine unplugged experience at every show?

Charlotte, North Caroline. October 9, 2026. I was there, and oh my goodness, it was life-changing. I got to go in completely naive to what was happening inside because fans were behaving and there was no leaked content. Holding myself to that standard as well, I’m not going to give any details about the show itself, only my experiences. With that said, it was such a cool experience to go in completely blind! Not having my phone was a bit odd at first, because in such a technology driven world it’s hard to break from the safety net we feel with our phone somewhere on our person. That minimal stress wore off quickly though, because of the genuine human connection and people’s smiling faces and tangible excitement and the beauty of not a single phone in sight. We were living in the moment, Bridgers and her band included, and it was the best experience I’d ever had at a concert. Whatever happened in that room genuinely got to stay in that room and was kept precious for just us. 

There’s also no consistent setlist for the show, so not only does the set and creative aspects stay a secret, but what songs she plays is a surprise too! Fans started drawing and animating their experiences and making written lists of the songs she played to make up for the lack of media content. Therefore, not only are we existing with the music again, but creativity is alive. It was pure magic.

Phoebe Bridgers as a songwriter and performer is something anyone is lucky to witness. The honesty and genuine connection building she does within her lyrics and the way she performs them is admirable. There were some songs that reminded me, in the moment, that what we were experiencing is what live music is for. Music makes people feel connected, it’s the one completely universal language. The connection between listener and song is a special one, of course, but even better than that is the connection between listener and artist. Isn’t that why we go to concerts after all? To spend an evening with our favorite musician and hear our favorite songs the way they’re meant to be heard? Phones and devices have become such a normalcy that, yes, I was a bit wary to let it go for a few hours, but those few hours proved to be some of the best of my life: and I have Phoebe Bridgers to thank for that.

Edited and Reviewed by Clarence Clark